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Best secondary schools in Manchester

28 of 37 secondary schools ranked by Progress 8 · all Manchester schools · primary schools

Ranked on Progress 8, 2023/24 — the most recent year each school has published. Official data, not our opinion — but the ranking is only as good as the measure, and a single number never describes a school.

# School Progress 8 Ofsted Places Catchment
1 Eden Boys' Leadership Academy, Manchester Manchester 1.2 Good oversubscribed 1.65 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
2 Eden Girls' Leadership Academy, Manchester Manchester 1.02 Good oversubscribed 1.54 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
3 Levenshulme High School Manchester 0.91 Outstanding about even 1.05 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
4 Burnage Academy for Boys Manchester 0.85 Outstanding improving about even 0.94 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
5 Whalley Range 11-18 High School Manchester hidden gem 0.79 Good undersubscribed 0.74 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
6 Didsbury High School Manchester 0.67 Outstanding oversubscribed 1.76 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
7 St Peter's RC High School 0.57 Good oversubscribed 1.19 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
8 The King David High School Manchester 0.5 Requires improvement declining about even 1.08 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
9 Wright Robinson College Manchester 0.34 Outstanding oversubscribed 1.16 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
10 Our Lady's RC High School Manchester 0.33 Good about even 1.15 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
11 Manchester Academy Manchester hidden gem 0.3 Good declining undersubscribed 0.42 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
12 Manchester Enterprise Academy Central Manchester hidden gem 0.27 Good undersubscribed 0.75 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
13 Trinity CofE High School Manchester 0.27 Good declining oversubscribed 1.26 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
14 Chorlton High School Manchester 0.23 Good about even 1.02 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
15 Manchester Communication Academy Manchester hidden gem 0.15 Good undersubscribed 0.72 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
16 Dean Trust Ardwick Manchester hidden gem 0.12 Good undersubscribed 0.69 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
17 The Barlow RC High School Manchester hidden gem 0.12 Good about even 0.92 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
18 Co-op Academy Manchester Manchester hidden gem -0.02 Good improving undersubscribed 0.72 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
19 Loreto High School Chorlton Manchester -0.07 Requires improvement declining undersubscribed 0.56 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
20 Parrs Wood High School Manchester hidden gem -0.07 Good about even 0.85 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
21 The East Manchester Academy Manchester -0.13 Not judged undersubscribed 0.63 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
22 CHS South Manchester hidden gem -0.14 Good undersubscribed 0.55 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
23 Co-op Academy North Manchester Manchester -0.25 Good about even 1.1 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
24 St Matthew's RC High School Manchester -0.59 Not judged undersubscribed 0.76 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
25 Dixons Brooklands Academy Manchester -0.64 Not judged undersubscribed 0.61 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
26 Manchester Enterprise Academy Wythenshawe hidden gem -0.69 Good undersubscribed 0.51 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
27 Cedar Mount Academy Gorton -0.71 Requires improvement undersubscribed 0.47 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
28 Saint Paul's Catholic High School Manchester -0.89 Good improving oversubscribed 1.82 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate

Also in Manchester

9 further secondary schools with no published Progress 8 for the latest year — usually too small a cohort to report, newly opened, or a special school. Listed because leaving them out would make this a misleading picture of Manchester, not a fairer one.

Applying in Manchester

Knowing which school is best is only half of it — these are the deadlines that decide whether you can apply at all.

Rankings compare published results. They do not tell you which school your child will get into — that depends on where you live, sibling and faith priority, and how many people apply this year. Ask below, or check the Manchester admission criteria.

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