For families across the Greater Manchester area, there are so many academically competitive secondary schools to consider that it’s hard to know where to start.
The government’s updated performance figures for state-funded secondary schools are out now, after initially facing delays. Using this data, we’ve created a league table ranking the top state secondary schools across Greater Manchester’s local authority areas - from Bolton to Wigan - for the 2023/24 school year.
We’ve based this on their latest Progress 8 scores; a unique figure based on GCSE results and other student achievements, which helps to determine how quickly students at any particular school are learning and progressing compared to peers from similar primary schools nationwide. Any score above 0 is positive, while any above 0.5 is considered ‘well above average’ - the highest band available.
We’ve included only Greater Manchester schools with truly exceptional Progress 8 scores of 0.7 and above. Many also rank among the highest-performing state secondary schools in the North West, and some even earned places in the overall rankings for England.
To further narrow it down, we’ve also made sure that all schools included on the list also had an overall Ofsted rating of ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ before this measure was recently dropped, or, if they’ve been inspected more recently, had passing marks across the board. This means that the quality of education provided, student behaviour and attitudes, school leadership and management, and student safeguarding all met or exceeded government standards last time the school was inspected.
Here were the 16 state secondary schools that made the grade:
1. Altrincham Grammar School for Boys
At the top of the list - and one of the highest-performing state secondary schools nationwide - is this selective boys’ secondary academy and sixth form in Altrincham, in the Trafford borough. It was formerly rated ‘outstanding’ overall by Ofsted. In the 2023/24 academic year, it had an exceptional Progress 8 score of 1.32, placing it in the ‘well above average’ band - the highest available. | Google
2. Eden Boys' Leadership Academy, Manchester
Eden is an Islamic boys’ secondary academy and sixth form in the Cheetham Hill area, Manchester. It was formerly rated ‘good’ overall by Ofsted. In the 2023/24 school year, it had an incredible Progress 8 score of 1.2 - placing it too in the ‘well above average’ band. | Google
3. Loreto Grammar School
Loreto is a selective Catholic girls’ secondary academy and sixth form in Altrincham, Trafford. It was formerly rated ‘outstanding’ overall by Ofsted. In the 2023/24 academic year, it had a high Progress 8 score of 1.07 - considered ‘well above average’. | Google
4. Saint Ambrose College
Saint Ambrose is a selective Catholic boys’ secondary academy and sixth form in Hale Barns, Trafford. It was formerly rated ‘good’ overall by Ofsted. In the 2023/24 academic year, it had a high Progress 8 score of 1.04 - once again ‘well above average’. | Google