What are the best private schools in Manchester?

Based on Ofsted ratings and exam results, the top-ranked private schools in Manchester include Abbey College Manchester, Chetham's School of Music, and Manchester High School for Girls. Rankings are updated regularly using the latest data from the Department for Education.

How many Ofsted Outstanding private schools are in Manchester?

Manchester has 34 private schools rated Outstanding by Ofsted. A further 119 are rated Good, meaning 91% of inspected schools hold a Good or Outstanding rating.

How are private schools in Manchester ranked on Eduscope?

Schools are ranked using a composite score that combines Ofsted or ISI inspection ratings, Key Stage exam results, pupil progress measures, and other performance indicators published by the Department for Education. The score is recalculated regularly as new data becomes available.

What is the average class size in Manchester private schools?

The average pupil-teacher ratio across private schools in Manchester is 19:1. While this is not a direct measure of class size, it indicates the level of teaching resource available per pupil.

How much do private schools in Manchester cost?

Fees for private schools in Manchester vary by school and age group. Day school fees typically range from £10,000 to £20,000 per year, while boarding fees can exceed £30,000. Individual school pages on Eduscope include fee information where available.

Best Private Schools in Manchester

20 private schools found

Key Facts

In Manchester, 19 independent schools (4.5% of total) cater to 5,750 pupils, with 14.8% having special educational needs.
Manchester's private schools have 76.9% rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted, with a breakdown of 1 Outstanding, 9 Good, 3 Requires Improvement out of 13 inspected.
The 19 private schools in Manchester have an average Attainment 8 score of 48.74, compared to the national average of 46.10, and 25.5% of pupils achieve grade 5+ in English and maths.
Pupils in Manchester's independent schools outperform the national average, with 0.0% eligible for free school meals and an average Attainment 8 score significantly higher than the national 46.10.

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Independent

Abbey College Manchester

M2 4WG

Independent · Primary · Ages 14–23

KS2 Expected–

Absence–

Pupils155

P/T Ratio–

Chetham's School of Music

M3 1SB

Independent · Primary · Ages 8–19

KS2 Expected–

Absence–

Pupils331

P/T Ratio–

Manchester High School for Girls

Manchester, M14 6HS

Independent · Primary · Ages 3–18 · Girls

KS2 Expected–

Absence–

Pupils913

P/T Ratio–

Oakbrook School

Manchester, M22 4JN

Independent · Primary · Ages 7–16

St Bede's College

M16 8HX

Independent · Primary · Ages 3–19

KS2 Expected–

Absence–

Pupils681

P/T Ratio–

The Manchester Grammar School

Manchester, M13 0XT

Independent · Primary · Ages 7–18 · Boys

KS2 Expected–

Absence–

Pupils1,642

P/T Ratio–

Withington Girls' School

Manchester, M14 6BL

Independent · Primary · Ages 7–19 · Girls

KS2 Expected–

Absence–

Pupils733

P/T Ratio–

IncludEd Learning

Manchester, M16 8ER

Independent · Primary · Ages 11–16

KS2 Expected–

Absence–

Pupils16

P/T Ratio–

Manchester Jewish School for Special Education

Manchester, M7 4QY

Independent · Primary · Ages 4–25

KS2 Expected–

Absence–

Pupils16

P/T Ratio–

Manchester Vocational and Learning Academy

Manchester, M19 2EQ

Independent · Primary · Ages 11–16

KS2 Expected–

Absence–

Pupils35

P/T Ratio–

Music Stuff

Manchester, M11 2NA

Independent · Primary · Ages 11–16

KS2 Expected–

Absence–

Pupils71

P/T Ratio–

Sol Christian Academy

M12 6EL

Independent · Primary · Ages 2–18

KS2 Expected–

Absence–

Pupils34

P/T Ratio–

The Greens ENS

Greater Manchester, M40 1NZ

Independent · Primary · Ages 5–14

KS2 Expected–

Absence–

Pupils26

P/T Ratio–

Manchester Islamic Grammar School for Girls

Manchester, M20 2PQ

Independent · Primary · Ages 11–16 · Girls

KS2 Expected–

Absence–

Pupils264

P/T Ratio–

Harpurhey Alternative Provision School

Manchester, M9 5US

Independent · Primary · Ages 11–16

KS2 Expected–

Absence–

Pupils22

P/T Ratio–

Progress Schools - Gorton

M12 5PX

Independent · Primary · Ages 11–16

KS2 Expected–

Absence–

Pupils15

P/T Ratio–

The Watkin Centre

Manchester, M23 9TT

Independent · Primary · Ages 11–16

KS2 Expected–

Absence–

Pupils47

P/T Ratio–

Manchester Muslim Preparatory School

Manchester, M20 2PQ

Independent · Primary · Ages 3–11

KS2 Expected–

Absence–

Pupils175

P/T Ratio–

Moor Allerton Preparatory School

Manchester, M20 2PW

Independent · Primary · Ages 2–11

KS2 Expected–

Absence–

Pupils206

P/T Ratio–

Kassim Darwish Grammar School for Boys

Manchester, M16 8NH

Independent · Primary · Ages 11–16 · Boys

KS2 Expected–

Absence–

Pupils145

P/T Ratio–

Frequently Asked Questions

There are 20 private schools in Manchester, including state-funded, academies, and independent schools.

Area Benchmarks

Metric	Manchester	England
School QualityGood or Outstanding (Ofsted)	77%	90%
Primary ResultsKS2 Expected Standard	57%	61%
Secondary ResultsProgress 8	+0.14	+0.00
Attainment 8	48.7	46.1
AttendancePersistent Absence	20%	20%
ResourcesPupil-Teacher Ratio	19.1:1	18.1:1
Spending per Pupil	£8,774	£7,460

About This Data

•School information is sourced from Get Information About Schools (GIAS), the official UK government register maintained by the Department for Education.
•Inspection ratings are from Ofsted (state schools) and ISI (independent schools).
•Performance data includes Key Stage 2, GCSE, and A-Level results from the Department for Education.

Get Information About Schools Ofsted

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Best Private Schools in Manchester

Key Facts

Abbey College Manchester

Chetham's School of Music

Manchester High School for Girls

Oakbrook School

St Bede's College

The Manchester Grammar School

Withington Girls' School

IncludEd Learning

Manchester Jewish School for Special Education

Manchester Vocational and Learning Academy

Music Stuff

Sol Christian Academy

The Greens ENS

Manchester Islamic Grammar School for Girls

Harpurhey Alternative Provision School

Progress Schools - Gorton

The Watkin Centre

Manchester Muslim Preparatory School

Moor Allerton Preparatory School

Kassim Darwish Grammar School for Boys

Frequently Asked Questions

How many private schools are in Manchester?

What are the best private schools in Manchester?

How many Ofsted Outstanding private schools are in Manchester?

How are private schools in Manchester ranked on Eduscope?

What is the average class size in Manchester private schools?

How much do private schools in Manchester cost?

Area Benchmarks

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