1
Co-op Academy Swinton
Manchester • Greater Manchester • M27 6JU
2
8 Jul 2024
Top 10 Secondary schools in Salford
Updated for the latest inspections (median graded year: 2023)
This Top 10 showcases secondary schools in the local authority of Salford. It’s built from the latest graded Ofsted inspections. We rank Outstanding (grade 1) above Good (grade 2), then prioritise newer inspections. As tie-breakers, we consider the “Quality of education” sub-judgement (where available), then %FSM and school size.
Total secondary schools
16
Outstanding
0
Good
13
Median inspection year
2023
Ofsted grade mix (graded schools)
O: 0% · G: 93% · RI: 7% · I: 0%
2
St Ambrose Barlow RC High School
Manchester • M27 9QP
2
30 Apr 2024
3
Irlam and Cadishead Academy
Manchester • M44 5ZR
2
25 Apr 2024
4
The Lowry Academy
Manchester • M28 0SY
2
24 Mar 2024
5
Ellesmere Park High School
Manchester • M30 9BP
2
26 Sep 2023
6
The Albion Academy
Salford • Greater Manchester • M6 6QT
2
16 Jul 2023
7
Co-op Academy Walkden
Manchester • M28 7JB
2
10 Jul 2023
8
AldridgeUTC@MediaCityUK
Salford • Greater Manchester • M50 2UW
2
27 Apr 2023
9
St Patrick's RC High School
Manchester • Greater Manchester • M30 7JJ
2
21 Sep 2022
10
Oasis Academy MediaCityUK
Manchester • M50 3UQ
2
1 Jul 2016
How we rank these schools
- Headline Ofsted grade: Outstanding (1) outranks Good (2), then RI (3), then Inadequate (4).
- More recent graded inspection dates rank higher.
- Where available, we use the Quality of education sub-judgement as a tie-breaker.
- Lower free school meals (%) may break remaining ties.
- Larger roll (pupil count) is a final tie-breaker.
Only the ten highest-ranked schools are shown; we also list “near misses” just below.
About Ofsted grades
- Outstanding (1): Highest judgement across key areas.
- Good (2): Strong effectiveness; meets standards consistently.
- Requires improvement (3): Not yet good; clear areas to improve.
- Inadequate (4): Significant weaknesses found.
Ungraded Section 8 visits check whether the previous graded judgement still stands, but they don’t replace it.
Data freshness & coverage
We refresh inspections and school snapshots regularly. If a school was inspected very recently, its report may not yet appear here.
Top-10 pages only appear for areas with at least 10 secondary schools that have a graded Ofsted inspection.
Map of the Top 10
Also highly rated nearby
- Salford City Academy 2 • Nov 2015
- Moorside High School 2 • Jul 2014
- All Hallows RC High School 2 • Dec 2013
- Buile Hill Academy 3 • Jul 2022
- Beis Yaakov High School Not judged • Nov 2024