Trinity CofE High School Review 2026: A faith-led, city-centre secondary with a strong sixth form

Trinity CofE High School sits in a dense, university-edge part of Manchester and runs on two big ideas that shape daily life. First, a clear Christian vision that places inclusion and community at the centre of the school’s identity. Second, a deliberate focus on personal development and post-16 pathways, which shows up in the sixth form’s strong inspection outcomes and the breadth of enrichment on offer.

Leadership is stable. Julian Nicholls is the headteacher and also leads the single academy trust that governs the school; he has been in post since September 2017.

For parents, the headline external picture is straightforward. The most recent graded inspection (8 and 9 November 2023) judged the school Good overall, with Personal Development and Sixth Form Provision both graded Outstanding, and safeguarding confirmed as effective.

Trinity’s identity as a Church of England school is present, but it is not narrow. The school’s own “Trinity Together” framework puts inclusion and safety alongside empathy and compassion, and the latest inspection describes pupils as proud of a diverse community where different faiths and cultures are recognised and celebrated.

Chaplaincy is organised as a practical part of school life rather than a bolt-on. The chaplaincy programme includes regular and special assemblies, Christian Unions at lunchtime, and optional Eucharists, with clear signals that participation is welcome across faith backgrounds. For families seeking a secondary where faith is visible but civic-minded, this structure is a meaningful differentiator.

Pastoral culture is also framed through pupil leadership and belonging. The inspection notes Year 7 pupils attend a summer school supported by sixth-form volunteers, a simple but high-impact transition move in a large 11 to 19 setting. It is a practical way of building relationships across year groups early, and it supports the “community” language with an actual mechanism, not just aspiration.

Behaviour is described in balanced terms. Day-to-day expectations are high and the atmosphere is often calm and purposeful, but the same inspection also records that a small number of pupils struggle to meet expectations and that staff consistency in applying behaviour systems is not always where it needs to be. This is not unusual for a large urban comprehensive, but it matters for families whose child is easily distracted in busy corridors and mixed-ability classrooms.

Trinity is a secondary and post-16 school, so the most useful starting point is GCSE outcomes in context.

GCSE performance (FindMySchool ranking based on official data)

Ranked 1,631st in England and 31st in Manchester for GCSE outcomes. This reflects solid performance, in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile).

On the core measures available here, the school’s Attainment 8 score is 53, and Progress 8 is 0.28, which indicates students make above-average progress from their starting points.

A second part of the GCSE picture is curriculum ambition. The most recent inspection highlights an ambitious curriculum design, with the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) suite having a higher profile than previously, including additional extracurricular activity aimed at encouraging modern foreign languages. This is relevant for parents weighing a broad academic route against a more vocational tilt, and it also links to the school’s focus on next steps.

A-level performance (FindMySchool ranking based on official data)

Ranked 1,965th in England and 18th in Manchester for A-level outcomes. This places Trinity below England average on the available A-level grade distribution measures.

The A-level breakdown in the most recent dataset shows 2.07% A*, 11.72% A, 20.34% B, and 34.14% A* to B. The England benchmark for A* to B is 47.2%, so Trinity’s A* to B figure is lower than the England average on this measure.

The key nuance is that sixth form strength here is not only about grades. The most recent inspection graded Sixth Form Provision as Outstanding and describes students as diligent and independent, with strong support for ambitious next steps. Parents considering post-16 should therefore read this as a sixth form that is organised around guidance, enrichment, and preparation, even if the grade profile is not in the top tier by national comparison.

If you are comparing nearby secondaries, the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool can help you benchmark Trinity’s GCSE and A-level rankings alongside realistic alternatives across Manchester. That side-by-side view often clarifies trade-offs between raw grades, progress, and post-16 support.

Curriculum design is described as ambitious, with subject expertise a clear strength. The most recent inspection states that teachers explain new concepts clearly and that pupils develop secure knowledge over time, with particularly strong checking of learning in the sixth form.

There are also two improvement areas that have practical implications in the classroom. First, reading support: Year 7 pupils who struggle with reading are identified and supported, but the inspection says the school is not yet precise enough in diagnosing the exact gaps, and that older pupils do not always receive the support they need. If your child has literacy needs or is a reluctant reader, it is worth asking how reading intervention is assessed, how it is resourced beyond Year 7, and how impact is measured.

Second, behaviour system consistency: the inspection notes the approach has been strengthened recently, but that not all staff apply systems consistently, which can lead to disruption. For many pupils this will be background noise rather than a defining issue, but for pupils who need predictable routines, the consistency of routines between classes matters.

Trinity does not publish a single headline “Russell Group percentage” on its website, so the most reliable destination picture here is the available leavers and Oxbridge dataset.

For the 2023 to 2024 leavers cohort, 65% progressed to university, 8% to apprenticeships, 9% to employment, and 4% to further education. This is a broadly mixed destinations profile, with a clear majority taking the university route but a meaningful minority moving into apprenticeships and employment.

On Oxbridge, the recorded pipeline shows 6 applications, 1 offer, and 1 acceptance, with the single acceptance to Cambridge and none to Oxford in the measurement period. In context, this is not a high-volume Oxbridge specialist pathway, but it does indicate that supported applicants can and do secure places at the very top end. The sixth form enrichment programme explicitly includes preparation for Oxford and Cambridge, alongside preparation for specialist applications such as medicine or dentistry.

The best evidence of how the sixth form prepares students is the structure of enrichment. Beyond generic “extra activities”, Trinity lists specific strands including Debating Society, Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award, work experience, finance and enterprise, and targeted preparation for competitive applications. The practical implication is that students who take up this offer can build a credible personal statement and interview readiness, rather than relying on grades alone.

Year 7 entry (September 2026)

Trinity’s Year 7 entry route combines local authority coordination with school-specific steps. For September 2026 entry, families must complete a Local Authority Common Application Form and also complete Trinity’s Supplementary Application Form, with a deadline of 31 October 2025 for both.

The school has indicated it ran an Open Day and a series of morning tours in the autumn term as part of its September 2026 entry cycle. If you are looking ahead to later years, the practical takeaway is that open events typically run in early autumn, and families should check the school calendar for the current year’s schedule.

Because application-count demand data for Year 7 is not available provided here, the best way to understand your realistic likelihood is to focus on published oversubscription criteria and to map your travel options carefully. Families can use FindMySchool Map Search to check practical travel distance and routes, then sanity-check this against the school’s criteria and your local authority process.

Sixth form entry (September 2026)

Trinity accepts both internal and external applicants into Year 12. For September 2026, the school notes it is accepting late applications (at the time of publication) and sets clear minimum entry requirements: a minimum of Grade 4 in English Language and Maths, plus at least five GCSEs at Grade 4 and above, alongside meeting course-specific requirements.

The implication for families is that sixth form admission is criteria-led rather than purely demand-led. For students targeting competitive courses, it is sensible to review subject entry requirements early and to have a Plan B subject combination ready.

Safeguarding is a baseline question for any family. The latest graded inspection states safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Beyond that baseline, Trinity frames wellbeing through belonging, values, and structured pastoral work. “Trinity Together” sets out a values-led approach with a specific emphasis on feeling safe and secure, inclusion, and empathy. This is reinforced by chaplaincy provision, which creates regular touchpoints for reflection and community, including Christian Unions and optional Eucharists.

The school also positions staff workload and consultation as part of a sustainable culture, with the inspection noting staff input has influenced how assessment is managed. This matters indirectly for students, because stable staff teams and manageable workload are often linked to consistency in classroom routines and feedback.

Trinity’s extracurricular offer is unusually easy to evidence because it names specific programmes and clubs rather than relying on broad claims.

Arts, performance, and student voice

The school’s extracurricular pages describe a programme that includes choirs, orchestras, and instrumental groups, plus annual drama productions. Past productions listed include A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Treasure Island, and School of Rock, which signals a programme comfortable with both classic and contemporary choices.

For students who prefer quieter leadership routes, the Learning Resource Base (LRB) is positioned as an active hub, including student volunteering as LRB assistants, including students participating through Duke of Edinburgh volunteering. This gives a practical alternative to sport-heavy enrichment for pupils whose confidence grows through responsibility and service.

STEM and practical application

The inspection’s subject deep dives included engineering, and the school’s wider extracurricular language includes a specific “microelectronics” interest group. Taken together, this points to a school where STEM identity is not only expressed through timetable subjects but also through practical clubs and project work.

At sixth form, enrichment includes targeted preparation for specialist applications such as medicine and dentistry, plus work experience and university preparation. For students who need structure to translate ambition into an application plan, this is a concrete advantage.

Sport and participation

Sport is a major pillar here, and the school lists a wide set of extracurricular sport clubs including football, basketball, netball, athletics, handball, cricket, fitness, badminton, dodgeball, rugby, dance, table tennis, and trampolining.

There is also evidence of external partnership. The PE department describes a relationship with Manchester Magic and Mystics basketball club, with specialist coaching and pathways that have led to some students being invited to play for National League teams. For sporty pupils, the implication is that school sport can connect to community-level progression rather than ending at inter-form fixtures.

Trips and outdoor education

Year 8 “Peak Week” is positioned as a residential in the Peak District, a useful character-building moment in the early secondary years, and Duke of Edinburgh is run as a substantive programme with regular training and expedition activity.

The school day runs on a structured timetable with small variations by year group. Registration is 8:30am to 9:00am across Years 7 to 13. End-of-day dismissal is 3:15pm for Years 7 and 8, and 3:05pm for Years 9 to 13.

Trinity is a city-side school in Hulme, close to the Oxford Road corridor, so many students travel by public transport, walking, or cycling. For families considering the school, it is sensible to check peak-time journey reliability, particularly for pupils moving into Year 7 and adjusting to independent travel.

Wraparound childcare is not typically a feature of secondary schools. Trinity’s published information focuses on the structured school day and extracurricular activity rather than before-school and after-school care in the primary sense.

• A graded Good school with some Outstanding elements: Personal Development and Sixth Form Provision are graded Outstanding, but overall effectiveness is Good. This is a strong profile, but it is not an “all areas at the top grade” picture.

• Reading support beyond Year 7 needs scrutiny: The inspection highlights that reading gaps are not always diagnosed precisely and that older pupils do not always receive the support they need. If literacy is a known weakness, ask for a clear explanation of assessment and intervention through Key Stage 4.

• Behaviour system consistency matters for some pupils: The school has strengthened its approach, but not all staff apply systems consistently, which can lead to disruption. Pupils who are anxious, easily distracted, or sensitive to inconsistency may find this more challenging than peers.

• Admissions is a two-step process for Year 7: The September 2026 entry route requires both local authority application and the school’s supplementary form, with the same deadline. Families who miss either step risk an avoidable administrative problem.

Trinity CofE High School is a confident Manchester comprehensive with a clear Church of England identity, a well-defined values framework, and a sixth form that performs strongly on personal development and preparation for next steps. GCSE outcomes sit in the middle performance band nationally, and A-level grades are below England average on the available distribution measures, but the post-16 offer is organised and purposeful, with named enrichment that supports real progression.

Best suited to families who value an inclusive faith-led ethos, want a broad extracurricular menu that includes debating, STEM interest groups, and outdoor education, and are prepared to engage actively with post-16 planning. Securing entry is primarily about following the admissions steps precisely, then deciding whether the school’s culture and consistency fit your child.