Best Schools in Salford

How many schools are there in Salford?

Salford has 67 open schools: 32 state primary, 6 state secondary or all-through, 20 independent, 7 special and 2 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Salford are rated Outstanding?

4 schools in Salford were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: St Thomas of Canterbury RC Primary School, St Philip's RC Primary School, Holy Family VA RC Primary School and Chatsworth High School and Community College. Counting Good as well, 68% of the 50 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.

St Thomas of Canterbury RC Primary SchoolSt Philip's RC Primary SchoolHoly Family VA RC Primary SchoolChatsworth High School and Community College

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Salford get the best GCSE results?

Of the 5 schools in Salford with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at All Hallows RC High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 51.7 and 53% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; The Albion Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 51.1 and 60% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Beis Yaakov High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 50.4 and 50% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

All Hallows RC High SchoolThe Albion AcademyBeis Yaakov High School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Salford have the best SATs results?

Of the 29 primary schools in Salford with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at St Thomas of Canterbury RC Primary School (85% in reading, 91% in maths); St Philip's RC Primary School (85% in reading, 90% in maths); and Broughton Jewish Cassel Fox Primary School (86% in reading, 88% 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.

St Thomas of Canterbury RC Primary SchoolSt Philip's RC Primary SchoolBroughton Jewish Cassel Fox Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Salford?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Salford 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 Salford?

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: Lower Kersal Community Primary School, 0.383 miles for 2021 entry; Monton Green Primary School, 1.097 miles for 2021 entry; River View Community Primary School, 5.673 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. We hold figures for 17 schools in Salford; each school's page has its own history. These are the authority's own figures, not fixed boundaries.

Lower Kersal Community Primary SchoolMonton Green Primary SchoolRiver View Community Primary SchoolSt Joseph the Worker RC Primary SchoolSt Philip's RC Primary School

Source: Salford admissions booklets

How do I apply for a school place in Salford?

Apply to your council - Salford or Manchester, 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.