Accreditations and Awards

At CHS South, we are proud to prioritize the safety and wellbeing of our school community. Over 40 of our staff members are trained in Basic Life Support (BLS) for both adults and children, ensuring readiness to respond in emergencies. This training, delivered by Manchester First Aid Training, adheres to the Resuscitation Council UK Guidelines 2021, providing up-to-date skills and knowledge. Our certification reflects our commitment to maintaining a safe and supportive environment, equipping staff with vital life-saving techniques to protect our students, staff, and visitors. Look for the Manchester First Aid Training certification sticker as a symbol of our dedication to safety excellence.

We are proud to announce that CHS South has achieved the School Games Gold Mark Award for the 2023/24 academic year—our sixth consecutive year at this level! This government-led award, facilitated by the Youth Sport Trust, recognises our commitment to developing a vibrant sporting culture and promoting competition within our school and community.

Our achievements this year include success in local and regional sports tournaments, multiple medals in athletics, and a district championship win for our U15 football team. We also expanded our extracurricular sports clubs, encouraging more students to participate in sports like rugby and gymnastics. Over 400 of our students competed in inter-school competitions, demonstrating their dedication, leadership, and teamwork.

We are grateful to our PE department, parent volunteers, student sports leaders, and local sports partnerships for their invaluable support. Their efforts have been key to our success.

We look forward to continuing our journey of sporting excellence and applying for the School Games Mark again in 2025!

Read the full story here

CHS South is thrilled to share our achievement in being awarded the bronze level RACE Chartermark for our dedication to advancing race equality within our school community. This recognition underscores our ongoing commitment to creating an inclusive environment where every individual, irrespective of ethnicity, feels valued and respected. 

This accomplishment is a testament to the collective efforts of our entire CHS South community – students, parents/carers, staff and wider community. Through extensive training initiatives and the development of a comprehensive action plan, we have demonstrated our steadfast commitment to promoting conscious equality in all facets of our operations. 

Being welcomed into the esteemed RACE Charter Mark community is both an honour and a validation of our efforts. It signifies not only our achievements but also our aspirations to contribute to a more inclusive society, both within our school and beyond. 

CHS South extends sincere gratitude to all those who have contributed to this milestone and reaffirms our unwavering dedication to advancing race equality and adopting inclusivity for all members of our community. We eagerly anticipate building on this success and undertaking further initiatives to promote equality and inclusivity in the future. 

CHS South is thrilled to announce its recent accolade, placing the school in the top 25% nationally for pupil attendance. This commendable achievement reflects the relentless efforts and commitment of the entire CHS South community – students, parents, care, and staff. 

The award serves as a testament to the unwavering dedication demonstrated by all members of the CHS South community. The collective hard work has resulted in great attendance rates throughout the term, furthering an environment helpful to academic success and personal growth. 

These awards, presented to Aspire schools demonstrating exemplary pupil attendance, not only recognise the outstanding achievements of CHS South but also serve as a token of appreciation for the concerted efforts of everyone involved. It underscores the importance of collaboration between students, parents, cares and staff in nurturing a culture of attendance and engagement within the school. 

CHS South extends its gratitude to all contributors and remains committed to maintaining its high standards of attendance and academic excellence in the future. 

We are thrilled to announce that our school has embarked on the exciting Artsmark journey! With a deep-seated belief in the significance of arts education and a steadfast commitment to fostering creativity, we eagerly anticipate working towards this esteemed award. It serves as a beacon, illuminating our dedication to providing exceptional arts provision for our students. 

Over the course of the next two years, we are embarking on an ambitious mission to elevate cultural capital and nurture creativity not only within dedicated arts lessons but also throughout our broader curriculum. This endeavour is a testament to our unwavering commitment to holistic education, where the arts play a central role in shaping well-rounded and expressive individuals. 

Through this Artsmark journey, we aim to inspire a lifelong appreciation for the arts, instilling in our students a profound sense of cultural awareness and a deep love for creativity. With the support and enthusiasm of our dedicated staff and the active engagement of our talented students, we look forward to achieving new heights in arts education. Together, we will forge a legacy of artistic excellence that will resonate throughout our school community and beyond. 

Our school champions the right of staff and students to embrace all Afro-hairstyles. We acknowledge that Afro-textured hair is an important part of our Black staff and students’ racial, ethnic, cultural, and religious identities, and requires specific styling for hair health and maintenance. We welcome Afro-textured hair worn in all styles including, but not limited to, afros, locs, twists, braids, cornrows, fades, hair straightened through the application of heat or chemicals, weaves, wigs, headscarves, and wraps.

At this school, we recognise and celebrate our staff and students’ identities. We are a community built on an ethos of equality and respect where hair texture and style have no bearing on anyone's ability to succeed. 

CHS South is overjoyed to announce a significant achievement on our journey towards inclusivity and acceptance. We're delighted to announce that we've not only met but excelled in the first standard, 'Skilled Teachers', of the highly regarded Rainbow Flag Award. This esteemed national framework stands as a beacon of assessment for schools and youth-centred organisations, evaluating their commitment to fostering positive LGBT+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and other related identities) inclusion and visibility. 

Our entire staff body has wholeheartedly engaged in comprehensive training sessions, equipping themselves with the tools to recognise and proactively address instances of LGBTphobia. Through this education, our team has also honed the ability to communicate with empathy, using language that is not only respectful but also embraces the diversity of LGBT+ identities. 

As we stand on the threshold of this significant accomplishment, we do so with a sense of anticipation and eagerness to embark on the next phase of this transformative journey. This milestone marks a steadfast commitment to creating an environment where every individual, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, feels valued, respected, and truly seen.

With great pride, we look forward to the next steps in our Rainbow Flag Award endeavour, knowing that every stride brings us closer to a more inclusive and harmonious community for all. This achievement is a testament to the dedication and passion of our entire CHS South family. Together, we continue to strive for excellence in building a nurturing and accepting educational environment. 

Read the full report here

CHS South is delighted and honoured to announce our achievement of the highest accolade, the GOLD level, in the National SMSC Quality Mark. This esteemed recognition has been thoroughly assessed and confirmed by the diligent efforts of the Quality Assurance Panel. We take immense pride in this accomplishment, as it signifies our unwavering commitment to fostering a nurturing environment that encompasses Spiritual, Moral, Social, and Cultural learning. This achievement stands as a testament to the dedication and excellence that CHS South consistently strives for in providing a holistic education for our cherished students. We view this prestigious award as a milestone in our ongoing journey towards educational excellence, and it serves as a testament to the outstanding efforts of our entire CHS South community. We remain steadfast in our commitment to continue elevating the educational experience for all students who call CHS South their academic home. 

We continue to hold a gold standard of Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural learning offered to our students. Feedback from the SMSC Quality Mark Manager were “CHS South is a wonderfully vibrant school where students are afforded a wide range of opportunities to be Creative, Happy and Successful” and “These amazing young adults articulated with great enthusiasm and pride, how much they appreciate all that the school offers them”. 

Read the full report here

Following CHS South’s first Ofsted inspection in January 2023, the school has been graded as ‘good’ in all areas. 

A team of 4 Inspectors visited CHS South on Tuesday 10th and Wednesday 11th January 2023 and judged the Quality of education, Behaviour and attitudes, Personal development, Leadership and management as good; the full report can be found HERE. Manchester City Council Director of Education, Amanda Corcoran commented, “This is a much deserved public recognition of the work of everyone associated with CHS South. The impact of your work in the school and in the community is a cause for celebration for us all.”   

In the report Inspectors comment that, “CHS South is a welcoming and supportive community. Pupils are proud of their school. Pupils understand the school values of ‘ready, respectful, safe’, and they try hard to follow them in all that they do.” 

They also recognise that “Leaders have high expectations with regard to pupils’ behaviour and achievement, including for those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).” 

They go on to observe that, “Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. Lessons are rarely disrupted due to inappropriate behaviour. Pupils said that they feel safe in school. They told inspectors that there is always someone who they can talk to if they have a problem.” 

They also acknowledge that, “Pupils benefit from the wide range of clubs that staff provide. They told inspectors that there is something for everyone to try and to enjoy. Pupils cited school drama productions, sport and music opportunities, the pride group and coding and eco clubs as examples of the rich breadth of activities that are on offer.” 

Other observations made in the report include: 

“Subject leaders are clear about the essential knowledge that pupils need to learn in their subject curriculums.” 

 

“Teachers have strong subject knowledge. This helps them to explain concepts clearly to pupils.” 

 

“Teachers check pupils’ understanding regularly in lessons. This helps them to quickly identify and address any misconceptions that pupils may develop." 

 

“Teachers ensure that pupils with SEND are well supported in class. This helps these pupils to learn more as they move through the school.” 

 

“Pupils in all year groups read regularly. This helps them to become more confident readers. Leaders quickly identify any pupils who find reading difficult. Skilled staff provide effective support for this group of pupils.” 

 

“Staff enjoy working at the school. Leaders take positive action to support the workload and well-being of staff.” 

This is obviously a significant achievement for our community and an important step in establishing CHS South. We are delighted that the efforts and achievements of our children, staff and our families have been recognised and validated through the words of the report. 

Read the full report here

CHS South is proud to have received the prestigious Gold Award for 'Excellence in Employee Wellbeing' from One Education Ltd. This recognition underscores our deep commitment to the wellbeing of our staff. 

Our dedication to recruiting and retaining exceptional practitioners is rooted in the belief that a content and highly skilled staff leads to the best outcomes for our students. One Education Ltd. praised our school for prioritising staff wellbeing, noting that employees feel valued and supported in times of difficulty. 

Aligning with the Department for Education's perspective, we understand that a coordinated approach to mental health and wellbeing positively impacts students' emotional health and learning. We actively invest in ongoing training and personalised development for our staff, offering a diverse range of CPD events focused on Teaching and Learning, student achievement, and staff wellbeing. 

At CHS South, we believe that a happy and thriving community is essential for success. Receiving the Gold Award for Employee Wellbeing affirms our commitment to placing the wellbeing of our community at the forefront of our work, supporting all members - staff, students, and the wider community - to feel prepared, respected, and secure. 

CHS South is excited to announce our achievement of the One Education Reading Award at the Silver level. 

This accolade signifies CHS South's dedication and expertise in developing a thriving reading curriculum. It showcases our commitment to equipping students with the essential skills, passion, and enthusiasm for reading. 

Recognising that fostering a reading culture requires perseverance and effort, we view this award as a milestone in an ongoing journey. We aim for it to serve as a catalyst for further growth, development, and continued inspiration for our students to embrace a lifelong love of reading. 

We are absolutely thrilled to share the exciting news that, for an unprecedented fifth consecutive year, our school has been bestowed with the prestigious School Games Gold Quality Mark. This remarkable achievement is a testament to the enduring commitment and exceptional efforts of both our dedicated staff and talented students. Throughout the entirety of the 2022-23 academic year, they demonstrated unparalleled dedication to competitive inclusive sport, embodying the spirit of sportsmanship, teamwork, and perseverance that lies at the heart of our institution. 

This recognition is not only a source of immense pride for our school community but also serves as a resounding endorsement of our unwavering dedication to providing top-tier sporting opportunities for every student. It affirms our belief in the transformative power of sports, fostering not only physical well-being but also valuable life skills that will serve our students well beyond their time within these walls. 

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all who played a part in this extraordinary achievement. Your collective efforts have once again elevated our school to the pinnacle of sporting excellence. This accolade is a reflection of our shared commitment to nurturing a culture of inclusivity, competition, and achievement that resonates throughout our school community. We look forward to building on this success and continuing to inspire a love for sports among our students in the years to come