Saint Ambrose College 11 plus: a parents' guide for 2022

Saint Ambrose College is a Catholic boys’ grammar school founded in 1946, with specialist status in maths and computing.

The school boasts plenty of extracurricular opportunities and is proud to have ‘something for everyone’. It champions ‘a broad curriculum’ and that boys attending the school have the tools ‘to live life to the full’.

The school is rated 'good' by Ofsted.

11 plus information for Saint Ambrose College

• Address: Saint Ambrose College, Hale Road, Hale Barns, Altrincham, Cheshire WA15 0HE

• Admissions contact details: [email protected]

• School type: Catholic boys’ grammar

• Number of pupils: 1,000

• Number of places in Year 7: 140

• Open day date: Saturday 25th June 2022. A virtual open day is also available.

• 11 plus exam date: Friday 23rd September 2022

• Exam board type: GL Assessment and papers set by the school

Saint Ambrose College term dates

The 2022-23 term dates for Saint Ambrose College are:

• Autumn term: 2nd September – 16th December

• Half term: 24th October – 28th October

• Spring term: 4th January – 31st March

• Half term: 13th February – 17th February

• Summer term: 17th April – 20th July

• Half term: 29th May – 2nd June

Saint Ambrose College 11 plus admissions process

Candidates applying to Saint Ambrose College will need to be registered with the school. Application forms will be available to download from the school website from mid-April.

Parents seeking entry for their child in Year 7 in September 2023 must also include Saint Ambrose College on their home Local Authority's Common Application Form (CAF), which must be submitted before 31st October 2022. Parents will be notified of the outcome of their application by their Local Authority on 1st March 2023 (National Offer Day).

Candidates will sit the 11 plus exam at Saint Ambrose College on Friday 23rd September 2022. Boys who score 320 or above (the qualifying score) will be eligible for a place. If the number of successful candidates exceeds the 140 places available, Saint Ambrose College will apply the following oversubscription criteria in order:

1. Baptised Roman Catholic boys who are Looked After Children or Previously Looked After Children

2. Baptised Roman Catholic boys who are in receipt of Pupil Premium whose home address postcode falls within a nominated Local Pastoral Area

3. Baptised Roman Catholic boys who have a brother attending the school

4. Baptised Roman Catholic boys whose home postcode falls within a nominated Local Pastoral Area

5. Baptised Roman Catholic boys who are in receipt of Pupil Premium

6. Other Baptised Roman Catholic boys

7. Other boys who are Looked After Children or Previously Looked After Children

8. Baptised Christian boys who have a brother attending the school

9. Other boys who are in receipt of Pupil Premium

10. 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

11. Other boys

Saint Ambrose College 11 plus exam format

There are three papers included in the Saint Ambrose College 11 plus:

1. Verbal reasoning (50 minutes), provided by GL Assessments

2. Maths (35 minutes), set by the school. This is a multiple-choice paper.

3. English (35 minutes), set by the school. This includes a comprehension task and other English elements. There is no creative writing element.

The combined qualifying score for the exams is 320 (which is age-standardised). There are no sample papers available.

How to prepare for the Saint Ambrose College 11 plus

It's recommended that your child begins preparing for the Saint Ambrose College 11 plus as early as possible to ensure that they have plenty of time to feel confident with the exam format. We also suggest introducing your child to verbal reasoning early, as this will likely not be covered in the curriculum at your son's primary school.

Atom Nucleus supports 11 plus preparation by combining cutting-edge technology with the expertise of experienced teachers. We’ve built over 90,000 practice questions, live prep courses, pre-recorded video tutorials and unlimited mock tests in the style and format of the Saint Ambrose College 11 plus exam.

Atom’s adaptive learning algorithm tailors the ideal learning journey for your child to keep them engaged and challenged while giving you data-driven insights into where they need to focus next. Start your 5-day free trial of Nucleus today to help your son feel fully prepared for success in the 11 plus exam.

We know how crucial this time is, so our team is on hand to support you and your family every step of the way. You can book a call with one of our Education Experts to ask any questions you may have about Saint Ambrose College or GL Assessments:

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