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Schools across Bury

Local authority · 92 schools across 9 towns

New inspection results and open days, weekly by email.

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 4 days

Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Bury (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.

Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days

Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Bury (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.

Schools in Bury (92)

Showing 20 of 92 schools

Total Schools

92

64 primary · 15 secondary

Total Pupils

28,108

84% capacity used

Ofsted Rated

23

2 outstanding · 21 good

Capacity

33,519

5,411 spare places

Ofsted Ratings

21
68
Outstanding: 2
Good: 21
Requires Improvement: 1
Not inspected: 68

Area Performance (2026)

Attainment 8

36.0

GCSE Eng+Maths

30.6%

School Capacity

Primary Schools

84% full
15,160 pupils17,988 capacity

2,828 spare places

Secondary Schools

85% full
10,491 pupils12,406 capacity

1,915 spare places

Pupil Absence

Avg Overall Absence

7.1%

2024/25

Avg Persistent Absence

17.5%

2024/25

Schools Reporting

71

2024/25

Absence trend across Bury schools

5.3%
18/19
5.3%
20/21
7.4%
21/22
7.4%
22/23
7.8%
23/24
7.1%
24/25

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Average across all open schools in this LA.

EHCP Timeliness

Issued Within 20 Weeks

98%

Plans Issued

372

Assessment Requests

622

Tribunal Cases

16

EHCP timeliness trend (% issued within 20 weeks)

79%
2019
27%
2020
34%
2021
51%
2022
74%
2023
99%
2024
98%
2025

Source: DfE EHCP timeliness statistics. Shows how quickly this LA issues Education, Health and Care Plans.

Admission Appeals

2026 admission appeals by school phase

Primary

2,341 admissions

61

Lodged

(2.6%)

41

Heard

5

Successful

(12%)

Primary (infant classes)

2,159 admissions

31

Lodged

(1.4%)

22

Heard

1

Successful

(5%)

Secondary

2,372 admissions

193

Lodged

(8.1%)

84

Heard

32

Successful

(38%)

Total

4,713 admissions

254

Lodged

(5.4%)

125

Heard

37

Successful

(30%)

Total appeals lodged per year

1438
2019
1501
2020
778
2021
618
2022
581
2023
919
2024
703
2025
539
2026

Source: DfE admission appeals statistics. Shows how competitive school places are in this area.

Questions parents ask about schools in Bury

How many schools are there in Bury?

Bury has 92 open schools: 64 state primary, 15 state secondary or all-through, 2 independent, 8 special and 3 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Bury are rated Outstanding?

6 schools in Bury were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Yesoiday Hatorah Girls Academy; Elms Bank; St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Hawkshaw; Hoyle Nursery School; St Mary's Church of England Aided Primary School, Prestwich; and 1 more. Counting Good as well, 88% of the 57 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.

Yesoiday Hatorah Girls AcademyElms BankSt Mary's Church of England Primary School, HawkshawHoyle Nursery SchoolSt Mary's Church of England Aided Primary School, Prestwich

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Bury get the best GCSE results?

Of the 13 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 55 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); Gorsefield Primary School (95% in reading, 95% in maths); and Greenhill Primary School (94% in reading, 89% 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 SchoolGorsefield Primary SchoolGreenhill Primary School

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; Chapelfield Primary School, 2.064 miles for 2026 entry; Parrenthorn High School, 1.803 miles for 2026 entry; Philips High School, 4.384 miles for 2026 entry; Star Radcliffe Academy, 2.535 miles for 2026 entry. We hold figures for 8 schools in Bury; each school's page has its own history. These are the authority's own figures, not fixed boundaries.

Chantlers Primary SchoolChapelfield Primary SchoolParrenthorn High SchoolPhilips High SchoolStar Radcliffe Academy

Source: Bury admissions booklets

How do I apply for a school place in Bury?

Apply to Bury 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.