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St Ambrose College: 11+ entry

Hale Road, Hale Barns, Altrincham, WA15 0HE

Facts checked 19 October 2026By ExamKind Editorial TeamSchool website

Some details are being re-checked

We check every fact against the official source on a schedule, and some details on this page are due their next check (last verified 19 October 2026). We'll update the page if anything has changed. How we check facts

Can we apply, and what did it take?

For September 2027 entry

  • 320or more

    Trafford grammar schools consortium 11+ test, 2027 entry

    Checked, source: St Ambrose College, checked

  • Year 7 places

    140

    2027 entry, Published Admission Number ()

    Checked, source: St Ambrose College, checked

  • Last distance offered

    Not publishedWe have no checked figure for how far offers reached.

No deadlines left for 2027 entry. Dates for 2028 entry are below.

How far offers reached

Can we get in?

How far offers reached

Each bar shows how far from Saint Ambrose College the last child offered a place lived, under the last admission rule the offers reached. Up to five years, on one scale.

Qualifying is not the same as being offered a place.

A score of 320 or more in the Trafford grammar schools consortium 11+ test means your child can be considered. If more children qualify than there are places, the school gives places using its admission rules, in order. The figures below show how far those rules reached in past years. They are history, not a prediction: they change every year with who applies.

Checked, source: Department for Education (GOV.UK), checked
No distance figures publishedWe have not found a checked figure for how far offers reached at Saint Ambrose College. We add each year's figures after National Offer Day, when the council or school publishes them.

Other published figures

  • 2026 entry: Qualifying score (standardised score): 320
  • 2025 entry: Qualifying score (standardised score): 320

Source: St Ambrose College, checked

Applications and offers, September 2026 entry (Department for Education)

How many families applied to Saint Ambrose College and how many places it offered. Applicants per place is all applications divided by offers. Families apply to several schools and not every applicant qualifies, so it is not the chance of a place.

Applications and offers at Saint Ambrose College, September 2026 entry
FigureDepartment for Education
First-preference applications223First-preference applications, 2026 entryChecked 16 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (Explore Education Statistics).The source says: 202627,Academic year,School,E92000001,England,E12000002,North West,358,E08000009,Trafford,Secondary,3585900,z,5,Saint Ambrose College,149,149,137,11,1,458,223,92,88,1.6277372262773722,1.4966442953020134,158,77,Academy converter,Faith,6.3,Selective,Urban: Nearer to a major town or city,No,E14001065,Altrincham and Sale West,138134,7View the official source
All applications (any preference)458All applications (any preference), 2026 entryChecked 16 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (Explore Education Statistics).The source says: 202627,Academic year,School,E92000001,England,E12000002,North West,358,E08000009,Trafford,Secondary,3585900,z,5,Saint Ambrose College,149,149,137,11,1,458,223,92,88,1.6277372262773722,1.4966442953020134,158,77,Academy converter,Faith,6.3,Selective,Urban: Nearer to a major town or city,No,E14001065,Altrincham and Sale West,138134,7View the official source
Places offered on National Offer Day149Places offered on National Offer Day, 2026 entryChecked 16 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (Explore Education Statistics).The source says: 202627,Academic year,School,E92000001,England,E12000002,North West,358,E08000009,Trafford,Secondary,3585900,z,5,Saint Ambrose College,149,149,137,11,1,458,223,92,88,1.6277372262773722,1.4966442953020134,158,77,Academy converter,Faith,6.3,Selective,Urban: Nearer to a major town or city,No,E14001065,Altrincham and Sale West,138134,7View the official source
Applicants per place3.1Applicants per place, 2026 entryChecked 16 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (Explore Education Statistics).The source says: 202627,Academic year,School,E92000001,England,E12000002,North West,358,E08000009,Trafford,Secondary,3585900,z,5,Saint Ambrose College,149,149,137,11,1,458,223,92,88,1.6277372262773722,1.4966442953020134,158,77,Academy converter,Faith,6.3,Selective,Urban: Nearer to a major town or city,No,E14001065,Altrincham and Sale West,138134,7View the official source

Source: Department for Education (Explore Education Statistics), checked

About these figures

The College publishes its qualifying score and nothing more: no counts of boys who sat, qualified or were offered places, and nothing on how far down the categories the offers went.

The qualifying score is a threshold, not a ranking. Above it, a higher score only counts near the end of the tie-break. Past figures are a guide, not a promise.

At a glance

Saint Ambrose College in brief

tap a value for its source

Pupils
boysPupilsChecked 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
Who the school admits.
Year 7 places
140Year 7 placesChecked 9 Oct 2026 against St Ambrose College.The source says: The number of intended admissions for the year commencing 1st September 2027 for Year 7 will be 140View the official source2027 entry
The (PAN): how many children the school plans to admit.
Entrance test
Trafford grammar schools consortium 11+ test
The test children sit to be considered.
The Laetare Catholic Multi Academy Trust (full responsibility for admissions delegated to the Saint Ambrose College Local Governing Body)Admission authorityChecked 9 Oct 2026 against St Ambrose College.The source says: The Laetare Catholic Multi Academy Trust is the admission authority and has delegated full responsibility for admissions to the Saint Ambrose College Local Governing Body.View the official source
Who sets the admission rules and decides who is offered a place.
Named postcode districts
Where children get priority. Living inside it does not by itself mean a place.
Supplementary Information Form (SIF)
Yes, for this school
An extra form some schools ask for. It goes to the school, not the council.
School type
state-funded independent Catholic grammar school, part of the Laetare Catholic Multi-Academy TrustSchool typeChecked 9 Oct 2026 against St Ambrose College.The source says: Saint Ambrose College is a Catholic, state-funded independent grammar school with a diverse, selective intake. ... Saint Ambrose College is part of the Laetare Catholic Multi-Academy TrustView the official source
How the school is run and funded.

Key dates

Dates for September 2027 entry

For children in Year 6 in 2026/27.

Add to my calendar

St Ambrose College

3 earlier steps, all doneShow

  1. Done: Test registration opens

  2. Done: Test registration closes

    12pm

  3. Done: Test day

  1. Next: Results

Year 5 now? Dates for September 2028 entryNone of these dates are published yet.

  1. Not published yet: Test registration opens

    Not yet published, checked 9 Oct 2026

  2. Not published yet: Test registration closes

    Not yet published, checked 9 Oct 2026

  3. Not published yet: Test day

    Not yet published, checked 9 Oct 2026

  4. Not published yet: Results

    Not yet published, checked 9 Oct 2026

Notes on these dates

If you live outside Trafford, your own council sets the deadline for the application form.

How places are given

10 admission rules, in order, for 2027 entry

If more children qualify than there are places, Saint Ambrose College gives places using these rules (its ), in this order (2027 entry).

  1. 1

    Baptised Catholic looked-after / previously looked-after boys

    The policy's own words
    Baptised Catholic boys who are designated ‘looked after children’ or ‘previously looked after children’.
  2. 2

    Baptised Catholic boys with a brother at the school

    The policy's own words
    Baptised Catholic boys who have a brother attending the school at the time of admission.
  3. 3

    Baptised Catholic boys living in a Nominated Local Pastoral Area (postcodes)

    The policy's own words
    Baptised Catholic Boys whose home address postcode falls within a nominated Local Pastoral Area.
  4. 4

    Other baptised Catholic boys

    The policy's own words
    Other Baptised Catholic boys.
  5. 5

    Other looked-after / previously looked-after boys

    The policy's own words
    Other Boys who are designated ‘looked after children’ or ‘previously looked after children’.
  6. 6

    Catechumens and members of an Eastern Christian Church

    The policy's own words
    Catechumens and members of an Eastern Christian Church.
  7. 7

    Baptised Christian boys with a brother at the school

    The policy's own words
    Baptised Christian boys who have a brother attending the school.
  8. 8

    Christian boys practising in other denominations with a minister's reference (full and active member)

    The policy's own words
    Christian boys practising in other Christian denominations supported by a minister’s reference confirming ... that they are a full and active member of the Church .
  9. 9

    Other boys with a brother at the school

    The policy's own words
    Other boys who have a brother attending the school at the time of admission.
  10. 10

    Other boys

    The policy's own words
    Other boys.

Source: St Ambrose College, checked

Who qualifies
Boys must reach a total age standardised score of 320 ("the qualifying score"); if more qualify than places, the oversubscription criteria (not score order) decide, with score used only as a late tie-break.Source: St Ambrose College, checked
Catchment
No catchment requirement to qualify. Category 3 gives priority to baptised Catholic boys in the Nominated Local Pastoral Areas: Saint Ambrose Deanery (Diocese of Shrewsbury) = all WA14, WA15, M31 and M33 postcodes; Saint Ambrose Barlow Deanery (Diocese of Salford) = all M16, M21, M32 and M41 postcodes.Source: St Ambrose College, checked
If two children are level for the last place
Within a category: Pupil Premium first, then shortest straight-line distance; if equal distance, highest Entrance Examination score; if score tied, random draw witnessed by all concerned parties.Source: St Ambrose College, checked
Brothers and sisters
Brothers and sisters of pupils at the school get priority.Source: St Ambrose College, checked
Pupil premium
Within any oversubscribed category, Pupil Premium boys are prioritised first, then distance. No reserved number of places and no score concession; boys must still reach 320. Evidence of Pupil Premium must be provided at application.Source: St Ambrose College, checked
Supplementary form
The College's own online Entrance Exam application form (deadline midday 6 July 2026) is required in addition to the home local authority (LA) form; category evidence (baptism/reception certificates, looked-after children (LAC)/previously looked-after children (PLAC) evidence, brother details, Pupil Premium evidence) is uploaded on it or emailed. Category 8 needs the Christian Minister's Reference form by midday 6 July 2026.Source: St Ambrose College, checked
Waiting list
For boys who reached the qualifying score but were not offered a place, ranked by the admission criteria and kept until the end of the autumn term of Year 7Source: St Ambrose College, checked

The admission rules for September 2028 entry are not published yet. We check the school's website and add them when they appear.

More detail from our guide

2027 entry. The policy for September 2027 is determined (final)Saint Ambrose College: Document status (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against St Ambrose College.The source says: Admissions Policy 2027 DETERMINED pdf DownloadView the official source. Its rule for who qualifies: Boys must reach a total age standardised score of 320 ("the qualifying score"); if more qualify than places, the oversubscription criteria (not score order) decide, with score used only as a late tie-break.Saint Ambrose College: Qualifying rule (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against St Ambrose College.The source says: To be considered for admission to the School, all applicants must achieve a total age standardised score of 320 in the Entrance Examination (“the qualifying score”).View the official source

The categories. (1) Baptised Catholic looked-after / previously looked-after boys. (2) Baptised Catholic boys with a brother at the school. (3) Baptised Catholic boys living in a Nominated Local Pastoral Area (postcodes). (4) Other baptised Catholic boys. (5) Other looked-after / previously looked-after boys. (6) Catechumens and members of an Eastern Christian Church. (7) Baptised Christian boys with a brother at the school. (8) Christian boys practising in other denominations with a minister's reference (full and active member). (9) Other boys with a brother at the school. (10) Other boys.Saint Ambrose College: Oversubscription criteria (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against St Ambrose College.The source says: If the number of applicants achieving the qualifying score for entry exceeds the Published Admissions Number, then the following over-subscription criteria will apply in the following order to decide which pupils to admit.View the official source

In short: baptised Catholic boys come first, then other looked-after boys, then boys from other Christian traditions, then everyone else. A brother already at the College moves a boy up within the Catholic group, the other-Christian group and the final group.

  • Faith evidence: Baptised Catholic boys come first (categories 1 to 4; a baptism or reception certificate goes in with the test registration), then catechumens and members of an Eastern Christian Church, then other Christian boys (some categories need a minister's reference)Saint Ambrose College: Faith criteria (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against St Ambrose College.The source says: All Catholic boys will be required to produce a copy of their Baptism Certificate or Certificate of Reception into the full communion of the Catholic Church when they complete the registration form to sit the entrance examination. The certificate must confirm that the baptism or reception took place before the closing date for applications.View the official source
  • Nominated Local Pastoral Areas: No catchment requirement to qualify. Category 3 gives priority to baptised Catholic boys in the Nominated Local Pastoral Areas: Saint Ambrose Deanery (Diocese of Shrewsbury) = all WA14, WA15, M31 and M33 postcodes; Saint Ambrose Barlow Deanery (Diocese of Salford) = all M16, M21, M32 and M41 postcodes.Saint Ambrose College 2027 entry: DescriptionChecked 9 Oct 2026 against St Ambrose College.The source says: The following Local Pastoral Areas include the following postcodes: All WA14, WA15, M31 and M33 [...] postcodes. [...] The following Local Pastoral Areas include the following postcodes: All M16, M21, M32 and M41 postcodes.View the official source
  • Pupil premium: Within any oversubscribed category, Pupil Premium boys are prioritised first, then distance. No reserved number of places and no score concession; boys must still reach 320. Evidence of Pupil Premium must be provided at application.Saint Ambrose College: Pp priority (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against St Ambrose College.The source says: In the event of over-subscription within any one of the categories, priority will be given to those boys who are in receipt of Pupil Premium followed by boys who live closest to the School.View the official source
  • Tie-break: Within a category: Pupil Premium first, then shortest straight-line distance; if equal distance, highest Entrance Examination score; if score tied, random draw witnessed by all concerned parties.Saint Ambrose College: Tie break (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against St Ambrose College.The source says: Where more than one boy lives the same distance in any category, then priority will be given to the boy with the highest score in the Entrance Examination. If score is tied selection would take place by a random draw witnessed by all concerned parties.View the official source
  • Distance: Straight line from the child’s permanent place of residence (Trafford Local Land and Property Gazetteer BS7666 co-ordinates; Royal Mail data if unavailable) to St Ambrose CollegeSaint Ambrose College: Distance rule (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against St Ambrose College.The source says: The distance from home to St Ambrose College will be calculated in a direct straight line from the child’s permanent place of residence using co-ordinates held in Trafford’s Local Land and Property Gazetteer (BS7666)View the official source
  • Education, health and care plans: A boy whose EHC plan names the College is admitted only if he has passed the entrance examinationSaint Ambrose College: Ehcp (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against St Ambrose College.The source says: Where a child has an EHC Plan which names the School, and the child has passed the Entrance Examination, then the school will admit the child and the number of available places will be reduced accordingly.View the official source
  • Forms to complete: The College's own online Entrance Exam application form (deadline midday 6 July 2026) is required in addition to the home LA form; category evidence (baptism/reception certificates, LAC/PLAC evidence, brother details, Pupil Premium evidence) is uploaded on it or emailed. Category 8 needs the Christian Minister's Reference form by midday 6 July 2026.Saint Ambrose College: Supplementary form (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against St Ambrose College.The source says: To ensure that your son is placed in the correct Category for the purposes of over-subscription, the following evidence will need to be provided. Evidence can be uploaded on the Entrance Examination application form or emailed to admissions@st-ambrosecollege.org.uk.View the official source
  • Late applications: Applications after the deadline (midday 6 July 2026) are late and only considered after 1 March 2027.Saint Ambrose College: Late applications (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against St Ambrose College.The source says: Applications received after the deadline are treated as late ... applications and will only be considered after 1 March 2027.View the official source

Two points are easy to miss. The pastoral areas matter only inside the Catholic categories; for any other boy, home address counts only through distance at the tie-break. And pupil premium (extra funding for children from low-income families or who have been in care) works as a tie-break inside each category, not as a separate group of places or a lower bar.

The 2027 policy and the College's parent booklet give different end points for the waiting list, so we are waiting for the College to confirm:

PointStatus
Waiting listFor boys who reached the qualifying score but were not offered a place, ranked by the admission criteria and kept until the end of the autumn term of Year 7Saint Ambrose College: Waiting list (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against St Ambrose College.The source says: A waiting list for Year 7 admissions, ranked according to the Oversubscription Criteria, will be maintained until the end of the Autumn term of Year 7 for those boys who have qualified through the entrance examination but have not been allocated a place initially due to over-subscription.View the official source

2028 entry: Saint Ambrose College: Document status (2028)Not yet published by St Ambrose College; last checked 9 Oct 2026.The source says: 1. Admissions Policy 2027 DETERMINED pdf Download 2. Admissions Policy 2026 DETERMINED pdf Download 3. Admissions Policy 2025 DETERMINED pdf DownloadView the official source.

The test

Trafford grammar schools consortium 11+ test
Test
Trafford grammar schools consortium 11+ test
Test date, 2027 entry
Friday 18 September 2026

St Ambrose writes most of its own exam and holds it at the College, with a registration of its own that has nothing to do with the consortium's: Register directly with the College using the online application form on the Year 7 Admissions 2027 web page (separate from the home LA application)Saint Ambrose College 2027 entry: Registration routeChecked 9 Oct 2026 against St Ambrose College.The source says: Parents of children wishing to apply for a place at Saint Ambrose College must register a request directly with Saint Ambrose College for their son to sit the Entrance Exam by completing the online application on the website.View the official source.

  • Where and when, 2027 entry: At the College (Hale Barns)Saint Ambrose College 2027 entry: Test venueChecked 9 Oct 2026 against St Ambrose College.The source says: The entrance examination for Year 7 entry in September 2027 will take place at the College on FridayView the official source, September of Year 6 (Friday 18 September 2026)Saint Ambrose College 2027 entry: Test timingChecked 9 Oct 2026 against St Ambrose College.The source says: “Entrance Exam” means the entrance examination taken by boys in Year 6 for entry into Year 7.View the official source
  • Papers: Verbal Reasoning Paper (GL Assessment) (50 minutes); Maths Paper (in-house) (35 minutes); English Paper (in-house) (English and comprehension) (35 minutes)Saint Ambrose College 2027 entry: Stage1 papersChecked 9 Oct 2026 against St Ambrose College.The source says: Verbal Reasoning Paper (50 minutes) – multiple choice. [...] Maths Paper (35 minutes) – multiple choice. [...] English Paper (35 minutes) – multiple choice.View the official source
  • Answer style: multiple choiceSaint Ambrose College 2027 entry: Stage1 formatChecked 9 Oct 2026 against St Ambrose College.The source says: Verbal Reasoning Paper (50 minutes) – multiple choice. [...] Maths Paper (35 minutes) – multiple choice. [...] English Paper (35 minutes) – multiple choice.View the official source
  • How the result is built: Total of age standardised scores across three elements: Verbal Reasoning, Mathematics and English; weights not stated.Saint Ambrose College: Score composition (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against St Ambrose College.The source says: all applicants must achieve a total age standardised score of 320 in the Entrance Examination (“the qualifying score”). The Entrance Examination will consist of three elements: Verbal Reasoning, Mathematics and English.View the official source
  • Exam-day paperwork: Exam arrangements are sent in the week commencing 7 September 2026, with a candidate sheet that the primary school must complete and stamp to confirm identity. The boy must bring it on exam day with photographic ID, or he cannot sit the exam that day.Saint Ambrose College: Exam day requirementsChecked 9 Oct 2026 against St Ambrose College.The source says: This will include a candidate sheet which will need to be completed and stamped by the applicant’s primary school to confirm identity. The applicant must bring the candidate sheet on the day of the exam complete with photographic ID. Failure to bring this form on the day will result in your child not being able to sit the exam on that day.View the official source
  • Illness on the day: There is no published second sitting. If a boy is ill on the day, parents email the admissions office by 9am and send a doctor's note by 25 September 2026Saint Ambrose College 2027 entry: Late testingChecked 9 Oct 2026 against St Ambrose College.The source says: If your child is ill on the day of the exam, please ... do not bring him. Please email admissions@st- ... ambrosecollege.org.uk by 9.00am. You should ... obtain a doctor’s note and send this to the ... College by no later than 25 September.View the official source
  • Preparing: GL Assessment free Verbal Reasoning familiarisation materials (link to 11plus.gl-assessment.co.uk/free-materials), which the school warns are generic and may differ from its test; no sample or past papers for the in-house Maths and English papers; Maths covers the KS2 National Curriculum up to and including Year 5.Saint Ambrose College 2027 entry: FamiliarisationChecked 9 Oct 2026 against St Ambrose College.The source says: Our assessment provider for this paper is GL Assessment and familiarisation papers can be found at: Verbal Reasoning Familiarisation. Please note that since 11+ tests vary from one area to another, it's important to note that the free familiarisation materials are generic and may differ from our exact specification. ... The Maths paper is prepared in-house and no sample or past papers are available.View the official source

Only the verbal reasoning paper comes from an outside provider. The College writes the maths and English papers itself and publishes no samples of them, so the clearest guide to the maths content is the school curriculum up to the end of Year 5.

Results, and the council form

Every family hears by 23 October 2026Saint Ambrose College 2027 entry: ResultsChecked 9 Oct 2026 against St Ambrose College.The source says: The exam results are age standardised. Results will be sent to parents by no later than 23 October.View the official source. Reaching the qualifying score does not by itself win a place, because category, not score, sets the order. If your son qualifies, work out which category he falls into (see the admission rules below) before you decide where to rank the College. Then: Parents must include Saint Ambrose College in their ranked preferences on their home local authority's Common Application Form; closing date 31 October 2026.Saint Ambrose College: Must name on caf (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against St Ambrose College.The source says: Parents/carers seeking entry for their child into the school in Year 7 in September 2027 must include Saint Ambrose College in the ranked order of preference on their Home Local Authority’s Common Application Form (“CAF”). The closing date for the submission of the CAF to Home Local Authorities is 31 October 2026.View the official source

2028 entry (children now in Year 5)

St Ambrose has announced no change to its exam for 2028 entry, and its 2028 policy, papers and dates are not yet published. The College is not part of the Trafford consortium, so the consortium's switch of provider does not apply here. For a sense of timing, registration for 2027 entry ran from 21 April 2026Saint Ambrose College 2027 entry: Registration opensChecked 9 Oct 2026 against St Ambrose College.The source says: Applications will open onTuesday 21 April 2026 and will close at middayon Monday 6 July 2026.View the official source to 6 July 2026, noonSaint Ambrose College 2027 entry: Registration closesChecked 9 Oct 2026 against St Ambrose College.The source says: Applications will open onTuesday 21 April 2026 and will close at middayon Monday 6 July 2026.View the official source; look for the 2028 dates on the College's Year 7 admissions page.

How the Trafford test works

Open days

All this year's events have passed

  1. Done: Open Morning (guided tours by Year 7 students, admissions advice; Principal's address at 09:30, 10:15, 11:00 and 11:45 in the Lecture Theatre) (passed)

    09:30-12:30

Source: St Ambrose College, checked

If you are refused a place

Reviews, appeals and the waiting list

General information, not legal advice.

How appeals work
Appeal to an Independent Appeals Panel after 1 March 2027: email admissions@st-ambrosecollege.org.uk for the appeal form; appeals heard within 40 school days of the lodging deadline; timetable posted on the website by 28 February each year.Source: St Ambrose College, checked

General information, not legal advice.

If the College cannot offer your son a place: Appeal to an Independent Appeals Panel after 1 March 2027: email admissions@st-ambrosecollege.org.uk for the appeal form; appeals heard within 40 school days of the lodging deadline; timetable posted on the website by 28 February each year.Saint Ambrose College: Appeals route (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against St Ambrose College.The source says: Following 1 March 2027, any applicant refused admission has the right to appeal to an Independent Appeals Panel. Should you wish to Appeal you should email admissions@st-ambrosecollege.org.uk on that day for the relevant application form.View the official source The 2027 timetable, with the lodging deadline, had not been posted when we checked.

Because places follow faith categories, check first that your son was placed in the right category and that your evidence (baptism certificate, minister's reference or pupil premium proof) reached the College. Only a minority of appeals succeed, so keep a realistic second preference on your council form.

Official documents and sources

12 sources, each kept as an archived copy

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