Schools in Manchester

Old Trafford anchors the western residential fringe.

England's first industrialised city, Manchester carries the weight of global significance alongside a present-day population of around 589,000, spread across the city's boundaries in the northwest of England between the Cheshire Plain and the Pennines. The Roman fort of Mamucium, founded near the confluence of the Medlock and Irwell around AD 79, marks the city's origins; the Manchester Ship Canal, opened in 1894 to bring ocean-going vessels directly to the city's wharves, stands for its Victorian ambition. Manchester Piccadilly serves as the main intercity terminus, and the Metrolink tram network threads outward through Chorlton and Didsbury to the south and into Salford and Trafford beyond. Fallowfield and Rusholme form the school-competitive belt south of the university quarter, where families compete keenly for secondary and sixth-form places. Didsbury draws families seeking strong catchment schools alongside swift tram access into the city centre.

  • 292

    Primary

    schools

  • 76

    Secondary

    schools

  • 10

    All-through

    schools

  • 6

    Post-16

    colleges

  • 37

    Special

    schools

  • 5

    Other

    schools

of which37sixth forms·2grammar·167faith·3nursery schools429 total

Area Performance

Manchester schools rank in the top 52% of England

Across 399 primary, secondary and sixth-form schools, state and independent. The average Find My School Inspection Score is 7.32/10, -0.07 vs England.

Find My School Inspection Band

15% Elite

Distribution across all Manchester schools

EliteExcellentGoodDevelopingRebuilding

Manchester vs England distribution

National Rank

Top 52%

Across all ranked Manchester schools

Top 53%Primaryavg #7,919 of 14,821
Top 49%Secondaryavg #1,853 of 3,803
Top 39%Sixth formavg #986 of 2,523

Local directory

School profiles in Manchester

Browse 206 local profile links across primary schools in manchester town, secondary schools in manchester town, sixth forms in manchester town and other schools. Each profile brings together admissions context, performance data, inspection history and school details in one place.

217 nurseries in Manchester

Primary schools in Manchester town

127 local matches

Rankings

Secondary schools in Manchester town

41 local matches

Rankings

Sixth forms in Manchester town

20 local matches

Rankings

Other schools

42 local matches

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