Which school has the best GCSE results in Manchester?

On 2025 Attainment 8, Stretford Grammar School tops the table in Manchester with 74.4, against an England average of 46.0. Attainment 8 rewards intake as well as teaching, so compare a school's grade 5+ pass rate and, where published, its Progress 8 before reading the rank as a verdict.

When are the 2026 GCSE results for Manchester schools published?

Pupils receive their results in August, but school-by-school figures come from the DfE performance tables, which publish provisional results in the autumn (usually mid-October) and revised figures early in the new year. This table shows 2025 results, the 2024/25 academic year, and updates when the next release is imported.

What is Attainment 8?

Attainment 8 is the DfE's headline GCSE measure: the average points a school's pupils achieved across eight qualifications, with English and maths counted twice. A score of 50 means pupils averaged roughly a grade 5 across those subjects. No Progress 8 exists for 2025 because these pupils sat no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020.

Why does a school in Manchester show no GCSE results?

A school has no published figure when it had no Year 11 cohort in the year (a new school, or one that opened with younger year groups), when it converted to an academy and the DfE published results under its previous identity, or when it is independent and its pupils sat IGCSE, Pre-U or IB qualifications that the DfE tables do not count. Independent schools with a published figure are listed separately and unranked for that reason.

Manchester GCSE results 2025: secondary school league table

59 state secondary schools in Manchester ranked on their 2025 GCSE results (Attainment 8, the 2024/25 academic year, the latest DfE has published for every school), with grade 5+ and grade 4+ in English and maths, EBacc average point score and cohort size for each school against the England average. 4 schools with no published results are listed at the end. 10 independent schools with published results are listed separately, unranked.

Town 63 state secondary schools 2024/25 results

Secondary schools in Manchester ranked on Attainment 8

59 of 63 schools have published 2025 results. Source: DfE school performance tables, 2024/25.

Secondary schools in Manchester ranked on Attainment 8, 2025 results
Rank	School	Attainment 8	Grade 5+ English & maths	Grade 4+ English & maths	EBacc APS	Pupils
–	England average	46.0	45%	65%	4.09	–
1	Stretford Grammar School Manchester · Foundation school	74.4	96%	100%	6.72	160
2	Urmston Grammar Academy Manchester · Academy converter	71.7	95%	99%	7.03	152
3	Eden Girls' Leadership Academy, Manchester Manchester · Free schools	58.2	64%	78%	5.55	129
4	Didsbury High School Manchester · Free schools	57.1	61%	80%	5.55	218
5	The King David High School Manchester · Academy converter	55.4	59%	77%	4.98	118
6	Chorlton High School Manchester · Academy converter	54.0	61%	79%	5.06	299
7	St Patrick's RC High School Manchester · Voluntary aided school	53.8	56%	79%	5.18	183
8	Eden Boys' Leadership Academy, Manchester Manchester · Free schools	53.1	67%	82%	5.09	131
9	Fairfield High School for Girls Manchester · Academy converter	52.6	58%	79%	4.84	196
10	Levenshulme High School Manchester · Academy sponsor led	52.5	53%	68%	5.08	207
11	Whalley Range 11-18 High School Manchester · Academy converter	52.1	47%	70%	4.91	260
12	William Hulme's Grammar School Manchester · Academy sponsor led	51.9	57%	78%	4.76	182
13	Laurus Ryecroft Manchester · Free schools	51.6	51%	74%	4.76	208
14	St Monica's RC High School Manchester · Academy sponsor led	50.4	55%	78%	4.24	222
15	Philips High School Manchester · Academy converter	50.3	55%	73%	4.68	172
16	Trinity CofE High School Manchester · Academy converter	50.0	54%	72%	4.17	256
17	The Barlow RC High School Manchester · Voluntary aided school	49.8	53%	73%	4.42	178
18=	Our Lady's RC High School Manchester · Voluntary aided school	49.1	46%	67%	4.33	207
18=	Wright Robinson College Manchester · Academy converter	49.1	47%	70%	4.42	357
20=	CHS South Manchester · Free schools	48.3	44%	71%	4.27	175
20=	Flixton Girls School Manchester · Academy converter	48.3	44%	72%	4.25	172
22	Parrs Wood High School Manchester · Academy converter	48.1	48%	70%	4.29	296
23	Droylsden Academy Manchester · Academy sponsor led	47.7	49%	70%	4.34	171
24=	Burnage Academy for Boys Manchester · Academy converter	46.6	46%	66%	3.99	175
24=	Dean Trust Ardwick Manchester · Academy sponsor led	46.6	37%	64%	4.21	271
24=	Loreto High School Chorlton Manchester · Voluntary aided school	46.6	48%	70%	4.08	149
27=	Manchester Enterprise Academy Central Manchester · Free schools	46.1	44%	70%	4.09	216
27=	Salford City Academy Manchester · Academy sponsor led	46.1	42%	67%	4.08	175
29	Wellacre Technology Academy Manchester · Academy converter	46.0	41%	65%	4.03	131
30	Fred Longworth High School Manchester · Academy converter	45.9	45%	65%	4.05	242
31	Ellesmere Park High School Manchester · Academy converter	45.8	43%	69%	3.73	147
32	Audenshaw School Manchester · Academy converter	45.5	50%	67%	3.82	221
33	Manchester Academy Manchester · Academy sponsor led	45.2	38%	57%	4.22	229
34	Co-op Academy Manchester Manchester · Academy sponsor led	44.9	37%	57%	3.79	324
35	The Lowry Academy Manchester · Academy sponsor led	44.7	44%	62%	4.03	172
36	Co-op Academy Swinton Manchester · Academy converter	44.6	31%	61%	3.85	200
37	Manchester Communication Academy Manchester · Academy sponsor led	44.5	36%	60%	3.97	262
38	Stretford High School Manchester · Foundation school	44.4	37%	63%	3.56	185
39=	St Ambrose Barlow RC High School Manchester · Voluntary aided school	44.2	38%	67%	3.84	205
39=	St Mary's Catholic High School Manchester · Voluntary aided school	44.2	38%	63%	3.68	253
41	St Anne's Church of England Academy Manchester · Academy sponsor led	44.1	29%	52%	3.47	154
42=	Lostock High School Manchester · Community school	43.7	40%	57%	3.94	113
42=	St Thomas More RC College Manchester · Voluntary aided school	43.7	41%	69%	3.78	150
44=	Co-op Academy Walkden Manchester · Academy converter	43.6	41%	61%	3.78	297
44=	Irlam and Cadishead Academy Manchester · Academy sponsor led	43.6	47%	63%	3.90	107
46	Co-op Academy Failsworth Manchester · Academy sponsor led	43.0	31%	58%	3.49	272
47=	Broadoak School Manchester · Academy converter	42.4	28%	49%	3.96	113
47=	Co-op Academy North Manchester Manchester · Academy sponsor led	42.4	36%	56%	3.60	237
47=	St Antony's Roman Catholic School Manchester · Academy sponsor led	42.4	34%	53%	3.57	134
50	The East Manchester Academy Manchester · Academy sponsor led	41.9	25%	46%	3.43	212
51	Moorside High School Manchester · Academy converter	41.8	46%	64%	3.49	198
52	Cardinal Langley Roman Catholic High School Manchester · Voluntary aided school	40.9	32%	61%	3.46	217
53	Dixons Middleton Academy Manchester · Academy converter	40.3	34%	55%	3.57	259
54	Abraham Moss Community School Manchester · Academy converter	39.7	32%	54%	3.61	259
55	Oasis Academy MediaCityUK Manchester · Academy sponsor led	38.7	27%	49%	3.40	206
56	St Matthew's RC High School Manchester · Academy sponsor led	37.8	26%	48%	3.06	278
57	Dixons Brooklands Academy Manchester · Academy sponsor led	36.1	19%	40%	3.23	201
58	The Heys School Manchester · Academy sponsor led	34.0	17%	33%	2.88	111
59	Saint Paul's Catholic High School Manchester · Academy converter	33.4	26%	47%	2.61	167
–	Co-op Academy Belle Vue Manchester · Free schools · No published GCSE results	–	–	–	–	–
–	Denton Community Academy Manchester · Academy sponsor led · No published GCSE results	–	–	–	–	–
–	Dixons Newall Green Academy Manchester · Free schools · No published GCSE results	–	–	–	–	–
–	Parrenthorn High School Manchester · Academy converter · No published GCSE results	–	–	–	–	–

Schools with the same Attainment 8 score share a rank (shown as "=").

Independent schools in Manchester with published GCSE results

Listed as published, not ranked. The DfE tables count only reformed GCSEs, so a school whose pupils sit IGCSE, Pre-U or the IB reports a lower figure than its results merit, or none at all. Compare independent schools on their own published examination results and inspection reports.

School	Attainment 8 (as published)	Grade 5+ English & maths	Pupils
Afifah School Manchester · Other independent school	52.2	48%	25
Ashlea House School Manchester · Other independent school	5.1	0%	8
Bridgewater School Manchester · Other independent school	38.0	0%	60
Greater Manchester Independent School Manchester · Other independent school	3.9	0%	10
Kassim Darwish Grammar School for Boys Manchester · Other independent school	62.2	82%	28
Manchester High School for Girls Manchester · Other independent school	73.7	93%	117
Manchester Islamic Grammar School for Girls Manchester · Other independent school	64.3	76%	50
Manchester Vocational and Learning Academy Manchester · Other independent school · 2023 results	0.3	0%	7
The Manchester Grammar School Manchester · Other independent school	42.9	0%	212
Withington Girls' School Manchester · Other independent school	48.8	0%	83

How to read this table

Attainment 8 is the average points a school's pupils achieved across eight GCSE subjects: English and maths (double-weighted), three EBacc subjects (sciences, computing, history, geography, languages) and three further approved qualifications. The DfE publishes it for every state school; the England average for 2025 was 46.0.

Grade 5+ in English and maths is the share of pupils reaching a "strong pass" in both; grade 4+ is the "standard pass". EBacc APS is the average point score across the English Baccalaureate subjects, including pupils who did not enter them.

Progress 8 is not shown: the DfE published no Progress 8 for 2025 because these pupils sat no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020, the baseline it is measured from, and the same applies to 2026. Attainment 8 rewards intake as well as teaching, so a selective school will usually top an attainment-only table.

Ranks are shared where scores tie. Schools are ranked here on published results alone; our composite score, which also weighs Ofsted inspection, progress and attendance, orders the same schools on the best secondary schools page.

See the best secondary schools in Manchester on our composite score

Manchester GCSE results 2025: secondary school league table

Secondary schools in Manchester ranked on Attainment 8

Independent schools in Manchester with published GCSE results

More about schools in Manchester

Manchester GCSE results: common questions