OFSTED
30 January 2024
Latest graded inspection
Latest published outcome
Outstanding
OEIF
Quality of education
Outstanding
Behaviour & attitudes
Outstanding
Personal development
Outstanding
Leadership & management
Outstanding
SCHOOL DETAILS
About this school
School type
Free schools
Phase
Secondary
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
—
Local authority
Manchester
Trust
THE LAURUS TRUST
Census date
15 January 2026
PUPIL PROFILE
2025/26
School community
Latest published pupil characteristics for 2025/26.
Total pupils
1,220
1,220 full-time ·
0 part-time
Female pupils
596
48.9% of pupils
Male pupils
624
51.1% of pupils
Free school meals
Pupils eligible for free school meals.
13.7 pts
above England
School
38.5%
Manchester
46.4%
North West
28.5%
England
24.8%
English as an additional language
Pupils whose first language is not English.
10.3 pts
above England
School
30.6%
Manchester
42.0%
North West
18.1%
England
20.3%
Young carers
Pupils recorded as young carers.
3.5 pts
above England
School
4.5%
Manchester
1.9%
North West
0.8%
England
1.0%
Ethnicity
Largest recorded pupil groups.
White British
37.9%
462
Any other ethnic group
11.6%
141
Pakistani
9.6%
117
Any other Mixed background
7.0%
85
Any other White background
6.2%
76
White and Black Caribbean
4.7%
57
Council, regional and national comparisons
are pupil-weighted using published school
census counts.
ADDITIONAL NEEDS
2025/26
Special educational needs
Pupils receiving SEN support or with an education, health and care plan.
Pupils with SEN
23.4%
285 of
1,220 pupils
2.5 pts
above England
England:
20.8%
England
14.8%
3.2 pts
above
England
6.0%
0.7 pts
below
PRIMARY NEEDS
Pupils
Most common identified needs
SEN comparisons are pupil-weighted using published 2025/26 Department for Education school-level data. Primary needs combine pupils receiving SEN support and pupils with EHC plans.
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
2024/25
Key stage 4 outcomes
Published Department for Education results for 2024/25.
ATTAINMENT 8
Average attainment score
57.1
17.9 pts
above England
Latest published: 0.67 · 2023/24
Comparisons are averages of published school-level results for open schools. They are not pupil-weighted official local authority attainment rates.
ATTENDANCE & ABSENCE
2024/25
Attendance profile
Published Department for Education absence data for 2024/25. Lower absence rates are generally better.
ABSENCE RATE
8.21%
Overall absence
Percentage of possible sessions missed.
1.99 pts
higher than
England
School
8.21%
Manchester
6.82%
North West
6.25%
England
6.22%
ABSENCE RATE
23.67%
Persistent absence
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
7.85 pts
higher than
England
School
23.67%
Manchester
18.60%
North West
15.89%
England
15.82%
ABSENCE RATE
2.98%
Severe absence
Pupils missing 50% or more of sessions.
1.18 pts
higher than
England
School
2.98%
Manchester
2.21%
North West
1.75%
England
1.80%
Council, regional and national
comparisons are averages of published
school-level percentages rather than
pupil-weighted official absence rates.
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?
School context
Comparison with open secondary schools.
CAPACITY
Capacity utilisation
90.4%
1.9 pts
below England
Didsbury High School
90.4%
Manchester
93.3%
North West
91.8%
England
92.3%
Benchmarks use open schools in the
same phase. Capacity utilisation is
calculated from published pupil and
capacity figures.