Manchester independent schools league table 2025
Fee-paying schools, scored only where they publish results in the performance tables. Ranked by the Success Index (England) from official English data; 8 schools in Manchester, North West. Rank positions shown on each profile are within England and North West.
- Primary Schools in Manchester
- Secondary Schools in Manchester
- State Schools in Manchester
- Academies & Free Schools in Manchester
- Grammar Schools in Manchester
- Girls' Schools in Manchester
- Secondary Schools by Attainment 8 in Manchester
- Primary Schools by KS2 Results in Manchester
- Sixth Forms by A Level Results in Manchester
- Largest Schools in Manchester
- 197Manchester High School for GirlsManchester · Independent All-through73.7 Attainment 8 · 913 students
- 294Manchester Islamic Grammar School for GirlsManchester · Independent Secondary64.3 Attainment 8 · 264 students
- 394Kassim Darwish Grammar School for BoysManchester · Independent Secondary62.2 Attainment 8 · 145 students
- 456Withington Girls' SchoolManchester · Independent All-through48.8 Attainment 8 · 733 students
- 541The Manchester Grammar SchoolManchester · Independent All-through42.9 Attainment 8 · 1,642 students
- 636Chetham's School of MusicManchester · Independent All-through42.5 Attainment 8 · 331 students
- 722St Bede's CollegeWhalley Range · Independent All-through30.3 Attainment 8 · 681 students
- 86Abbey College ManchesterOff King Street · Independent Secondary5.4 Attainment 8 · 155 students
| # | School | Sector | Success Index (England) | Key result | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester High School for Girls Manchester · All-through · Ages 3–18 | Independent | 97.1 Top 5% | 73.7 Attainment 8 | 913 |
| 2 | Manchester Islamic Grammar School for Girls Manchester · Secondary · Ages 11–16 | Independent | 94.2 Top 5% | 64.3 Attainment 8 | 264 |
| 3 | Kassim Darwish Grammar School for Boys Manchester · Secondary · Ages 11–16 | Independent | 94.0 Top 5% | 62.2 Attainment 8 | 145 |
| 4 | Withington Girls' School Manchester · All-through · Ages 7–19 | Independent | 55.9 Top 50% | 48.8 Attainment 8 | 733 |
| 5 | The Manchester Grammar School Manchester · All-through · Ages 7–18 | Independent | 41.1 Lower 50% | 42.9 Attainment 8 | 1,642 |
| 6 | Chetham's School of Music Manchester · All-through · Ages 8–19 | Independent | 35.8 Lower 50% | 42.5 Attainment 8 | 331 |
| 7 | St Bede's College Whalley Range · All-through · Ages 3–19 | Independent | 21.8 Lower 50% | 30.3 Attainment 8 | 681 |
| 8 | Abbey College Manchester Off King Street · Secondary · Ages 14–23 | Independent | 6.2 Lower 50% | 5.4 Attainment 8 | 155 |
Manchester High School for Girls in Manchester leads the 2025 list of independent schools in Manchester with a Success Index (England) of 97.1. Of the 8 schools shown, 8 are independent.
For the full picture see the wider North West independent schools league table, every school on the Manchester page, or the comparison tool to put a shortlist side by side.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the best independent school in Manchester?
Manchester High School for Girls in Manchester, North West ranks first among independent schools in Manchester with a Success Index (England) of 97.1 out of 100 (Pupils on roll: 913).
How are independent schools in Manchester ranked?
Each school's Success Index (England) combines 9 factors: ks2: reading, writing & maths expected standard (35%), ks2: higher standard (20%), ks2: reading progress (10%), ks2: maths progress (10%), progress 8 (20%), attainment 8 (30%), grade 5+ in english & maths (15%), a level points per entry (10%), community advantage (fewer pupils on free school meals) (15%). Each factor is a percentile against schools of the same type across England. Schools with fewer than 60 students are excluded from rankings.
Are these 2025 rankings official?
No. They are computed by Success Tutoring from official English data (DfE – Get Information About Schools; DfE – Compare school and college performance). Independent schools rarely appear in the performance tables, so most receive no attainment components and no score.