So if a school reduces its capacity, it instantly becomes more popular?

How depressing - I'm going through the process for my son now and see that the school I'm told I have the only chance of getting him a place in, is second from the bottom. So much for choice. When I rang for advice, Trafford Council asked me why I didn't want him to go there so I pointed out the appalling GCSE results - they're response was 'Sorry, but that's probably the school you'll get.'

Hardly surprising there are so many unpopular ones in Trafford as they have so many popular ones attracting the applications

Doesn't this show that grammar schools are popular and that maybe more councils should look at re-introducing them?

These don't have to be posh, snobbery fuelled establishments but could be places where the brightest can be pushed to their limits and less bright can be pushed to achieving their potential rather than adopting a one-size fits all approach.

Top level education shouldn't be for only those whose parents can afford it and maybe this would help us create more great scientists, engineers and other professions.

What drivel - confirms the customary mantra about damned lies and statistics.

In Bolton, Bolton Muslim Girls' is apparently the most popular school despite:

(a) being closed to roughly half the population by reason of their sex;
(b) having limited appeal to non-Muslim parents;
(c) having a much smaller intake than most secondary schools.

So, moral is - open a tiny school, and turn away more than you admit. By the MEN's criteria, you will become the most popular school in Greater Manchester.

Lostock College, Trafford, hasn't that just been saved form closure after a long campaign by parents?

I think any school with the word Oasis is going to put me off in any case, no matter how good it might be. I'm surprised it's in Oldham though and not Burnage

Is the a joke?

Is the Oasis Academy in Oldham called the Oasis for a very good reason? Oases only occur in deserts!

A school's capacity is set by the Local Authority which has a responsibility for managing the provision of places and the reduction of any over capacity - which may have financial implications for a particular school. Schools cannot therefore just reduce their capacity in order to appear more popular.

Well done m.e.n stigmatise schools on the basis of demand, useless like the school league tables another checklist introduced by politicians and that means nothing. Academy's introduced by Labour (and I am a labour Voter) are another waste of space dumbing down our kids and a worry for the future.
Do not leave academia up to Parents but our intelligencia they sould lead the way not politicians

Five of the schools in our Top 10 are highly-successful grammar schools from Trafford, one of the few local authorities which maintains a ­selection system for brighter pupils-
Talk about setting the "less bright kids " up to fail. I failed my 11+ because my maths wasnt up to standard ,however my English,History and geography classes I was always in the top 10%. How sad that the kids who excel at some things and not in others fail the 11+ and get sent to schools that are substandard across the board. Thank god my parents sent me to an out of area school (Lymm) so I could recive the decent education i deserved.

i was going to say "woot! my old school is second, the one i turned down is top", but then i read all the comments and realised everyone was moaning rather than taking any pride in theirs ;-) ... what about manchester grammar, i'm a bit surprised not to see that anywhere, or am i being a thicky?

Crikey, my old school-Stretford Grammar declining!

Having worked in schools in Manchester, Salford, Tameside and Cheshire I can tell you that the school itself is secondary to the drive of the individual pupil and the attitude of his or her teachers. A bright pupil will often be granted more opportunities in a low achieving school

local_lass, michelle doran - cheers, but isn't william hulme a private school like mgs? it was when i went for entrance exams etc. many moons ago, or has it joined the state sector? from the story it says "William Hulme Grammar School – a prestigious private school which dropped its fees three years ago – is the most popular school in Greater Manchester" - does it mean dropped as in reduced, or dropped as in no longer is a fee-charging private school?
cheers for any clarifications!

"The MEN today gives families a helping hand by revealing the level of demand for places at each of the state secondary schools in Greater Manchester."

Really? A week after secondary school options had to be submitted? Good old MEN.

I'm assuming this info was received under the freedom of information act but I know parents are told that their preferences will be kept private.

craig price (26/10/2010 at 17:45)

"Talk about setting the "less bright kids " up to fail. I failed my 11+ because my maths wasnt up to standard ,however my English,History and geography classes I was always in the top 10%. How sad that the kids who excel at some things and not in others fail the 11+ and get sent to schools that are substandard across the board."

The same thing happened to me; but I persevered and I now have an Honours Degree in Education and a Masters in English. However, it shouldn't mask the fact that I was sold short by the system. The same system the ConDems are hoping to re-introduce now.

Mad Welsh Scotsman, Cadishead (26/10/2010 at 12:36)

"I think any school with the word Oasis is going to put me off in any case, no matter how good it might be. I'm surprised it's in Oldham though and not Burnage"

I think you'll find that it's not the only 'Oasis Academy', they are dotted around the country.

Good luck to the young man. He'll need it when his parent doesn't even know when to use their rather than they're (isn't the apostrophe a clue?).

proud to have lived within 5minutes of 3 in the bottom 10,least popular schools! haaa.. where has education ever got anybody anywhere anyway?! i aznt turned owt fick,innit.

How are the mighty fallen. I used, quite a few years ago, to teach at what was then regarded as the premier comprehensive in the city. It was always oversubscribed. I can remember instances of parents refusing to send their children to any school unless they were granted a place at this one..
Now it doesn't even fill its quota with first choice applications.
It's amazing what an inefficient administration, a poor Ofsted report and a period in special measures will do to the opinions of parents

Droylsden Academy isn't even built yet! Yes it changed it's name, but at present it's split over two former schools which is probably the reason for the low intake last year. My niece was in the first year to graduate since it changed it's name and got 8 A*, an A and a B. Several of her friends got A* grades. I wouldn't look too much into this story!

These are very dodgy statistics. OK, William Hilmes is an excellent school and I'm not surprised it tops the list. Near the top is a dreadful school which is presumably popular because the ones nearby are even worse. That's Manchester schools for you.

Popularity & Quality.

When will we ever learn to differentiate between the two?

The most reliable indicator of a child's educational outcomes is its mother's level of education and not the school attended. No-one's really sure why, but it's reasonable to talk about early-years mental stimulation and likely level of family wealth, which would both be affected by that. I have worked for many years in 'tough' inner-London comprehensives that always seemed to find themselves labelled 'failing' through ever-changing government floor targets, though never by Ofsted, and can tell you that when choosing a school, you're better off visiting and getting a feel for how relationships and expectations are established rather than looking exclusively at reductionist league tables.