Most sought-after schools in Bury
Ordered by how many families put the school first, for each place it gave out.
This list is sorted by one number: first preferences per place. For each school it is the number of families who named it first, divided by the number of offers it made, in the newest year we hold. A higher number means more families wanted a place than there were places.
This is not a list of the best schools. It does not measure how good a school is, how happy the children are, or how well they do. It also does not tell you whether a child would get a place: that depends on where you live, the year, and the council's rules. It only shows how many people applied.
| # | School | First preferences per place | Newest intake | Latest Ofsted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Chantlers Primary School Bury, primary |
1.46 | 2025 | Not judged (Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)) |
| 2 |
The Elton High School Bury, secondary |
1.31 | 2025 | Expected standard (Ofsted report card (current framework)) |
| 3 |
Wesley Methodist Primary School Manchester, primary |
1.18 | 2025 | School remains Good (Ofsted ungraded inspection) |
| 4 |
Woodhey High School Bury, secondary |
1.17 | 2025 | Not judged (Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)) |
| 5 |
St Mary's Church of England Aided Primary School, Prestwich Manchester, primary |
1.13 | 2025 | Not judged (Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)) |
| 6 |
Unsworth Primary School Bury, primary |
1.12 | 2025 | School remains Good (Ofsted ungraded inspection) |
| 7 |
Greenhill Primary School Bury, primary |
1.10 | 2025 | School remains Good (Ofsted ungraded inspection) |
| 8 |
Emmanuel Holcombe Church of England Primary School Bury, primary |
1.07 | 2025 | Good (Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)) |
| 9 |
St Peter's Church of England Primary School Bury, primary |
1.07 | 2025 | Needs attention (Ofsted report card (current framework)) |
| 10 |
Higher Lane Primary School Manchester, primary |
1.03 | 2025 | Expected standard (Ofsted report card (current framework)) |
| 11 |
Holly Mount Roman Catholic Primary School, Bury Bury, primary |
1.00 | 2025 | Good (Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)) |
| 12 |
Manchester Mesivta School Prestwich, secondary |
1.00 | 2025 | Requires improvement (Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)) |
| 13 |
Mersey Drive Community Primary School Manchester, primary |
1.00 | 2025 | Good (Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)) |
| 14 |
Our Lady of Grace RC Primary School Manchester, primary |
1.00 | 2025 | School remains Good (Ofsted ungraded inspection) |
| 15 |
Peel Brow School Bury, primary |
1.00 | 2025 | Expected standard (Ofsted report card (current framework)) |
| 16 |
Springside Primary School Bury, primary |
1.00 | 2025 | Not judged (Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)) |
| 17 |
St Hilda's Church of England Primary School Manchester, primary |
1.00 | 2025 | Good (Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)) |
| 18 |
St John with St Mark CofE Primary School Bury, primary |
1.00 | 2025 | School remains Good (Ofsted ungraded inspection) |
| 19 |
St John's Church of England Primary School, Radcliffe Bury, primary |
1.00 | 2025 | Good (Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)) |
| 20 |
Tottington Primary School Bury, primary |
1.00 | 2025 | School remains Good (Ofsted ungraded inspection) |
| 21 |
Yesoiday Hatorah Girls Academy Manchester, primary |
1.00 | 2025 | Outstanding (Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)) |
| 22 |
Chapelfield Primary School Manchester, primary |
0.97 | 2025 | Good (Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)) |
| 23 |
East Ward Community Primary School Bury, primary |
0.97 | 2025 | Expected standard (Ofsted report card (current framework)) |
| 24 |
Gorsefield Primary School Manchester, primary |
0.97 | 2025 | School remains Good (Ofsted ungraded inspection) |
| 25 |
Sunny Bank Primary School Bury, primary |
0.97 | 2025 | Good (Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)) |
| 26 |
Radcliffe Hall Church of England Methodist Primary School Manchester, primary |
0.96 | 2025 | Good (Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)) |
| 27 |
St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, Ramsbottom Bury, primary |
0.95 | 2025 | Expected standard (Ofsted report card (current framework)) |
| 28 |
St Luke's CofE Primary School Bury, primary |
0.95 | 2025 | School remains Good (Ofsted ungraded inspection) |
| 29 |
Unsworth Academy Bury, secondary |
0.95 | 2025 | Improved significantly (Ofsted ungraded inspection) |
| 30 |
Christ Church CofE Primary School Bury, primary |
0.94 | 2025 | Good (Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)) |
| 31 |
St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Hawkshaw Bolton Road, Hawkshaw, Bury, primary |
0.92 | 2025 | Not judged (Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)) |
| 32 |
St Thomas Church of England Primary School Bury, primary |
0.92 | 2025 | Good (Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)) |
| 33 |
Elton Community Primary School Bury, primary |
0.90 | 2025 | School remains Good (Ofsted ungraded inspection) |
| 34 |
Bury Church of England High School Bury, secondary |
0.89 | 2025 | Expected standard (Ofsted report card (current framework)) |
| 35 |
St Margaret's Church of England Primary School Manchester, primary |
0.88 | 2025 | Standards maintained (Ofsted ungraded inspection) |
| 36 |
Bury and Whitefield Jewish Primary School Bury, primary |
0.86 | 2025 | Expected standard (Ofsted report card (current framework)) |
| 37 |
All Saints Church of England Primary School, Stand Manchester, primary |
0.85 | 2025 | School remains Good (Ofsted ungraded inspection) |
| 38 |
Hazel Wood High School Bury, secondary |
0.85 | 2025 | Good (Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)) |
| 39 |
St Gabriel's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy Bury, secondary |
0.85 | 2025 | Good (Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)) |
| 40 |
The Heys School Manchester, secondary |
0.85 | 2025 | Good (Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)) |
| 41 |
Hollins Grundy Primary School Bury, primary |
0.83 | 2025 | School remains Good (Ofsted ungraded inspection) |
| 42 |
Holy Trinity Primary School Bury, primary |
0.83 | 2025 | Good (Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)) |
| 43 |
St Monica's RC High School, a Voluntary Academy Manchester, secondary |
0.83 | 2025 | Not judged (Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)) |
| 44 |
Summerseat Methodist Primary School Bury, primary |
0.83 | 2025 | Good (Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)) |
| 45 |
St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, Radcliffe Manchester, primary |
0.82 | 2025 | School remains Good (Ofsted ungraded inspection) |
| 46 |
Radcliffe Primary School Manchester, primary |
0.71 | 2025 | Good (Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)) |
| 47 |
Lowercroft Primary School Bury, primary |
0.70 | 2025 | Standards maintained (Ofsted ungraded inspection) |
| 48 |
Tottington High School Bury, secondary |
0.65 | 2025 | Requires improvement (Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)) |
Figures from the Department for Education, applications and offers. 48 schools in Bury have a published per-place figure. Schools with too few places for the figure to mean anything are left off. All schools in Bury · How we compare schools.