Our Lady's RC High School, Manchester
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data. Admissions policy: Non-selective
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 10 months agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
Our Lady's is a happy, caring school where students thrive socially and emotionally. The school has a strong moral ethos that helps students develop responsibility and respect for others. Behaviour is excellent, and the school provides outstanding support for disadvantaged students, particularly in English.
Key Strengths
- Students behave well, are courteous and respectful, with a strong sense of right and wrong
- Exclusions have fallen dramatically and attendance has improved significantly
- Students eligible for free school meals achieve particularly well in English due to high-quality school support
- Art, design and physical education are strong subjects
- Progress in science has improved following introduction of more appropriate courses
Areas for Improvement
- Mathematics progress is significantly below national average, especially for middle and higher ability students
- Teaching is not consistently strong enough - some lessons involve too much teacher talk and work is not matched to individual student ability
- Students do not have enough opportunities to think for themselves or access sufficiently challenging work
- Leaders have been too slow in tackling underachievement in mathematics
- Some groups including girls and students with special educational needs make slower progress in mathematics
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective - students feel very safe, know how to protect themselves from bullying and discriminatory behaviour, and appreciate the high-quality care and support provided by staff.
Our Lady's RC High School is a smaller than average secondary school that requires improvement. While students behave well and feel safe, progress in mathematics is significantly below national average and teaching quality needs to be more consistent.
At a Glance
45.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
21.0
Avg class size
50
Total classes
2024/25 academic year
Latest from Our Lady's RC High School
From Our Lady's RC High School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Getting There
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
100%
Over capacity
1,046 pupils
1,050 capacity
4 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Manchester
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Manchester
Admissions Demand - Manchester
Places available
7,150
Applications
6,683
Got 1st preference
74.4%
Got preferred school
93.2%
Secondary admissions across Manchester (2025/26)
Inspection History(11)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.39743%
Overall absence
10.04651%
Persistent absence
1,075
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Our Lady's RC High School
E-ACT Blackley Academy
St Clare's RC Primary School
Prospect House Specialist Support Primary School
Crab Lane Primary School
Rhodes Green CE Primary School
St Michael's Church of England Primary School, Alkrington
Alkrington Primary School
Pike Fold Primary School
Crosslee Community Primary School
St John Bosco RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Nearby Schools
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