Trafford / Trafford 11+
Marsland Road, Sale, M33 3NH
Sale Grammar School
1
A selective co-educational grammar school in Sale, Cheshire, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,350 pupils on roll.
At a glance
At a glance
A selective co-educational grammar school in Sale, Cheshire, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,350 pupils on roll. Families looking at Sale, Cheshire will usually see Sale Grammar School as a selective option for boys and girls aged 11-18, with sixth form continuing the academic journey on the same site. Current published roll and admissions data point to around 1,350 pupils on roll and 180 Year 7 places.
For parents thinking about the 11+, the admissions picture is one of the clearest differentiators here. The current route includes GL Assessment, with 180 places available in Year 7 and demand that currently looks high 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 0.80 and Attainment 8 at 75.5. 98.4% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths in the latest stored GCSE figures. In the sixth form, 38.5% of entries were awarded AAB or better at A level. Destinations data also suggest strong progression after sixth form, with 72% 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. Sale 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.
Priority is based on a defined priority admission area, Pupil Premium priority and score rank, with straight-line distance tie-breaks.
Looked After Children and all previously Looked After Children. A 'looked after child' or a child who was p...
Looked After Children and all previously Looked After Children. A 'looked after child' or a child who was previously looked after but immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, child arrangements, or special guardianship order including those who appear [to the admission authority] to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted. A looked after child is a child who is (a) in the care of a local authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions (see the definition in Section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989).
Up to 15 applicants who qualify for Pupil Premium. Places will be allocated in the following order. I. Appl...
Up to 15 applicants who qualify for Pupil Premium. Places will be allocated in the following order. I. Applicants who qualify for Pupil Premium residing in the priority admission area as described in category
Where the number of applicants qualifying for admission under this criterion exceeds the number of Pupil Pr...
Where the number of applicants qualifying for admission under this criterion exceeds the number of Pupil Premium places available, priority will be given to those applicants residing closer to the school. The distance from home to school is calculated in a direct straight line from the child's permanent place of residence to the school. For the home address the distance will be calculated using property co-ordinates provided from Trafford’s Local Land and Property Gazetteer (BS7666) (Royal Mail Postal Address information may be used in some instances). In the case of a child living in a block of flats, co-ordinates will be obtained in the same way. The co- ordinates that will be used for the School are 379064,
II. Applicants who qualify for Pupil Premium attending a Trafford state funded primary school (see appendix...
II. Applicants who qualify for Pupil Premium attending a Trafford state funded primary school (see appendix) whose permanent home address lies within the Trafford Local Authority but not within the priority admission area. Places in this category will be allocated by rank score order. Where several applicants qualify for the final Pupil Premium place using ranked scores, priority will be given to the applicant residing closer to the school as measured in a direct straight line from the child's permanent place of residence to the school. For the home address the distance will be calculated using property co-ordinates provided from Trafford’s Local Land and Property Gazetteer (BS7666) (Royal Mail Postal Address information may be used in some instances). In the case of a child living in a block of flats, co-ordinates will be obtained in the same way. The co-ordinates that will be used for the School are 379064,
Applicants residing in the priority admission area as defined by postcode M33, plus Trafford Authority resi...
Applicants residing in the priority admission area as defined by postcode M33, plus Trafford Authority residents within the M23, WA14, and WA15 postcodes. Where the number of applicants qualifying for admission under this criterion exceeds the number of places available, priority will be given to those applicants residing closer to the school. The distance from home to school is calculated in a direct straight line from the child's permanent place of residence to the school. For the home address the distance will be calculated using property co-ordinates provided from Trafford’s Local Land and Property Gazetteer (BS7666) (Royal Mail Postal Address information may be used in some instances). In the case of a child living in a block of flats, co-ordinates will be obtained in the same way. The co-ordinates that will be used for the School are 379064,
Applicants from outside the priority admission area will be placed in rank order as determined by their sco...
Applicants from outside the priority admission area will be placed in rank order as determined by their scores in the selection tests. Where several applicants qualify for the final available place using ranked scores, priority will be given to the applicant residing closer to the school as measured in a direct straight line from the child's permanent place of residence to the school. For the home address the distance will be calculated using property coordinates provided from Trafford’s Local Land and Property Gazetteer (BS7666) (Royal Mail Postal Address information may be used in some instances). In the case of a child living in a block of flats, co-ordinates will be obtained in the same way. The co-ordinates that will be used for the School are 379064, 391257.
Sale Grammar School currently uses GL Assessment. The published format currently lists 2 papers. Scores are published as age-standardised.
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
VR, NVR, Maths
GL test 1
One of two GL Assessment tests, each around one hour, covering verbal, non-verbal and mathematics skills.
Paper 2
VR, NVR, Maths
GL test 2
The second GL Assessment test contributes to the total standardised score.
Maths, Verbal reasoning and Non-verbal reasoning are included in the published format.
English, Science and Creative writing are not listed in the current published format.
Maths
Verbal reasoning
One of two GL Assessment tests, each around one hour, covering verbal, non-verbal and mathematics skills.
Non-verbal reasoning
One of two GL Assessment tests, each around one hour, covering verbal, non-verbal and mathematics skills.
English
Science
Creative writing
Registration opens
23 April 2026
Registration closes
19 June 2026
Test details sent
8 September 2026
Entrance examination
14 September 2026
Results
before 31 October 2026
Common application form deadline
31 October 2026
National Allocation Day
1 March 2027
Acceptance deadline
15 March 2027
Read the admissions policy
Admission arrangements for girls and boys who will be 11 years of age by 1st September 2026 (date of birth between 1st September 2014 and 31st August 2015).
Open admissions policyCheck the key dates
key dates in relation to Admission into Year 7 September 2026.
Open key datesSubmit the entrance test registration
registration form by the clearly promoted deadline to be included in the entrance tests.
Submit the Common Application Form (CAF)
Common Application Form (CAF) must be returned to the home Local Authority by this date If you wish your child to be considered for a school, you MUST put the school in order of preference on your LA Common Application Form (CAF) by the closin
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 | 77.9 | 74.2 | 49.4 |
| 2022/23 | 74.2 | 71.8 | 47.0 |
| 2023/24 | 75.5 | 72.1 | 46.7 |
| 2024/25 | 76.1 | 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 (48.3 points) | 44.0 points | 37.5 points |
| 2022/23 | A- average (45.0 points) | 40.5 points | 33.7 points |
| 2023/24 | B+ average (44.4 points) | 41.3 points | 34.5 points |
| 2024/25 | A- average (45.3 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 | 99% | 99.1% | 94.1% |
| 2022/23 | 100% | 98.9% | 93.9% |
| 2023/24 | 99% | 99.0% | 93.3% |
| 2024/25 | 98% | 97.8% | 91.4% |
Latest year breakdown
| In education | 95% |
|---|---|
| In apprenticeships | 3% |
| In employment | 1% |
Latest inspection: 30 June 2022
Local rivals first, then nearby alternatives that still fit the same shortlist-building context.
Same Trafford area and similar co-ed selective route
Same Trafford area and similar co-ed selective route
Same wider selective region and a similar admissions route
Same wider selective region and a similar admissions route
Closest comparable alternatives with a similar academic profile, so parents can weigh local fit and results together.
Nearby option with similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
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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 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 Rated Outstanding by Ofsted
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Related guides are still being added.
FAQ
Sale Grammar School currently uses GL Assessment.
1. Read the admissions policy: Admission arrangements for girls and boys who will be 11 years of age by 1st September 2026 (date of birth between 1st September 2014 and 31st August 2015). 2. Check the key dates: key dates in relation to Admission into Year 7 September 2026. 3. Submit the entrance test registration: registration form by the clearly promoted deadline to be included in the entrance tests. 4. Submit the Common Application Form (CAF): Common Application Form (CAF) must be returned to the home Local Authority by this date If you wish your child to be considered for a school, you MUST put the school in order of preference on your LA Common Application Form (CAF) by the closin
Registration opens: 23 April 2026. Registration closes: 19 June 2026. Test details sent: 8 September 2026. Entrance examination: 14 September 2026. Results: before 31 October 2026. Common application form deadline: 31 October 2026. National Allocation Day: 1 March 2027. Acceptance deadline: 15 March 2027
Sale Grammar School is currently rated Outstanding following the latest published inspection dated 30 June 2022.