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Accreditations and Awards
Welcome to our Accreditations and Awards page! Here, we proudly showcase the distinguished recognitions that CHS South has earned over the years. Explore this page to learn more about the accreditations and noteworthy awards that we have received.
CHS South has once again been recognised for its pupil attendance, placing the school in the top 10% nationally during the last academic year. This award reflects the collective efforts of our students, parents, carers and staff in promoting regular attendance and supporting students to achieve their potential. It recognises the importance of strong home-school partnerships in creating a positive learning environment and ensuring students make the most of their educational opportunities.
CHS South has been awarded the Rainbow Flag Award, a nationally recognised framework that celebrates and supports LGBTQ+ inclusion in schools. The award reflects the school’s commitment to creating a safe, supportive and inclusive environment for all members of its community.
Through a whole-school approach, CHS South continues to challenge discrimination and promote equality, ensuring that students, families and staff feel valued, respected and included. This achievement marks an important milestone in the school’s ongoing work to strengthen inclusion and support positive outcomes for all.
We are delighted to announce that CHS South has been awarded the Artsmark Gold Award by Arts Council England, recognising our exceptional commitment to creativity and the arts. Since opening in 2018, we have developed a vibrant arts culture, offering students opportunities across drama, dance, music, art, photography, and music technology. Students take part in exhibitions, workshops, performances, and leadership roles, helping to shape and inspire our whole school community.
CHS South has been awarded the One Education Secondary Reading Award at GOLD level, recognising exceptional work in reading and literacy across the school. Led by Assistant Headteacher Corinna Iredale, the team developed strong systems to track progress, deliver targeted interventions, and foster a whole-school reading culture. One Education praised the school’s bespoke support for students, its inclusive approach to reading for pleasure, and its curriculum-wide focus on vocabulary and literacy. Staff, students and leadership expressed pride in the achievement, viewing it as a celebration of progress and a springboard for further development in reading provision.
CHS South has achieved the afPE Quality Mark with Distinction for demonstrating high-quality provision in Physical Education, School Sport and Physical Activity. The award recognises the school’s inclusive curriculum, commitment to continuous improvement, and strong relationships that encourage participation and confidence. Assessors highlighted effective staff development, innovative teaching, and enthusiasm within the PE department. Valid from July 2025 for three years, the award will also feature on afPE’s website and be shared with the Department for Education and Sport England.
CHS South has been awarded the Platinum School Games Mark, the highest level of recognition for outstanding commitment to sport, physical activity and wellbeing. The award celebrates the dedication of staff and students, alongside varied opportunities to participate in PE, clubs and competitions. The school’s KS4 Health Programme, praised for promoting lifelong wellbeing, was a standout feature. The achievement reflects an inclusive approach that supports confidence, resilience and enjoyment for all students, placing CHS South among the top schools nationally for sport and wellbeing.
CHS South has received the Manchester Healthy Schools Silver Award, recognising its strong commitment to health, wellbeing and public health education. The award reflects a whole-school approach covering PSHE, healthy lifestyles, RSE, mental health, emotional wellbeing and substance awareness. Together with recent sporting achievements, it highlights the school’s ongoing dedication to supporting students to lead healthy, informed and confident lives.
CHS South is proud to have been awarded the Leading Parent Partnership Award, a national recognition of our commitment to working closely with parents, carers, and the wider community to support every aspect of school life.
The assessors praised our strategic vision, strong communication (including our South Insight newsletter), and inclusive events like Culture Night. They noted:
“Parental engagement is one of the central principles of the school and leaders ensure it is an integral part of the school’s development.”
This award reflects our dedication to building positive, supportive relationships that help all students thrive - and our continued ambition to grow and improve in the years ahead.
CHS South is proud to announce that we have been awarded Music Mark status, a prestigious recognition that highlights our dedication to high-quality music education.
Music Mark, the UK Association for Music Education, champions access to music for all children and young people. This accreditation reflects our commitment to ensuring that every student at CHS South has the opportunity to develop their musical skills, creativity, and confidence through a diverse range of musical activities.
As a Music Mark school, CHS South will gain access to a range of benefits, including exclusive resources, training opportunities, and sector news that will further enrich our music curriculum. Our students already engage in a variety of musical experiences, from instrumental lessons to performances, and this recognition reinforces the importance of music in our school community.
CHS South is excited to continue expanding our music education offer and looks forward to taking full advantage of the opportunities that come with being a Music Mark school.
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.
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.
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 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”.
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.
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.