Primary schools2 · best KS2 results first
Moss Cottage · Photo: Richard Sutcliffe · CC BY-SA 2.0A+School Grade
Schools in Bowdon · DfE, Ofsted
Bowdon’s state schools get better results than almost every town in England
At Key Stage 2, 83% of pupils at Bowdon’s primaries met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, above both Greater Manchester’s towns (63%) and towns in England (62%). 4 state-funded schools are located in Bowdon’s built-up area. Bowdon grades A+ for schools, on Department for Education Key Stage 2 and GCSE results: #1 of 81 in Greater Manchester. Ofsted is shown, not graded.
State schools
4
2 primary, 2 secondary
Reading, writing & maths
83%
meet the expected standard at 11 · 2023–25
England’s schools: 62%
Attainment 8
78.4
GCSE average across 8 subjects · 2025/26
England’s schools: 47.3
Grade 5+ English & maths
99%
a strong pass in both · 2025/26
England’s schools: 47%
Town figures are pupil-weighted across the schools the grade uses; England’s are the average school.
What stands out about Bowdon’s schools
bothsecondaries beat England’s average GCSE score; both primaries beat its KS2 average2grammar schools in Bowdon, selecting by the 11-plus
Strong at both ages
Bowdon’s secondary results beat 100% of English towns; its primary results beat 100%. 83% of the town’s 11-year-olds meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, against 62% at the average school in England and 71% across Trafford. Every school’s result ↓
Grammar schools in town
Altrincham Grammar School for Boys and Altrincham Grammar School for Girls admit pupils by a test at 11. Their results count in Bowdon’s School Grade, as they are state schools many local children attend. After 16 ↓
Written from the Department for Education and Ofsted data on this page.
School Grade
Bowdon grades A+ for schools
Against every town in England with results; Wales publishes none.
Primary: reading, writing and maths at 11 (83% meet the standard)Better than 100% of towns in England
Secondary: Attainment 8 and grade 5+ English and maths (78.4 and 99%)Better than 100% of towns in England
The primary figure: 2 primaries in the town, 460 pupils in results over three years. The secondary figure: 2 secondaries in the town, 405 pupils in results. Mainstream state schools only (grammar schools included); special schools, alternative provision, nurseries and 16–19 colleges are listed below but not graded. Each school’s results are compared with every school in England, then weighted by its pupils.
Map
Where Bowdon’s 4 state schools are
Each school at its address, coloured by its own letter and sized by pupils. Open a school for its own page. The dashed shape is Bowdon’s built-up area.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
PrimarySecondary (named)Special, nursery, 16–19Size: pupilsABCDNo letter
Most schools give places by distance once siblings are in, so the schools nearest a home matter more than any league table. The 2 secondaries are named.
Getting a place
How school places work in Bowdon
Trafford Council handles applications for every state school in Bowdon, academies included. You apply to the council where you live, even for a school in another area.
Secondary (starting at 11)Apply by 31 October of Year 6. Offers on 1 March.
Primary (starting in Reception)Apply by 15 January before the September your child starts. Offers on 16 April.
Moving mid-yearApply to the council for an in-year place; it tells you which schools have room.
When a school is full
Every school publishes its admissions rules. Children in care come first, then, at most schools, brothers and sisters of current pupils, then those who live nearest. 1 of Bowdon’s 4 mainstream schools have a religious character; some of them give priority by church attendance, so check each school’s rules. Infant classes are limited to 30 by law. If you’re refused a place, you can appeal to an independent panel.
Useful: Apply for a primary place (GOV.UK) · Apply for a secondary place (GOV.UK) · How admissions criteria work
How full each school is
Pupils on roll as a share of the school’s official capacity. The black tick is 100%; 2 schools are at or over it.
Altrincham Grammar School for Boys116%
Altrincham Grammar School for Girls101%
Bowdon99%
Bollin incl. nursery88%
DfE register of schools (GIAS), January 2026 census. Capacity often excludes a nursery class, so a school with a nursery can show over 100%.
The schools
4 state schools in Bowdon
Each school’s own letter compares its results with every state school in England of the same phase: Key Stage 2 for primaries, GCSEs for secondaries. Open a school for its results, how its letter is worked out, Ofsted and a map.
Letters of Bowdon’s schoolsA 4B 0C 0D 0
Secondary schools2 · best GCSE results first
Village schools near Bowdon1 · outside any built-up area; Bowdon is the nearest town
Key result: Attainment 8 and grade 5+ English and maths (GCSEs, 2025/26 provisional) for secondaries; the share meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (KS2, DfE’s three-year average) for primaries. Pupils: the January 2026 school census. No letter: an infant or first school (no KS2 tests), a new school, a small cohort DfE suppresses, or a special school, nursery or college. Independent schools aren’t included.
Ofsted
Ofsted inspections
Each school’s latest inspection; report cards replace one-word judgements as schools are re-inspected.
Outstanding 3Good 1
Ofsted stopped giving one-word judgements in 2024. Until a school is re-inspected, its last overall judgement is its most recent single grade; a school judged years ago may have changed a lot since.
Since November 2025 Ofsted gives each area of a school one of five grades (exceptional, strong standard, expected standard, needs attention, urgent improvement) and says whether safeguarding is met, instead of one overall word. 0 of Bowdon’s 4 state schools have a report card so far; the others show their last inspection under the old framework. Ofsted is never part of the School Grade.
Who runs them
3 academy trusts and the council
Academies are state schools run by a trust rather than the council: the trust employs the staff and can set its own curriculum and term dates. Admissions still go through the council.
| Run by | Schools | Pupils | Their letters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamblin Education TrustAltrincham Grammar School for Boys | 1 | 1,432 | A+ |
| Bright Futures Educational TrustAltrincham Grammar School for Girls | 1 | 1,381 | A+ |
| Inspiring Learners Multi Academy TrustBollin | 1 | 368 | A |
| Trafford CouncilBowdon | 1 | 622 | A+ |
After 16
Where Bowdon’s teenagers go at 16
In England young people stay in education or training until 18: a sixth form, a college, or an apprenticeship.
Every state secondary in Bowdon has its own sixth form. The nearest college is The Trafford and Stockport College Group, a further-education college 2.3 miles away.
Secondaries with a sixth form
2 of 2
state schools in Bowdon
Colleges within 12 miles
4
nearest: The Trafford and Stockport College Group
Grammar schools in Trafford
7
selective state secondaries
| College | Distance |
|---|---|
| The Trafford and Stockport College GroupFurther-education college · WA14 5PQ | 2.3 mi |
| Loreto CollegeFurther-education college · M15 5PB | 7.6 mi |
| Xaverian CollegeFurther-education college · M14 5RB | 8 mi |
| Salford City CollegeFurther-education college · M6 7FR | 8.7 mi |
Towns its size
1st of 567 English towns of 4,000 to 8,000
Ranked by School Grade, best first: the towns either side of Bowdon, and the top and bottom of the group.
| # | Town | Schools | KS2 | Attainment 8 | Grade 5+ E&M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bowdon Greater Manchester | A+ | 83% | 78.4 | 99% |
| 2 | Gnosall Staffordshire | A+ | 83% | — | — |
| 3 | Little Chalfont Buckinghamshire | A+ | 82% | 67 | 86% |
| 4 | Hildenborough Kent | A+ | 76% | 62.5 | 73% |
| 5 | Histon and Impington Cambridgeshire | A+ | 87% | 58.3 | 63% |
| … | |||||
| 567 | Amble Northumberland | D− | 35% | 32.7 | 16% |
Neighbours
Bowdon and the places around it
Coloured by School Grade.
HaleAltrinchamSaleHigh LeghPartingtonWythenshaweMobberleyBowdon
| Town | Schools | KS2 | Att. 8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowdon 4 schools | A+ | 83% | 78.4 |
| Hale 4 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 1.4 mi | A+ | 75% | 55.5 |
| Altrincham 17 schools · 1.8 mi | A+ | 75% | 56.3 |
| Sale 23 schools · 3.5 mi | A+ | 74% | 58.6 |
| High Legh 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 3.9 mi | A+ | 76% | 58.5 |
| Partington 4 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 4.1 mi | C+ | 59% | 44.3 |
| Wythenshawe 35 schools · 4.2 mi | D | 56% | 36.8 |
| Mobberley 0 schools · uses schools within 3 km · 4.4 mi | A+ | 72% | — |
Bowdon’s schools are graded at least as well as any neighbour’s. Small places often use the schools within 3 km, so neighbours can share schools.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Expected standard at Key Stage 2. The share of 11-year-olds who reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths together, in tests and teacher assessment at the end of primary school. We use DfE’s three-year average (2023–2025) to steady small schools.
- Higher standard. The share working at greater depth in all three. In Bowdon: 30% (England’s average school: 8%).
- Attainment 8. A pupil’s GCSE grades across eight subjects, with English and maths counted twice, added up. 50 is roughly a grade 5 in every subject.
- Grade 5+ in English and maths. A strong pass in both. Grade 4 is a standard pass.
- Provisional. 2025/26 GCSE figures are DfE’s first release; revised figures follow in February, usually within a point.
- Progress 8. Not shown: there is none for 2025/26, because these pupils sat no KS2 tests in 2020 (Covid).
- Free school meals. Pupils eligible for free school meals now, from the January census: the usual measure of how many pupils come from low-income homes.
- Independent schools. Not included: they publish no results comparable with state schools’.
Questions about schools in Bowdon
Are schools in Bowdon good?
Bowdon’s state schools earn an A+ against schools across England: primary results beat 100% of towns in England; secondary results beat 100% of towns in England, on Department for Education Key Stage 2 and GCSE results. School places are handled by Trafford council.
What is the best secondary school in Bowdon?
On 2025/26 GCSE results, Altrincham Grammar School for Boys: Attainment 8 of 79.1 and 100% with grade 5+ in English and maths, against 47.3 at the average school in England. Results are one measure; distance decides most places.
What is the best primary school in Bowdon?
On Key Stage 2 results over 2023–25, Bowdon CofE Primary School: 84% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, against 62% at the average school in England.
Do Bowdon secondary schools have sixth forms?
Yes, all 2 do.
How do I apply for a school place in Bowdon?
Through Trafford Council, for every state school including academies. Secondary applications close on 31 October (offers 1 March); primary on 15 January (offers 16 April).
How many schools in Bowdon are full?
2 of 4 mainstream schools have at least as many pupils as places, on DfE’s January 2026 census. A full school still admits by its rules, usually distance after siblings.
How many state schools are in Bowdon?
4 open state-funded schools are located in Bowdon’s built-up area: 2 primary, 2 secondary and 0 other (special schools, alternative provision, nurseries and 16–19). Independent schools aren’t included.
Sources: DfE Get Information about Schools (16 October 2026), Key Stage 2 performance tables (2023–2025, three-year average) and Key Stage 4 (2025/26, provisional); Ofsted state-funded school inspections as at 30 September 2026 · DfE Get Information about Schools (16 October 2026), further-education and sixth-form colleges · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.