Overall Oxbridge
#875
18 ranked schools · +39 places vs Eng avg #914 of 1,983
Applications
314
Offers
83
Offer rate26.4%
+4.0 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 22.4%
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 409 primary, secondary and sixth-form schools, state and independent. The average Find My School Inspection Score is 7.42/10, +0.03 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 #7,928 of 14,853
Top 48%Secondaryavg #1,843 of 3,824
Top 39%Sixth formavg #1,001 of 2,536
Primary schools: 286 schools (state + independent)
LocalEngland avg
Average FMS Inspection Score
7.3/10
-0.10 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.3/10
Average national rank
#7,928
-3 pts vs medianmedian 7,427
top 53% of 14,853
% reaching expected RWM standardstate
62%
0 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 62%
% reaching higher RWM standardstate
6%
-2 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 8%
Average FMS Inspection Score
7.3/10
-0.10 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.3/10
Average national rank
#7,928
-3 pts vs medianmedian 7,427
top 53% of 14,853
% reaching expected RWM standardstate
62%
0 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 62%
% reaching higher RWM standardstate
6%
-2 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 8%
Secondary schools: 86 schools (state + independent)
LocalEngland avg
Average FMS Inspection Score
7.6/10
+0.17 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.4/10
Average national rank
#1,843
+2 pts vs medianmedian 1,912
top 48% of 3,824
% achieving grades 9-7 (A*-A)state
62%
+5 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 56%
Attainment 8 score (out of 90)state
45.0
+5.9 vs Eng avgEng avg 39.1
Average FMS Inspection Score
7.6/10
+0.17 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.4/10
Average national rank
#1,843
+2 pts vs medianmedian 1,912
top 48% of 3,824
% achieving grades 9-7 (A*-A)state
62%
+5 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 56%
Attainment 8 score (out of 90)state
45.0
+5.9 vs Eng avgEng avg 39.1
Sixth form schools: 37 schools (state + independent)
LocalEngland avg
Average FMS Inspection Score
8.4/10
+0.64 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.7/10
Average national rank
#1,001
+11 pts vs medianmedian 1,268
top 39% of 2,536
% A*-A at A-Level
32%
+7 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 25%
% A*-B at A-Level
56%
+6 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 50%
Average FMS Inspection Score
8.4/10
+0.64 vs Eng avgEng avg 7.7/10
Average national rank
#1,001
+11 pts vs medianmedian 1,268
top 39% of 2,536
% A*-A at A-Level
32%
+7 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 25%
% A*-B at A-Level
56%
+6 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 50%
Oxford
#207
12 ranked schools · +46 places vs Eng avg #253 of 1,197
Applications
187
Offers
46
Offer rate24.6%
+9.5 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 15.1%
Cambridge
#817
16 ranked schools · -44 places vs Eng avg #773 of 1,880
Applications
127
Offers
37
Offer rate29.1%
-0.3 pts vs Eng avgEng avg 29.4%
Top 3 Primary Schools
2026
Manchester town
Top 3 Secondary Schools
2026
Manchester town
Top 3 Sixth Forms
2026
Manchester town
Local directory
School profiles in Manchester
Browse 164 local profile links across primary schools in manchester town, secondary schools in manchester town and sixth forms in manchester town. Each profile brings together admissions context, performance data, inspection history and school details in one place.
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