Admissions explained
Before applying for a school, please look at the admissions policy of the school you want your child to go to. Admissions policies for Manchester schools can be found at www.manchester.gov.uk/admissions or on your preferred school’s website.
There is no guarantee that we will be able to offer a place at one of your preferred schools. If we can’t, we will make you an alternative offer for the closest community school or academy (excluding William Hulme’s Grammar School Academy).
If you want a school in another local authority, check the admissions policy for that school on the appropriate local authority (LA) website.
Equal preference
Manchester operates an equal-preference system. This means all your preferences are looked at equally, whether you place them first, second or lower. Putting a school first does not improve your chances of getting a place. If a school has more applications than places, then the school’s oversubscription criteria is used to decide who gets a place.
The oversubscription criteria are part of a school’s admission policy. If we can offer your child more than one school, we will offer the school that was your higher preference.
We will decide who gets places at the schools and academies which follow Manchester City Council’s admission arrangements in accordance with the oversubscription criteria see out in the school’s policy.
Voluntary-aided schools, some academies, free schools and schools in other local authority areas will tell us who is to be allocated places in their schools in accordance with their own oversubscription criteria. You will still need to apply to Manchester LA for these schools.
Waiting lists
Manchester has a waiting list for each community school and academy that is oversubscribed. Waiting lists are kept in order of the school’s over subscription criteria and if a place becomes available the next child on the list will be offered that place.
Voluntary-aided schools, some academies and some free schools apply their own oversubscription criteria to children on their waiting lists. Where there are spaces, the LA will make an offer on behalf of the school.
A child’s position on a waiting list can move up or down as children get offers at other schools or move address. The waiting lists will be held to the end of the autumn term, when your child’s details will be removed from the waiting list. If you still require a place at your preferred school, you will need to reapply.