Abbey College Manchester, Off King Street
Abbey College Manchester is an independent school for pupils aged 14 to 23 in Off King Street. It is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted; its most recent ISI inspection was a non-routine inspection in June 2026.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Abbey College Manchester in detail
Abbey College Manchester in its own words
In its own words: "Abbey College Manchester is an independent day & boarding school for students aged 14 - 22 years old, situated on Cheapside in Manchester city centre. Abbey College Manchester has a unique teaching philosophy in an academically rigorous but informal setting."
From the headteacher's welcome: "We are a dynamic, exciting college, situated in the heart of Manchester providing high quality, flexible programmes of study. A recent student survey highlighted how much our students enjoy the cultural, educational and business opportunities afforded by learning in the city centre."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, basketball, badminton, yoga, STEM, knitting, photography and film.
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Abbey College Manchester can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other independent schools to Abbey College Manchester are Chetham's School of Music (0.3 miles, selective); Sol Christian Academy (1.1 miles, Good); Afifah School (1.5 miles, Good, selective); and Talmud Torah D'chassidie Belz (1.6 miles, Good).
Chetham's School of MusicSol Christian AcademyAfifah SchoolTalmud Torah D'chassidie Belz
Where pupils go next
Of the 40 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 38% went on to university or other higher education and 8% into work.
Who goes there
In 2026, 39 pupils (25.2%) received SEN support and 4 (2.6%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Market Street (Manchester Metrolink), about 320 metres away (roughly a 4-minute walk).
25 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Cheapside, 50 metres away.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASISI Inspection Reports
Independent schools in England are inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), not Ofsted. Ofsted last inspected this school in 27 September 2006, before the latest ISI inspection.
Non-Routine Inspection
16 June 2026
Routine Inspection
3 March 2026
Educational Quality / Focused Compliance
21 March 2023
Regulatory Compliance
7 March 2018
Integrated
10 February 2015
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from Abbey College Manchester
Alumni Focus: Vilmos (Will) Class of 2022
25 Sep 2026
Beyond the Grades: What It Really Takes to Get Into Medical School
8 Sep 2026
Outstanding A Level Results at Abbey College Manchester
13 Aug 2026
A Level Results Day 2026: What to Expect and What to Do Next
4 Aug 2026
A Complete Guide to A Level Retakes
28 Jul 2026
Nikolas Receives National Recognition for Powerful Short Film 3AM
6 Jul 2026
From Abbey College Manchester's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Abbey College Manchester
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 117
- Fatal
- 2
- Serious
- 35
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 117 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 2 fatal, 35 serious and 80 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot.
20 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Manchester is 22 (the median across 222 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
59%
Available places
155 pupils
264 places
109 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Across Manchester council
Places available
7,220
Applications
6,542
Got 1st preference
77.1%
Got preferred school
94.7%
All secondary applications across Manchester council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
39
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
27.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
155
Total Pupils
91
Boys
64
Girls
2026 academic year
Questions parents ask about Abbey College Manchester
What are GCSE results like at Abbey College Manchester?
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Abbey College Manchester can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
When was Abbey College Manchester last inspected?
Abbey College Manchester is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted. Its most recent ISI inspection was a non-routine inspection in June 2026.
How many pupils go to Abbey College Manchester?
Abbey College Manchester has around 155 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to Abbey College Manchester?
Abbey College Manchester is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Abbey College Manchester?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 117 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 2 fatal, 35 serious and 80 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot. 20 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Manchester is 22 (the median across 222 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Abbey College Manchester?
Abbey College Manchester is at 5-7 Cheapside, Off King Street, Off King Street, M2 4WG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)