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.

  • 293

    Primary

    schools

  • 76

    Secondary

    schools

  • 10

    All-through

    schools

  • 6

    Post-16

    colleges

  • 33

    Special

    schools

  • 6

    Other

    schools

of which37sixth forms·2grammar·167faith·3nurseries427 total

Area Performance

Manchester schools rank in the top 52% of England

Across 410 primary, secondary and sixth-form schools, state and independent. The average Find My School Inspection Score is 7.33/10, -0.07 vs England.

Find My School Inspection Band

13% Elite

Distribution across all Manchester schools

EliteExcellentGoodDevelopingRebuilding

Manchester vs England distribution

National Rank

Top 52%

Across all ranked Manchester schools

Top 54%Primaryavg #8,019 of 14,978
Top 47%Secondaryavg #1,834 of 3,862
Top 39%Sixth formavg #998 of 2,555

Local directory

School profiles in Manchester

Browse 385 local profile links across primary schools, secondary schools and sixth forms. Each profile brings together admissions context, performance data, inspection history and school details in one place.

Primary schools

303 local matches

Rankings

Secondary schools

86 local matches

Rankings

Sixth forms

32 local matches

Rankings
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