Thompsons Academy trading as Navigators, Salford
Thompsons Academy trading as Navigators is a special school for pupils aged 16 to 25 in Salford. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2026, ended in a report card: 1 expected standard and 4 needs attention.
- Ofsted report card
- 4 areas need attention
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Thompsons Academy trading as Navigators in detail
What Ofsted's report card says
Ofsted's report card from its 20 January 2026 inspection grades Thompsons Academy trading as Navigators on 5 areas: 1 expected standard and 4 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.
Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders have designed effective support for learners who have significant challenges in their daily lives."
Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "Following the monitoring visit, leaders have successfully sustained improvements to safeguarding."
Achievement - Needs attention. "Although the number of learners moving on to further study is improving, too many learners do not achieve their qualifications."
Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "The quality of teaching is too variable and, in many instances, is not of a high enough quality."
Participation and development - Needs attention. "Leaders have recently developed a strategy to provide careers advice and guidance tailored to learners' interests."
Safeguarding standards were met.
Ofsted's next steps for the school: "• Leaders should continue to implement the processes they have put in place to enable the early identification of learners' support needs. • Leaders should provide staff with the training and support they need to ensure that the quality of teaching and resources is consistently high. • Leaders should improve the monitoring and assessment of learners' progress to ensure that learners work towards their education, health and care plan outcomes and achieve their qualifications, including in English and mathematics. • Leaders should ensure that learners who are ready to take part in work experience and travel training have access to these opportunities to develop the skills and knowledge they need for life after college. • Leaders should ensure that all learners have access to careers advice and guidance in preparation for their next steps. • Leaders and governors should improve their analysis and oversight of the quality of teaching and outcomes for learners to drive and secure improvement".
Read the full report card on Ofsted's site (school website)
Source: Ofsted report card (Open Government Licence), quoted
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Thompsons Academy trading as Navigators are Quayside School (0.9 miles); Acer Academy, Salford (1 mile); SMS Changing Lives School (1.2 miles, Requires improvement, selective); and St John Vianney RC School (1.3 miles, Good).
Quayside SchoolAcer Academy, SalfordSMS Changing Lives SchoolSt John Vianney RC School
Who goes there
Thompsons Academy trading as Navigators is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Wharfside (Manchester Metrolink), about 350 metres away (roughly a 4-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Winnipeg Quay (near), 180 metres away.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 9 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since November 2025)
Safeguarding standards met
- InclusionExpected standard
- Leadership and governanceNeeds attention
- AchievementNeeds attention
- Curriculum and teachingNeeds attention
- Participation and developmentNeeds attention
Safeguarding standards: met
By type of provision
| Provision | Curriculum, teaching and training | Achievement | Participation and development |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provision for learners and apprentices with high needs | Needs attention | Needs attention | Needs attention |
Source: Ofsted, further education and skills inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted's report card, in its own words
What Ofsted says the school should do next
- • Leaders should continue to implement the processes they have put in place to enable the early identification of learners' support needs. • Leaders should provide staff with the training and support they need to ensure that the quality of teaching and resources is consistently high. • Leaders should improve the monitoring and assessment of learners' progress to ensure that learners work towards their education, health and care plan outcomes and achieve their qualifications, including in English and mathematics. • Leaders should ensure that learners who are ready to take part in work experience and travel training have access to these opportunities to develop the skills and knowledge they need for life after college. • Leaders should ensure that all learners have access to careers advice and guidance in preparation for their next steps. • Leaders and governors should improve their analysis and oversight of the quality of teaching and outcomes for learners to drive and secure improvement.
From Ofsted's report card (inspection 20 January 2026). Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This college specialises in supporting young people who have struggled in mainstream education, building genuine relationships of trust with learners facing complex personal challenges. Staff are highly trained and compassionate, taking time to understand each learner's individual needs and helping them develop greater independence and resilience. Learners consistently report feeling welcomed, valued and respected for the first time in their educational experience.
Key Strengths
- Excellent pastoral care and relationship-building with vulnerable learners who have experienced significant life challenges
- Effective safeguarding culture with strong processes to identify needs and make quick referrals to support services
- Well-designed individualised learning plans tailored to each learner's starting point and aspirations
- Improved attendance rates through consistent one-to-one support and community-based learning
- Strong investment in experienced staff and improved learning environments across sites
Areas for Improvement
- Teaching quality is too variable and inconsistent across different curriculum pathways
- Too many learners fail to achieve qualifications, particularly in English and mathematics
- Limited work experience and travel training opportunities for learners ready to progress
- Careers advice and guidance not yet fully implemented or consistently available
- Governors lack sufficient information to effectively challenge leaders and drive improvement
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, concerns are actively identified and managed, and learners feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Hairdressing, construction practical skills, money management, healthy eating education, healthy relationships education
Thompsons Academy trading as Navigators is an independent specialist college in Salford that supports vulnerable young people with complex backgrounds who have been out of education for substantial periods. While the school excels at building trust and providing tailored pastoral support, teaching quality is inconsistent and too few learners achieve their qualifications.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Approved
Section 41
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Thompsons Academy trading as Navigators
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Thompsons Academy trading as Navigators from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Thompsons Academy trading as Navigators is in Manchester; for families living there:
Apply to Manchester for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 10
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 4 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
2 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 Manchester is 22 (the median across 222 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
Area Demand Pressure - Salford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Salford
Across Manchester council
Places available
7,220
Applications
6,542
Got 1st preference
77.1%
Got preferred school
94.7%
All secondary applications across Manchester council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(3)
Special educational needs provision
Thompsons Academy trading as Navigators is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Source: Get Information about Schools (GIAS), Department for Education.
Questions parents ask about Thompsons Academy trading as Navigators
What is the catchment area for Thompsons Academy trading as Navigators?
No fixed boundary. When Thompsons Academy trading as Navigators is oversubscribed, Manchester allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Does Thompsons Academy trading as Navigators have specialist SEN provision?
Thompsons Academy trading as Navigators is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
How do I apply to Thompsons Academy trading as Navigators?
Apply through Manchester's coordinated admissions process, naming Thompsons Academy trading as Navigators 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 Thompsons Academy trading as Navigators?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 4 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 2 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 Manchester is 22 (the median across 222 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Thompsons Academy trading as Navigators?
Thompsons Academy trading as Navigators is at Laser House, Waterfront Quay, Salford, M50 3XW.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)