The Lowry Academy
Manchester, M28 0SY · Salford · secondary school
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11th of 15 secondary schools in Salford we can score, 16 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 — 5.5/10 against 187 of them, against 3.3/10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ofsted | 52 | 35% | 1.84 |
| Grade 5+ English & maths 2025/26 | 42.2 · 43 | 30% | 1.28 |
| Progress 8 2023/24 | -0.37 · 23 | 25% | 0.57 |
| Attainment 8 2025/26 | 42.1 · 29 | 10% | 0.29 |
Each measure is read as a position among comparable schools, so a school in the middle of the country scores 5. Full method.
The Lowry Academy overview
How it's doing
The school is rated Good by Ofsted, inspected in 2024-03. In 2024/25, 44.2% of pupils achieved Grade 5 or above in English and maths. Attainment 8 was 44.7, compared to the national median of 44.6. Progress 8 was -0.37 in 2023/24, indicating pupils did worse than those nationally who started from the same place. Narrow the comparison to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds and it does better still (6.5 out of 10 against similar schools, 3.9 out of 10 against all schools).
Getting in
The published school roll is 884 pupils against a stated capacity of 1,200. 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
How does the school support pupils to improve their progress scores? What specific support is available for students aiming for higher grades in English and maths? How does the school manage class sizes with current enrolment?
What Ofsted said about The Lowry Academy
Overview
The Lowry Academy is judged as ‘Good’ across all inspection categories, reflecting a ‘positive transformation’ following previous weaknesses. Pupils settle quickly into ‘clear and well-adopted routines’, work hard towards ‘ambitious learning goals’, and benefit from a broad curriculum supported by the United Learning Trust.
Strengths
- Teachers use a ‘consistent and effective approach’ to deliver a ‘suitably broad and ambitious curriculum’, with most pupils developing necessary knowledge.
- Classrooms are ‘calm and purposeful environments’ that support the school’s intention for ‘disruption-free learning’, leading to a meaningful reduction in behaviour incidents.
- Staff make ‘sensitive adaptations’ for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and provide targeted support to improve reading expertise.
- Pupils access a wide range of clubs, sports, and performance opportunities, while skilled staff support ‘well-informed choices regarding their next steps’.
Areas to improve
- Teachers must more carefully check pupils’ prior learning to rapidly identify and address ‘gaps in some pupils’ knowledge that persist over time’.
- The school should strengthen efforts to tackle barriers to attendance, as ‘too many pupils are persistently absent’, missing valuable learning.
- Older pupils in key stage 4 have ‘limited time devoted to personal, social and health education’, which hinders the breadth and depth of their learning in these topics.
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 | 41.3 |
| 2024/25 | 44.7 |
| 2025/26 | 42.1 |
| 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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