Best Schools in Bury

How many schools are there in Bury?

Bury has 58 open schools: 40 state primary, 8 state secondary or all-through, 1 independent, 6 special and 3 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Bury are rated Outstanding?

3 schools in Bury were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Elms Bank, Hoyle Nursery School and Millwood Primary Special School. Counting Good as well, 89% of the 38 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Elms BankHoyle Nursery SchoolMillwood Primary Special School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Bury get the best GCSE results?

Of the 8 schools in Bury with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Bury Church of England High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 51.5 and 60% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Woodhey High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 49.8 and 54% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and The Elton High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 47.4 and 47% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Bury Church of England High SchoolWoodhey High SchoolThe Elton High School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Bury have the best SATs results?

Of the 32 primary schools in Bury with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Chantlers Primary School (100% in reading, 97% in maths); Greenhill Primary School (94% in reading, 89% in maths); and Hazlehurst Primary Academy (93% in reading, 90% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Chantlers Primary SchoolGreenhill Primary SchoolHazlehurst Primary Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Bury?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Bury selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

How close do you need to live to get into schools in Bury?

It depends on the school, and the cut-off moves every year with the number of applications. Bury published how far the last place offered went at these schools: Chantlers Primary School, 0.386 miles for 2026 entry; Woodhey High School, 1.909 miles for 2026 entry; Hazel Wood High School, 1.43 miles for 2024 entry. These are the authority's own figures, not fixed boundaries.

Chantlers Primary SchoolWoodhey High SchoolHazel Wood High School

Source: Bury admissions booklets

How do I apply for a school place in Bury?

Apply to your council - Bury, Lancashire or Rochdale, depending on your address - through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.