Sale Grammar School vs Stretford Grammar School

Both are grammar schools in Trafford, 1.9 miles apart. Side-by-side on official DfE, Ofsted and council admissions data.

Side by side

	Sale Grammar School	Stretford Grammar School
Phase	Secondary	Secondary
Gender	Mixed	Mixed
Pupils on roll	1,352	956
Free school meals	2.9%	17.4%
Ofsted rating	Outstanding	Good
Attainment 8 — 2025/26	75.5	75.5
11+ test board	GL Assessment	GL Assessment
Admission system	pass/fail + catchment (passing the test is a gate; living in the catchment area determines priority over score)	pass/fail + catchment (passing the test is a gate; living in the catchment area determines priority over score)
Places offered — 202627	197	170
First preferences per place — higher means more competition for a first-preference place	1.35	1.55

Qualifying scores

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.

Council source ↗

Stretford 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.

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.

Sale Grammar School

Looked after and previously looked after children
Up to 15 Pupil Premium children: first those in the priority area (nearest first), then those at a Trafford state primary living elsewhere in Trafford (in score order)
Children living in the priority area (M33, plus Trafford addresses in M23, WA14 and WA15) — nearest first
Children from outside the priority area — in score order

Source: school admissions policy.

Stretford Grammar School

Looked after and previously looked after children, including those adopted from state care outside England
Children in the catchment area receiving the Pupil or Service Premium
Children with a sibling at the school in Years 7–11
Children living in the catchment area: M32, M33, M41, M15, M16, M17 and M21
Children outside the catchment area receiving the Pupil or Service Premium
Other children — nearest first (straight line)

Source: school admissions policy.

Choosing between them

Both schools admit mixed, so the decision usually comes down to the admission criteria above and how far each one reaches. 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

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