Best Schools in Greater Manchester

How many schools are there in Greater Manchester?

Greater Manchester has 223 open schools: 114 state primary, 48 state secondary or all-through, 9 independent, 41 special and 11 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Greater Manchester are rated Outstanding?

23 schools in Greater Manchester were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Westwood Academy, Park Road Sale Primary School, St Thomas of Canterbury RC Primary School, St Philip's RC Primary School, Prospect House Specialist Support Primary School and 18 more. Counting Good as well, 86% of the 179 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.

Westwood AcademyPark Road Sale Primary SchoolSt Thomas of Canterbury RC Primary SchoolSt Philip's RC Primary SchoolProspect House Specialist Support Primary School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Greater Manchester get the best GCSE results?

Of the 45 schools in Greater Manchester with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Stretford Grammar School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 75.5 and 99% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Eden Girls' Leadership Academy, Manchester, with an Attainment 8 score of 61.8 and 68% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Eden Boys' School, Bolton, with an Attainment 8 score of 57 and 75% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Selective schools admit by ability, so their raw results are not a like-for-like comparison with comprehensives. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Stretford Grammar SchoolEden Girls' Leadership Academy, ManchesterEden Boys' School, Bolton

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Greater Manchester have the best SATs results?

Of the 105 primary schools in Greater Manchester with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Park Road Sale Primary School (100% in reading, 97% in maths); Buckstones Primary School (93% in reading, 97% in maths); and Crompton Primary School (90% in reading, 100% 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.

Park Road Sale Primary SchoolBuckstones Primary SchoolCrompton Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Greater Manchester?

Yes. Stretford Grammar School is a state grammar school in Greater Manchester. Grammar schools admit pupils by ability through an entrance test, usually sat at the start of Year 6.

Stretford Grammar School

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

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

It depends on the school, and the cut-off moves every year with the number of applications. Salford published how far the last place offered went at these schools: St Patrick's RC High School, 0.425 miles for 2026 entry; Lower Kersal Community Primary School, 0.383 miles for 2021 entry; St Joseph the Worker RC Primary School, 0.633 miles for 2021 entry; St Philip's RC Primary School, 2.294 miles for 2021 entry; St Thomas of Canterbury RC Primary School, 0.656 miles for 2021 entry. We hold figures for 16 schools in Greater Manchester; each school's page has its own history. These are the authority's own figures, not fixed boundaries.

St Patrick's RC High SchoolLower Kersal Community Primary SchoolSt Joseph the Worker RC Primary SchoolSt Philip's RC Primary SchoolSt Thomas of Canterbury RC Primary School

Source: Salford admissions booklets

How do I apply for a school place in Greater Manchester?

Apply to your council - Oldham, Manchester or Salford, 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.