Parrs Wood High School
101%
Capacity
1,867
Pupils
3.0x
Demand
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.
Academically, Parrs Wood's Progress 8 score of -0.07 is classed as 'Average', meaning pupils achieve broadly in line with the national average. However, this sits below the Manchester LA average of 0.18, and the school's Attainment 8 score of 47.2 is modest. In English, Progress 8 dips to -0.15, while maths is essentially flat at 0.02. The basics measure — pupils achieving grade 5 or above in English and maths — stands at 45.5%, with 66.7% achieving grade 4 or above. EBacc entry is 29.9%, and 20.5% of pupils achieve the EBacc at grade 5 or above. At sixth form, the picture is weaker: the value-added score of -0.28 is 'Below average', with an average points per entry of 27.38 (grade C-). The best three A-levels average a grade C. Ofsted's inspection noted that leadership and management are Good, and the school has a sixth form centre.
The school is well-resourced, with facilities including science labs, a theatre, music rooms, art studios, a sports hall, and an ICT suite. Sports on offer range from martial arts and swimming to netball and athletics, and clubs include the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, coding, debate, and chess. SEND provision covers a broad spectrum, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language communication needs, and social, emotional and mental health support. Parent View responses from 199 families are largely positive: 85% would recommend the school, 87% agree or strongly agree their child is happy, and 92% agree or strongly agree their child feels safe. However, SEND support draws more mixed views — 69% agree or strongly agree, but 29% disagree or strongly disagree. With 31.2% of pupils eligible for free school meals, Parrs Wood serves a diverse catchment and suits families who value a large, inclusive comprehensive with a strong sixth form and broad extracurricular offer, even if its academic outcomes are not the strongest in Manchester.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Wilmslow Road, Manchester, Manchester, M20 5PG |
| Headteacher | Mark McElwee |
| Local Authority | Manchester |
| Number of Pupils | 1,867 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 31.2% |
| School Capacity | 1,867 / 1,854 (101% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
5 Mar 2025Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (5 Mar 2025): Standards maintained
Source: Ofsted, 24 Dec 2013. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.07)
1697th of 3,141
Nationally
190th of 445
In North West
22nd of 31
In Manchester
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make similar progress to students nationally with the same starting point
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
29.7
'22/23
30.8
'23/24
27.4
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2345%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 321 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)45%
- FE college23%
- Sixth form college21%
- Not sustained4%
- Apprenticeship2%
- Employment2%
94% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2367%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 177 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
24%
Russell Group
24%
Top-third HE
2%
Oxford / Cambridge
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)67%
- Not sustained12%
- Employment9%
- Apprenticeship3%
- Further education1%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Chemistry44
- Mathematics40
- Biology38
- Psychology31
- Sociology31
- Economics28
- Business Studies:Single26
- English Language24
- History24
- Law23
- Computer Studies / Computing21
- Media/Film/Tv Studies17
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
Ofsted Parent View
199 responsesWould Recommend This School
Source: Ofsted Parent View (GOV.UK statistical data), Sep – Sep 2025
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
9Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
17Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed292
888
High Demand
Competitive - many more applications than places available
239 families put this school as their 1st choice (27% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Above the national average (25%) — higher-disadvantage intake.
Among the highest 25% — a diverse linguistic intake.
Ethnic background
- White British35.5%
- Asian33.2%
- Mixed12.2%
- White (other)5.8%
- Black0.7%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
9
Total schools
9
Oversubscribed
7
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
Frequently Asked Questions About Parrs Wood High School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Wilmslow Road, Manchester
Manchester, M20 5PG
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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