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Are you considering Loreto Grammar School for your child? We've collated all the information you need to know about 2024 entry to Year 7. Keep reading to learn about key dates, the admissions process, and how to prepare for the Loreto Grammar School 11 plus exam.
About Loreto Grammar School
Established in 1909, Loreto Grammar School is a selective Catholic school for girls. Both ‘rooted in tradition’ and ‘forward thinking’, the school aspires to nurture young Catholic women who are ‘alive to the needs of humanity and committed to making a better world’. Loreto Grammar also achieves brilliant academic results at GCSE and A level as well as the International Baccelaureate.
Address: Dunham Road, Altrincham, WA14 4AH
Local authority: Trafford Council
School type: girls' grammar
Headteacher: Jane Beever
Number of pupils: 1,071
National rank (Sunday Times Parent Power): 61
A level results: 84.4% A*–B
GCSE results: 75.4% 9/8/7
Key info for Year 7 admissions
Admissions contact: [email protected]
Number of places in Year 7: 150
Open day: 1st July 2023, morning
11 plus registration opens: 1st July 2023
11 plus registration closes: 31st July 2023
Exam date: 22nd September 2023
Exam type: school's own and GL Assessment
Common application form (CAF) deadline: 31st October 2023
National school offer day: 1st March 2024
Loreto Grammar School term dates
The 2023–2024 term dates at Loreto Grammar School are:
Autumn term: 5th September – 22nd December 2023
Half term: 20th–29th October 2023
Spring term: 8th January – 22nd March 2024
Half term: 9th–19th February 2024
Summer term: 8th April – 19th July 2024
Half term: 25th May – 3rd June 2024
How to apply to Loreto Grammar School
1. Register for the 11 plus
Before registering, speak to your child’s teacher to see if the 11 plus and grammar school is right for them.
While your child is in Year 5, register them to take the Loreto Grammar School 11 plus exam on the school website. Registration opens on 1st July and closes on 31st July.
The other grammar schools in Trafford use a different 11 plus test so if you are considering those schools too you'll need to register separately. Most of the other local grammar schools belong to the Trafford Grammar Schools Consortium – learn more here.
2. Apply for school places
Once your child has taken the exam, you will get their results on or before 20th October 2023. You can use the results to decide which schools to include on your local authority application form. Before listing Loreto Grammar School as a preference on your form, check its admissions policy and make sure your child is eligible.
The application form must be submitted to your home local council by 31st October 2023.
What's on the Loreto Grammar School 11 plus exam?
The 11 plus exam for Loreto Grammar School takes place on the morning of Friday 22nd September 2023. It includes three elements, each in multiple-choice format:
English
Verbal reasoning
Maths
Loreto Grammar School creates its own test papers for maths, and uses papers provided by GL Assessment for verbal reasoning and English.
The maths and English questions assess your child's understanding of Key Stage 2 national curriculum content and test their ability to reason and apply knowledge accurately.
The verbal reasoning questions are designed to test your child’s logic and problem-solving ability. This subject is not typically taught at school. It measures how well children can spot patterns with, connect and manipulate written information.
Learn about each subject in more detail and get free preparation resources:
What is the pass mark for Loreto Grammar School?
Loreto Grammar School does not name a specific pass mark or qualifying score. After your child takes the exam, their scores are age-standardised and combined to give them a total score across both papers. Children's total standardised scores are ranked in order and admissions criteria are applied to determine who to offer a place.
Achieving a particular score doesn't guarantee a place at the school, as it is likely to be oversubscribed with qualified candidates. We always recommend researching the admission policies for your target schools, looking at their oversubscription criteria and their catchment area.
Loreto Grammar School admissions criteria
The planned admission number (PAN) for the school is 150. Girls with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) that names Loreto Grammar School are admitted first. Then, places are allocated in this order:
Baptised Roman Catholic girls who are Looked After, previously Looked After, or internationally Looked After.
Baptised Roman Catholic girls who have sisters* in the school at the time of admission.
Baptised Roman Catholic girls who attend an associated primary school and live in the Local Pastoral Area.
Other Baptised Roman Catholic girls.
Other Looked After and previously Looked After girls.
Baptised girls of other denominations.
Other girls.
If any of these categories are oversubscribed, girls who receive free school meals are prioritised, followed by girls who achieved the highest marks in the entrance exam, then girls who live closest to the school.
Loreto Grammar School Local Pastoral Areas
Saint Ambrose Deanery (Diocese of Shrewsbury):
St Hugh and St John, West Timperley
St Vincent de Paul’s, Altrincham
All Saints, Ashton-on-Mersey
St Margaret Ward, Sale
St Joseph’s, Sale
Holy Angels, Hale Barns
Our Lady of Lourdes, Partington
Holy Family, Sale Moor
Associated primary schools:
St Hugh’s Catholic Primary School
St Vincent’s Catholic Primary School
All Saints Catholic Primary School
St Margaret Ward Catholic Primary School
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School
St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School
Holy Family Catholic Primary School
Our Lady’s Deanery (Diocese of Salford):
St Alphonsus, Old Trafford
St Ann’s, Stretford
English Martyrs, Urmston
St Hugh of Lincoln, Stretford
Our Lady and the English Martyrs’, Davyhulme/Urmston
St Monica’s, Flixton
St John’s and St Teresa’s, Firswood/Chorlton
Associated primary schools:
St Alphonsus RC Primary School
St Ann’s RC Primary School
English Martyrs’ RC Primary School
St Hugh of Lincoln RC Primary School
Our Lady of the Rosary RC Primary School
St Monica’s RC Primary School
St Teresa’s RC Primary School
St John’s RC Primary School
How to help your child prepare for the 11 plus
Here are our top tips on how to best prepare your child for the Loreto Grammar School 11 plus.
Cover all the content
The 11 plus assesses a large breadth and depth of learning objectives across the Key Stage 2 national curriculum and beyond.
We recommend that your child starts revising content at least one year before the test. Setting aside study periods using a 'little and often' approach will give them time to build the skills and knowledge they need. When preparing, avoid falling into the trap of over-focusing on either the topics your child enjoys or the topics they find hardest.
Atom Nucleus is an 11 plus online course that tailors your child's personalised learning journey to cover all elements of the Loreto Grammar School 11 plus at the right pace for them.
No surprises
Your child will encounter lots of unfamiliar types of questions in the 11 plus exam. Building exam technique with 11 plus test papers will help your child to feel fully confident with the styles of questions they'll encounter in the exam, reducing the potential for stress on the day.
Celebrate their progress
Setting regular goals and celebrating achievements will help keep motivation high. Atom Nucleus offers data-driven insights into your child’s progress towards mastering the 11 plus curriculum, making it easy to see where they need to focus next.
Personalised 11 plus prep for your child
Wondering how to make sure your child covers the depth and breadth of the entire 11 plus curriculum, stays on track with their progress, and gets help when they're stuck? Online learning is a particularly efficient, cost-effective (and fun) way to do this!
Atom Nucleus is the award-winning online 11 plus practice platform that gives your child everything they need to prepare for grammar school exams.
Children work independently through over 90,000 interactive practice questions in English, maths and reasoning. Teacher-created helpsheets and videos help them discover new concepts and consolidate their learning.
Atom's algorithm keeps children on their ideal learning path, tailored to their unique learning style and pace to keep them challenged and motivated.
Loreto Grammar School 11 plus practice papers
Atom Nucleus gives children access to online practice papers. Our online tests are designed to mirror the format and style of the real Loreto Grammar School 11 plus, so your child will go into the exam knowing exactly what to expect.
And what's more, everything is automatically marked for you.
Try Atom Nucleus free for 5 days
Begin your child's journey to Loreto Grammar School today. Use the full features of Atom Nucleus free for 5 days – cancel anytime.
Personalised support for you
We understand how important this next step is for them, and for you. Please don't hesitate to get in touch with any questions you may have about the 11 plus or your local grammar schools.
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