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Sale Grammar School vs Urmston Grammar Academy

Both are grammar schools in Trafford, 2.9 miles apart. Side-by-side on official DfE, Ofsted and council admissions data.

Side by side

Sale Grammar School Urmston Grammar Academy
Phase Secondary Secondary
Gender Mixed Mixed
Pupils on roll 1,350 1,124
Free school meals 3% 8.2%
Ofsted rating Outstanding Good
Attainment 8 — 2024/25 76.1 71.7
A-level average points — 2024/25 45.32 41.29
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 197 169
First preferences per place — higher means more competition for a first-preference place 1.35 1.4

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 ↗

Urmston Grammar Academy

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

  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.

Urmston Grammar Academy

  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

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.

Full detail for each school: Sale Grammar School · Urmston Grammar Academy
Or see all secondary schools in Trafford ranked.

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