Trafford / Trafford 11+
Dunham Road, Altrincham, WA14 4AH
Loreto Grammar School
1
A selective girls grammar school in Altrincham, Cheshire, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,072 pupils on roll.
At a glance
At a glance
A selective girls grammar school in Altrincham, Cheshire, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,072 pupils on roll. Families looking at Altrincham, Cheshire will usually see Loreto Grammar School as a selective option for girls aged 11-18, with sixth form continuing the academic journey on the same site. Current published roll and admissions data point to around 1,072 pupils on roll and 150 Year 7 places. The school also has a Roman Catholic character, which can matter for families thinking about ethos as well as academic fit.
For parents thinking about the 11+, the admissions picture is one of the clearest differentiators here. The current route includes GL Assessment, with 150 places available in Year 7 and demand that currently looks moderate by grammar-school standards. Catchment or distance rules still matter at allocation stage, so this is the kind of school where families need to read the admissions policy carefully rather than rely on headline scores alone.
On current official measures, the school offers a clear academic profile for parents to weigh up. The latest published Ofsted judgement is Outstanding. Recent official performance measures show Progress 8 at 1.06 and Attainment 8 at 76.3. 97.5% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths in the latest stored GCSE figures. In the sixth form, 33.6% of entries were awarded AAB or better at A level. Destinations data also suggest strong progression after sixth form, with 80% moving into higher education.
The wider offer currently includes Drama. For many parents, the presence of a sixth form is part of the attraction, because it gives able pupils the option to stay in a familiar academic setting through to A level. Loreto Grammar School is likely to appeal most to families who want strong academic expectations but also need the practical details, culture, and selective route to line up sensibly.
Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Trafford and England.
Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Trafford and England.
Latest 2024/25 Year 11 destination mix compared with Trafford and England.
Applicants must pass the Governors' Entrance Examination. Oversubscription priority is mainly Catholic-category led, with Pupil Premium, exam rank and distance used within categories.
Local Pastoral Area residence can affect priority for associated Catholic primary school applicants. Within oversubscribed categories, Pupil Premium is considered before exam marks, then distance.
EHCP naming the school
Admitted where the child has passed the Governors' Entrance Examination and the plan names the school.
Baptised Roman Catholic looked-after girls
Includes previously looked-after and international previously looked-after girls.
Baptised Roman Catholic girls with sisters at the school
Applies where the sister is at the school at the time of admission.
Baptised Roman Catholic girls from associated primary schools and local pastoral areas
Priority for associated primary school and nominated Local Pastoral Area applicants.
Other Baptised Roman Catholic girls
Remaining Baptised Roman Catholic applicants.
Other looked-after and previously looked-after girls
Looked-after priority outside the Roman Catholic category.
The 2027 examination has GL English and verbal reasoning tests plus an internal mathematics test.
This school uses the shared Trafford consortium route. The consortium page brings together the common test format, key dates and official papers used across that route.
Open Trafford guidePaper 1
English, VR, Maths
Governors' Entrance Examination
Closed GL tests in English and verbal reasoning plus a closed internal mathematics test.
English, Maths and Verbal reasoning are included in the published format.
Non-verbal reasoning, Science and Creative writing are not listed in the current published format.
English
Maths
Verbal reasoning
Closed GL tests in English and verbal reasoning plus a closed internal mathematics test.
Non-verbal reasoning
Science
Creative writing
Registration closes
26 June 2026
Baptism/access evidence deadline
10 July 2026
Governors' Entrance Examination
18 September 2026
Results issued
21 October 2026
National offer day
1 March 2027
Waiting list closes
31 December 2027
Read the admissions policy
Check the 2027 policy for Catholic, sibling, pastoral-area and tie-break rules.
Open policyRegister for the entrance examination
Complete the registration process by the published June deadline and provide baptism/access-arrangement evidence by the policy deadline if relevant.
Sit the Governors' Entrance Examination
Candidates sit the Loreto examination in September 2026.
Submit the CAF
Apply through the home local authority CAF for the March 2027 allocation.
Latest official destinations data currently covers 2022/23 study leavers.
Recent trend
This follows the school's published overall GCSE score across the subjects pupils take. Higher is better.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 76.3 | 74.2 | 49.4 |
| 2022/23 | 74.4 | 71.8 | 47.0 |
| 2023/24 | 76.3 | 72.1 | 46.7 |
| 2024/25 | 73.7 | 72.3 | 46.8 |
Recent trend
This follows the published average A-level result for the school's sixth form. Higher is better.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | A- average (46.0 points) | 44.0 points | 37.5 points |
| 2022/23 | B+ average (42.6 points) | 40.5 points | 33.7 points |
| 2023/24 | A- average (46.1 points) | 41.3 points | 34.5 points |
| 2024/25 | B+ average (43.6 points) | 41.8 points | 35.0 points |
Recent trend
This follows the share of pupils moving into a sustained destination after Year 11, such as education, apprenticeships, or employment.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 98% | 99.1% | 94.1% |
| 2022/23 | 98% | 98.9% | 93.9% |
| 2023/24 | 99% | 99.0% | 93.3% |
| 2024/25 | 99% | 97.8% | 91.4% |
Latest year breakdown
| In education | 99% |
|---|---|
| In apprenticeships | 1% |
| In employment | 0% |
Latest inspection: 29 September 2022
Local rivals first, then nearby alternatives that still fit the same shortlist-building context.
Same Trafford area and similar girls' selective route
Same wider selective region and a similar admissions route
Same wider selective region and a similar admissions route
Same wider selective region with a comparable travel distance
Closest comparable alternatives with a similar academic profile, so parents can weigh local fit and results together.
Similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Best Grammar Schools in Trafford
Compare the best grammar schools in Trafford for the 2026 admissions cycle using published GCSE results, Ofsted, admissions routes, and practical local context. Much of Trafford sits within the Trafford route, so shared testing still matters alongside each school's own admissions rules.
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Best Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking parents can filter by county, school type, and Ofsted. Useful for broad searches like top UK grammar schools, grammar school rankings, and 11+ school shortlists.
Best Grammar Schools by A-level Results
Explore the best grammar schools by A-level results in the UK, ranked by the published share of students achieving AAB or better at A level.
Best Grammar Schools in Trafford
Compare the best grammar schools in Trafford for the 2026 admissions cycle using published GCSE results, Ofsted, admissions routes, and practical local context. Much of Trafford sits within the Trafford route, so shared testing still matters alongside each school's own admissions rules.
Best Girls' Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best girls grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking parents can filter by county and Ofsted before comparing realistic shortlist options.
Best Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking parents can filter by county, school type, and Ofsted. Useful for broad searches like top UK grammar schools, grammar school rankings, and 11+ school shortlists.
Best Grammar Schools by A-level Results
Explore the best grammar schools by A-level results in the UK, ranked by the published share of students achieving AAB or better at A level.
Related guides are still being added.
FAQ
Loreto Grammar School currently uses GL Assessment.
1. Read the admissions policy: Check the 2027 policy for Catholic, sibling, pastoral-area and tie-break rules. 2. Register for the entrance examination: Complete the registration process by the published June deadline and provide baptism/access-arrangement evidence by the policy deadline if relevant. 3. Sit the Governors' Entrance Examination: Candidates sit the Loreto examination in September 2026. 4. Submit the CAF: Apply through the home local authority CAF for the March 2027 allocation.
Registration closes: 26 June 2026. Baptism/access evidence deadline: 10 July 2026. Governors' Entrance Examination: 18 September 2026. Results issued: 21 October 2026. National offer day: 1 March 2027. Waiting list closes: 31 December 2027
Loreto Grammar School is currently rated Outstanding following the latest published inspection dated 29 September 2022.