Leading Sixth Form College in the heart of Manchester
Discover Abbey College Manchester, a leading Independent Sixth Form College.
Empowering students through personalised learning, small classes, and a supportive environment; fostering independence and confidence in the vibrant heart of Manchester.
Take a look at our flexible inovative A Level and GCSE courses available for September 2025.
Achieving success together
Abbey College Manchester is a thriving, successful independent college located in the heart of Manchester city centre. High-quality teaching is delivered in a small, supportive classroom environment.
- We offer a small, friendly, welcoming community
- British and International students integrate and learn together
- Our college environment fosters independence in our students and prepares them for success at univeristy and beyond
- We provide a pathway to world-class universities with bespoke 1:1 UCAS support
- We are experts at preparing students for challenging courses such as medicine
Our March 2023 School Inspection rated us Excellent in all areas. Read the full report here.
“Pupils demonstrate excellent attitudes to learning through their enthusiastic and cooperative approach to lessons. They are highly motivated and work together very successfully. Pupils are supported in their learning by the excellent relationship with their teachers which creates an atmosphere conducive to learning.”
Independent School Inspection March 2023
Open Morning – 6th June
We are inviting families to attend our forthcoming Open Morning on Friday 6th June. This event provides families with an opportunity to viist the college on a normal day during term time, have a tour of the college, meet staff & students and visit live lessons. For further information, please click here.
Our courses
Two year A-levels
A wide range of A-Level courses covering science, mathematics, arts, humanities and business are available. Normally students will take three A-Level subjects across the 2 year programme, although in exceptional cases it is possible for four subjects to be studied.
If you have studied the first year of A-Levels at a different school and wish to join us for the second year, we will give our best advice about how to go about this. Sometimes you might need to transfer examination boards. This is usually a straightforward task and we can advise you further on this matter. The college has experience in successfully enabling students’ transition into the upper sixth year.
2 Year A-Level entry requirements.
Check a list of A-Level courses here
One year A-levels retake
Around 25 students enrol on the One Year Intensive Retake A Levels programme each year. It is suitable for students who have already taken their A Level before but wish to retake to improve their grades to gain access onto competitive degree courses.
Please note that for this forthcoming academic year there will be some differences to the programme due to the disruption to the exams this summer.
For all students wishing to undertake the One Year Intensive Retake A Levels programme they must contact the college to discuss the subject options available.
One year A-Level retake entry requirements.
Combined Studies Programme
Our Combined Studies Programme provides an alternative for students to the traditional A-Level route. It leads directly into a university degree or a degree with foundation year at selected universities.
It can be undertaken over one or two years, and comprises two optional subject strands, each worth 37.5% of the overall score, and a compulsory key skills strand worth 25%. Alongside subject content, the breadth and structure of the course develops language, knowledge, ICT and learning skills, which are essential skills for degree level study.
The programme is modular and examinations are taken in December, March and June with one re-sit opportunity in the June series. This allows students to build up their score and have a good idea of the level they are achieving as the course progresses.
Can I transfer to Abbey College Manchester at the end of Year 12?
We would be very happy to talk to you about what courses would be suitable for you to study at the college and accept students at a number of different entry levels. Different exam boards may mean that it is not possible for you to continue seamlessly, but we can discuss your options here.
I'm not predicted the GCSE grades to go to my planned Sixth Form, will you accept me?
We do have lower entry requirements than some of the local sixth forms, but you do need to have shown aptitude in the subjects you wish to follow. We offer a range of courses at level 3 equivalent and would be happy to discuss with you the courses we would offer to help you get to your university of choice.
I’m not sure if A-levels are the right qualification, do you offer other qualifications to help me get to a good university?
Yes, we offer a programme called Combined Studies programme and it is a good alternative to A-Levels and recognised by some very good universities.
Why Join Abbey College Manchester?
- A small, friendly, welcoming community. Small class sizes and small tutorial groups enable highly individualised learning. More than a third of our students are local, and there is full integration with our international students who are represented in 40 different nationalities.
- Innovative, flexible and inclusive courses. Study on our One Year GCSE Programme or Two Year A level Programme. Our Combined Studies Programme offers different pathways and is accepted by universities as an alternative to A level. The International Foundation Programme offers various options for international students coming from overseas or who are already studying in the UK.
- A pathway to world-class northern universities. 45% Russell Group destinations for A level and the Foundation Programme students, including Universities of Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield, Nottingham and many more.
- Specialist UCAS support is given and success in gaining entry to top-class universities – 87% students progress to their first-choice destination for highly competitive degrees including medicine, dentistry, veterinary science, pharmacy, engineering, law, economics & art.
How do I apply to join the College?
We aim to make our admissions process as straightforward for you. Our Admissions Team follows each application through from initial enquiry to your very first day at College and are on hand to answer any of your questions.
We accept application throughout the year, but to ensure good subject availability, we recommend applying as soon as possible during the academic year.
The Admissions Journey
Enquiry –> Tour –> Application –> Interview –> Offer
You can access our online application form here
What does it cost to attend Abbey College Manchester?
Abbey College Manchester is a fee paying college and all our students pay tuition fees to attend.
Details of our course fees can be found here
