Greater Manchester

[3pickles]

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 ☺️

Good point on Loretto. Always forget about it. You are right that Dids 6th form needs higher grades that anywhere else (helps drive excellent A results obv and it’s the same at their other 6th forms). Not sure how big it is but I hear small. Luckily loads of other really good options near by: outstanding or good 6th form colleges.

A lot of the other schools don’t have any 6tn form so moving on is normal.
Over East Manc side Fairfield is the girls only high and it’s highly rated

I am not really interested in going down the 11+ route. My youngest, may be a candidate for it, but she is only in reception. So would consider that nearer the time and if she wanted to go the highly academic route.

my main priority is finding a school that supports them pastorally and is effective in behaviour management, in an area that has reliable transport links to the city for my husband.

Consider both of Manchester as well. Some good schools there

Chorlton High South is a good bet as it takes from a wider catchment than the other Chorlton/Didsbury schools and there's more movement on the waiting list. As far as I know it's a decent school. Chorlton is handy for the tram and if you do decide to go down the 11+ route for your younger child, you can still access Stretford Grammar from there.

Just a wee correction in case OP is googling - it's CHS South not Chorlton High South.

CHS reportedly standing for 'creative, happy, successful '.

OP you could also go Burnage way and use Burnage Boys and Levenshulme Girls. Burnage boys used to be a tough old place but it's really turned around, and will be very used to dealing with boys who need a bit of steering. Likewise Levy girls.

Finding out there is a space and then finding a Rental close by and there still being the space by the time you move in.
I do this for work and we always find the house first but most of my clients are moving from oveseas.
As I said though, it may work out for you

I don’t completely agree with this. Lots of schools are over subscribed at entry points (reception/ year 7) but there is a lot of movement in and out of the area so most schools, even those heavily oversubscribed, have a spaces further up the school. It’s worth contacting them to ask.

Whereabouts do you mean?

I think they mean north. Good schools and tram lines

That’s really useful to know. Thank you. ☺️

🤣 how confusing is this? So in Chorlton there is Chorlton High South and CHS South??

Great! Certainly would like to consider as many options as possible.

Ok great. Someone mentioned prestwich to me. I have never been north of the city other than my cousin lived in Bury for a few months but that was about twenty years ago 😅

i have spent a lot of time in the city centre, Didsbury and Altrincham over the years. But beyond that I don’t really know or visited other parts of Manchester/Greater Manchester.

There is Chorlton High School and CHS South. CHS South was built a few years ago to tackle the major oversubscription of Chorlton High. They are run by the same trust but completely separate schools.

Ah am with you! Thank you for clarifying that. 😅

Given you have two younger girls, you could look at Urmston/Flixton/Davyhulme. It’s a great family area, lots of facilities on the doorstep. Train to Manchester and Park and Ride Metrolink from Parkway too (5 min drive away). The place is down to earth, normal, friendly, not snobby at all which I like. The houses aren’t cheap, but cheaper than other parts of Trafford as it doesn’t have a tram stop that is walkable.

The quirk about Urmston is the non selective schools are single sex. Flixton Girls and Wellacre (for boys). Flixton Girls has a good general reputation and achieves good exam results. Definitely spaces in primary schools and they are all generally very good. There are more spaces now as some people can’t afford to move into the area for schools, which they did in greater numbers historically.

Your big issue will be your Yr 7 son. Wellacre will have spaces and world be preferable to Lostock/Broadoak. It was our back up choice for our son, but he passed for the local grammar school. It’s not an amazing school but fine. I echo what previous posters have said before, all excellent non selective state schools will be full!

Given your family make up, I’d look at the area as it may work for you.

Thank you, certainly would like down to earth! We are a mixed race family, where we currently live, where I grew up is actually quite a snobby area and a lot of racism, Which I really don’t like. Which my son and husband have both experienced. Would much rather raise my children in a friendly and family environment. I get that, unfortunately, racist people live everywhere, but having lived in a city before know that some areas are more welcoming/accepting than others.

My son is a lovely boy, very respectful, kind and he has a strong sense of morality. But he definitely likes to push boundaries though, and if he feels that a line isn’t clearly drawn or something is inconsistent he will push his luck. Hence why it’s important to me to find a school that deals well with behaviour but also pastoral support.

Davyhulme is unfortunately v close to the sewage works and so can be rather stinky. This does keep house prices lower!

Well that is a good point to note! 👍

The plus is if you love shopping Davyhulme is next to Trafford Retail Park and the Trafford Centre

I don’t see any mention of Sale is there a reason for this? I do know that with last years year 6 there were issues with very many of them not getting their first choice secondary school but reading between the lines it seems that this is an issue in Trafford generally

My husband likes Sale, I have only ever driven through so really don’t know the area. What are the non-selective schools like here? Is the behaviours good? Pastoral support effective?

Look around East Didsbury/Parrs Wood. East Didsbury has a tram and a train and the area straddles the Manchester/Stockport area so opens up more school options.

Thats where we are and smell things very rarely. House prices are still expensive, if anything Davyhulme can often be more expensive than Urmston.