Cardinal Langley Roman Catholic High School, Manchester

Ofsted's report card from its 9 June 2026 inspection grades Cardinal Langley Roman Catholic High School on 7 areas: 2 strong standard and 5 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Leaders keep a watchful eye on attendance patterns to spot concerns early."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "The personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education curriculum is thoughtfully designed and responsive to emerging issues."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Most pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and disadvantaged pupils, achieve well over time."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders make sure that the curriculum is carefully and thoughtfully designed."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders ensure staff receive high quality training so that they can understand and meet the needs of every pupil, including those known to children's services or with other barriers to their learning."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Those responsible for governance have a detailed understanding of their statutory responsibilities, such as safeguarding."

Post-16 provision - Expected standard. "Leaders have created a broad, well-organised curriculum and ensure that it is taught with care and consistency."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that their strategies for raising attainment are effective across subjects"; "Leaders should ensure that adaptive teaching strategies are consistently implemented in all classrooms to meet the needs of all pupils effectively".

In its own words: "The school was founded in 1959 under the direction of the De La Salle Brothers and the Diocese of Salford and is named after Thomas Langley, Bishop of Durham, and later Cardinal. The Trusteeship is now held by the Diocese alone."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include drama, choir, STEM, art and debating.

In 2026, pupils at Cardinal Langley Roman Catholic High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 46, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 44 in Rochdale and 47 across England.

43% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 41% in Rochdale and 47% in England.

That is up from 40.9 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.12: pupils made below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 37.3, against 49.5 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 12.2 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 25 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 275 families put Cardinal Langley Roman Catholic High School as their first choice and 590 named it as one of their preferences, for 201 places offered. That is 1.4 first choices for every place. 81 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Cardinal Langley Roman Catholic High School are St Anne's Church of England Academy (0.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 43.3); Dixons Middleton Academy (1.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 41.9); North Chadderton School (1.4 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 44.4); and Edgar Wood Academy (1.6 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 41.4).

Cardinal Langley Roman Catholic High School's 2026 results were higher than all 4 of them.

Of the 204 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 78% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 37% to a further education college, 6% to an apprenticeship and 4% into work.

Of the 77 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 51% went on to university or other higher education, 12% to apprenticeships and 22% into work. 15% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

The nearest railway station is Mills Hill (Manchester) Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.

9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Cardinal Langley High School (outside), 90 metres away.

In 2024/25, Cardinal Langley Roman Catholic High School issued 71 suspensions, 5.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Cardinal Langley Roman Catholic High School are Boarshaw Community Primary School (0.3 miles); St John Fisher Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy (0.3 miles); Hollin Primary School (0.4 miles); and Middleton Parish Church School (0.9 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.