SchoolScoresHighfields College
Pupil referral unit · Secondary, ages 11 to 16 · Mixed
Essex Road, Brinnington, Stockport, SK5 8DR
0161 406 7922 · School website · Map and directions
Ofsted inspection
Ofsted rated this school Good at the inspection that started on 28 January 2020.
This inspection used Ofsted's older format with four grades: Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement and Inadequate. Newer inspections use report cards. What changed.
| Area | Grade |
|---|---|
| Quality of education | Good |
| Behaviour and attitudes | Good |
| Personal development | Good |
| Leadership and management | Good |
| Safeguarding | Effective |
Since then, a shorter ungraded inspection on 20 November 2024: Ofsted found the school had improved significantly.
Read the full Ofsted reports for this school
Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.
What parents say
20 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 3 September 2024 and 1 September 2025.
| Statement | This school | England |
|---|---|---|
| My child is happy at this school | 75% | 89% |
| My child feels safe at this school | 75% | 90% |
| The school makes sure pupils are well behaved | 65% | 84% |
| Bullying was dealt with quickly and effectivelyOf 10 parents whose child had been bullied | 50% | 51% |
| Concerns were dealt with properlyOf 17 parents who had raised a concern | 71% | 76% |
| My child with SEND gets the support they needOf 11 parents of children with SEND | 64% | 68% |
| I would recommend this school to another parent | 65%said yes | 84% |
Parents choose whether to take part, so these answers may not represent all families (Ofsted puts the response rate at 12%). Figures are the share who agree or strongly agree. England figures are all parents answering the same questions over the same period, for state-funded schools. The scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) agreement, and the dot marks this school among state schools of the same phase that used the same survey questions. The third it falls in is coloured: green for the top third, amber the middle, red the bottom. This survey used Ofsted's previous Parent View questions, which changed in November 2025. Source: Ofsted Parent View management information.
Results
No test or exam results have been published for this school yet.
Admissions
Apply through the council where you live, even if the school is in a different council area. This school is in Stockport. The national closing date for secondary applications is 31 October, and offers are sent on 1 March.
Pupils, staff and SEND
| Pupils | This school | Stockport | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years | 75.0% | 24.8%* | 28.9% |
| With an education, health and care plan | 36.0% | 4.1%* | 3.1% |
| Receiving special educational needs support | 64.0% | 16.4%* | 13.4% |
| English as an additional language | 0.6% | 12.7%* | 19.2% |
| Pupils per teacher | 5.8 | 16.2 | 16.7 |
| Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff) | 3.2 | 11.0 | 11.8 |
| Teachers who left during the year | 15.8% | 12.7%* | 14.2%* |
Comparisons are with secondary schools. Scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) figures. For absence and suspensions lower is better, so their scales run green to red; blue scales describe the school's pupils and staff and aren't good or bad. * Calculated by SchoolScores from the council's or England's schools, weighted by pupils (or teachers, for turnover); other figures are published by DfE. Sources: DfE school census 2024/25; DfE school workforce census 2025/26; DfE teacher turnover 2024/25.
Nearby secondary schools
- Penarth Group School 1.0 miles · Independent · Ofsted: Good (2023)
- Ashlea House School 1.2 miles · Independent · Ofsted: Good (2023)
- Reddish Vale High School 1.3 miles · Ofsted: Inadequate (2024) · 26% grade 5+ English and maths
- Werneth School 1.3 miles · Ofsted: Report card 2026: 6 needs attention · 25% grade 5+ English and maths
- Harrytown Catholic High School 1.3 miles · Ofsted: No overall grade (2024) · 35% grade 5+ English and maths
- St Anne's RC Voluntary Academy 1.7 miles · Ofsted: Good (2023) · 41% grade 5+ English and maths
- St Thomas More RC College 1.9 miles · Ofsted: Good (2012), confirmed 2022 · 42% grade 5+ English and maths
- Progress Schools - Stockport 1.9 miles · Independent · Ofsted: Report card 2026: 3 needs attention, 3 urgent improvement
- Covenant Christian School 2.1 miles · Independent · Ofsted: Good (2024)
- Hulme Hall Grammar School 2.3 miles · Independent, inspected by ISI
Straight-line distance. Distance isn't the same as a catchment area.
Questions parents ask
What is Highfields College's Ofsted rating?
Highfields College was rated Good by Ofsted at its inspection in 28 January 2020. At a shorter ungraded inspection in 20 November 2024, Ofsted found the school had improved significantly.
Would parents recommend Highfields College?
65% of the 20 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 3 September 2024 and 1 September 2025 said they would recommend Highfields College to another parent. Parents choose whether to respond, so this may not represent all families.
Sources
- School details: Get Information about Schools (DfE), 26 September 2026. URN 134623.
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, data to 31 August 2026.
- Parent views: Ofsted Parent View, 3 September 2024 to 1 September 2025.
Spotted a mistake? Report it and we'll check it against the source.
Page updated 26 September 2026.