How many schools are in Bury?

Bury has 93 open schools: 64 primary schools and 14 secondary schools across 10 areas. Data sourced from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools (GIAS) register.

What areas are covered by Bury school catchment zones?

Bury administers catchment areas across 10 areas, including Bury, Manchester, Other, Bolton Road, Hawkshaw, Bury, Lancs and more. Each school's catchment boundary is set by the local authority and reviewed annually as part of the admissions process.

How do school catchment areas work in Bury?

In Bury, catchment areas define a geographical zone around each school. Children living within the catchment boundary are given priority in oversubscription criteria. The exact boundary, and the "last distance offered", changes each year based on application volumes. Official catchment maps and admissions policies are published by Bury council each autumn.

Which schools in Bury are oversubscribed?

Oversubscription varies by school and year in Bury. Popular schools typically receive more applications than available places, meaning the "last distance offered" shrinks annually. To check demand for a specific school, consult the Bury admissions authority's published offer data or the school's own admissions policy.

Bury School Catchment Areas

Reviewed by the catchment.school editorial team · Last updated 15 March 2026

Bury Metropolitan Borough Council is a Greater Manchester authority with 93 state schools – 64 primary and 14 secondary – across nine areas including Bury town, Radcliffe, Ramsbottom, and Tottington. The borough retains two selective grammar schools, serving academically qualified applicants from across Bury and parts of neighbouring authorities. Faith schools are a major feature of Bury's provision: 40 of the 93 schools apply religious criteria in their oversubscription policies – the highest proportion of faith schools (43%) of any Greater Manchester borough.

Demand for places is considerable: 26 of the 84 schools with published capacity data are currently at or above their admission number, a rate of around 31%. Grammar schools attract applications from across the borough and beyond. Of the 52 schools holding academy status, many are faith academies that retain religious character alongside the trust's governance structure. Of the schools with a current Ofsted inspection, 31 are rated Good or Outstanding.

Catchment boundaries are published by Bury Council for community schools and by individual trusts or governing bodies for academies and voluntary-aided schools. Families applying to grammar schools must sit the Bury Grammar School entrance assessment in the autumn. For faith school applications, supplementary information forms are often required in addition to the council's standard application – check each school's admissions policy for the specific evidence needed.

93 total 64 primary 14 secondary 10 areas

Based on the latest published capacity data, 26 of the 93 schools in Bury are at or above their admission number, so catchment distance is decisive at those schools. Bury has 2 selective schools that admit by entrance test rather than distance. 40 schools apply faith-based criteria alongside catchment distance. Of the 42 Bury schools with a current Ofsted rating, 31 are rated Good or Outstanding.