The Barlow RC High School
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The Barlow RC High School is a Roman Catholic school (voluntary aided) in Manchester for boys and girls aged 11 to 16. It has 930 pupils and room for 940. About 40 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 68 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 84% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.
Parrs Wood Road, East Didsbury, Manchester, M20 6BX0161 445 8053thebarlowrchigh.co.ukMs Claire Wallace headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
A shorter visit on 12 June 2024 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
178 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 | 2019 | 2018 | Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 178 | 170 | 179 | 181 | 173 | 161 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 49.8 | 50.6 | 46.5 | 48.5 | 46.8 | 46.7 | 46.8 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | +0.12 | -0.19 | -0.19 | +0.04 | +0.12 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 53% | 53% | 46% | 49% | 36% | 43% | 44% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 73% | 76% | 63% | 70% | 60% | 63% | 64% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 4.42 | 4.56 | 4.20 | 4.24 | 4.07 | 3.80 | 4.19 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 36% | 43% | 46% | 31% | 46% | 24% | 49% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 45.4 | 44.8 | 36.7 | 42.1 | 39.3 | 40.1 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 53.1 | 54.1 | 51.6 | 54.1 | 50.9 | 54.0 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 24.4 | 28.9 | 28.3 | 27.4 | 24.3 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 69.9 | 65.8 | 72.0 | 60.8 | 60.2 | – | – |
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: Art and Design (39% here, 58% across England), Religious Studies (52% here, 60% 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 | 178 | 20% | 57% | 75% | 53% | 1,148 of 3,211 |
| English Language | 178 | 24% | 57% | 75% | 54% | 1,159 of 3,210 |
| English Literature | 175 | 23% | 71% | 82% | 58% | 552 of 3,202 |
| Religious Studies | 167 | 25% | 52% | 64% | 60% | 1,292 of 1,825 |
| Combined Science | 145 | 9% | 43% | 63% | 36% | 894 of 3,084 |
| Geography | 95 | 35% | 66% | 79% | 51% | 573 of 3,116 |
| Art and Design | 70 | 7% | 39% | 66% | 58% | 2,270 of 2,818 |
| History | 66 | 20% | 53% | 62% | 52% | 1,376 of 3,126 |
| Spanish | 54 | 39% | 70% | 85% | 54% | 448 of 1,941 |
| Business | 47 | 11% | 45% | 55% | 51% | 1,018 of 1,806 |
| Physical Education | 35 | 34% | 60% | 86% | 56% | 678 of 1,559 |
| Biology | 31 | 58% | 87% | 87% | 82% | 1,279 of 2,570 |
| Other Modern Languages | 29 | 52% | 59% | 59% | 49% | 264 of 454 |
| Physics | 28 | 50% | 96% | 96% | 82% | 665 of 2,546 |
| Chemistry | 27 | 67% | 100% | 100% | 81% | 258 of 2,537 |
| Computer Science | 17 | 47% | 71% | 77% | 56% | – |
| Drama | 10 | 30% | 60% | 100% | 60% | – |
| Statistics | 6 | 0% | 0% | 33% | 51% | – |
| Music | 6 | 33% | 67% | 67% | 61% | – |
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. Every gap at this school is 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
Open to all. There is no entrance test. As a Roman Catholic school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.
The school is full, with 8 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.
How places were given out for September 2026.
| Entry | Places | Got a place | How far the last child lived | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Secondary | 190 | 190 | – | LA |
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.
Specialist SEND provision. Resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) with 20 pupils, for autism.
To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in Manchester with autism provision.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (50), emotional and mental health (47), Moderate learning difficulty (19), Autistic spectrum disorder (14), Specific learning difficulty (13), Physical disability (4).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 930 | 918 | 898 | 909 | 876 | 866 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 40% | 39% | 38% | 37% | 36% | 32% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 17% | 17% | 18% | 18% | 16% | 17% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 8% | 5% | 11% | 16% | 16% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 8% | 8% | 4% | 3% | 2% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 92.2% 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 | 7.8% | 9.8% | 10.3% | 9.7% | 6.5% | 5.8% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 3.4% | 4.1% | 6.6% | 7.8% | 5.0% | 4.4% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 4.4% | 5.7% | 3.8% | 1.9% | 1.5% | 1.4% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 21.7% | 27.4% | 28.2% | 31.3% | 17.8% | 13.2% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 10.2 | 14.3 | 18.3 | 10.3 | 5.5 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 179 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 79%, compared with 91% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 87% | 88% | 89% | 93% |
| Education | 84% | 79% | 87% | 89% |
| Apprenticeship | 2% | 5% | 1% | 3% |
| Work | 1% | 4% | 1% | 1% |
| Not in education, work or training | 8% | 8% | 7% | 5% |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the council school accounts, year to March 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parrs Wood High School | Academy | 890 m | 1,786 | Not inspected | 46 | Compare |
| Priestnall School | Academy | 0.9 miles | 1,312 | Requires improvement 2019 | 58 | Compare |
| Burnage Academy for Boys | Academy | 1.1 miles | 1,021 | Outstanding 2024 | 87 | Compare |
| Didsbury High School | Free school | 1.6 miles | 1,220 | Outstanding 2024 | 84 | Compare |
| Levenshulme High School | Academy | 1.8 miles | 1,057 | Outstanding 2022 | 93 | Compare |
| Stockport Academy | Academy | 1.8 miles | 1,023 | No overall grade 2025 | 56 | Compare |
| The Kingsway School | Academy | 2.0 miles | 1,260 | Report card 2026 | 33 | Compare |
| St Anne's RC Voluntary Academy | Academy | 2.1 miles | 666 | Good 2023 | 32 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares The Barlow RC High School with the 50 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 50 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 50 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than The Barlow RC High School, 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laurus Ryecroft | Free school | 6.4 miles | 1,153 | Outstanding 2023 | 88 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 68 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 68% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 59 to 76. 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 | +0.03 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 178 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | in line | +0.02 | Ofsted grade, 2.3 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | in line | +0.01 | DfE progress measure; 178 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | well above | +0.12 | results and attendance rising year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | in line | +0.03 | 2024/25; 969 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | well above | +0.11 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 178 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | below | -0.04 | 179 pupils |
| What parents say | 0% | no data | – |
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 The Barlow RC High School a good school?
Yes, going by the figures. The Barlow RC High School scores 68 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 84% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 59 to 76, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is The Barlow RC High School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated The Barlow RC High School good at its last full inspection on 12 June 2024.
How good are The Barlow RC High School's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 53% 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 49.8, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished a little ahead of children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does The Barlow RC High School have?
930 pupils aged 11 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 940 places, so it is 99% full.
Is The Barlow RC High School oversubscribed?
Probably. The school was full in 2024/25, with 8 more pupils than places. How close you live, and the school's other admissions rules, decide who gets in.
What is attendance like at The Barlow RC High School?
Pupils were in school 92.2% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 22% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at The Barlow RC High School?
The average class had 22.2 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 10% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does The Barlow RC High School have specialist SEND provision?
Yes. It has resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) for autism. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.
Does The Barlow RC High School have a sixth form?
No. Pupils leave after Year 11 for a sixth form elsewhere, a college or an apprenticeship; 87% 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
- Parrs Wood Road, East Didsbury, Manchester, M20 6BX
- Telephone
- 0161 445 8053
- Website
- www.thebarlowrchigh.co.uk
- Headteacher
- Ms Claire Wallace
- Type of school
- Roman Catholic school (voluntary aided) (Voluntary aided school, local authority maintained schools)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic, Diocese of Salford
- Local authority
- Manchester
- Ward
- Didsbury East
- Constituency
- Manchester Withington
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- URN
- 105581 · LAESTAB 3524768 · UKPRN 10017761
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, consistent financial reporting 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.