School profile Verified 11 September 2026

Trafford Trafford 11+

Stretford Grammar School

Granby Road, Stretford, M32 8JB

A selective co-educational grammar school in Manchester, Greater Manchester, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 947 pupils on roll.

Grammar school Co-ed Foundation school Ages 11-18 Sixth form GL Assessment
Year 7 places
160
Competition ?
Very High
Ofsted ?
Good
11+ route
GL Assessment
Compare Official website Map

At a glance

Key facts

GCSE rank
UK Rank #67
Sector
Grammar school
Admissions
Mixed
Assessment
GL Assessment
Places in Year 7
160
Competition ?
Very High
Catchment
You can apply from any area, but living in the published local area gives priority for some or all places.
Ofsted ?
Good

Overview

Stretford Grammar School is a co-educational selective foundation grammar school for ages 11 to 18 on Granby Road in Trafford. The school has a distinctive public tone: it highlights courtesy, respect, diversity and excellent relationships, and describes a purposeful, caring atmosphere noted by visitors and Ofsted. Its motto, "Aspirat primo fortuna labori", is translated through the school's values of aspiration, endeavour and respect.

The curriculum is framed as well-planned and dynamic, designed to support ambitious students towards future study and employment. The sixth form gives a clear post-16 picture: students choose from academic A-level courses aimed at competitive university routes, including Russell Group, Oxbridge, medicine, dentistry and engineering, and the school stresses independent thinking, key skills, extra- and super-curricular activity, and tutorial guidance. Entry to sixth form requires a strong Attainment 8 profile, with subject-grade requirements for chosen courses.

The school's scale is relatively compact, with about 947 pupils, and that helps the community message feel credible. The public homepage foregrounds considerate behaviour and diversity rather than only attainment. In-year admissions material also shows the academic expectations remain high beyond Year 7, with testing in English, mathematics and science for older applicants where vacancies arise.

Year 7 admission is through the Trafford Grammar Schools Consortium, with 160 places. The school confirms the consortium partnership with GL Assessment; the stored exam record covers verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and mathematics, with 334 as the required score for consideration and review routes for some Pupil Premium or local-review candidates scoring 324 to 333. The oversubscription order includes looked-after children, catchment premium applicants, siblings, catchment applicants, out-of-catchment premium applicants and distance. Recent demand is high, with 1,297 applications and 173 offers in the stored record; official benchmarks record Ofsted Good, +0.80 Progress 8, 100% grade 5+ in English and maths, and 30.6% AAB or better at A level.

Key points

Assessment route
GL Assessment across a single-stage process, covering Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning and Maths.
Places and demand
160 places in Year 7 and Very High
Catchment
You can apply from any area, but living in the published local area gives priority for some or all places.
Results
100% grade 5+ in English and maths and 74.4 Attainment 8
Sixth form
Sixth form available with 30.6% AAB or better and 61% in higher education.

GCSE benchmark

Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Trafford and England.

School Local authority England
GCSE benchmark comparison Latest GCSE benchmark measures for Stretford Grammar School, Trafford, and England. 0 50 100 Att. 8 5+ E&M EBacc APS EBacc %
Attainment 8
74.4
Grade 5+ English and maths
100%
EBacc APS
6.72
EBacc entry
42.5%

Attainment 8 trend

Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Trafford and England.

School Local authority England
Attainment 8 trend line Attainment 8 over time for Stretford Grammar School, Trafford, and England. 100 80 60 40 21/22 22/23 23/24 24/25

Destinations

Latest 2024/25 Year 11 destination mix compared with Trafford and England.

Education Apprenticeships Employment Other / unknown
Destinations stacked bar comparison Year 11 destinations for Stretford Grammar School, Trafford, and England across education, apprenticeships, employment, and other or unknown destinations. 0 50 100 School Local auth. England

School details

Sector
Grammar school
School type
Foundation school
Application
Local authority CAF
Gender
Mixed
Age range
11-18
Headteacher
Mrs Elizabeth Baxter
Pupil roll
947 pupils
Sixth form
Yes
FSM ?
15%
EAL ?
30.6%
EHCP ?
1.5%

Facilities

Library

Extracurriculars

Duke of Edinburgh

Ethnicity

Pupil ethnicity

Whole-school roll of 947 pupils; 943 had a recorded ethnic group.

White 40.5% Asian 32.7% Mixed 9.4% Black 10.5% Other 6.2% Unclassified 0.4%

Location and contact

Address

Address
Granby Road, Stretford, Manchester, Greater Manchester
Postcode
M32 8JB
Exam area
Trafford 11+

School leadership

Headteacher
Mrs Elizabeth Baxter

School contact

School phone
01618652293

Admissions contact

Admissions team
Admissions and Administration Officer
Admissions phone
01618652293

Admissions

Year 7 places
160 places (2027 entry)
Applications listed
1,297 applications (2025 entry)
First preferences
333 first preferences (2025 entry)
Competition ?
Very High
Who can apply
You can apply from any area, but living in the published local area gives priority for some or all places.
Pass mark note
A score of 334 or above is required for consideration. Pupil Premium automatic review and local review cover scores from 324 to 333, with successful reviews amended to 334R.

Priority includes applicants in the listed catchment postcodes (M32, M33, M41, M15, M16, M17 and M21) before the final distance category.

Oversubscription and eligibility

  1. 1

    Looked-after and previously looked-after children

    Successful candidates in these categories are prioritised first.

  2. 2

    Catchment pupil-premium/service-premium applicants

    Successful applicants in the catchment postcodes who receive Pupil Premium or Service Premium are prioritised next.

  3. 3

    Siblings

    Successful candidates with a sibling in Years 7 to 11 at the time of admission are prioritised.

  4. 4

    Catchment applicants

    Successful candidates living in the listed catchment postcodes are prioritised next.

  5. 5

    Out-of-catchment pupil-premium/service-premium applicants

    Successful applicants outside the catchment who receive Pupil Premium or Service Premium are prioritised before final distance allocation.

  6. 6

    Distance

    Remaining successful candidates are ranked by straight-line distance to the school.

Exam and test format

The GL Assessment 11+ entrance test format

Stretford Grammar School currently uses GL Assessment. The published format currently lists 1 paper. Scores are published as age-standardised.

Assessment route
GL Assessment
Papers and stages
1 paper
Format
Multiple-choice paper
Age standardisation
Published as age-standardised

Official exam resources

Past papers and practice materials

No released past entrance-test papers are currently verified here. The resources below are labelled by type.

Trafford test guide

Papers and rounds

  1. Paper 1

    Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning, Maths

    Entrance test

    The entrance test consists of verbal, non-verbal and mathematics questions, standardised by the service provider.

What the test includes

Maths, Verbal reasoning and Non-verbal reasoning are included in the published format.

English and Science are not listed in the current published format.

Included

  • Maths

  • Verbal reasoning

    The entrance test consists of verbal, non-verbal and mathematics questions, standardised by the service provider.

  • Non-verbal reasoning

    The entrance test consists of verbal, non-verbal and mathematics questions, standardised by the service provider.

Not listed

  • English

  • Science

Application

Find open days and plan a visit
  1. Applications open

    23 April 2026

    Past

    Applications open at 12 noon.

  2. Applications close

    19 June 2026

    Past

    Applications close at 12 noon.

  3. Final exam details

    week commencing 13 July 2026

  4. Entrance exam day

    14 September 2026

  5. Test results

    prior to 31 October 2026

  6. Secondary CAF deadline

    31 October 2026

  7. National allocation day

    1 March 2027

How to apply

  1. 1

    Complete the online application form

    Applications open at noon on 23 April 2026 and close at noon on 19 June 2026.

    Open timetable
  2. 2

    Sit the entrance examination

    Entrance exam day is 14 September 2026.

    Open step
  3. 3

    Submit the secondary CAF

    The Common Application Form must be returned to the home local authority by 31 October 2026.

    Open step

Results

Inspection

Good

Latest inspection: 21 March 2024

Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good

Quick summary

  • Overall effectiveness: Stretford Grammar School remains recorded as Good, but the 2024 ungraded inspection found evidence it might be Outstanding if inspected under a graded framework. Inspectors described high achievement, excellent behaviour, broad enrichment and strong preparation for future study or work.
  • Quality of education: The curriculum is described as exceptionally effective, with important knowledge carefully identified and organised across a wide range of subjects. Teachers use expertise, enthusiasm, searching questions and regular checks to deepen learning and address gaps quickly.
  • Behaviour and attitudes: Pupils take learning seriously, attend regularly and approach studies with enthusiasm. Inspectors described respectful behaviour that supports learning exceptionally well, including pupils' striking welcome to visitors and their eagerness to talk about what they are studying.
  • Personal development: Pupils learn about online and community safety, physical, mental and financial well-being, equality and British values. Enrichment includes Duke of Edinburgh, debating, robotics, jewellery making and knitting, while pupils serve as prefects, ambassadors and school parliamentarians.
  • Leadership and management: Governors challenge and support leaders robustly, and the school has the confidence of pupils, staff and parents. Staff report strong satisfaction and reasonable workload, while leaders continue to seek improvement despite the consistently high quality of provision.

Similar schools and comparisons

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Local rivals appear first, followed by nearby alternatives where the journey and admissions route are still comparable.

Nearby schools with similar results

Closest comparable alternatives with a similar academic profile, so parents can weigh local fit and results together.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What assessment types does Stretford Grammar School use?

Stretford Grammar School currently uses GL Assessment.

How do I apply to Stretford Grammar School?

1. Complete the online application form: Applications open at noon on 23 April 2026 and close at noon on 19 June 2026. 2. Sit the entrance examination: Entrance exam day is 14 September 2026. 3. Submit the secondary CAF: The Common Application Form must be returned to the home local authority by 31 October 2026.

When are the key dates for Stretford Grammar School?

Applications open: 23 April 2026. Applications close: 19 June 2026. Final exam details: week commencing 13 July 2026. Entrance exam day: 14 September 2026. Test results: prior to 31 October 2026. Secondary CAF deadline: 31 October 2026. National allocation day: 1 March 2027

What does the latest inspection picture look like for Stretford Grammar School?

Stretford Grammar School is currently rated Good following the latest published inspection dated 21 March 2024.