The Barlow RC High School is a high-performing Catholic secondary school, with over 850 pupils on the roll. Our staff and student relationships are excellent and the school has made significant improvements over recent years. This was recognized in our last Ofsted report in October 2012. In 2012, we also achieved our best results, with 95% of our pupils gaining five or more GCSEs at A*-C, 74% including English and Maths.
Dedicated to St Ambrose Barlow a local Martyr and Saint, the school was established in 1985 as a result of the amalgamation of the Hollies RC High School for Girls and St Mark's RC High School for Boys. The Barlow is situated in the heart of East Didsbury, a suburb of Manchester, and is easily accessible from the A34 bypass and the M56 and M60 motorway networks.
In April 2010, The Barlow began a program of building work at an estimated investment of £11.2 million. The renovation work was part of the Building Schools for the Future program - the Government's investment in rebuilding and refurbishing secondary schools in England. The building work was completed in 2012 and as a result, the school has a new, high-specification science block, lecture theatre, sports hall, ICT suites, astroturf pitch, and reception area. The English, Maths, Design & Technology, and Art departments were all remodeled creating an environment that is both purposeful and inspiring.
Barlow aims to develop the whole child morally, socially, physically, academically, spiritually, and under their individual needs. Our assemblies are instrumental in helping to develop the aims, attitudes, and values of our school and we celebrate and reward the success and achievements of our children. We are proud of the friendly and focused learning atmosphere, which is often remarked upon by visitors. Our Governing Body is very supportive of the school and the Governors are involved in all aspects of school life. We strongly encourage and believe in working in partnership with parents.
At The Barlow, we aim to provide a broad and balanced curriculum, which not only fulfills the requirements of the National Curriculum but meets the needs of our pupils and enables them to realize their full potential and prepare them to live as confident, responsible Christian adults in society.
Our curriculum is recognized as one of the school's strengths and demonstrates our determination to provide opportunities for all pupils. The Ofsted report from our inspection in November 2016 stated: 'Leaders have ensured that the curriculum is appropriate and meets the needs of pupils to equip them to move on to the next stage of their education. The pupils whom inspectors spoke to said that they feel that they have a good range of subjects to study and subsequently choose from. The effectiveness of the curriculum can be seen by the very high numbers of pupils who go on to further education, employment, and/or training.
In Years 7 & 8 pupils study the following subjects: Religious Education, English, Mathematics, Science, History, Geography, SpanishorFrench, Computing, Design Technology, Art, Drama, Music and Physical Education. There are a small number of pupils in Year 7, for whom it is appropriate, who study additional Literacy as part of their curriculum provision. In Year 8, our pupils take their Options. This is when they decide which subjects they would like to study in Years 9, 10, and Year 11. This period during their school career is very important, as the choices they make are likely to influence their future studies. All our Year 9, 10 and Year 11 pupils have to study core subjects. These are: Religious Studies, English Language and Literature, Mathematics, Science (either Combined Science or Separate - Biology, Chemistry, and Physics), Physical Education and Personal, Social and Health Education (PHSE), Citizenship, Careers, Enterprise & Work Related Learning
Communication is very important to us and our relationship with parents and the wider community is crucial to our success. We want you to share in the life of the school and the achievements of our pupils. We have designed this website to give you that insight.
The Barlow is an inclusive Roman Catholic Secondary School provided by the Diocese of Salford and maintained by the Manchester Local Education Authority as a Voluntary Aided School. The parish communities served by the school are St Ambrose Barlow, St Bernard's St Bernadette's, St Catherine's, and St Cuthbert's. Nevertheless, our students come from a wide range of backgrounds and many are drawn from outside the parishes because parents, although not all Catholic, are attracted by the school's inclusive and caring ethos.
With applicants for Year 7 in the secondary admissions round, when the School is oversubscribed with more applicants than places, students will be placed on a waiting list and allocated criteria as per the school's Admission Policy. The allocated criteria submitted will determine a waiting list order. Where vacancies occur parents/carers will be contacted should a place become available.
