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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Greater Manchester

128 replies

3pickles · 28/01/2026 14:05

Hi,

Really looking for some guidance on secondary schools in and around Manchester (in areas of the tram or frequent trains to the city centre).

We are relocating and my main priority is getting schools right for my children, secondary and primary aged.

I am looking for recommendations for non-selective secondary schools that have excellent pastoral systems that are caring yet have robust systems for dealing with behaviour and bullying. I find ofsted reports and schools websites are quite limited in getting a true reflection on a school and would love some personal recommendations!

Thank you ☺️

OP posts:
kaffkooks · 28/01/2026 23:31

Lots of good schools in South Manchester. Parrs Wood High school is a big school but therefore lots of resource. Firm behaviour policy but not as strict as Didsbury High. Good pastoral care. Caters for children of all abilities and loads of great extra curricular activities.
For primary schools, St Paul's CofE in Withington is good for pastoral care and academics. West Didsbury CofE and Didsbury CofE are also good, smaller schools with a family feel.

Original poster
3pickles · 28/01/2026 14:49

WutheringTights · 28/01/2026 14:39

Didsbury high is brilliant. You have to buy in to them coming down hard on minor infractions, but they intervened early on when my kid was starting to show poor behaviour a few years back and turned it right around with a mix of discipline and pastoral support. Their academic results are also incredible for a non-selective state school. Cheadle High was the first school in the same trust and is a brilliant school, but I only know it by reputation. Both have small catchment areas though.

Thank you, sounds very much like the school my son is currently in. He is a great kid, but really likes to test that the boundaries remain where they have been placed. Which is why the pastoral side is a real driver for me, if they provide consequences to actions but do so consistently and with some personal guidance too, then I think he would really benefit from that. We really like Didsbury, so great to hear first hand about the high school there, although trying to get in catchment sounds like it might be tough!

OP posts:
WutheringTights · 28/01/2026 14:39

Didsbury high is brilliant. You have to buy in to them coming down hard on minor infractions, but they intervened early on when my kid was starting to show poor behaviour a few years back and turned it right around with a mix of discipline and pastoral support. Their academic results are also incredible for a non-selective state school. Cheadle High was the first school in the same trust and is a brilliant school, but I only know it by reputation. Both have small catchment areas though.

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