Data study
UK Areas With the Most Outstanding-Rated Schools (2026)
Updated 29 May 2026
London has the most Ofsted Outstanding schools by a wide margin, with 602 across 2,335 inspected schools. Manchester is a distant second with 161 Outstanding schools, then Birmingham with 150 and Liverpool with 142. This ranking counts the raw number of Outstanding-rated schools by town, so the biggest cities naturally dominate the list.
Top 15 UK areas by number of Ofsted Outstanding-rated schools (2026)
| Rank | Area | Outstanding schools | Schools analysed | % Good or Outstanding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | London | 602 | 2,335 | 73.0% |
| 2 | Manchester | 161 | 767 | 61.5% |
| 3 | Birmingham | 150 | 948 | 55.2% |
| 4 | Liverpool | 142 | 650 | 69.8% |
| 5 | Newcastle upon Tyne | 111 | 551 | 66.6% |
| 6 | Sheffield | 92 | 797 | 53.2% |
| 7 | Nottingham | 73 | 432 | 60.9% |
| 8 | Leeds | 69 | 470 | 60.2% |
| 9 | Bristol | 63 | 312 | 59.6% |
| 10 | Leicester | 60 | 356 | 59.0% |
| 11 | Chester | 59 | 305 | 69.8% |
| 12 | Bradford | 59 | 390 | 56.2% |
| 13 | Bournemouth | 56 | 233 | 65.2% |
| 14 | Reading | 53 | 297 | 66.0% |
| 15 | Milton Keynes | 42 | 215 | 66.5% |
Where the most top-rated schools cluster
Counted by raw number of Outstanding grades, London dominates with 602 Outstanding schools, almost four times the total of any other area. Manchester (161), Birmingham (150), Liverpool (142) and Newcastle upon Tyne (111) round out the top five.
This is a different question from our percentage ranking. A large city can hold hundreds of Outstanding schools while still sitting mid-table on share, because it also has many schools rated Good, Requires improvement or Inadequate. Birmingham is a good example: 150 Outstanding schools, third nationally, yet 55.2% Good or Outstanding overall.
Count versus share: which should buyers use?
If you want the widest choice of top-rated schools within commuting distance, the raw count is the more useful figure, and the major cities lead it. If you care about the odds that your nearest school is well rated wherever you land, the percentage measure matters more.
Two areas appear strongly on both lists. Liverpool combines 142 Outstanding schools with a 69.8% Good or Outstanding share, and Chester pairs 59 Outstanding schools with the same 69.8% share, suggesting depth and consistency rather than a few standout schools propping up an otherwise average area.
Methodology
Ofsted inspection grades were sourced from the Department for Education's Get Information about Schools (GIAS) register. Each school was assigned to a town or city by its postcode outcode, matched against the outcode list defining each area in our dataset.
We then counted schools holding a current Outstanding grade in each area and ranked by that count. The schools analysed column shows the total number of inspected schools (those with any published Ofsted grade) used as the denominator for the percentage. Schools without a published grade were excluded.
From area to address
A high Outstanding count tells you an area has many top schools, but not whether the home you are buying is near one. A free HomeBuyerCheck report lists the nearest schools to any specific address with their Ofsted ratings, so you can see exactly which schools you would be buying next to, alongside flood, crime and coal mining checks.
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Frequently asked questions
Which UK area has the most Outstanding schools?
London, with 602 Ofsted Outstanding-rated schools across 2,335 inspected schools. That is far more than any other area: Manchester is second with 161 and Birmingham third with 150.
Why does this ranking differ from the percentage one?
This list counts the raw number of Outstanding schools, so large cities rise to the top simply because they contain more schools. Our separate percentage ranking measures the share of schools that are Good or Outstanding, which favours smaller, consistently strong towns such as Cheltenham.
Where were the school ratings sourced from?
From the Department for Education's Get Information about Schools (GIAS) register, which publishes each school's latest Ofsted grade. We assigned schools to areas by postcode outcode and counted Outstanding grades per area.
Which areas score well on both count and consistency?
Liverpool and Chester stand out. Liverpool has 142 Outstanding schools at a 69.8% Good or Outstanding share, and Chester has 59 Outstanding schools at the same 69.8% share, combining depth with consistency.
How can I see the Outstanding schools near a property?
Run a free HomeBuyerCheck report for the address. It shows the nearest schools and their Ofsted ratings for that exact location, plus flood risk, crime and whether the property is in a coal mining reporting area.
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