The 11 Best Schools in Greater Manchester (2026)

Greater Manchester has a rich mix of top schools, and an unusual one. It has a small cluster of free state grammar schools, mostly in Trafford, alongside some of the strongest independent schools in the North of England. The catch for parents is that the two run on completely different entrance systems and timelines. Below are our eleven best schools in Greater Manchester, blending the free grammars and the fee-paying independents, ranked on results, reputation and inspection. For each one you will find who it is for, the entrance exam it sets, how places are decided, and why it earns its place. We never run a school down, and the "best" school is always the one that fits your child.

How we ranked them

There is no single official ranking that mixes grammar and independent schools, so we used a transparent blend of three things: the most recent published exam results (2024 and 2025 GCSE and A-level grades where schools have shared them), reputation and selectivity, and the latest inspection outcome. The state grammars are inspected by Ofsted and the independents by the ISI, so we weighed those separately rather than against each other.

Two honest caveats. First, every school here is excellent, so the order separates outstanding from outstanding, and any would be a superb choice. Second, results, fees and admissions change every year, and since 2024 Ofsted no longer gives state schools a single overall grade, so where we say "Outstanding" we mean the rating from each school's last graded inspection. Treat the detail as a 2025/2026 snapshot and always confirm the latest on each school's own website. Pip is not affiliated with any school or exam board.

How 11+ entry in Greater Manchester works

This is the part that catches families out, because Greater Manchester runs three separate selective routes, not one.

First, the Trafford Consortium: five state grammars, Altrincham Boys, Altrincham Girls, Sale, Stretford and Urmston, share a single GL Assessment test covering verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and maths, with no English paper. It is sat in September of Year 6, and one registration covers all five. Places are then decided largely by catchment and distance after the qualifying score, so where you live matters as much as the mark. Our full Trafford 11+ guide walks through the format and timeline, and the Trafford catchment pages show each school's area.

Second, the Catholic grammars, Loreto and St Ambrose College, are also free state grammars but run their own tests, separate from the consortium, using GL verbal reasoning alongside their own English and maths papers, with faith criteria shaping admission. Third, the independents, from Manchester Grammar School to Bolton School, each set their own entrance exam, usually in January, a term before the Trafford test. There is no shared independent consortium, so a family can realistically sit the January independent exams and the September Trafford test in the same year.

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1The Manchester Grammar School

• Who it's forBoys' independent, day (co-ed sixth form) · Fallowfield, Manchester (M13)
• Entrance examOwn autumn assessment day plus a January exam in English and maths
• FeesFee-paying (around £16,000 a year), with a large bursary programme
• Results & inspectionAround 88% of GCSEs at grade 9-7 and ~73% of A-levels at A*/A (2025), with 32 Oxbridge offers; ISI standards met

Founded in 1515, MGS is the academic powerhouse of the North West and the largest independent boys' day school in the country. The "Grammar" in its name is historic: it is fee-paying, though its long-standing bursary heritage supports many free and assisted places. Entry is its own autumn assessment day plus a January exam in English and maths, a full term ahead of the Trafford grammars, so many families prepare for both.

2Withington Girls' School

• Who it's forGirls' independent, day · Fallowfield, Manchester (M14)
• Entrance examOwn January exam in English, maths and verbal reasoning, then interview
• FeesFee-paying, with bursaries and scholarships
• Results & inspectionConsistently the top independent school in the North; strong Russell Group and Oxbridge record; ISI standards met (2025)

Founded in 1890 by Manchester families who wanted their daughters to have the same chances as their sons, Withington is small, intensely academic and consistently the highest-achieving independent school in the North of England. Entry is its own January paper in English, maths and verbal reasoning, followed by an interview for shortlisted girls.

3Altrincham Grammar School for Boys

• Who it's forBoys' grammar, free · Altrincham (WA14)
• Entrance examTrafford Consortium 11+: verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and maths
• AdmissionsCatchment and distance after the qualifying score
• Results & OfstedAround 82% of GCSEs at grade 9-7 and strong A-levels (2025); rated Outstanding at its last graded inspection

AGSB is the leading boys' state grammar in Greater Manchester and one of the most oversubscribed grammars in the country, with strong STEM and sport. It admits through the Trafford Consortium test, one sitting that covers all five consortium grammars, with places then decided by catchment and distance, so a high score and a local address both count.

4Altrincham Grammar School for Girls

• Who it's forGirls' grammar, free · Bowdon, Altrincham (WA14)
• Entrance examTrafford Consortium 11+: verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and maths
• AdmissionsCatchment, with priority for a straight-line radius around the school
• Results & OfstedAmong the top state girls' schools in the North West; rated Outstanding at its last graded inspection

AGGS is one of the strongest state girls' schools in the North West and the lead school of a large academy trust, with a high-achieving sixth form. It sits the same Trafford Consortium test as AGSB, but as a catchment-priority school, distance matters as much as the mark, so families plan around its admission area.

5Manchester High School for Girls

• Who it's forGirls' independent, day · Whalley Range, Manchester (M14)
• Entrance examThe school's own Year 7 entrance assessment
• FeesFee-paying (around £15,000 a year), with bursaries
• Results & inspectionAround 77% of GCSEs at grade 7+ and ~57% of A-levels at A*/A (2025); ISI standards met

Founded in 1874, Manchester High is one of England's oldest girls' schools and pairs strong results with a well-known "learning, innovation, compassion and wellbeing" ethos. It sets its own January-cycle entrance assessment, an independent alternative or fallback to AGGS and Loreto for academically able girls in south Manchester.

6Loreto Grammar School

• Who it's forGirls' Catholic grammar, free · Altrincham (WA14)
• Entrance examIts own test (GL verbal reasoning plus the school's own English and maths), not the consortium
• AdmissionsFaith and distance criteria; heavily oversubscribed (~700 applicants for 150 places)
• Results & OfstedA leading Catholic grammar with a strong, values-led record; rated Outstanding at its last graded inspection

Loreto is one of the top Catholic state grammars in the country, with a Loreto heritage and a strong reputation for pastoral care. Crucially it runs its own test, separate from the Trafford Consortium, so a girl can sit both Loreto and the consortium, though Catholic faith criteria shape who is offered a place.

7Sale Grammar School

• Who it's forCo-educational grammar, free · Sale (M33)
• Entrance examTrafford Consortium 11+: verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and maths
• AdmissionsCatchment and distance after the qualifying score
• Results & OfstedAround 74% of GCSEs at grade 9-7 and strong A-levels (2025); rated Outstanding at its last graded inspection

Sale is the strongest co-educational state grammar in Trafford, the go-to for families who want mixed-sex selective education rather than single-sex Altrincham. It uses the same Trafford Consortium test, with places decided by catchment and distance after the score.

8Stockport Grammar School

• Who it's forCo-educational independent, day · Stockport (SK2)
• Entrance examThe school's own entrance exam
• FeesFee-paying (around £15,500 a year), with scholarships and bursaries
• Results & inspectionWell above national averages at GCSE and A-level; ISI standards met (2023)

Founded in 1487, Stockport Grammar is one of the oldest schools in England and, despite the "Grammar" name, fee-paying. It is a leading co-educational independent for south Manchester, Stockport and Cheshire families, set on a 30-acre site, and admits through its own entrance exam with no catchment.

9Cheadle Hulme School

• Who it's forCo-educational independent, day · Cheadle Hulme, Stockport (SK8)
• Entrance examThe school's own entrance exam
• FeesFee-paying (around £17,700 a year), with bursaries
• Results & inspectionAround 67% of GCSEs at grade 9-7 (2024), well above average; ISI met all standards (2024)

Founded in 1855, Cheadle Hulme is a large and well-regarded co-educational independent with a strong all-round (academic and co-curricular) reputation and modern facilities. Entry is its own January-cycle exam, a popular alternative to Stockport Grammar and a common fallback for Trafford grammar applicants.

10Bolton School

• Who it's forIndependent, day, with separate Boys' and Girls' Divisions on one campus · Bolton (BL1)
• Entrance examThe school's own entrance exam
• FeesFee-paying (around £14,300 a year), with one of the region's largest bursary schemes
• Results & inspectionStrong, above-average GCSE and A-level results; ISI standards met (Girls' Division rated excellent, 2023)

Bolton School runs separate Boys' and Girls' Divisions on a shared 32-acre campus, the "diamond" model, endowed by Lord Leverhulme with one of the largest bursary schemes in the North West. It serves the north of the conurbation, where there are no state grammars, and admits through its own entrance exam.

11Bury Grammar School

• Who it's forCo-educational independent, day · Bury (BL9)
• Entrance examThe school's own entrance exam
• FeesFee-paying (around £14,000 a year), with bursaries and scholarships
• Results & inspectionAround 54% of GCSEs at grade 9-7 and 40% of A-levels at A*/A (2025), well above average; ISI-inspected

Like Manchester Grammar and Stockport, Bury Grammar's name is historic: it is fee-paying, founded in 1570, and the leading academic independent for the Bury area on a large estate. Entry is its own exam, with no catchment, making it the selective route on the north side of the conurbation.

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