St Matthew's RC High School
Manchester, M40 0EW · Manchester · secondary school
Check the area around this school
29th of 31 secondary schools in Manchester we can score, 32 in total — the rest without enough published data. Local and same-phase on purpose: a national table mostly measures who attends.
Narrow the comparison to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds and it does better still — 3.3/10 against 182 of them, against 1.6/10 nationally. Both figures are results only, without the inspection grade. A lower figure here means a stronger comparison group, not a weaker school.
How this is worked out
| Measure | Percentile | Weight | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5+ English & maths 2025/26 | 33.1 · 21 | 46% | 0.95 |
| Progress 8 2023/24 | -0.59 · 12 | 38% | 0.46 |
| Attainment 8 2025/26 | 37.6 · 11 | 15% | 0.17 |
Each measure is read as a position among comparable schools, so a school in the middle of the country scores 5. Full method.
St Matthew's RC High School overview
How it's doing
In 2024/25, 25.9% of pupils achieved Grade 5 or above in English and maths. Attainment 8 was 37.8, compared to the national median of 44.6. Progress 8 was -0.59 in 2023/24, indicating pupils did worse than nationally matched peers. Narrow the comparison to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds and it does better still (2.7 out of 10 against similar schools, 1.1 out of 10 against all schools).
Getting in
The published school roll is 1,327 pupils against a stated capacity of 1,350. These whole-school figures do not establish entry-year vacancies or the likelihood of an offer. Confirm entry-year availability and admissions criteria with the school or local authority.
Worth asking on a visit
With 23 places currently available, how does the school manage entry-year demand if applications exceed capacity? How does the school support pupils to close the gap between their current attainment and the national median? What specific support is offered to help pupils improve their progress scores?
What Ofsted said about St Matthew's RC High School
Overview
The report states that the school has been "transformed" since its previous inspection, with a "tangible change in culture" where pupils feel "safe and happy." Leaders have raised ambition and improved the quality of education, resulting in pupils achieving well and attendance rising above the national average. The inspection confirms the school no longer requires special measures.
Strengths
- Pupils follow a "broad and ambitious curriculum" and are "achieving increasingly well across a range of subjects."
- Behaviour is described as "calm and focused," with staff applying a "rigorous and consistent approach" to address misbehaviour.
- The school has an "effective system" for supporting pupils who are not confident readers, fostering a "love of reading."
- Staff accurately identify additional needs, ensuring pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) "achieve well."
- Leaders have implemented changes to reduce workload and enhance staff well-being, fostering "increasing trust and support from the community."
Areas to improve
- In a small number of subjects, the school must check more carefully that the curriculum is delivered as intended so pupils "know and remember more."
- Teachers in some subjects need better skills to identify and remedy gaps in pupils’ learning, as current assessment strategies are at an "early stage of development."
- The school must improve punctuality, as "too many pupils are not punctual to school each day," causing valuable learning time to be lost.
Safeguarding
The report states that "the arrangements for safeguarding are effective."
Results over time
Attainment 8, the years we hold.
| Year | Attainment 8 |
|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 36.9 |
| 2024/25 | 37.8 |
| 2025/26 | 37.6 |
| England | 44.9 |
Source: DfE Explore Education Statistics. “England” is the median of the 3,682 state schools in England we hold a 2025/26 figure for — a school-level median, not the DfE's pupil-weighted national figure.
Your offer chance
—Based on official applications/offers, distance and catchment where we have it. Bands only — never a percentage.
Sibling, faith, looked-after and other criteria can override distance. Always confirm with the school or local authority.
Next dates
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2026
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2027
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2027
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2028
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