Whalley Range 11-18 High School
Manchester, M16 8GW · Manchester · secondary school
Check the area around this school
10th 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 — 9.2/10 against 246 of them, against 7.9/10 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 | 34% | 1.79 |
| Grade 5+ English & maths 2025/26 | 52.0 · 67 | 30% | 2.04 |
| Progress 8 2023/24 | 0.79 · 94 | 25% | 2.38 |
| Attainment 8 2025/26 | 52.1 · 78 | 10% | 0.79 |
Each measure is read as a position among comparable schools, so a school in the middle of the country scores 5. Full method.
Whalley Range 11-18 High School overview
How it's doing
The school is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected in 2022. In 2024/25, 46.5% of pupils achieved Grade 5 or above in English and maths. Attainment 8 was 52.1, compared to the national median of 44.6. Progress 8 was +0.79 in 2023/24, indicating pupils did better than those nationally who started from the same place. Narrow the comparison to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds and it does better still (9.1 out of 10 against similar schools, 7.4 out of 10 against all schools).
Beyond the classroom
Pupils can join clubs such as Wellbeing Your Way, MCRactive, Get Active, This Girl Can, Be the Best, the Dove self-esteem project, and Sports Leadership. Sports offered include netball, football, and basketball.
Getting in
The published school roll is 1,712 pupils against a stated capacity of 1,650. 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
What specific support is available for pupils aiming to raise their Progress 8 score? How are the named wellbeing clubs integrated into the daily timetable?
What Ofsted said about Whalley Range 11-18 High School
Overview
Whalley Range 11-18 High School continues to be a good school, providing a strong quality of education for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The report highlights a diverse community where pupils benefit from high expectations, a broad curriculum, and effective personal development opportunities.
Strengths
- The curriculum is described as "broad, balanced and ambitious," with subject leaders ensuring pupils develop knowledge in a "logical order."
- Pupils are "well behaved" and feel safe, with staff handling incidents effectively and fostering a culture of "tolerance and respect."
- Leaders accurately identify the needs of pupils with SEND and those speaking English as an additional language, enabling them to progress through "ambitious subject curriculums."
- Staff support pupils to become "fluent and confident readers," encouraging them to widen their specialist vocabulary and read widely.
- The personal development curriculum is effective, with pupils valuing lessons on sensitive subjects delivered by experts and receiving suitable careers advice.
Areas to improve
- Some teachers do not use assessment strategies well enough to check whether pupils have fully understood essential knowledge, leading to "uneven" learning for some pupils. Leaders should ensure all teachers use these strategies effectively.
- A small minority of pupils did not feel they were treated with respect or did not understand how the behaviour policy was carried out.
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with a "strong safeguarding culture" across the school and leaders working well with external agencies to provide timely help.
Results over time
Attainment 8, the years we hold.
| Year | Attainment 8 |
|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 51.9 |
| 2024/25 | 52.1 |
| 2025/26 | 52.1 |
| 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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