Schools, education and childcare Primary schools: Council's admission rules

Each Manchester school has a set number of places for the school year starting in September. If the school has more applications than places, it uses its admission rules to decide who gets a place.

Some schools use the Council's rules described here. But others use their own rules.

The Council's admission rules for primary schools from September 2023

If a school has more applications than places, we put children into one of the categories below. Places go to any ‘category 1’ applicants first, then to category 2 applicants, then category 3 and so on until there are no places left. 

If there are more applications than places at a school, we use the distance from the school in each category to decide.

The categories are:

  • Category 1
    Children who are, or who have been, looked after by a council.
  • Category 2
    Children with exceptional medical or social needs, or a disabled parent. See more about category 2.
  • Category 3
    Children with a brother or sister at the school. See more about category 3.
  • Category 4
    All other children, with those living closest getting priority. 
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