Edstart is built for students who have not thrived in mainstream settings, often because attendance has broken down, anxiety is high, behaviour has escalated, or special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) require a smaller, more structured approach. The core offer is GCSE-focused, with a curriculum that keeps the basics front and centre while rebuilding routines and trust. Students learn in small steps, with frequent checks on understanding and a strong emphasis on personal development and safety. The overall proposition is clear, support the student back into consistent education, secure recognised qualifications where possible, and move on to further education, training, or a planned next placement.
This is not a conventional secondary school experience with large year groups and a busy corridor rhythm. The setting is designed around students who need calm predictability and staff who can hold boundaries without escalating situations. In the 2023 standard inspection narrative, students described feeling safe and comfortable, and the report links that to trusting relationships and an environment that helps students overcome earlier negative experiences in education.
Across the EdStart model, leadership places heavy emphasis on safeguarding systems, staff training, and a consistent culture across sites. That matters because many students arrive with heightened vulnerability, gaps in learning, and low confidence in adults. By June 2024, the organisation was operating across six sites, and the material change inspection describes continual checks on safeguarding culture, strong staff induction, and risk assessment practices that cover both individual students and off-site trips.
Leadership visibility is also a distinguishing feature. The Salford site lists James Bradley as Executive Headteacher. Governance and proprietor oversight are clearly presented, with the Salford leadership page describing the organisation’s origins in Salford and its subsequent growth across multiple registered sites.
Edstart is included in FindMySchool’s GCSE outcomes ranking, which is based on official data and allows parents to benchmark performance in England and locally. For GCSE outcomes, Edstart is ranked 4042nd in England and 79th in Manchester (FindMySchool ranking). This places outcomes below England average, within the lower-performing 40% of schools in England.
The published GCSE metrics show:
Attainment 8 score: 9.6
EBacc average point score (APS): 0.52
Percentage achieving grades 5+ in the EBacc: 0%
These figures should be read in context. Settings like this often serve highly mobile cohorts, with interrupted schooling, late arrivals, and complex SEND profiles, which can depress standard performance indicators. The more useful question for many families is whether the setting can stabilise attendance, re-engage the student, and secure a credible set of qualifications that support the next step.
The school also publishes its own Key Stage 4 headlines for the Salford group, including entries and pass-rate summaries for August 2025. This does not replace the dataset metrics above, but it provides additional context on what the centre prioritises, namely GCSE English and mathematics alongside a small basket of other subjects.
England ranks and key metrics (where available)
GCSE 9–7
—
% of students achieving grades 9-7
The curriculum is explicitly structured to keep students on a mainstream academic pathway where that remains realistic, while allowing adjustments based on individual need. The curriculum page states that students receive a minimum of 24 hours of formal education each week, and lists a timetable that includes core subjects plus PSHE, History, Religious Studies, PE, Art, Employability skills, and Enrichment. The same page describes individual learning plans, mentoring or tutoring where needed, and an emphasis on wellbeing, with access to a school counsellor across the school day.
In the June 2023 inspection narrative, the curriculum is described as ambitious and carefully organised into small steps, with frequent checks that address misconceptions quickly. It also notes dedicated reading areas at each site, with carefully selected books, and routine reading such as newspapers during form time. That approach tends to suit students who need quick wins and visible progress to rebuild self-belief.
Where reading is a priority, the same inspection highlights a practical improvement point, systems for identifying weaker readers did not always pinpoint the precise gaps in phonics or reading knowledge, which meant some students did not receive sufficiently targeted additional support. For parents, this is worth probing directly, especially if literacy difficulties are a central barrier for their child.
Edstart is a Year 7 to Year 11 setting, so the main destination question is what happens at 16. The June 2023 standard inspection states that students who remain to the end of Year 11 gain qualifications needed to progress into further education or training.
On the Salford Key Stage 4 results page, the school also references “post-16 destinations” being secured at a high level for the relevant cohort, alongside an emphasis on multiple “secure pathways” per student. It does not list named colleges or apprenticeship providers with verified numbers, so families should treat this as directional and ask what typical next steps look like for students with similar profiles.
A practical point is that careers education is not treated as an add-on. The June 2023 inspection describes an extensive careers programme, including engagement with employers, colleges, and apprenticeship providers, and support for students to choose routes that suit them. For students who have disengaged, this tends to work best when it is linked to realistic short-term goals and experiences that feel tangible rather than abstract.
Admissions here do not follow the familiar Year 7 intake calendar used by mainstream secondaries. The admissions policy describes a referral-led process managed by the senior team, typically initiated by a school, local authority, PRU, or agency. The process centres on a referral form and risk assessment, a referral meeting involving the centre, the referring body, and parents or carers, and an induction period with observed assessment of suitability and programme level. A start date is then confirmed in writing once placement is agreed.
The policy is also explicit about fit and safety. Decision-making considers whether the student can engage in a classroom setting, the likely impact and risk to others, and whether the programme can meet needs and enable progress toward qualifications, taking account of how late in the qualification cycle the referral occurs. Attendance expectations are also addressed, including thresholds linked to continuation of placement.
For families, this means two things. First, entry is about suitability and capacity rather than catchment, and it can occur at points other than September. Second, you should be prepared for detailed information sharing and clear target-setting from the start, because the model relies on alignment between home, the referring body, and the centre.
The wellbeing model is heavily integrated into daily operations. The curriculum page describes keyworker staff assigned to students, alongside access to a school counsellor across the school day, which is an important feature for students managing anxiety, trauma-related behaviours, or fragile engagement.
In the June 2023 inspection narrative, behaviour is framed as improving through trusting relationships, clear expectations, and a calm, consistent approach by staff. The report also highlights that students learn about risks linked to online safety, substance misuse, knife crime, gangs, and county lines, alongside work on equality, tolerance, and respect.
Safeguarding is a key consideration for any parent looking at an alternative setting. The 2023 standard inspection states safeguarding arrangements are effective, and the June 2024 material change inspection describes systems that include a senior designated safeguarding lead overseeing procedures across sites, regular checks on safeguarding culture, and strong staff induction.
Enrichment here is not primarily about optional clubs for already confident students. It is used as a tool to rebuild engagement, develop social communication, and make education feel relevant again. The curriculum page describes weekly reward trips linked to behaviour, classwork, and attendance, giving examples including trampoline centres (such as Jump Nation), BMXing, kayaking, and Chill Factore. The explicit intention is both incentive and experience-building for young people who may not otherwise access these activities.
The June 2023 inspection also names wider activities that extend beyond the classroom, including visits to trampoline parks, horse husbandry, and visits to restaurants, framed as carefully planned opportunities to support social, communication, and employability skills.
On the Salford site page, enrichment is described in broad categories such as sport, outdoor learning, creative workshops, and therapeutic interventions. While the wording is general, it aligns with the inspection examples and suggests a consistent strategy, build confidence and routines through structured experiences, not just through lessons.
This is an independent special school, and fee structures in this sector can vary significantly depending on commissioning arrangements, timetable intensity, and level of therapeutic or welfare support. The most recent publicly available fee range for Edstart is published in the Ofsted material change inspection report dated 26 June 2024, which lists annual day fees of £16,800 to £59,000.
The school does not present a parent-facing termly fee table for 2025 to 2026 on its Salford pages. Families considering a placement should ask directly how fees are set for their child’s programme, whether the placement is funded by a local authority or other referring body, and what is included or charged separately (for example, trips, specialist interventions, or examination-related costs). For GCSE examinations, the exams policy indicates the centre covers initial exam entry costs, with late entry or resit-related costs handled differently depending on circumstances and timing.
*Bursaries may be available for eligible families.
Basis: per year
Term dates are published for the Salford group, including the pattern of re-opening and closing points across Autumn 2025, Spring 2026, and Summer 2026. The Autumn term notes a phased return, with 1 to 1 sessions from 03 September 2025 and full-time return from 04 September 2025.
A precise daily start and finish time for students is not set out on the Salford pages. The site lists general opening hours, but families should confirm the timetable that applies to their child’s programme, particularly if transport is arranged by a local authority or the referring school.
For travel, the location is within Salford’s Ordsall area. Public transport options across Salford and Manchester are extensive. For rail, Salford Crescent is a key local station in the Salford area, and for Metrolink the Salford Quays stop is one of the well-known nearby nodes on the network. Families should verify routes and safe travel plans, especially for students who may need supervised transport or structured arrivals.
Performance metrics need careful context. The FindMySchool GCSE ranking places outcomes below England average, and the published metrics are low. If your priority is rapid GCSE attainment at scale, this may not be the right fit. If your priority is re-engagement and stabilisation for a vulnerable learner, the measures you focus on may differ.
Admissions are referral-led, not calendar-led. Entry depends on suitability, vacancy, and agreement between parties. Families used to mainstream admissions should expect a more detailed referral and assessment process, including an induction phase.
Reading intervention is worth probing. The June 2023 inspection highlights improvements to reading culture, but also identifies that systems did not always pinpoint precise gaps for weaker readers. Ask what targeted support looks like now if literacy is a key barrier.
Multi-site delivery can be a strength or complication. Operating across multiple sites can increase flexibility and capacity, but families should clarify where the student will be taught, how travel between sites works if relevant, and how continuity is maintained.
Edstart is best understood as a specialist re-engagement setting rather than a conventional independent secondary. It is built for students who need a smaller environment, consistent adult relationships, and a curriculum that prioritises core learning, wellbeing, and planned next steps. It suits families and referring bodies seeking a structured reset, where safeguarding systems, routine, and incremental progress matter as much as headline results. The biggest question to resolve is fit, whether the programme can meet the student’s specific needs and whether the placement plan leads to a stable 16-plus destination.
Edstart was rated Good at its most recent standard inspection (June 2023), and the school met the independent school standards relevant to its June 2024 material change inspection. For many families, “good” here will mean the ability to rebuild attendance, safety, and engagement for a student who has struggled elsewhere, as much as it means exam outcomes.
The latest publicly available fee range is published in the 26 June 2024 Ofsted material change report, which lists annual day fees of £16,800 to £59,000. Because placements in independent special schools are often commissioned, families should confirm how fees are set for their child’s programme and what is included.
Admissions are typically via referral rather than a standard Year 7 application round. The admissions policy describes a process involving a referral form and risk assessment, a referral meeting with parents or carers and the referring body, and an induction period with observed assessment before a start date is confirmed in writing.
The curriculum page states students receive a minimum of 24 hours of formal education weekly, including core subjects plus PSHE, History, Religious Studies, PE, Art, Employability skills, and Enrichment. Programmes can be adjusted to individual needs, with individual learning plans and mentoring.
Enrichment is used as a re-engagement lever, including structured experiences and reward trips linked to behaviour, attendance, and classwork. Examples cited by the school include trampoline centres, BMXing, kayaking, and Chill Factore, and the 2023 inspection also notes activities such as horse husbandry and carefully planned visits to support social and employability skills.
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