Trafford 11+: grammar schools, tests and the 2028 change

The consortium test

The consortium's members are Altrincham Grammar School for Girls (AGGS), Altrincham Grammar School for Boys (AGSB), and Sale, Stretford and Urmston grammar schools. We use the short names AGGS and AGSB on this page.

• Who runs it: The Trafford Grammar School Consortium: one shared test for the five schools, registered for once through any member schoolSource for Trafford: Test run byTrafford: Test run byCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Altrincham Grammar School for Girls (Trafford).The source says: The Consortium operates a shared testing process, enabling children to sit one test for entry to any of these schools.View the official source
• Registration: One online registration through any one consortium school, choosing the test centre and which consortium schools receive the resultSource for Trafford 2027 entry: Registration routeTrafford 2027 entry: Registration routeCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Altrincham Grammar School for Girls.The source says: You only need to register for the exam at one school within the Trafford Consortium, but you must state where you want your child to sit the exam and which of the Trafford Consortium Schools you wish to receive a total standardised result for. Scores cannot be retrospectively requested after the standardisation process has taken place.View the official source
• Papers (2027 entry): Test 1 (name not printed) (verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and maths) (60 minutes); Test 2 (name not printed) (verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and maths) (60 minutes)Source for Trafford 2027 entry: PapersTrafford 2027 entry: PapersCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Altrincham Grammar School for Girls.The source says: There are two papers, each approximately one hour long, containing questions which assess verbal, non-verbal and mathematics skills.View the official source
• Question format: multiple-choiceSource for Trafford 2027 entry: FormatTrafford 2027 entry: FormatCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Altrincham Grammar School for Girls.The source says: Both tests are timed and consist of multiple-choice questions. You are required to mark your answers on a separate answer sheet, which is scored by computer.View the official source
• When: September of Year 6Source for Trafford 2027 entry: Test timingTrafford 2027 entry: Test timingCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Altrincham Grammar School for Girls (Trafford).The source says: For entry to Year 7 in 2027, the test provider will be GL and the admissions test will be held in September 2026, as previously communicated.View the official source
• Where: At consortium school test centres (girls at AGGS, boys at AGSB); parents choose the centre at registration; if a centre is full, places are reallocated by gender and distance.Source for Trafford 2027 entry: Test venueTrafford 2027 entry: Test venueCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Altrincham Grammar School for Girls.The source says: In the event our exam centre reaches its maximum capacity then ALL spaces will be reallocated by gender and distance; those living closest to the centre will be given priority.View the official source
• Access arrangements: Ask when you register (by the registration deadline), with supporting evidence and a letter from the primary school; a panel from all five schools agrees the arrangementsSource for Trafford 2027 entry: Access arrangementsTrafford 2027 entry: Access arrangementsCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Altrincham Grammar School for Girls.The source says: A panel, consisting of representatives from all five grammar schools, will meet after the closing date for registration to agree appropriate access arrangements and parents/carers will be notified of the decision as soon as possible following the meeting.View the official source
• Practice material: The Trafford Consortium of Grammar Schools Entrance Test Familiarisation Guide (GL; sample VR, NVR and maths questions with answer sheet), linked from each school's site; booklets also point to GL practice papers. Horizons: 12-week programme from the summer term of Year 5 for Pupil Premium pupils, run by all five schools.Source for Trafford 2027 entry: FamiliarisationTrafford 2027 entry: FamiliarisationCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Altrincham Grammar School for Girls.The source says: THE TRAFFORD CONSORTIUM OF GRAMMAR SCHOOLS Entrance Test Familiarisation GuideView the official source

Loreto and St Ambrose: separate tests

Loreto Grammar School (girlsSource for Loreto Grammar School: PupilsLoreto Grammar School: PupilsCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Loreto Grammar School.The source says: I hope it offers you a flavour of the community that is Loreto Catholic Girls’ Grammar School.View the official source) and St Ambrose College (boysSource for Saint Ambrose College: PupilsSaint Ambrose College: PupilsCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against St Ambrose College.The source says: Saint Ambrose College is a selective Catholic Grammar School for boys aged 11-18 years old.View the official source) are CatholicSource for Saint Ambrose College: Religious characterSaint Ambrose College: Religious characterCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against St Ambrose College.The source says: As a Catholic school, we aim to provide a Catholic education for all our pupils.View the official source grammar schools. Each runs its own entrance test, separate from the consortium's, so a child applying to one of them and to a consortium school sits two tests. Here they are side by side for 2027 entry:

St Ambrose writes its own maths and English papers, so the practice material it points to covers only part of its test. Neither Loreto nor St Ambrose has said yet whether its test changes for 2028 entry; the FSCE change below applies to the consortium schools. St Ambrose gives priority by faith and Loreto asks for baptism certificates, so read both schools' policies closely. Our guide to tests set by schools themselves explains how these differ from a shared test.

The consortium announced on 14 July 2026Source for Trafford: New provider announcement dateTrafford: New provider announcement dateCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Altrincham Grammar School for Boys.The source says: 14 Jul 2026 Trafford Grammar School Consortium Appoints New Provider for Admissions TestView the official source that it is changing its test. The change comes in two steps:

Step one: a new test for 2028 entry. GL Assessment is replaced by FSCE. The test changes from verbal, non-verbal and mathematical reasoning to Key Stage 2 English and maths (the national curriculum up to the end of Year 5); FSCE will set, mark and age-standardise itSource for Trafford 2028 entry: Provider changeTrafford 2028 entry: Provider changeCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Altrincham Grammar School for Girls (Trafford).The source says: Beginning with the entrance test to be sat in September 2027, the content of the admissions test will change from verbal, non-verbal and mathematical reasoning. The new admissions test will draw on the Key Stage 2 English and mathematics national curriculum programmes of study up to the end of Year 5.View the official source. The test stays in September, at the start of Year 6. For families, the practical change is that verbal and non-verbal reasoning are no longer tested: the new test checks the English and maths children learn in class. Access arrangements: FSCE provides Braille, large print and modified papers and expert support for reasonable adjustments; request process for 2028 not yet published.Source for Trafford 2028 entry: Access arrangementsTrafford 2028 entry: Access arrangementsCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Altrincham Grammar School for Girls (Trafford).The source says: FSCE also provides specialist formats – including Braille, large print and modified papers – and expert support for schools making reasonable adjustments for candidates with additional needs.View the official source

What is not published yet for 2028 entry. A lot is still to come, and we show it here so you know what to watch for:

None of the schools on this page has published its admission policy for 2028 entry yet, so qualifying scores, catchments and priority orders for that year are all still to come. Please don't assume the 2027 rules will carry over, and treat past qualifying scores with extra care, because they come from the old test.

Step two: an earlier test from 2029 entry. Test moves from September of Year 6 to the latter part of the summer term of Year 5 from 2029 entry; FSCE remains provider.Source for Trafford 2029 entry: Provider changeTrafford 2029 entry: Provider changeCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Altrincham Grammar School for Girls (Trafford).The source says: As part of the new arrangements, for entry to Year 7 from 2029 onwards, the Trafford Grammar School Consortium have also taken the decision to move the test date from September of Year 6 to the latter part of the summer term of Year 5.View the official source For children now in Year 4, that means sitting the test near the end of Year 5, in summer 2028, before Year 6 begins. Exact dates have not been announced.

Read more in our guide to the FSCE change and our page on FSCE 11+ tests.

No single pass mark. No consortium-wide pass mark: each school standardises against its own cohort and sets its own qualifying score (AGGS and AGSB: 334, or 324 for looked-after / Pupil Premium applicants). A child can qualify for one school and not another.Source for Trafford 2027 entry: Qualifying ruleTrafford 2027 entry: Qualifying ruleCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Altrincham Grammar School for Girls.The source says: Is it possible for my child to pass the entrance exam for one school, but not the other? Yes. Although the entrance exam will be the same for each school, the standardised results may be different. This is because the exam results are being compared to those of a different cohort of children.View the official source

Standardised scores. Marks are age-standardised, which adjusts for age so the youngest children in the year group are not at a disadvantage. How the subjects are weighted has not been published.

How results are shown. Results released on Applicaa (email notification) before 31 October 2026, separately for each school requested; disclosure differs by school (AGGS: "PASS" for 334+, score only if unsuccessful; AGSB: one total standardised score for all); no breakdown.Source for Trafford 2027 entry: Results disclosureTrafford 2027 entry: Results disclosureCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Altrincham Grammar School for Girls.The source says: An email will be sent advising when you can access the result on Applicaa.View the official source

What qualifying means. Qualifying makes a child eligible; it does not decide who gets a place. That depends on each school's priority order, and the schools differ:

• At AGGS and Stretford, every qualified child is treated the same; priority groups and distance decide.
• At AGSB, places within each priority group go in score order.
• Urmston keeps some places for its highest scorers and gives most of the rest by distance.
• St Ambrose fills places by faith-based priority groups and uses the score only as a late tie-break.

Past qualifying scores. A guide, not a promise, and they come from the old test:

AGGS's rule for 2027 entry is in the schools table.

How many children sit and qualify. We have not found area-wide figures from the consortium. AGGS has published its own:

At AGGS, most girls who sat the test did not reach the qualifying score, and more girls qualified than there were places. More on our Trafford pass marks page, our Trafford results guide and in the 11+ cut-offs dataset.

Pupil premium is extra funding schools receive for children from lower-income families, mostly those who get or recently got free school meals. There is no single rule for the area: each school sets its own pupil premium prioritySource for Trafford 2027 entry: Pp priorityTrafford 2027 entry: Pp priorityCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Altrincham Grammar School for Boys.The source says: The Consortium Grammar Schools each have their own oversubscription criteria relating to Pupil Premium and these are available to read on their websites.View the official source.

Several schools also accept a lower qualifying score from pupil premium children; the schools table shows each school's rule.

• Free familiarisation: Horizons: 12-week entrance-exam familiarisation programme for Year 5 pupil premium pupils run by the five Trafford consortium schools, starting in the summer term of Year 5; primary schools nominate pupils in JanuarySource for Sale Grammar School: Horizons programmeSale Grammar School: Horizons programmeCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Sale Grammar School.The source says: Horizons is an Entrance Exam Familiarisation Programme offered to Year 5 pupils in receipt of Pupil Premium. [...] Horizons is a 12-week programme which begins during the Summer term of Year 5.View the official source. For a child now in Year 5, that would fall in this school year, so speak to the primary school soon.
• Who counts as pupil premium (AGSB's rule): From September 2026, children who are only in the new 'Expanded' free school meals group are not counted as pupil premium; the primary school must confirm pupil premium status in writingSource for Altrincham Grammar School for Boys: Expanded fsm not pupil premiumAltrincham Grammar School for Boys: Expanded fsm not pupil premiumCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Altrincham Grammar School for Boys.The source says: Following changes to the FSM categories from September 2026, those individuals who are only included within the Expanded FSM category are not classed as Pupil Premium.View the official source. Check how each school you apply to treats this.
• Evidence: check each school's deadline. At AGSB and St Ambrose, evidence goes in with the test registration, and at AGSB evidence sent late is only looked at after National Offer Day.

This section is general information, not legal advice. Each step has strict deadlines, so check the school's own guidance.

No re-marks. Test papers are not re-marked; the answer sheets are not held by the schoolsSource for Trafford 2027 entry: Review processTrafford 2027 entry: Review processCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Altrincham Grammar School for Girls.The source says: No papers can be re-marked as all candidates must be treated equally. The answer sheets are not held by the school, and we do not carry out manual remarks.View the official source.

Local reviews at Stretford and Urmston. These two consortium schools take a second look at some children who scored just below their qualifying score:

• Stretford: Automatic Review: Pupil Premium candidates scoring 324-333 have their score overturned to 334R. Local Review for others scoring 324-333 (forms from parents and primary school) by a panel of Headteacher, Deputy Head, an Assistant Head, Heads of English and Mathematics; successful candidates get 334R; decision by post after 31 October 2026. No re-marks.Source for Stretford Grammar School 2027 entry: Review processStretford Grammar School 2027 entry: Review processCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Stretford Grammar School.The source says: The Automatic Review criteria applies to all candidates who have provided proof of being Pupil Premium. This enables candidates who achieve a score between 324 to 333 (inclusive) of having their score automatically overturned to 334R. [...] A Local Review is conducted for all candidates who score between 324 to 333 (inclusive) but have not had their result overturned at automatic review.View the official source
• Urmston: Papers are not re-marked, but Urmston runs its own Local Review for pupil premium children who scored 321 to 323 and for other children who scored 321 to 333Source for Urmston Grammar School 2027 entry: Review processUrmston Grammar School 2027 entry: Review processCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Urmston Grammar School.The source says: Following the "examination outcomes" parents will have the opportunity to pursue a Local Review if their child fulfils the following criteria: If the student qualifies for Pupil Premium and has achieved a score between 321 and 323 Any other student who has achieved a score between 321 and 333.View the official source

Admission appeals. Offers come from your home council on National Offer Day, 1 March 2027Source for Trafford 2027 entry: National Offer DayTrafford 2027 entry: National Offer DayCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Altrincham Grammar School for Girls.The source says: All parents will be notified by their Home Authority of the outcome of their application on National Allocation Day which is the 1 March 2027.View the official source, and you need to accept or decline by 15 March 2027Source for Trafford: Offer acceptance deadline2027Trafford: Offer acceptance deadline2027CloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Altrincham Grammar School for Girls.The source says: 15 March 2027 Acceptance for initial school offers must be received by your Local Authority by this date.View the official source. If a school cannot offer your child a place, you can appeal to an independent panel. Each school arranges its own appeals:

Appeals take time and can be stressful. For 2025 entry, AGGS reported 3Source for Altrincham Grammar School for Girls 2025 entry: Appeals upheldAltrincham Grammar School for Girls 2025 entry: Appeals upheldCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Altrincham Grammar School for Girls.The source says: 28 appeals were heard. There were three successful appeals.View the official source appeals upheld (its other figures are in scores). Most appeals for oversubscribed schools do not succeed, so a realistic second choice on your council form matters. Our Trafford appeals guide goes into more detail.