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Are you considering a grammar school in Manchester for your child's secondary education?
There are seven local grammar schools within Greater Manchester to choose from. Most grammar schools in Manchester are in the borough of Trafford, and one Manchester grammar school ranks within the UK’s top ten state secondary schools.
Keep reading to find out more about the best grammar schools in the area and how to help your child prepare for the 11 plus exam.
What are grammar schools?
A grammar school is a secondary school in the UK that admits pupils based on their academic ability. All children applying for a place at a grammar school will need to sit an entrance exam in Year 6 – the pupils with the highest scores are then eligible for a place in Year 7.
You do not need to pay school fees if your child attends a grammar school. Grammar schools are funded by the state (government) and are the only state-funded secondary schools in England that can select their pupils based on their academic ability.
Children applying for a grammar school in Greater Manchester take an 11 plus test. Most of the grammar schools in the area use the same test, which is set by the Trafford Grammar Schools Consortium.
The 5 best grammar schools in Manchester
1. Altrincham Grammar School for Girls
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Founded in 1902, Altrincham Grammar School for Girls (AGGS) is a selective girls’ grammar school in the Trafford Grammar Schools Consortium. The school prides itself on outstanding examination results at GCSE and A level as well as celebrating its students’ sporting and cultural successes.
With pastoral care at its heart, AGGS has a strong reputation not only within Cheshire but nationally, thanks to its appointment as one of the first National Teaching Schools. It is currently ranked the 5th best state secondary school in the UK, and was named the Sunday Times Northwest State Secondary School of the Decade, as well as State Secondary School of the Year in 2017–18.
Town: Altrincham
Local council: Trafford Council
Gender: girls 11–18
Number of pupils: 1,400+
GCSE results (2022): 96.8% A*/A/9/8/7
A level results (2022): 95% A*–B
National rank for state secondary schools: 5
How to apply to Altrincham Grammar School for Girls
2. Altrincham Grammar School for Boys
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The second-highest rated state secondary school in Greater Manchester is the equivalent boys’ school to the one above. Altrincham Grammar School for Boys was established in 1912 and is also a member of the Trafford Grammar Schools Consortium. The school advocates for an education ‘in the broadest sense’ and encourages high performance and aspirations within and beyond academia for its students.
Students at Altrincham Grammar School for Boys have a celebrated track record of success in sports, the arts, engineering, sciences and debating. In October 2013, a new physics centre was opened by physicist Brian Cox, housing six laboratories, a staff room and a large preparation room.
Town: Altrincham
Local council: Trafford Council
Gender: boys 11–18
Number of pupils: 1,338
GCSE results (2022): 87.5% A*/A/9/8/7
A level results (2022): 91.5% A*–B
National rank for state secondary schools: 16
How to apply to Altrincham Grammar School for Boys
3. Sale Grammar School
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Founded in 1991, Sale Grammar is a mixed selective school in the Trafford Grammar Schools Consortium. It was rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted in its most recent inspection and has specialist status in the Visual Arts and Science with Maths. As well as excellent exam results at GCSE and A level, the school has a high reputation for pastoral care, priding itself as a ‘happy and vibrant place to be.’
Town: Sale
Local council: Trafford Council
Gender: mixed 11–18
Number of pupils: 1,304
GCSE results (2022): 80% A*/A/9/8/7
A level results (2022): 87% A*–B
National rank for state secondary schools): 41
How to apply to Sale Grammar School
4. Loreto Grammar School
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Established in 1909, Loreto Grammar School is a selective Catholic school for girls. The school prides itself on upholding the values of justice, sincerity, truth, freedom, joy, excellence and internationality. Both rooted in tradition and forward thinking, Loreto Grammar School aspires to nurture young Catholic women who are ‘alive to the needs of humanity and committed to making a better world’. Loreto Grammar School achieves strong academic results at GCSE and A level as well as the International Baccalaureate.
Unlike the other top Greater Manchester grammar schools, Loreto is not part of the Trafford Grammar Schools consortium (although it is in the Trafford region). This means it has a separate entrance exam from other grammar schools in the area. There is a maths paper set by the school which is similar to Key Stage 2 SATs. There are also English and verbal reasoning papers set by GL Assessment.
Town: Altrincham
Local council: Trafford Council
Gender: girls 11–18
Number of pupils: 1,071
GCSE results (2022): 75.4% A*/A/9/8/7
A level results (2022): 84.4% A*–B
National rank for state secondary schools: 61
How many grammar schools are there in Greater Manchester?
There are seven grammar schools in Greater Manchester. The majority are in Trafford:
How to get into a grammar school in Manchester
If you would like your child to be considered for a place in Year 7 at a Greater Manchester grammar school, they will need to pass the 11 plus entrance exam. Children take the test in September while they’re in Year 6.
Five of the grammar schools in Manchester use the same 11 plus test, which is administered by the Trafford Grammar Schools Consortium. This means that children only have to sit the test once to apply to any of those schools.
All-in-one platform for 11 plus prep
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Manchester 11 plus practice papers
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