Classpot

Parrs Wood High School

Manchester, M20 5PGSecondaryAges 11–18MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Good
Mar 2025
Progress 8
-0.07
Below average
−20+2
Competition
0.8×
Not oversubscribed
239 1st-choice / 292 places
Ranking
#1,697
of 3,141 nationally

About Parrs Wood High School

Parrs Wood High School is a large, mixed 11-18 state secondary in the Manchester local authority, where it ranks 22nd out of 31 schools on Progress 8. That places it in the bottom half of the LA table, well behind the three top-performing peers: Eden Boys' Leadership Academy, Eden Girls' Leadership Academy, and Levenshulme High School. The school is significantly oversubscribed — for 292 places in 2025/26 it received 888 applications, with 239 first-preference requests and 207 offers made to first-preference families. Its oversubscription ratio of 3.04 suggests strong local demand, even if its academic ranking is middling within Manchester. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is Burnage Academy for Boys, 2.5 km away. Headteacher Mark McElwee leads a school that Ofsted rated Good in its most recent graded inspection, a notable improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating. The ungraded inspection in March 2025 confirmed that standards are being maintained.

Key Details

School TypeSecondary (State)
Age Range11 to 18 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterDoes not apply
AddressWilmslow Road, Manchester, Manchester, M20 5PG
HeadteacherMark McElwee
Local AuthorityManchester
Number of Pupils1,867
Free School Meals (FSM)31.2%
School Capacity1,867 / 1,854 (101% full)
Sixth FormYes

The full report on this school

What 199 parents told Ofsted, the inspection in plain English, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.

  • Ofsted inspection in plain English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
See an example
One-off paymentNo subscriptionStripe checkout

Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

5 Mar 2025
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Good
Leadership & Management
Good

Latest monitoring visit (5 Mar 2025): Standards maintained

Source: Ofsted, 24 Dec 2013. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

9
Science LabsLibraryMusic RoomsArt StudiosSports HallSixth Form CentreTheatreICT SuiteChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

17

Sports

Martial ArtsTennisNetballCricketDanceSwimmingBasketballGymnasticsAthleticsBadminton

Clubs & Activities

Science ClubArt ClubCodingBook ClubChessDebateDuke of Edinburgh

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

SEND Support

AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageHearingPhysicalLearning DifficultyOther

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

Was this page helpful?

Frequently Asked Questions About Parrs Wood High School

Parrs Wood High School has been rated "Good" by Ofsted. This means the school provides a good standard of education and effectively supports all pupils to succeed.