What ages does Changing Lives teach?

Changing Lives teaches children aged 11 to 18. It is a special school in Manchester.

Who is the headteacher of Changing Lives?

The headteacher of Changing Lives is Mrs Nicola Smith, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.

Has Changing Lives been inspected?

Ofsted has not inspected Changing Lives under its current framework, so no current judgement is shown. That is common for newer schools and is not a mark against a school.

How many pupils are at Changing Lives?

Changing Lives has 56 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 11 to 18.

Is Changing Lives full?

Changing Lives has capacity for 40 pupils and 56 on roll (140%), so it is at or above its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.

Is Changing Lives a faith school?

No. Changing Lives has no designated religious character.

What are Changing Lives's exam results?

Where the Department for Education has published them, Changing Lives's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.

Home
Trafford
Manchester
Changing Lives

Changing Lives

Isherwood Rd, Nursery farm, Manchester, M31 4BH

Phase: Special schools
School type: Other independent special school
Ages: 11 to 18
Gender: Mixed
Headteacher: Mrs Nicola Smith
Religious ethos: None
Constituency: Stretford and Urmston
Setting: Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Capacity: 40
Pupils on roll: 56
URN: 149213
Local authority: Trafford
Website: School website
Telephone: 01619695853

About this school

Changing Lives is an independent special school in Manchester. It teaches children aged 11 to 18 and has 56 pupils on roll.

Ofsted has not yet inspected Changing Lives under its current framework. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.

Ofsted judgement

Changing Lives has not been inspected by Ofsted yet. It opened in its current form in September 2022, and new or converted schools usually wait a few years for their first inspection.

Exam results

Key stage 4 (GCSEs)

Measure	2023/24	2024/25
Pupils at the end of key stage 4	8	16
Attainment 8 score	-	-
Progress 8 score	-	-
Grade 5 or above in English and maths	-	-
Grade 4 or above in English and maths	-	-
Entered the English Baccalaureate	-	-
English Baccalaureate average point score	-	-

Progress 8 is paused nationally for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 school years. Those pupils sat no key stage 2 tests during the Covid pandemic, so there is no starting point to measure progress from. A blank figure here is not missing school data.

Trends over time

How Changing Lives has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.

Pupils on roll

Year	This school
2022/23	4
2023/24	32
2024/25	39

School census, spring count each academic year.

School context

From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.

Free school meals (last 6 years): 0%
Pupils with an EHC plan: 56

Location

Nearby schools

Manor Academy Sale
Academies · Sale

0.8 miles
Brentwood Community College
Other types · Sale

1.0 miles
Brentwood School
Special schools · Sale

1.0 miles
Abbotsford Preparatory School
Independent schools · Manchester

1.7 miles
Delamere School
Special schools · Manchester

1.8 miles

Other schools in Manchester

Ashgate Specialist Support Primary School Special schools
Bridge College Other types
Bridgelea Pupil Referral Unit Local authority maintained schools
Camberwell Park Specialist Support School Academies
Cambian Tyldesley School Special schools
Cloughside College Special schools
Delamere School Special schools
Digital Advantage Other types
Egerton High School Special schools
Fairfield House School Special schools
Grange School Academies
IncludEd Learning Special schools

Common questions

What ages does Changing Lives teach?: Changing Lives teaches children aged 11 to 18. It is a special school in Manchester.
Who is the headteacher of Changing Lives?: The headteacher of Changing Lives is Mrs Nicola Smith, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
Has Changing Lives been inspected?: Ofsted has not inspected Changing Lives under its current framework, so no current judgement is shown. That is common for newer schools and is not a mark against a school.
How many pupils are at Changing Lives?: Changing Lives has 56 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 11 to 18.
Is Changing Lives full?: Changing Lives has capacity for 40 pupils and 56 on roll (140%), so it is at or above its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
Is Changing Lives a faith school?: No. Changing Lives has no designated religious character.
What are Changing Lives's exam results?: Where the Department for Education has published them, Changing Lives's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.

School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 24 July 2026.