Pictor Academy, Timperley
Pictor Academy is a special school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Timperley, part of The Sovereign Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2015)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Pictor Academy in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Pictor Academy are Bowersgate School (1.2 miles); Brentwood School (1.7 miles, Outstanding); Brentwood Community College (1.7 miles, Good); and Piper Hill High School (2.1 miles, Outstanding).
Bowersgate SchoolBrentwood SchoolBrentwood Community CollegePiper Hill High School
The trust
Pictor Academy is one of 5 schools run by The Sovereign Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
23 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Pictor Academy (as of September 2025): 87% would recommend the school, 96% say their child is happy there and 67% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (96%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (67%).
Who goes there
35.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 19.7% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Pictor Academy has an education, health and care plan (118 of 122 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Pictor Academy provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, speech, language and communication needs, autism, physical disability and moderate learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Timperley (Manchester Metrolink), about 1130 metres away (roughly a 14-minute walk).
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bloomsbury Lane (near), 270 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Pictor Academy stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
Pictor Academy recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from January 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Some aspects are not as strong as at the last graded inspection.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Pictor Academy creates a caring, nurturing environment where all pupils feel valued and supported. Staff build strong relationships with pupils based on trust, helping them feel confident to share any worries. The school provides purposeful learning opportunities alongside enriching experiences that prepare pupils well for life beyond school, including practical skills and a good understanding of relationships and consent.
Key Strengths
- Pupils are happy, feel safe and have strong relationships with staff based on trust and respect
- Behaviour is consistently good across the school with calm, supportive learning environments
- Communication skills development is a key strength, with pupils learning fundamental skills well
- The school provides broad enrichment opportunities including residential adventures and practical life skills like shopping trips
- Personal, social, health and economic education effectively prepares pupils for their next steps
Areas for Improvement
- Some curriculum areas lack clear thinking about what pupils need to learn and in what order, limiting teacher clarity
- Checks on pupils' learning are not yet effective enough to confirm what pupils have retained from previous learning
- Targets set for pupils in their education, health and care plans are not specific enough to drive small step progress
- Trustees and governors' checks on school performance lack sufficient rigour to effectively support and challenge improvement
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Residential activity adventure experiences for older pupils, local shop visits to learn about buying ingredients for meals, sensory equipment and activities
Pictor Academy is a caring and welcoming special school where pupils are happy and behave well. However, the school is undergoing curriculum redesign and some aspects of its work may not be as strong as at the previous inspection.
At a Glance
35.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
SpLD, Speech and language, Autism +2
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
23 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Pictor Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Pictor Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Pictor Academy is in Trafford; for families living there:
Apply to Trafford for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 7
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- 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, 2 serious and 5 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
4 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 Trafford is 11 (the median across 103 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
102%
Over capacity
122 pupils
120 places
2 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Timperley
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Timperley
Across Trafford council
Places available
3,679
Applications
3,221
Got 1st preference
81.0%
Got preferred school
98.4%
All secondary applications across Trafford council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
4
SEN Support
118
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pictor Academy provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, speech, language and communication needs, autism, physical disability and moderate learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
122
Total Pupils
90
Boys
32
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
19
Teachers
6.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,733
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.8%
Overall absence
23.8%
Persistent absence
105
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Linked Schools
Schools linked by geographic proximity
Questions parents ask about Pictor Academy
What are SATs results like at Pictor Academy?
Of the pupils at Pictor Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Pictor Academy's Ofsted rating?
Pictor Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2015, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Pictor Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Pictor Academy is oversubscribed, Trafford allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Pictor Academy?
Pictor Academy has around 122 pupils on roll. 35% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Pictor Academy have specialist SEN provision?
Pictor Academy provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, speech, language and communication needs, autism, physical disability and moderate learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Pictor Academy?
8.8% of sessions were missed at Pictor Academy in 2024/25. 23.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Pictor Academy?
Apply through Trafford's coordinated admissions process, naming Pictor Academy on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Pictor Academy?
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, 2 serious and 5 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 4 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 Trafford is 11 (the median across 103 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Pictor Academy?
Pictor Academy is at Grove Lane, Timperley, Cheshire, WA15 6PH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)