Royal School, Manchester, Stockport
Royal School, Manchester is a special school for pupils aged 4 to 19 in Stockport. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2022 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2012)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Royal School, Manchester in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Royal School, Manchester are Royal College Manchester (Seashell Trust) (under 0.1 miles, Outstanding); Willow House School (0.1 miles, Requires improvement); Oakgrove School (0.4 miles); and Valley School (1.5 miles, Outstanding).
Royal College Manchester (Seashell Trust)Willow House SchoolOakgrove SchoolValley School
Where pupils go next
Of the 7 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 100% stayed in education or training for at least two terms.
Who goes there
32.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 1.5% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (79%), Asian (8%) and Mixed (8%).
Almost every pupil at Royal School, Manchester has an education, health and care plan (67 of 67 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Royal School, Manchester provides for pupils with hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Handforth Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Seashell Trust (outside), 170 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Royal School, Manchester stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
Royal School, Manchester recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE destination measures; 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 · 4 years agoThis judgement is from October 2012, 14 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Outstanding.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its October 2012 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
32.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Hearing, Speech and language, Autism +3
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Royal School, Manchester
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Royal School, Manchester from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Royal School, Manchester is in Stockport; for families living there:
Apply to Stockport for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 6
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 2 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 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 Stockport is 8 (the median across 135 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
84%
Available places
67 pupils
80 places
13 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Stockport
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Stockport
Across Stockport council
Places available
3,325
Applications
3,368
Got 1st preference
79.9%
Got preferred school
94.2%
All secondary applications across Stockport council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
67
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Royal School, Manchester provides for pupils with hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
67
Total Pupils
45
Boys
22
Girls
2026 academic year
Pupil Absence2024/25
11.1%
Overall absence
25.0%
Persistent absence
44
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Royal School, Manchester
Showing 10 of 13 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Royal School, Manchester
What is Royal School, Manchester's Ofsted rating?
Royal School, Manchester's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2022, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2012, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Royal School, Manchester?
No fixed boundary. When Royal School, Manchester is oversubscribed, Stockport allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Royal School, Manchester?
Royal School, Manchester has around 67 pupils on roll. 33% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Royal School, Manchester have specialist SEN provision?
Royal School, Manchester provides for pupils with hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Royal School, Manchester?
11.1% of sessions were missed at Royal School, Manchester in 2024/25. 25% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Royal School, Manchester?
Apply through Stockport's coordinated admissions process, naming Royal School, Manchester 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 Royal School, Manchester?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 2 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 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 Stockport is 8 (the median across 135 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Royal School, Manchester?
Royal School, Manchester is at Stanley Road, Cheadle Hulme, Stockport, Cheshire, SK8 6RQ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)