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Loreto Grammar School vs Saint Ambrose College

Both are grammar schools in Trafford, 2.0 miles apart. Side-by-side on official DfE, Ofsted and council admissions data.

Side by side

Loreto Grammar School Saint Ambrose College
Phase Secondary Secondary
Gender Girls Boys
Pupils on roll 1,072 1,091
Free school meals 5.1% 6.3%
Ofsted rating Outstanding Good
Attainment 8 — 2024/25 73.7 76.2
A-level average points — 2024/25 43.63 44.54
11+ test board GL Assessment GL Assessment
Admission system pass/fail then criteria order (score doesn't give priority after passing) pass/fail then criteria order (score doesn't give priority after passing)
Places offered — 202627 160 149
First preferences per place — higher means more competition for a first-preference place 1.61 1.5

Qualifying scores

Loreto Grammar School

Not published as a fixed pass mark. Loreto Grammar School runs its own 'Governors' Entrance Exam' (3 papers); girls meeting the school's standard are then prioritised by the Catholic faith-based oversubscription criteria, with distance only as a tiebreaker.

Council source ↗

Saint Ambrose College

No fixed pass mark. St Ambrose College offers its ~140 Year 7 places in rank order of total score on its own 3-paper entrance test, with Catholic faith-based oversubscription categories applied.

Council source ↗

Who gets priority

Where a school is oversubscribed, these are the first criteria applied, in order. This is usually what decides an application.

Loreto Grammar School

  1. Looked after children and previously looked after children
  2. Children with exceptional medical/social needs
  3. Siblings of children currently on roll at the school
  4. All other qualifying children — tiebreaker: distance (straight line, closest first)

Source: school admissions policy.

Saint Ambrose College

  1. Looked after children and previously looked after children
  2. Children with exceptional medical/social needs
  3. Siblings of children currently on roll at the school
  4. All other qualifying children — tiebreaker: distance (straight line, closest first)

Source: school admissions policy.

Choosing between them

Loreto Grammar School is a girls school and Saint Ambrose College is a boys school, so for many families the starting point is which one can admit their child. The figures on this page are the published ones — they describe intakes and results, not what either school would be like for your child. The right choice depends on your family's own priorities and circumstances.

Full detail for each school: Loreto Grammar School · Saint Ambrose College
Or see all secondary schools in Trafford ranked.

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