The Heys School, Manchester
The Heys School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Manchester, part of The Rowan Learning Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2024. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 62nd-highest of the 62 schools in Manchester with published results, and 3,177th of 3,298 across England. It was 67% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
- Progress (2024)
- Well below average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Bury (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Heys School in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at The Heys School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 33.1, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 43.2 in Bury and 47 across England.
25% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 39% in Bury and 47% in England.
That is in line with 2025, when the score was 34.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.52: 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 21.3, against 41.5 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 20.2 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and History.
Getting a place at The Heys School
For September 2026 entry, 52 families put The Heys School as their first choice and 197 named it as one of their preferences, for 68 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to The Heys School are Manchester Mesivta School (0.7 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 41.2); St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy (0.7 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 46.7); Parrenthorn High School (0.9 miles, Attainment 8 45.4); and Philips High School (1.2 miles, Attainment 8 46.2).
Each of them had higher 2026 results than The Heys School.
Manchester Mesivta SchoolSt Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary AcademyParrenthorn High SchoolPhilips High School
The trust
The Heys School is one of 12 schools run by The Rowan Learning Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 35.8 in 2024/25.
Where pupils go next
Of the 121 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 88% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 46% to a further education college, 1% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.
Who goes there
44.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 34.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (43%), Asian (20%) and Black (10%).
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Prestwich (Manchester Metrolink), about 320 metres away (roughly a 4-minute walk).
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Heys Road (e-bound), 80 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Heys School issued 401 suspensions, 70.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 6 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to The Heys School are St Mary's Church of England Aided Primary School, Prestwich (0.2 miles); Heaton Park Primary School (0.3 miles); Our Lady of Grace RC Primary School (0.4 miles); and St Hilda's Church of England Primary School (0.5 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
St Mary's Church of England Aided Primary School, PrestwichHeaton Park Primary SchoolOur Lady of Grace RC Primary SchoolSt Hilda's Church of England Primary School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils benefit from the calm atmosphere that permeates this friendly and welcoming school. Staff model how to talk with kindness and respect. This is reflected in how pupils talk to each other and to visitors. Pupils are happy in school. They are encouraged to take part in community activities and to be responsible citizens. Pupils take pride in their school and in their achievements.
The school has high expectations for pupils' behaviour. Most pupils behave well and there is rarely any disruption to learning. Skilled staff provide highly effective support for those pupils who need more help to regulate their own behaviour and emotions.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
In recent years, the school has overhauled the curriculum to ensure that it is suitably ambitious. Pupils study a wide range of subjects that match their interests and aspirations. However, the proportion of pupils studying the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects in key stage 4 remains low. This is because the school has prioritised giving pupils more choice over their options at GCSE.
The published data for 2023 does not reflect how well current pupils at the school are learning. The revised curriculum is structured in a way that helps these pupils to build well on their prior knowledge. Pupils are making better progress than they did in the past.
From Ofsted's June 2024 inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its June 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
44.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has remained stable at around -0.52 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 40.3 to 33.1 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has declined from 29% to 25% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 33.1 | 24.8% |
| Disadvantaged(42) | - | 21.3 | 7.1% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(59) | - | 41.5 | 37.3% |
| Boys(38) | - | 31.3 | 26.3% |
| Girls(63) | - | 34.2 | 23.8% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(32) | - | 40.0 | 31.3% |
| Non mobile(90) | - | 34.2 | 25.6% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 1 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 121 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
6
Permanent exclusions
1.05%
Exclusion rate
401
Suspensions
70.47%
Suspension rate
105 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 569 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with The Heys School
Term dates
The Heys School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Bury's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Heys School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Heys School is in Bury; for families living there:
Apply to Bury for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 15
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 11 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
5 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 Bury is 10 (the median across 92 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
Your chances of a place at The Heys School
Will you get a place at The Heys School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against The Heys School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for The Heys School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to The Heys School.
- Bury publishes last distance offered figures, but none for The Heys School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at The Heys School for 2021 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Bury got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
67%
Available places
580 pupils
860 places
280 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Manchester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Manchester
Across Bury council
Places available
2,444
Applications
2,233
Got 1st preference
90.7%
Got preferred school
98.2%
All secondary applications across Bury council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
84
SEN Support
27
EHC Plans
20.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
546
Total Pupils
275
Boys
271
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
35
Teachers
15.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,344
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£8,101
Per pupil
£4865k
Total funding
£274k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
13.5%
Overall absence
40.5%
Persistent absence
622
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
The Heys School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about The Heys School
What are GCSE results like at The Heys School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at The Heys School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 33.1. 25% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is The Heys School's Ofsted rating?
The Heys School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2024.
What is the catchment area for The Heys School?
No fixed boundary. When The Heys School is oversubscribed, Bury allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at The Heys School?
The Heys School was not full in 2025: it ran at 67% of its 860 places.
How big are the classes at The Heys School?
Classes at The Heys School average 23.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to The Heys School?
The Heys School has around 546 pupils on roll. 45% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at The Heys School?
13.5% of sessions were missed at The Heys School in 2024/25. 40.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Heys School?
Apply through Bury's coordinated admissions process, naming The Heys School on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near The Heys School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 11 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 5 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 Bury is 10 (the median across 92 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Heys School?
The Heys School is at Heys Road, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 1JZ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)