Bowersgate School, Manchester
Bowersgate School is a special school for pupils aged 6 to 16 in Manchester.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Bowersgate School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Bowersgate School are Piper Hill High School (1 mile, Outstanding); Pictor Academy (1.2 miles, Outstanding); Southern Cross School (1.4 miles); and Pioneer House High School (1.5 miles, Outstanding).
Piper Hill High SchoolPictor AcademySouthern Cross SchoolPioneer House High School
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Baguley (Manchester Metrolink), about 340 metres away (roughly a 4-minute walk).
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Baguley Metrolink Stop, 330 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Bowersgate School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Sources: NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 months agoOverall
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's August 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Bowersgate School is designed specifically for young people with complex needs including autism and emotional difficulties. The school combines academic learning with therapeutic support and will offer practical vocational opportunities alongside traditional subjects. Staff receive specialist training in trauma-informed approaches and positive behaviour support to help every pupil feel safe and supported.
Key Strengths
- Specialist curriculum designed for pupils with complex SEND, including academic subjects and vocational pathways (construction, motor vehicle studies, animal care, photography, computing)
- Integrated approach combining education, therapeutic support and pastoral care with trauma-informed teaching methods
- Strong safeguarding arrangements with comprehensive policies reflecting the vulnerabilities of the intended cohort
- Personalised learning with small class sizes, strong staff-to-pupil ratios and key-worker systems
- Leadership with extensive experience and support from regional and national specialists within the wider organisation
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with suitable policies and procedures reflecting current statutory guidance, comprehensive staff training, and electronic recording systems for monitoring concerns.
Extracurricular Activities
School council, community visits, cultural celebrations, charitable activities, work experience opportunities, employer encounters, university links, mentoring
Bowersgate School is a proposed specialist independent school for pupils with education, health and care plans whose needs include autism, social communication difficulties, and emotional and mental health needs. The school is likely to meet all independent school standards if registered.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Bowersgate School
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 7
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 4 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 on a bicycle.
3 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
Area Demand Pressure - Manchester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Manchester
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
Special educational needs provision
Bowersgate School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: Get Information about Schools (GIAS), Department for Education.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Bowersgate School
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Bowersgate School
Does Bowersgate School have specialist SEN provision?
Bowersgate School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Bowersgate School?
Bowersgate School 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 Bowersgate School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 4 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 on a bicycle. 3 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 Bowersgate School?
Bowersgate School is at Floats Road, Wythenshawe, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M23 9PL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)