Trafford Grammar Schools Guide 2026: All 7 Schools Explained

Trafford is home to seven grammar schools. Children must pass an entrance test to be considered for a place, and competition is intense: Trafford Council says all secondary schools in the Altrincham and Sale areas are significantly oversubscribed.

This guide covers every grammar school in Trafford for September 2027 entry: the five schools in the Trafford Consortium (AGSB, AGSG, Sale, Stretford and Urmston), and the two independent-test schools (Loreto Grammar and St Ambrose College), explaining the test formats, admissions timelines, number of places, oversubscription criteria, and what effective preparation looks like for each route.

Whether your child is in Year 4 or Year 5 and you are just beginning to explore options, or you are a Year 6 family trying to understand the dates for September 2027 entry, this guide gives you a comprehensive, factual starting point. For deeper coverage of the test format itself, see our companion guide to the Trafford 11+ format 2026, and for individual school guides covering AGSB, AGSG and Sale Grammar in detail, see the school-specific pages linked below.

What Are the Trafford Grammar Schools and How Do They Differ?

Trafford's seven grammar schools fall into two distinct groups, and understanding this distinction is essential before you begin the admissions process. The first group — the Trafford Grammar School Consortium — comprises five schools that share a common entrance test. A child registers once, sits the examination on a single day, and can have that result shared with any or all five schools, chosen at registration; the Common Application Form is a separate application to your local authority.

The five Consortium schools are:

1. Altrincham Grammar School for Boys (AGSB) — AGSB is an 11-18 wholly selective academy grammar school responsible for its own admissions, with 202 Year 7 places for September 2027 entry. In 2026, 100% of its pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and Maths at GCSE. In 2022, Ofsted judged the school Outstanding in all five of its inspection categories.

2. Altrincham Grammar School for Girls (AGSG) — Located on Cavendish Road, Bowdon, AGSG offers 204 Year 7 places for September 2027 entry, with a catchment area defined as an 8-mile radius from the school. AGSG is part of the Bright Futures Educational Trust.

3. Sale Grammar School — Located on Marsland Road, Sale, Sale Grammar offers 190 Year 7 places for September 2027 entry and is led by Headteacher Mrs R Smith. In the Class of 2026, 85% of A-Level grades were A*-B and 57% were A*-A, and the school admits both girls and boys. Ofsted inspected the school in June 2022 and judged it Outstanding across all areas.

4. Stretford Grammar School — A co-educational selective grammar school in Stretford, with an intended admission number of 160 for September 2027 and a qualifying score of 334.

5. Urmston Grammar School — A co-educational 11-18 selective academy, with admission normally at ages 11 and 16.

The second group consists of two Catholic selective schools that sit outside the Consortium:

6. Loreto Grammar School — A Catholic girls’ grammar school in Altrincham. Loreto uses its own entrance examination, held on Friday 18 September 2026 for September 2027 entry (the Consortium test was on 14 September 2026): closed GL tests in English and Verbal Reasoning plus a closed internal test in Mathematics, with results sent on or before 21 October 2026. As a Catholic school, its oversubscription criteria give priority to baptised Roman Catholic girls.

7. St Ambrose College — A Catholic boys’ grammar school in Hale Barns. Like Loreto, St Ambrose uses a separate entrance test, held on Friday 18 September 2026 for September 2027 entry, and has faith-based oversubscription criteria. Outcomes are sent to parents no later than 23 October 2026. The entrance exam consists of three tests: verbal reasoning, maths and English.

When Are the Key Trafford 11+ Deadlines for September 2027 Entry?

For children born between 1 September 2015 and 31 August 2016 — those in Year 6 during the 2026-27 academic year, who will start Year 7 in September 2027 — the Trafford Consortium admissions timeline for September 2027 entry is as follows:

Registration closed at 12 noon on Friday 19 June 2026, and the Consortium test was sat on Monday 14 September 2026. You only needed to register at one Consortium school, stating where your child would sit the test and which schools should receive the result; scores cannot be shared with other schools afterwards. Families who missed the 19 June 2026 registration deadline could not sit the 14 September 2026 test: Sale Grammar says late applications cannot be considered for testing and second round offers until 1 March 2027, National School Allocation Day.

Trafford Council’s application system opened on 1 September 2026, and its closing date for secondary applications is 31 October 2026; if you live outside Trafford, check the return date set by your own local authority. The Common Application Form (CAF) is submitted to your home local authority. Offers are made on 1 March 2027, and the council lists April 2027 for its review of the allocation of vacancies. On the CAF, you rank your preferred schools in order. Achieving a qualifying score in the Trafford test does not guarantee a place — it makes your child eligible for selective consideration, and places are then allocated according to each school’s oversubscription criteria. This is why it is important to understand the criteria for each school you list.

The Trafford Consortium Entrance Test: GL Assessment

For September 2027 entry the Trafford Grammar School Consortium used a bespoke test created by GL Assessment. It consisted of two papers, each approximately one hour in length, assessing three areas: verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, and mathematics.

Because the paper was bespoke to the Trafford Consortium, students sitting it did not sit the same examination at any other school. The test was multiple-choice, with answers marked on a separate answer sheet scored by computer.

Scores are age-standardised, so each child’s result takes account of their age. Qualifying scores are stated in each school’s own 2027 admission documents: Sale and Stretford give 334 as the qualifying score; AGSG gives 334 or above, with 324 to 333 also qualifying for looked-after children and applicants in receipt of Pupil Premium; and AGSB gives 334 and above, with 324 and above for some Pupil Premium categories. Each school applies its own oversubscription criteria to decide which children receive offers. Families receive the total standardised score before 31 October 2026, in time to complete the CAF.

The Consortium Test Changes Provider From 2028 Entry

The five consortium schools ran a tender under the Procurement Act 2023 and appointed Future Stories Community Enterprise (FSCE) as their admissions test provider for entry to Year 7 from September 2028. FSCE is a not-for-profit subsidiary of Reading School, and its papers already run in twelve grammar schools and consortia nationally, taken by more than 8,000 children a year.

Because this guide covers all seven Trafford grammar schools, it is worth being exact about who this affects. It applies to the five consortium schools only: Altrincham Grammar School for Boys, Altrincham Grammar School for Girls, Sale Grammar, Stretford Grammar and Urmston Grammar. Loreto Grammar School and St Ambrose College use a different test and are not part of the consortium, so nothing in this section changes anything for them.

For the five, two things move. The content changes with the September 2027 paper: it draws on the Key Stage 2 English and mathematics national curriculum up to the end of Year 5 rather than on verbal, non-verbal and mathematical reasoning. The date changes for entry from September 2029: the test moves to the latter part of the summer term of Year 5.

By year group, a child in Year 6 during 2026-27 sat the GL paper on 14 September 2026 for entry in 2027; a child in Year 5 sits the first FSCE paper in September 2027 for entry in 2028; a child in Year 4 sits an FSCE paper in the summer term of Year 5, in 2028, for entry in 2029.

Source: Trafford Grammar School Consortium statement, published on the Altrincham Grammar School for Boys website on 14 July 2026 and on the Sale Grammar School website.

How Many Places Are Available at Each Trafford Grammar School?

Trafford Council says all secondary schools in the Altrincham and Sale areas are significantly oversubscribed. The oversubscription criteria determine who is offered a place when there are more qualifying applicants than spaces.

Sale Grammar School’s 2027 policy prioritises: (1) looked-after and previously looked-after children; (2) up to 15 applicants who qualify for Pupil Premium; (3) applicants living in its priority admission area, defined by the M33 postcode plus Trafford residents within the M23, WA14 and WA15 postcodes; and (4) applicants from outside the priority area, ranked by score and then distance. The exact criteria differ between schools, so it is essential to read the admissions policy for each school you intend to list on the CAF.

Loreto Grammar and St Ambrose College: Separate Test, Separate Timeline

For families interested in Loreto Grammar School or St Ambrose College, the admissions process is entirely distinct from the Consortium. These two Catholic schools use their own entrance examination, scheduled on a different date. For September 2027 entry (children in Year 6 during 2026-27), the test was held on 18 September 2026, according to Trafford Council. Loreto sends results by email on or before 21 October 2026 and St Ambrose sends outcomes no later than 23 October 2026. Loreto’s 2027 policy says late applications cannot be considered for the 18 September 2026 test and that further testing will not occur until after national allocation day on 1 March 2027; St Ambrose’s timeline says late applications cannot be considered until following 1 March 2027.

Both schools have faith-based oversubscription criteria. Loreto’s 2027 policy requires Roman Catholic applicants to produce an original Baptismal Certificate at registration and puts baptised Roman Catholic girls ahead of baptised girls of other denominations and other girls; St Ambrose’s policy sets out its own Catholic priority criteria. Families who are not Catholic can still apply: Loreto’s categories include baptised girls of other denominations and other girls, and St Ambrose’s policy says its Catholic character does not affect the right of an applicant who is not Catholic to apply.

Both schools have Sixth Forms.

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How to Prepare for the Trafford 11+

The Consortium test for 2028 entry (taken in September 2027 by children in Year 5 in 2026-27) is provided by FSCE and draws on the Key Stage 2 English and mathematics national curriculum programmes of study up to the end of Year 5, rather than on verbal, non-verbal and mathematical reasoning. The three sections below describe the GL paper sat on 14 September 2026 for 2027 entry.

Verbal Reasoning (VR) in the GL paper: the questions could include word choice, knowledge of words and their meanings, how words relate to each other, and verbal reasoning comprehension. A rich vocabulary is the foundation: children who read widely and regularly from Year 4 onward develop word knowledge.

Non-Verbal Reasoning (NVR) in the GL paper sat on 14 September 2026: the questions could include relationships between shapes and sequences of shapes, identifying common features from a set of figures and applying them to a new figure, codes, and spatial awareness.

Mathematics in the GL paper sat on 14 September 2026 was multiple-choice, and generally covered content taught in schools up to the start of Year 6; the areas assessed typically included aspects of number, measurement, geometry and statistics. A solid grounding across all KS2 maths topics is the foundation for the Key Stage 2 maths content the FSCE test draws on.

Timing and starting point. For 2028 entry (Year 5 in 2026-27) the test is in September of Year 6, so starting in September 2026 gives roughly twelve months before the September 2027 test. For entry from 2029 (Year 4 in 2026-27) the test is in the latter part of the summer term of Year 5, so the window is shorter. Children in Year 4 in 2026-27 have until the latter part of the summer term of Year 5, in 2028, for the 2029-entry test; starting early is possible for children who show particular readiness, but it should be paced carefully to avoid fatigue. For 2028 entry, beginning in the spring or summer of 2027 is possible for children with strong underlying skills, but the window for addressing gaps before the September 2027 test becomes compressed. The most effective approach is a regular, manageable schedule — two to three sessions per week — rather than intensive cramming near the exam date.

School-Specific Guides

Each Trafford grammar school has its own admissions policy, oversubscription criteria, character, and catchment patterns. For families who want to understand a specific school in depth, we have published detailed individual guides:

Our complete AGSB 11+ guide covers the school’s 202-place intake, the priority admission area (WA13/WA14/WA15/M33/M23 within Trafford LA), the qualifying score threshold, the school’s distinctive ethos and sixth form, and how to prepare specifically for AGSB.

Our complete AGSG 11+ guide covers the school’s 204-place intake, the 8-mile catchment radius, and how the school differs in character from other Trafford grammars.

Our complete Sale Grammar 11+ guide covers Sale Grammar’s 190 places, the confirmed qualifying score of 334+, the school’s co-educational character, GCSE and A-Level results, Ofsted rating, and preparation strategy.

Choosing Between Trafford Grammar Schools

With five Consortium schools to choose from (plus Loreto and St Ambrose, which use a different test), a key question is how to decide which schools to list on the CAF, and in what order. There is no single right answer, but there are a few important principles to bear in mind.

First, the CAF is your application: Trafford Council says you must include all your preferred schools on it, and that if you only apply directly to a school your application will not be considered. Offers are made on 1 March 2027, and acceptance of an offer must reach your local authority by 15 March 2027. Second, order matters: the Sale Grammar School timeline says a school must be put in order of preference on your CAF, and the council works with other areas to make sure each child is only offered one place. Put your most preferred school first and work down to your acceptable alternatives.

The key factors that typically differentiate Trafford grammar schools for families are: single-sex versus co-educational (AGSB and AGSG are single-sex; Sale, Stretford and Urmston are mixed); geography and travel time; school ethos and extracurricular provision; and, for Catholic families, whether faith school criteria are relevant. Open evenings for September 2027 entry were held between 5 May 2026 and 2 July 2026, in the summer term of Year 5; visiting each school is a good way to assess cultural fit beyond exam statistics, so check each school’s website for the next dates.

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Reviewed October 2026: dates, figures and rules checked against Trafford Council's starting-secondary-school and grammar-school entrance-test pages, the Trafford Grammar School Consortium statement, and the 2027 admission documents of AGSB, AGSG, Sale Grammar, Stretford, Urmston, Loreto and St Ambrose.

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