Southern Cross School is a special academy in Manchester for children and young people aged 9 to 16. It supports SEMH.
- Ages 9–16
- 165 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Special academy
- Ages
- 9 to 16
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 165 (places for 169)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Kate Burke (Headteacher)
- Part of
- Ambition Community Trust
- Opened
- 1 January 2025
- Free school meals
- 78.2% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Manchester
- School reference (URN)
- 151407
Needs it supports
1 need: SEMH
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Social, emotional and mental health
- Social, emotional and mental health Other schools for this in Manchester (14)
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places at schools like this usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. If your child doesn’t have one yet, you can ask the council for an assessment yourself.
- Visit and ask questions
See whether the school feels right and whether it can meet your child’s needs. Our list of questions below can help.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often Manchester council) that this is the school you want, and ask them to consult it.
- Named in the plan
If the school is named in your child’s plan, it must admit your child. Free home-to-school transport is often part of the arrangement.
Questions to ask when you visit
8 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.
Ofsted
Rated Good, March 2018; school remains Good (September 2023)
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in March 2018. That was some time ago, so read the latest report for the full picture.
- Leadership and managementGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: School remains Good (ungraded inspection, September 2023).
Contact and getting there
Roundwood Road, Northenden, Manchester, M22 4AB
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
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The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Oakbrook School Independent · Ages 7–16 0.4 miles
- Benchill Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 0.5 miles
- Rack House Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 2–11 · Ofsted report card (2025) 0.9 miles
All SEND schools in Manchester
By need in Manchester: Autism (23) · Speech and language (21) · SEMH (15) · Severe learning (13) · Moderate learning (9) · Hearing (9) · PMLD (8) · Dyslexia and SpLD (8) · Vision (7) · Physical (6) · Multi-sensory (4)
Questions about Southern Cross School
How do I get a place at Southern Cross School?
There’s no catchment area or application round. Places usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult Southern Cross School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Southern Cross School support?
Social, emotional and mental health. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Southern Cross School take?
Aged 9 to 16, boys and girls.
What is Southern Cross School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in September 2023 at its last graded inspection. Newer inspections no longer give a single overall grade, so read the latest report for the full picture.
Where is Southern Cross School?
Roundwood Road, Northenden, Manchester, M22 4AB, in Manchester.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.