Report card · inspected Nov 2025
- Exceptional
- Strong standard
- Expected standard
- Needs attention
- Urgent improvement
Safeguarding standards met
This schoolOther secondary schools in TraffordSelective
What did Ofsted find?
Ofsted data to 30 September 2026| Area | Exceptional | Strong standard | Expected standard | Needs attention | Urgent improvement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inclusion | Strong standard | ||||
| Curriculum and teaching | Strong standard | ||||
| Achievement | Exceptional | ||||
| Attendance and behaviour | Strong standard | ||||
| Personal development and wellbeing | Exceptional | ||||
| Early years | Does not apply to this school | ||||
| Post-16 provision | Strong standard | ||||
| Leadership and governance | Strong standard | ||||
- Exceptional
- Strong standard
- Expected standard
- Needs attention
- Urgent improvement
- Does not apply
Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.
Inspection history
- 25 November 2025Report card · 2 Exceptional, 5 Strong standard
- 29 January 2025Ungraded inspection: Improved significantly
- 18 February 2020Graded inspection: Good
Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades
About these grades
Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.
How hard is it to get a place?
DfE · Sept 2026 entry458 applications · 149 places offered · 223 named it first
SelectiveApplications include children who did not pass the entrance test.
FaithMay give priority to families of the faith.
- 2026 3.1; Trafford median median 3.1
- 2025 2.8; Trafford median median 2.7
- 2024 2.6; Trafford median median 2.6
- 2023 2.8; Trafford median median 2.8
- 2022 2.5; Trafford median median 2.6
- 2021 3.3; Trafford median median 3.4
- 2020 2.5; Trafford median median 2.5
- 2019 2.6; Trafford median median 2.8
- 2018 2.5; Trafford median median 2.6
- 2017 2.9; Trafford median median 2.9
- 2016 2.2; Trafford median median 2.4
- 2015 2.5; Trafford median median 2.5
- 2014 2.5; Trafford median median 2.5
- This school
- Trafford median
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close 31 October 2026, through your council
Selective: register for the entrance test with the school first, usually by the summer before (dates vary). Dates
How this is measured
Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.
| Entry | Places | Applications | Per place | First preferences | First-pref. ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | 149 | 458 | 3.1 | 223 | 1.50 |
| Sep 2025 | 150 | 415 | 2.8 | 205 | 1.37 |
| Sep 2024 | 176 | 460 | 2.6 | 253 | 1.44 |
| Sep 2023 | 149 | 421 | 2.8 | 218 | 1.46 |
| Sep 2022 | 150 | 376 | 2.5 | 192 | 1.28 |
| Sep 2021 | 146 | 485 | 3.3 | 206 | 1.41 |
| Sep 2020 | 148 | 375 | 2.5 | 184 | 1.24 |
| Sep 2019 | 178 | 459 | 2.6 | 224 | 1.26 |
| Sep 2018 | 184 | 460 | 2.5 | 246 | 1.34 |
| Sep 2017 | 144 | 411 | 2.9 | 204 | 1.42 |
| Sep 2016 | 172 | 382 | 2.2 | 223 | 1.30 |
| Sep 2015 | 147 | 362 | 2.5 | 199 | 1.35 |
| Sep 2014 | 141 | 355 | 2.5 | 200 | 1.42 |
How did pupils do at GCSE?
DfE KS4 · 2025/26 provisionalEvery year as a table
| Year | Pupils | Attainment 8 | 5+ Eng & maths | 4+ Eng & maths | Progress 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 (prov.) | 150 | 72.3 | 99% | 100% | – |
| 2024/25 | 150 | 76.2 | 98% | 100% | – |
| 2023/24 | 178 | 73.7 | 97% | 99% | +1.04 |
| 2022/23 | 180 | 72.8 | 95% | 100% | +0.90 |
Progress 8 is not published for 2024/25 or 2025/26: those pupils had no key stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021.
Schools nearby
The 8 nearest secondary schools in a straight line, in any local authority
- Saint Ambrose CollegeThis schoolThis school20253.1applications per place 72.3Attainment 8 Selective
- 1.5 km · Trafford20265.7applications per place 47.0Attainment 8
- 2.2 km · TraffordOutstanding20222.3applications per place 79.1Attainment 8 Selective
- 2.4 km · TraffordGraded · no overall grade20253.5applications per place 47.1Attainment 8
- 2.5 km · Manchester20262.1applications per place
- 2.8 km · TraffordRemains Good20224.8applications per place 55.7Attainment 8
- 3.0 km · TraffordOutstanding20222.1applications per place 77.8Attainment 8 Selective
- 3.1 km · TraffordStandards maintained20246.0applications per place 52.9Attainment 8
- 3.2 km · Manchester20263.3applications per place 38.4Attainment 8
- Exceptional
- Strong standard
- Expected standard
- Needs attention
- Urgent improvement
- Does not apply
Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.
School details
- Type
- Academy converter
- Phase
- Secondary
- URN · DfE number
- 138134 · 358/5900
- Admissions policy
- Selective
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic
- Capacity
- 1,050 pupils · 1,096 on roll
- Free school meals
- 6.4% of pupils (England median 23%)
- Opened
- 1 May 2012
- Replaced
- St Ambrose College (URN 131315)
- Address
- Hale Road, Hale Barns, Altrincham, WA15 0HE
- Local authority
- Trafford
Data last changed 19 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources