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Use our free interactive tool to check whether any Manchester property falls within primary or secondary school catchment zones across Manchester City, Salford, Trafford, Stockport, and the wider Greater Manchester region.
Free interactive map — enter any Manchester postcode or address and see exactly which school catchment areas it falls within.
Greater Manchester is divided into 10 local authorities — Manchester City Council, Salford, Trafford, Stockport, Tameside, Oldham, Rochdale, Bury, Bolton, and Wigan — each running their own school admissions process. Most state primary and secondary schools across Greater Manchester use straight-line distance as the primary tiebreaker when schools are oversubscribed.
Because our tool is built around straight-line radius measurement, it is well suited to the majority of Greater Manchester schools. You simply enter the school's location and the catchment distance published in that council's admissions booklet to see an accurate boundary on the map.
Each of the 10 Greater Manchester councils publishes a "last distance offered" or "furthest distance admitted" figure for oversubscribed schools in their annual admissions documentation. Search for "[council name] school admissions booklet [year]" on the council website. For academies and free schools, contact the school or trust directly as they administer their own admissions.
Click "Open Free Tool" above. Works in any browser — no app download needed.
Click "Add School" and search by school name or postcode. The map locates it automatically.
Add the radius in metres from your local council's admissions data. Add multiple years to track how catchment has changed.
Enter any Manchester postcode in the "Check Address" box to instantly see if it falls within catchment.
Our tool is used by parents across all of Greater Manchester:
Uses straight-line distance — the same method used by Manchester, Trafford, Salford and other Greater Manchester councils.
Track whether a school's catchment has shrunk or grown over recent years — vital intelligence for borderline properties.
Plot up to 5 Greater Manchester schools at once and visualise overlapping catchment zones side by side.
Generate a link to share your catchment map with a partner, solicitor, or estate agent without any registration.
The majority of schools across Manchester City, Trafford, Salford, Stockport, and the other Greater Manchester boroughs use straight-line distance as their tiebreaker. Always confirm with the specific school or council as a small number use walking route distance instead.
Look for the "last distance offered" figure in your council's annual schools admissions booklet. It is published each September/October for the following admissions round. You can also ring the council admissions team or the school directly.
Catchment distances in popular areas of Manchester — particularly Didsbury, Chorlton, and parts of Trafford — have tended to shrink in recent years as demand has increased. Using our historical comparison feature lets you see the trend for any specific school.
Yes. The tool works for any UK school. Simply search for the school and enter the catchment radius from that council's admissions data.
No. Catchment is a strong indicator but not a guarantee. Children with EHC plans naming the school, looked-after children, and siblings are typically admitted first. Catchment distance is applied to remaining places.
Our free tool works for all UK schools. We also have dedicated guides for other major cities:
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