North West local authority
Schools in Manchester
Search and compare schools in Manchester with map view, rankings, Ofsted context, performance data and admissions research links. Use this page as a local hub before opening individual school profiles or building a side-by-side comparison.
Manchester school comparison signals
Metrics use latest available published data where present. Local authority averages can be unavailable when a metric is not published for enough schools in the selected authority.
Search paths for Manchester
Checked 23 May 2026
Manchester school admissions for parents
Manchester City Council centralises its timetable, primary and secondary application pages, school finder, appeal route and determined admissions scheme on one admissions hub. The clearest official source for September 2026 entry is the council timetable page, which also lists offer-response and appeal deadlines.
Primary September 2026 round
Primary Reception applications opened on 18 August 2025, closed on 15 January 2026 and offers were made on 16 April 2026. Manchester also says the deadline for accepting or refusing a primary offer is 30 April 2026.
Secondary September 2026 round
Secondary Year 7 applications opened on 1 July 2025, closed on 31 October 2025 and offers were made on 2 March 2026. The deadline for accepting or refusing a secondary offer is 16 March 2026.
Appeal deadlines
Manchester's timetable gives 15 May 2026 as the closing date for on-time primary appeals and 30 March 2026 for on-time secondary appeals.
Research before applying
Manchester links parents directly to a school finder and the determined admissions scheme alongside the application pages, making it easier to compare schools and then confirm the legal arrangements used for allocation.
Primary and secondary routes
The admissions hub separates primary and secondary routes but keeps them under one timetable. That gives parents one place to check the current round before applying or appealing.
Official Manchester links
In-depth guide · Checked May 2026
Manchester school admissions guide for parents
This guide summarises Manchester City Council's school admissions pages as available on 23 May 2026 for September 2026 entry. Always re-check the live Manchester pages and determined admissions scheme before applying.
Executive summary
Manchester City Council keeps its admissions timetable, primary and secondary application routes, school finder and appeals guidance in one place. The published September 2026 timetable is especially useful because it includes not just closing dates and offer days, but also response deadlines and appeal deadlines.
For September 2026 entry, primary Reception applications opened on 18 August 2025 and closed on 15 January 2026. Secondary Year 7 applications opened on 1 July 2025 and closed on 31 October 2025. Offer days were 16 April 2026 for primary and 2 March 2026 for secondary.
Key dates
| Stage | Primary | Secondary |
|---|---|---|
| Applications open | 18 August 2025 | 1 July 2025 |
| On-time closing date | 15 January 2026 | 31 October 2025 |
| Offer day | 16 April 2026 | 2 March 2026 |
| Accept or refuse place by | 30 April 2026 | 16 March 2026 |
| Appeal deadline | 15 May 2026 | 30 March 2026 |
What matters in Manchester
- Manchester's timetable page is the best single source for the current round because it combines application, offer-response and appeal dates.
- The admissions hub links directly to primary admissions, secondary admissions, the school finder and the determined admissions scheme, so parents can move from research to application without leaving the council site.
- The determined admissions scheme and school-finder links are worth checking before ranking schools, especially if demand is high or you are choosing between nearby options.