Manchester Islamic Grammar School for Girls Review 2026: Faith-led girls’ secondary with strong GCSE outcomes

A small, girls-only secondary in West Didsbury, this school sits in the independent sector and centres Islamic faith alongside the National Curriculum. The current intake is Years 7 to 11 (ages 11 to 16), so families should think about the post-16 plan early. Academic outcomes are a clear strength: the school’s 2024 GCSE performance places it comfortably above England average, reflected in its top-quartile position in England and a high local ranking for Manchester. Entry is selective in practice, with an entrance assessment and interview, and published deadlines for 2026 entry.

Leadership is listed publicly as Ms Jamila Kossar, Acting Head Teacher, and the school is part of the Manchester Islamic Educational Trust.

A consistent theme is the blending of identity, aspiration, and belonging. The school’s published ethos is framed around three pillars, Faith, Learning, and Life, with an explicit intention to develop confident British Muslim women grounded in Islamic values and engaged with modern society. That is not presented as a bolt-on. Daily prayer and Islamic Studies are described as integrated into the timetable, and the wider culture places emphasis on tolerance, care, empathy, and respect.

Because the roll is relatively small for a secondary, it can feel more personal than many larger Manchester secondaries. For pupils who value a close-knit peer group and a clear moral framework, that can be reassuring. For others, the cultural specificity and the faith-forward rhythm of the day may feel like a stronger commitment than they want from a school setting. The right fit tends to be families who actively want faith to shape the daily experience, rather than simply being accommodated.

The school’s local context also matters. The Didsbury location puts it within easy reach of public transport, including nearby Metrolink stops such as Barlow Moor Road, which can be helpful for families travelling in from across South Manchester.

The headline is that GCSE outcomes are strong in both the England and Manchester context. Ranked 467th in England and 7th in Manchester for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), performance sits above England average and within the top quarter of schools in England. In practical terms, that typically indicates a school where students are leaving Year 11 with a solid platform for A-level or vocational routes at competitive sixth forms and colleges.

The data points available for GCSEs reinforce that picture. An Attainment 8 score of 67.1 indicates high average performance across a student’s best subjects, including English and maths. EBacc average point score is 6.01, which is well above the England benchmark of 4.08, suggesting that where students follow EBacc subjects, grades tend to be strong.

A useful way to interpret these outcomes is to consider what they imply about day-to-day expectations. Schools do not reach this level of consistency without structured teaching, clear routines, and a cohort that is broadly aligned with the school’s academic aims. For families weighing local options, the FindMySchool Local Hub comparison tools can help you assess how this profile sits against other Manchester secondaries on the same measures.

Teaching is built around the National Curriculum, with additional faith curriculum layers. The most recent statutory compliance inspection describes a documented curriculum with appropriate schemes of work and an assessment framework that tracks pupil performance. It also notes curriculum modification for identified “most able” pupils, alongside support for pupils with identified needs such as dyslexia and dyspraxia delivered through classroom teaching.

The admissions model also shapes teaching. Because entry includes assessment and an interview, Year 7 classes are less likely to include the full prior-attainment spread seen in many comprehensive intakes. That can make it easier to teach at pace in core subjects, particularly maths and English, and it often supports strong EBacc performance where languages and humanities are taken seriously.

With an age range that ends at 16, transition planning matters. Students will be making post-16 choices at the same point as pupils in state secondaries, but without an in-house sixth form as the default next step. That can be a positive for families who want a broader post-16 market, such as specialist sixth form colleges, established school sixth forms, or vocational pathways, because students are not “pulled through” automatically.

The school has a track record of engagement beyond its own walls, including links with Manchester City Council initiatives and participation in external projects. That outward-facing stance is helpful when students are preparing for the next stage, because it normalises working with external institutions and wider communities.

Admission is direct rather than through Manchester’s local authority coordinated secondary admissions process. The school publishes a clear timeline for Year 7 entry in September 2026, including a registration deadline of Monday 01 December 2025.

Applicants sit a digital entrance exam over two days, with dates published as Thursday 11 December 2025 and Friday 12 December 2025. The assessment covers verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, English, maths, and a creative writing component, and the school references GL Assessment for Year 7 entry.

It is also important to factor in the interview expectation. The school describes entry as achieved by passing the entrance exam alongside an interview with the head teacher. In practice, families should assume that the school is looking for alignment with its ethos as well as academic readiness. If you are mapping travel and logistics, FindMySchool’s Map Search is the sensible way to sanity-check journey times and day-to-day practicality before committing to an admissions cycle.

Faith schools often sit under extra scrutiny from parents around safety, safeguarding, and culture, and here the published compliance picture is reassuring. The compliance inspection describes appropriate safeguarding and welfare arrangements, including attention to behaviour, anti-bullying, supervision, first aid, and risk assessment as part of meeting the Independent School Standards.

Pastoral culture is also closely tied to the school’s stated values. The Faith Mission page explicitly positions the school as a safe learning environment and frames character development as part of daily life, including charitable work and community involvement.

This is an area where the school provides unusually specific detail, which helps families picture everyday life. The current clubs list published by the school includes both low-stakes creative options and academically oriented clubs. Examples include British Sign Language, Further Maths, Debate club, Podcast, Newsletter, Gardening, Calligraphy, Quran recitation, Crochet, and Origami and Islamic Craft. Lunchtime and after-school options are both mentioned, which is often how smaller secondaries make enrichment work without extending staff timetables beyond what is sustainable.

Trips are positioned as both curriculum-linked and reward-based, with the school stating that some trips are compulsory because they “go hand-in-hand” with classroom learning, alongside spiritually oriented opportunities. The practical implication is cost planning. The school says it works to minimise costs, but parents should expect to budget for trips and provide consent on a routine basis over five years.

The wider-community programme adds another dimension. The school describes pupil participation in advisory engagement with South Manchester Police, involvement in research projects with universities, and competitive academic enrichment such as success in the Salters Festival of Chemistry quiz at Manchester Metropolitan University, plus a Royal Astronomical Society challenge that resulted in a pupil-produced newspaper. These are concrete signals of a school that values public-facing work and structured enrichment, not just internal clubs.

Fees are published in a straightforward way, with sibling discounts. The school’s current fee schedule lists £9,796.80 for the first child, £8,327.28 for the second child (15% discount), and £7,347.60 for the third child and additional siblings (25% discount). Payment is via Direct Debit, with options for annual, termly, or monthly instalments.

The published fee description is also unusually clear about inclusions and exclusions. Tuition, textbooks (returnable), locker key, homework diary, and exercise books are included, while uniform, equipment, trips, GCSE exam fees, and meals are listed as additional costs. Financial assistance is not described on the fees page itself, so families who may need support should ask explicitly what is available and how it is allocated.

Transport is a practical advantage. The Didsbury site is close to Metrolink routes, including the Barlow Moor Road stop, which supports commuting from across the city.

Published information about the daily timetable should be double-checked directly with the school. The current “School Day” page appears to be a placeholder rather than a detailed schedule, so families should confirm start and finish times, as well as any supervised early drop-off or after-school arrangements, before relying on a specific routine.

• Selective entry and timing. The admissions deadline for 2026 entry is 01 December 2025, with entrance assessments on 11 and 12 December 2025. Families who start late may miss the cycle.

• Faith integration is central. Daily prayer and Islamic Studies are described as part of the timetable, and the school positions faith and character as foundational. This will suit many families; others may prefer a more neutral ethos.

• Plan post-16 early. With an age range ending at 16, students will move on elsewhere for sixth form. Visit likely destinations and consider travel before Year 11 choices narrow down.

• Budget for extras. The school is transparent that trips, GCSE exam fees, meals, and uniform are additional costs. For some families, these extras can be material over five years.

This is a focused, faith-led girls’ secondary offering a small-school feel and academically strong GCSE outcomes relative to both Manchester and England. It is best suited to families who want Islamic values integrated into daily school life, and who value structured expectations alongside a broad enrichment menu that includes both academic stretch and creative clubs.

The main decision points are admissions timing, alignment with the school’s faith-forward ethos, and the post-16 route. If those pieces fit, the academic data suggests a school capable of delivering consistent outcomes and a confident platform for the next stage.