Best Grammar Schools in Trafford: GCSE and A Level Results Ranked

Ranked by average Attainment 8 score in the latest DfE key stage 4 performance tables, the best grammar schools in Trafford begin with Altrincham Grammar School for Girls on 80.6, followed by Altrincham Grammar School for Boys on 78.5, Saint Ambrose College on 76.2 and Sale Grammar School on 76.1. Seven schools are ranked on that single measure, which adds each pupil's grades across eight GCSE-level qualifications, with English and maths double-weighted, to a maximum of 90.

Five of the seven schools share one entrance test through the Trafford Grammar Schools Consortium, whilst Loreto Grammar School and Saint Ambrose College set their own examinations, so the ranking and the entry route are best read together. The table below also shows the percentage of pupils achieving grade 5 or above in English and maths, and the average A level grade where the DfE publishes one.

Which grammar schools in Trafford have the best GCSE results?

Figures run from 80.6 at Altrincham Grammar School for Girls down to 71.7 at Urmston Grammar Academy, and the Girls' school is the only one where 100 per cent of pupils reach grade 5 or above in English and maths. Altrincham Grammar School for Boys follows on 78.5 with 98.5 per cent, and Saint Ambrose College on 76.2 with 98 per cent. Those first two schools sit apart from the rest, whilst Saint Ambrose College (76.2) and Sale Grammar School (76.1) are almost level in third and fourth.

A second pairing appears further down, with Stretford Grammar School on 74.4 and Loreto Grammar School on 73.7, and Urmston Grammar Academy sits alone at the foot on 71.7. Single-sex schools hold three of the first four places: the girls' schools are ranked first (Altrincham Grammar School for Girls) and sixth (Loreto Grammar School), the boys' schools second (Altrincham Grammar School for Boys) and third (Saint Ambrose College). The three co-educational schools, Sale Grammar School, Stretford Grammar School and Urmston Grammar Academy, are ranked fourth, fifth and seventh.

A level grades mostly follow the GCSE order, running from A at Altrincham Grammar School for Girls to B at Stretford Grammar School and Urmston Grammar Academy. Sale Grammar School shares an A- with Altrincham Grammar School for Boys despite ranking fourth on Attainment 8, ahead of Saint Ambrose College and Loreto Grammar School on B+. The English and maths column also departs from the main order in one place, since Urmston Grammar Academy's 94.7 per cent is higher than Loreto Grammar School's 92.4 per cent even though Loreto ranks higher on Attainment 8.

How does entry to Trafford grammar schools work?

Five of Trafford's seven grammar schools, Altrincham Grammar School for Boys, Altrincham Grammar School for Girls, Sale Grammar School, Stretford Grammar School and Urmston Grammar Academy, belong to the Trafford Grammar Schools Consortium and share a single entrance test. A child registers once, and the standardised score can be sent to any combination of those five schools.

Loreto Grammar School and Saint Ambrose College sit outside the Consortium, set their own separate examinations and apply faith-based oversubscription criteria alongside academic selection. A family considering both routes therefore plans for the shared test and for each of these two schools' own papers.

11+ tutors

Hannah

Master Tutor

11+ PreparationCommon Entrance PreparationCreative WritingCritical Thinking

I am a UK-qualified teacher with 15+ years across private and state schools in the UK and abroad, and hold a BSc from LSE and a PGCE with QTS. I teach English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning, 11+ and Common Entrance preparation. My approach is personalised, confidence-building and rigorous.

Enquire about this tutor

Sochima

Master Tutor

11+ PreparationBiologyChemistryComputer Science

I'm a qualified teacher in a London classroom every day, with a BSc in Computer Science from Brunel and a PGCE with QTS. I teach Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Computer Science to A-Level, plus 11+ preparation, through project-based work that suits SEND learners well.

Enquire about this tutor

Robert

Master Tutor

11+ PreparationBiologyChemistryEconomics

I am a qualified teacher with over twenty years' experience in the UK, Gulf and New Zealand, holding an MA in History and PGCE. I teach English, History, Geography and French from KS2 to A-Level and IB, preparing 11+/13+ candidates. My approach is student-led, focused and diagnostic.

Enquire about this tutor

See all tutors

What does the Trafford Consortium entrance test cover?

The Consortium test is provided by GL Assessment and consists of two multiple-choice papers, each around an hour long, with a break between them. Together they assess verbal skills, non-verbal reasoning and mathematics, and there is no separate English or creative writing paper.

Non-verbal questions cover shape relationships, sequences and spatial reasoning, and the mathematics content generally reflects what is taught up to the start of Year 6. Raw scores are standardised for age before a qualifying mark is applied, and families state at registration which of the five schools should receive the result, since scores cannot be shared retrospectively once standardisation has taken place. The Consortium has also flagged that the provider changes to Future Stories Community Enterprise from the next cycle, so families usually check its published test details before preparing.

When do Trafford grammar school registrations close?

Registration for the entrance tests, the Common Application Form to Trafford or a family's home local authority, and the national offer day form one annual cycle that starts over a year before a child joins Year 7. Missing a registration deadline generally rules out sitting the test until after the national allocation day that follows, so the timing of registration matters as much as preparation.

What do the Trafford grammar school results show?

The ranking shows each school's average Attainment 8 score, the percentage of pupils at grade 5 or above in English and maths, and the average A level grade where published, all taken from the latest DfE performance tables. All seven schools select by academic test, and Loreto Grammar School and Saint Ambrose College also apply faith-based criteria, so the figures describe results among pupils admitted on those terms.

Near-equal scores, such as Saint Ambrose College on 76.2 and Sale Grammar School on 76.1, are usually better read as a similar position than as a meaningful gap. The table says nothing about pastoral care, travel distance, single-sex or mixed setting or the admissions rules that decide which schools a particular child can reach.

How the schools are ranked

The ranking covers every state grammar school in Trafford with a published Attainment 8 score in the Department for Education's key stage 4 performance data, ordered from highest to lowest, with schools on the same figure sharing a rank. Every school in the table selects by ability at eleven, so the figures reflect a selective intake as well as the teaching; Progress 8 was not calculated for this cohort.

The data is the Department for Education's own download from Compare school and college performance, so anyone can reproduce the order from the same file; the data year and source are listed in the key facts above.

Admissions guides for the ranked schools

• Altrincham Grammar School for Girls (ranked 1)
• Altrincham Grammar School for Boys (ranked 2)
• Saint Ambrose College (ranked 3)
• Sale Grammar School (ranked 4)
• Stretford Grammar School (ranked 5)
• Loreto Grammar School (ranked 6)
• Urmston Grammar Academy (ranked 7)

Related guides

• Trafford Grammar Schools
• Greater Manchester Grammar Schools
• Best grammar schools in the UK by GCSE results
• Grammar schools in England: the full directory
• The 11+ entrance exam explained

Preparing for the Trafford grammar school 11+ with Taylor Tuition

The Trafford grammar school 11+ rewards steady preparation over a year or so, with the last term given to timed practice and interview confidence. Having prepared pupils for entry to leading independent and grammar schools, with placements including Westminster, St Paul's, Wycombe Abbey and Eton, our tutors match the programme to the school's assessment format and to where the child is starting from.

Because the pool includes former heads of department, exam-board examiners and teachers from independent and boarding schools, and more than half of our tutors hold Qualified Teacher Status, families get a tutor who understands what the assessors are looking for. Every tutor who works with children holds an enhanced DBS check.

Families in Greater Manchester and further afield work with us online, and in person in central London. Fees start from £50 per 50-minute session and depend on tutor level and subject, with no registration fee and a free initial consultation to talk through your child's current level and the timeline to the 11+. Families receive progress reports after sessions and have a dedicated point of contact.

Read more about our 11+ entrance exam tutors, or send an enquiry and we will come back with tutor recommendations.