Best Secondary Schools in Manchester 2026

Ranked by Ofsted rating, exam results, attendance, and class sizes. 30 schools across Manchester. Updated with 2025–26 data.

How many schools?
30
Open secondary schools in Manchester
Closed schools excluded
Inspection picture
23 Good or better
of 29 with a historic Ofsted grade
Historic single-word grades · pre-Nov-2025
How is this list ordered?
SNM score
Co-op Academy Belle Vue currently leads
Methodology

Manchester has 30 open secondary schools. Of the 29 with a published Ofsted inspection, 5 (17%) held a historic grade of Outstanding and 79% held Good or Outstanding — these are the last single-word grades from before Ofsted retired them on 10 November 2025 (how we treat Ofsted data). On our composite Schools Near Me score, Co-op Academy Belle Vue currently leads the local rankings. Closed schools are excluded from every list on this page.

Use the ranked table below to compare schools side by side, then open any school for the full picture. Application deadlines in Manchester follow the national calendar: 31 October for Year 7 secondary entry and 15 January for Reception primary entry, with offers on 1 March and 16 April respectively.

All schools Primary Secondary
Rank School Ofsted (historic) SNM Score Profile
1. Co-op Academy Belle Vue
Secondary
 Outstanding 89 View school
2. Eden Girls' Leadership Academy, Manchester
Secondary
 Good 84 View school
3. Didsbury High School
Secondary
 Outstanding 84 View school
4. Levenshulme High School
Secondary
 Outstanding 77 View school
5. Eden Boys' Leadership Academy, Manchester
Secondary
 Good 72 View school
6. Our Lady's RC High School
Secondary
 Good 70 View school
7. Whalley Range 11-18 High School
Secondary
 Good 68 View school
8. Burnage Academy for Boys
Secondary
 Outstanding 68 View school
9. Trinity CofE High School
Secondary
 Good 66 View school
10. Chorlton High School
Secondary
 Good 65 View school
11. St Peter's RC High School
Secondary
 Good 65 View school
12. Dean Trust Ardwick
Secondary
 Good 64 View school
13. Manchester Enterprise Academy Central
Secondary
 Good 64 View school
14. The Barlow RC High School and Specialist Science College
Secondary
 Good 64 View school
15. CHS South
Secondary
 Good 64 View school
16. The King David High School
Secondary
 Requires Improvement 63 View school
17. Manchester Communication Academy
Secondary
 Good 61 View school
18. Parrs Wood High School
Secondary
 Good 59 View school
19. Wright Robinson College
Secondary
 Outstanding 57 View school
20. Manchester Academy
Secondary
 Good 56 View school

Ranked by the Schools Near Me score. Ofsted grades shown are each school's last single-word grade from before 10 November 2025, when Ofsted retired single-word overall judgements — they are historic and not comparable to the new report cards. How we use Ofsted data. Closed schools are excluded.

Related lists for Manchester

Best primary schools in ManchesterTop-ranked Reception–Year 6 Best secondary schools in ManchesterTop-ranked Year 7 onwards All schools in ManchesterPrimary & secondary combined Primary schools in ManchesterReception–Year 6 only How the Schools Near Me score worksOur ranking methodology, explained

Nearby areas

Schools in SalfordCompare neighbouring authoritySchools in StockportCompare neighbouring authoritySchools in TraffordCompare neighbouring authoritySchools in TamesideCompare neighbouring authority

See full data for any school in Manchester

Catchment distances, exam trends, SEN data, attendance, and more — all in one place.

Search schools in Manchester

Frequently asked questions

How many secondary schools are there in Manchester?
There are 30 open secondary schools in Manchester (closed schools are excluded). 5 of the 29 with a published inspection held a historic Ofsted grade of Outstanding (the last single-word grade before single-word grades were retired on 10 November 2025).
What are the best-rated secondary schools in Manchester?
On our Schools Near Me score, the top-ranked secondary school in Manchester is Co-op Academy Belle Vue. The full ranked table above lists the top 20 schools with their score and last historic Ofsted grade. We never list closed schools.
How is the Schools Near Me score calculated?
The Schools Near Me score is a 0–100 composite combining the school's last historic Ofsted grade, published exam and assessment results, attendance and pupil–teacher ratio. It is not an Ofsted rating. Full methodology: https://schoolsnearme.ai/methodology#score
Are Ofsted single-word grades still current in Manchester?
No. Ofsted retired single-word overall grades (Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, Inadequate) on 10 November 2025 and replaced them with report cards. Any single-word grade shown on this page is the school's last historic grade from before that date and is not comparable to the new report cards. See https://schoolsnearme.ai/methodology#ofsted
How do I apply for a school place in Manchester?
Primary and secondary applications in Manchester are coordinated by the local authority on the national timetable: apply by 31 October for Year 7 secondary entry and by 15 January for Reception primary entry, with offers on 1 March and 16 April respectively. Check the Manchester council website for local forms and any in-year rules.

Data sourced from Ofsted, Department for Education, and ISI. School rankings reflect the Schools Near Me composite score combining Ofsted ratings, exam results, attendance, and pupil-teacher ratios. Last updated April 2026.