Schools in Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a combined authority comprising 10 metropolitan boroughs: Manchester, Salford, Trafford, Stockport, Tameside, Oldham, Rochdale, Bury, Bolton and Wigan. Schools in this postcode area may fall under any of these councils, each with distinct catchment boundaries and admissions criteria.
Greater Manchester contains no local authority grammar schools but has a significant number of selective academy and faith schools, particularly at secondary level in Trafford, Salford and Bury. The Trafford Grammar Schools test is separate from other borough processes.
All applications are made to the home local authority by the October secondary or January primary deadline. Families should identify which of the 10 boroughs administers their nearest school and check that council's admissions booklet for the 2026 round.
Primary schools in Greater Manchester: 2 oversubscribed (2)
Other Schools in Greater Manchester (4)
Willow House School
Not applicable · Other independent special school
Greater Manchester · SK8 6RF
The Holden School
Not applicable · Other independent special school
Greater Manchester · WN7 4SB
CEWE School
Not applicable · Other independent special school
Greater Manchester · WN1 3JW
The Greens ENS
Not applicable · Other independent special school
Greater Manchester · M40 1NZ
Catchment area boundaries for schools in Greater Manchester are set by Oldham and updated each year. The "last distance offered", how far the furthest successful applicant lived, changes annually based on the number of applications received.