School offer day is a nerve-wracking time for many parents as they wait to find out if their child got a place at one of their preferred schools.

Applications require families to list their chosen schools in order of preference. This can be between three and five schools, depending on which council area they live in. 

Many factors go into this, such as distance from home, the perceived quality of the education and if they have siblings already studying there. However, competition for places can be high, and not every youngster will receive an offer to attend one of their selected schools.

Greater Manchester families with kids starting primary education in September found out last week whether their applications were successful. If they are unhappy with the school they have been offered, parents can appeal the decision.

Some areas of the region performed better when it comes to the percentage of children who secured a place at their first-choice school.

Tameside council came in top for this statistic, saying more than 95pc of primary-school starters set to attend their preferred setting in September. The authority added 98pc were offered either their first or second choice.

Manchester city came in at a close second place, with 95pc of families getting their first choice. However, this is a drop from 97pc in 2025. 99pc secured one of their top three options, in line with last year's statistics.

Next up was Trafford council, with 94.5pc getting their first choice and 99pc getting one of their preferred three schools.

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Stockport came in fourth place, with 93pc of families offered choice one, and 98.7 getting a top-three setting.

In Oldham, 92pc of kids will be attending their preferred location, while 98.2 secured one of their three favourites. A council spokesperson said the result reflected their 'commitment to meeting families' needs and supporting residents through the admissions process'.

Bury council followed with 91pc and 98pc. Meanwhile, some 89.13pc of kids in Rochdale received their first choice, and 97.25pc one of their top three.

Wigan is the area where children were least likely to receive their preferred school at 88.8pc. Some 97.3 were offered a top three place.

Bolton council did not give a complete breakdown of their figures, but said 97pc of kids in their area will attend one of their three preferences. Salford did not respond to our request.

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