How secondary school places are decided
Each school has a set number of places for the school year, starting in September. If too many people apply, the school uses its admission rules to decide who gets a place.
You should put at least three schools on your application – more if you like. If you put fewer, and you miss out, you could have little choice about where your child goes.
See what happens if you don't get the place you want.
See how secondary year 7 admission places were made for September 2025
Schools' admission rules
Some schools use the Council’s rules; all places at these schools are decided in the same way. Others use their own rules.
These secondary schools use the Council's rules:
- Abraham Moss Community School
- Burnage Academy for Boys
- Cedar Mount Academy
- Co-op Academy Belle Vue
- Co-op Academy Manchester
- Co-op Academy North Manchester
- Dixons Brookland Academy
- Dixons Newall Green Academy
- Manchester Academy
- Manchester Communication Academy
See a summary of Manchester City Council rules.
These schools use their own admission rules:
- Chorlton High School Admission Rules
- CHS South Admission Rules
- Dean Trust Ardwick admission rules
- Didsbury High School admission rules
- Eden Boys' School admission rules
- Eden Girls' School admission rules
- King David High School admission rules
- Levenshulme High School Admission Rules
- Loreto High School admission rules
- Manchester Enterprise Academy Admission Rules
- Manchester Enterprise Academy Central
- Newall Green High School admission rules
- Our Lady's RC High School admission rules
- Parrs Wood High School
- St Matthews RC High School admission rules
- St Paul's Catholic High School admission rules
- St Peter's RC High School admission rules
- The Barlow RC High School admission rules
- The East Manchester Academy admission rules
- Trinity Church of England High School admission rules
- William Hulme's Grammar School Academy admission rules
- Whalley Range High School
- Wright Robinson College admission rules