AldridgeUTC@MediaCityUK
University technical college · sixth form · 464 pupils
78% stayed in education · Attainment 8 35.6
Academy sponsor led
Irlam and Cadishead Academy
- Pupils on roll
- 844of 1,050 places
- Free school meals
- 39.1%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 107
- Ofsted
- Good, 28 February 2024Read the Ofsted report
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Irlam and Cadishead College (URN 105976, until 7 May 2015).
What the data says
Of the 150 pupils who finished Year 11 at Irlam and Cadishead Academy in 2023, 2% stayed on in Irlam and Cadishead Academy’s own sixth form (Salford average 2%), 45% went to a further education college and 5% started an apprenticeship.
13% of leavers were not in sustained education, employment or training six months on, compared with 6% nationally.
Art and Design is unusually popular at GCSE: 21% of the year group took it, against 7% of pupils across England.
GCSE results in 2025 were below the national picture: Attainment 8 of 43.6 against 46.1 across England and 42.9 in Salford, with 47% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Salford and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Irlam and Cadishead Academy | Salford | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 150 | 2,558 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 81% | 85% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 67% | 78% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 2% | 2% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 19% | 16% | 13% |
| — further education college | 45% | 57% | 37% |
| — other education | 1% | 2% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 5% | 3% | 3% |
| Employment | 8% | 4% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 13% | 10% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 6% | 5% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
No published destinations for sixth-form leavers yet.
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | Irlam and Cadishead Academy | Salford | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 43.6 | 42.9 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 47% | 40% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 63% | 61% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 39% | 34% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.90 | 3.77 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 41% | 40% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 35.5 | 35.3 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 49.3 | 48.0 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 14% | 19% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 106 | 99% | 89% | 18% | 20% | 64% |
| Mathematics | 106 | 99% | 88% | 15% | 22% | 70% |
| English Literature | 104 | 97% | 86% | 15% | 21% | 67% |
| Combined Science | 87 | 81% | 65% | 5% | 9% | 51% |
| History | 68 | 64% | 41% | 24% | 26% | 56% |
| Geography | 42 | 39% | 41% | 26% | 25% | 74% |
| French | 41 | 38% | 18% | 24% | 29% | 85% |
| Art and Design | 22 | 21% | 7% | 18% | 24% | 73% |
| Physics | 18 | 17% | 23% | 44% | 46% | 100% |
| Chemistry | 18 | 17% | 23% | 56% | 47% | 100% |
| Biology | 18 | 17% | 23% | 50% | 45% | 100% |
| Music | 7 | 7% | 5% | 0% | 33% | 29% |
| Textiles | 5 | 5% | 2% | — | 27% | — |
| Arabic | 2 | 2% | 1% | — | 47% | — |
| Polish | 2 | 2% | 1% | — | 84% | — |
| Russian | 1 | 1% | 0% | — | 87% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering Studies | 41 | — | — |
| Sports Studies | 34 | — | — |
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 22 | — | — |
| Childcare Skills | 17 | — | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 12 | — | — |
| Speech and Drama | 8 | — | — |
| Small Business Management | 1 | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Salford
All Hallows RC High School
Voluntary aided school · 752 pupils
83% stayed in education · Attainment 8 49.3
Beis Yaakov High School
Academy converter · 283 pupils
83% stayed in education · Attainment 8 49.3
Co-op Academy Swinton
Academy converter · 931 pupils
79% stayed in education · Attainment 8 44.6
Co-op Academy Walkden
Academy converter · 1,414 pupils
80% stayed in education · Attainment 8 43.6
Ellesmere Park High School
Academy converter · 818 pupils
85% stayed in education · Attainment 8 45.8
Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.