Moorside High School, Manchester

Ofsted's report card from its 6 May 2026 inspection grades Moorside High School on 6 areas: 6 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils' attainment in national examinations at the end of key stage 4 is improving."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders carefully monitor pupils' attendance."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have created a curriculum that is appropriate and well designed for all year groups."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders have clear processes to identify any barriers to pupils' learning and wellbeing."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders are determined to continue to improve the school for the pupils and community that they serve."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have created a personal development programme that gives pupils the knowledge that they need to understand themselves and the world around them."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that they sustain and accelerate improvements in pupils' attendance so that more pupils benefit from the education that the school provides and achieve well"; "Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is taught consistently well. In particular, leaders should ensure that teachers check pupils' understanding effectively so that gaps in pupils' knowledge are addressed and pupils are able to build a coherent body of knowledge across subjects".

In its own words: "Moorside High School is a popular and successful school that offers education for students aged 11-16. We have strong links with our partner primary schools meaning when students arrive they are already familiar with many of our teachers and have visited our site to enjoy lessons here numerous times before formally joining us."

From the headteacher's welcome: "I am delighted to have the opportunity to introduce you to our school and to give you a glimpse of all the amazing things that happen here each and every day. We are proud to be a Consilium school and our values permeates every aspect of our work."

In 2026, pupils at Moorside High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 40.1, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45.9 in Salford and 47 across England.

38% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 45% in Salford and 47% in England.

That is down from 41.8 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.59: pupils made well 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 30.9, against 44.5 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 13.6 points.

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

For September 2026 entry, 233 families put Moorside High School as their first choice and 566 named it as one of their preferences, for 204 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 36 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Moorside High School are Barton Moss Education Centre (0.4 miles); Co-op Academy Swinton (0.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 47.5); St Ambrose Barlow Roman Catholic High School (0.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44.8); and Ellesmere Park High School (1.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 48.9).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than Moorside High School.

Moorside High School is one of 8 schools run by Consilium Academies, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 39.6 in 2024/25.

Of the 204 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 85% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 67% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 4% into work.

Moorside High School has a resourced provision: 20 places, 15 pupils on roll.

The nearest railway station is Moorside Rail Station, about 970 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).

8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Moorside High School (outside), 240 metres away.

In 2024/25, Moorside High School issued 264 suspensions, 23.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 3 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Moorside High School are Moorside Primary School (0.1 miles), St Peter's CofE Primary School (0.3 miles), The Deans Primary School (0.3 miles) and St Charles' RC Primary School (0.3 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.