Manchester Enterprise Academy Central
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Manchester Enterprise Academy Central is a free school in Manchester for boys and girls aged 11 to 16. It has 1,049 pupils and room for 1,050. About 52 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 62 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 67% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.
Lytham Road, Levenshulme, Manchester, M14 6PL0161 499 2736meacentral.org.ukMrs Emily Reynard headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 9 February 2022, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Good overall.
This inspection is more than 4 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
216 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 216 | 202 | 210 | 209 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 46.1 | 47.3 | 47.0 | 52.5 | 46.8 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | +0.27 | +0.17 | +0.66 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 44% | 49% | 50% | 58% | 44% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 70% | 66% | 73% | 78% | 64% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 4.09 | 4.29 | 4.21 | 4.88 | 4.19 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 47% | 63% | 48% | 63% | 49% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 43.7 | 43.1 | 42.7 | 49.1 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 49.2 | 51.9 | 50.6 | 55.4 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 31.9 | 34.4 | 43.7 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 68.4 | 63.6 | 68.3 | – | – |
Subjects
Results came out for 19 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.
Strongest subjects
Subjects that did worse than the England average: Spanish (23% here, 54% across England), Biology (61% here, 82% across England), French (44% here, 60% across England), Media / Film / TV (39% here, 55% across England).
The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.
Every subject against England, 2025
| Subject | Entries | Grades 9 to 7 | Grades 9 to 5 | Grades 9 to 4 | England 9 to 5 | Rank in England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 217 | 19% | 49% | 71% | 53% | 1,778 of 3,211 |
| English Language | 217 | 14% | 47% | 67% | 54% | 2,037 of 3,210 |
| English Literature | 214 | 21% | 62% | 80% | 58% | 1,113 of 3,202 |
| Combined Science | 129 | 9% | 36% | 57% | 36% | 1,372 of 3,084 |
| Geography | 106 | 11% | 45% | 53% | 51% | 1,728 of 3,116 |
| Art and Design | 106 | 27% | 70% | 87% | 58% | 877 of 2,818 |
| History | 85 | 37% | 73% | 80% | 52% | 411 of 3,126 |
| Biology | 80 | 25% | 61% | 74% | 82% | 2,221 of 2,570 |
| Physics | 60 | 28% | 78% | 88% | 82% | 1,672 of 2,546 |
| Chemistry | 60 | 37% | 78% | 93% | 81% | 1,634 of 2,537 |
| Spanish | 53 | 13% | 23% | 51% | 54% | 1,811 of 1,941 |
| French | 46 | 13% | 44% | 63% | 60% | 1,555 of 1,974 |
| Design & Technology | 42 | 5% | 45% | 62% | 50% | 803 of 1,478 |
| Religious Studies | 39 | 31% | 62% | 74% | 60% | 944 of 1,825 |
| Media / Film / TV | 26 | 8% | 39% | 54% | 55% | 466 of 580 |
| Computer Science | 20 | 20% | 60% | 75% | 56% | 768 of 1,861 |
| Drama | 18 | 11% | 56% | 78% | 60% | – |
| Other Modern Languages | 13 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 49% | – |
| Physical Education | 10 | 0% | 20% | 50% | 56% | – |
In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.
Does every child do well here?
A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 2 of the 3 gaps are smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.
At GCSE, 2025
Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.
Getting a place
Admissions policy not published.
The school is full, with 7 more pupils than it has places for. More families apply than can get in, so things like how close you live and whether an older brother or sister is already here decide who gets a place. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.
In 2026 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.
We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.
How places were given out for September 2026. Every child who applied got a place (210 offers for 210 places).
| Entry | Places | Got a place | How far the last child lived | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Secondary | 210 | 210 | – all offered | LA |
What parents say
From Ofsted's Parent View survey: 48 parents answered in the year to 6 April 2026. Parents choose whether to fill it in, and many only do so when an inspection is coming, so don't read too much into small differences. The England figures are the average for secondary schools with enough answers to publish.
Who goes here
Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (144), Moderate learning difficulty (88), language and communications needs (29), Autistic spectrum disorder (21), Specific learning difficulty (18), Other difficulty or disability (6).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 1,049 | 1,056 | 1,049 | 1,050 | 1,061 | 843 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 53% | 51% | 44% | 44% | 42% | 40% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 67% | 69% | 59% | 53% | 53% | 50% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 14% | 13% | 12% | 18% | 18% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 6% | 5% | 4% | 3% | 3% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.0% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 7.0% | 7.2% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 5.6% | 4.6% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 2.7% | 2.1% | 2.6% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 1.8% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 4.3% | 5.1% | 6.5% | 6.9% | 3.3% | 2.8% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 20.2% | 20.7% | 26.8% | 27.6% | 14.0% | 10.0% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 18.3 | 16.9 | 16.0 | 15.1 | 6.3 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 210 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 86%, compared with 95% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers |
|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 91% | 92% |
| Education | 90% | 90% |
| Apprenticeship | 0% | 0% |
| Work | 1% | 2% |
| Not in education, work or training | 7% | 4% |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Levenshulme High School | Academy | 0.7 miles | 1,057 | Outstanding 2022 | 93 | Compare |
| St Peter's RC High School | Roman Catholic | 1.0 miles | 1,013 | Good 2022 | 76 | Compare |
| Dean Trust Ardwick | Academy | 1.1 miles | 1,329 | Good 2023 | 53 | Compare |
| Cedar Mount Academy | Academy | 1.2 miles | 724 | Report card 2026 | 11 | Compare |
| Burnage Academy for Boys | Academy | 1.3 miles | 1,021 | Outstanding 2024 | 87 | Compare |
| Co-op Academy Belle Vue | Free school | 1.4 miles | 946 | Outstanding 2024 | 99 | Compare |
| Manchester Academy | Academy | 1.5 miles | 1,025 | Good 2022 | 67 | Compare |
| Whalley Range 11-18 High School | Academy | 1.8 miles | 1,712 | Good 2022 | 82 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Manchester Enterprise Academy Central with the 49 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher
Of those 49 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Manchester Enterprise Academy Central, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our Lady's RC High School | Roman Catholic | 6.3 miles | 1,046 | Report card 2025 | 84 | Compare |
| E-ACT the Oldham Academy North | Academy | 8.5 miles | 1,258 | Not inspected | 79 | Compare |
| Essa Academy | Academy | 12.6 miles | 1,055 | Report card 2026 | 83 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 62 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 62% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 52 to 70. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.
| What we looked at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 20% | in line | -0.01 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 216 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 16% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old) | in line | +0.01 | Ofsted grade, 4.6 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | above | +0.09 | DfE progress measure; 216 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | in line | -0.03 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | above | +0.04 | 2024/25; 1,095 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | in line | +0.03 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 216 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | in line | 0.00 | 210 pupils |
| What parents say | 5% | above | +0.04 | Ofsted's Parent View survey, allowing for how many parents replied; 48 responses |
Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.
Questions parents ask
Is Manchester Enterprise Academy Central a good school?
It is about average. Manchester Enterprise Academy Central scores 62 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 67% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 52 to 70, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is Manchester Enterprise Academy Central's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Manchester Enterprise Academy Central good at its last full inspection on 9 February 2022. That was more than four years ago. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of a single grade.
How good are Manchester Enterprise Academy Central's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 44% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 46.1, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about half a grade ahead of children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does Manchester Enterprise Academy Central have?
1,049 pupils aged 11 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,050 places, so it is 100% full.
Is Manchester Enterprise Academy Central oversubscribed?
Probably. The school was full in 2024/25, with 7 more pupils than places. How close you live, and the school's other admissions rules, decide who gets in.
What is attendance like at Manchester Enterprise Academy Central?
Pupils were in school 93.0% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 20% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
What do parents say about Manchester Enterprise Academy Central?
90% of the 48 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey would recommend it to other parents, and 85% say their child is happy there. Across England, 77% of parents would recommend their child's school.
How big are the classes at Manchester Enterprise Academy Central?
The average class had 22.5 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 13% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Manchester Enterprise Academy Central have a sixth form?
No. Pupils leave after Year 11 for a sixth form elsewhere, a college or an apprenticeship; 91% of 2022/23 leavers were still in education, work or training six months on.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Lytham Road, Levenshulme, Manchester, M14 6PL
- Telephone
- 0161 499 2736
- Website
- www.meacentral.org.uk
- Headteacher
- Mrs Emily Reynard
- Type of school
- Free school (Free schools, free schools)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Multi-academy trust
- Prospere Learning Trust (11 schools)
- Local authority
- Manchester
- Ward
- Rusholme
- Constituency
- Manchester Rusholme
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 September 2017
- URN
- 144755 · LAESTAB 3524013 · UKPRN 10064839
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- Admissions outcomes: Manchester council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2026.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.