A selective girls grammar school in Altrincham, Cheshire, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,072 pupils on roll.
Loreto Grammar School
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At a glance
Loreto Grammar School is a selective Catholic grammar school for girls in Altrincham, with a sixth form and around 1,072 pupils. Its identity is explicitly Loreto and Mary Ward: freedom, sincerity, justice, truth, joy, excellence and internationality are not tucked away as slogans but used to explain the school's spiritual, academic and pastoral life.
The curriculum is presented as formation of the whole person as well as preparation for examinations. Loreto's official curriculum statement puts ethical reflection, justice, environmental responsibility and service within the taught programme, while keeping high academic expectations. In sixth form, applicants do not have to be Catholic, but they are expected to support the Catholic ethos; small tutor groups, daily tutor time and chaplaincy are part of the pastoral structure.
That Catholic and international character gives Loreto a different texture from many selective schools nearby. Religious education, chaplaincy, extra-curricular activities, languages, leadership and service are all part of how the school describes its day-to-day life. Published outcomes show Outstanding Ofsted, +1.06 Progress 8, 96.8% grade 5+ in English and maths, and 33.6% AAB or better at A level.
Year 7 entry has 150 places and is through the Governors' Entrance Examination. For September 2027 entry, the school lists a mathematics paper, GL English and GL verbal reasoning, with registration and baptism-certificate deadlines published on the admissions page. Once girls have met the required standard, the oversubscription rules are led by the school's Catholic admissions categories and distance.
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.
January 2025 school census
Whole-school roll of 1,072 pupils; 1,063 had a recorded ethnic group.
| Recorded group | Share | Category | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| White British | 56.5% | White | 606 |
| African | 10.3% | Black | 110 |
| Indian | 8.3% | Asian | 89 |
| Any other White background | 8% | White | 86 |
| Chinese | 3.1% | Asian | 33 |
| Any other Asian background | 2.8% | Asian | 30 |
| Irish | 2.5% | White | 27 |
| Any other mixed background | 2.3% | Mixed | 25 |
| Any other Black background | 1.5% | Black | 16 |
| White and Asian | 1.4% | Mixed | 15 |
| White and Black African | 1.3% | Mixed | 14 |
| Unclassified | 0.8% | Unclassified | 9 |
| Any other ethnic group | 0.5% | Other | 5 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 0.5% | Mixed | 5 |
| Caribbean | 0.1% | Black | 1 |
| Pakistani | 0.1% | Asian | 1 |
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.
Shared exam route
Loreto Grammar School uses the shared Trafford route. Use these common practice resources for the route, then check the full consortium guide for the complete set and current test guidance.
View all Trafford practice papersPaper 1
English, Verbal reasoning, 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 and Science 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
Registration closes
26 June 2026, 12 noon
Baptism/access evidence deadline
10 July 2026
Governors' Entrance Examination
18 September 2026, morning
The admissions page also references the Trafford test date; the policy-specific Loreto exam date is used here.
Results issued
21 October 2026, on or before
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 | 100% | 98.7% | 91.8% |
Latest year breakdown
| In education | 99% |
|---|---|
| In apprenticeships | 1% |
| In employment | 0% |
Latest inspection: 29 September 2022
Local rivals appear first, followed by nearby alternatives where the journey and admissions route are still comparable.
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
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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, 12 noon. Baptism/access evidence deadline: 10 July 2026. Governors' Entrance Examination: 18 September 2026, morning. Results issued: 21 October 2026, on or before. 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.