Loreto Grammar School vs Sale Grammar School
Both are grammar schools in Trafford, 2.7 miles apart. Side-by-side on official DfE, Ofsted and council admissions data.
Side by side
| Loreto Grammar School | Sale Grammar School | |
|---|---|---|
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary |
| Gender | Girls | Mixed |
| Pupils on roll | 1,072 | 1,350 |
| Free school meals | 5.1% | 3% |
| Ofsted rating | Outstanding | Outstanding |
| Attainment 8 — 2024/25 | 73.7 | 76.1 |
| A-level average points — 2024/25 | 43.63 | 45.32 |
| 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 | 197 |
| First preferences per place — higher means more competition for a first-preference place | 1.61 | 1.35 |
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.
Sale Grammar School
334 (2026 entry)
Trafford Consortium qualifying score: 334 or above (standardised, across the two consortium papers). Reaching 334 is eligibility, not an offer — each school's oversubscription criteria then apply.
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
- Looked after children and previously looked after children
- Children with exceptional medical/social needs
- Siblings of children currently on roll at the school
- All other qualifying children — tiebreaker: distance (straight line, closest first)
Source: school admissions policy.
Sale Grammar School
- Looked after children and previously looked after children
- Children with exceptional medical/social needs
- Siblings of children currently on roll at the school
- 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 Sale Grammar School is a mixed 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.
Other Trafford comparisons
- Altrincham Grammar School for Boys vs Altrincham Grammar School for Girls
- Altrincham Grammar School for Boys vs Loreto Grammar School
- Altrincham Grammar School for Boys vs Saint Ambrose College
- Altrincham Grammar School for Boys vs Sale Grammar School
- Altrincham Grammar School for Boys vs Stretford Grammar School
- Altrincham Grammar School for Boys vs Urmston Grammar Academy
- Altrincham Grammar School for Girls vs Loreto Grammar School
- Altrincham Grammar School for Girls vs Saint Ambrose College
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