Admissions in Trafford

Understand how school places really work

Start with the question you need answered. We explain the rules, dates and evidence behind Trafford school admissions in plain English.

View the full Admissions Intelligence Report

Admissions Intelligence

Official admissions data

Understand how places were allocated, how competitive each school has been, and what previous admissions can tell you about future applications. Admissions terms explained.

Smart insights

79 schools with historical outcomes available

These schools have more than one year of admissions outcomes on record, so a trend can be shown.

26 schools where admissions changed year-on-year

Altrincham College, Altrincham Grammar School for Girls, Ashton-on-Mersey School, Bowdon CofE Primary School and others became more or less competitive between their two most recent years on record.

48 schools offered all applicants a place

In their most recent year on record, Acre Hall Primary School, All Saints' Catholic Primary School, Altrincham CofE (Aided) Primary School, Barton Clough Primary School and others were not oversubscribed.

Schools with the longest catchment distances

Altrincham Grammar School for Girls (6.067 mi, 2026) · Urmston Grammar Academy (6.042 mi, 2026) · Sale Grammar School (5.907 mi, 2026) · Blessed Thomas Holford Catholic College (4.58 mi, 2026)

Schools with the biggest historical change

Flixton Girls School: 4.27 mi (2025) → 2.946 mi (2026) · Altrincham College: 3.065 mi (2025) → 1.833 mi (2026) · Sale High School: 1.168 mi (2025) → 2.118 mi (2026)

Browse all Trafford schools

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Admissions outcomes reflect previous allocation rounds. They are intended to help parents understand historical admission patterns and should not be used as a guarantee of future admissions. Always refer to each school's current admissions arrangements.

Admissions Explained

What is a Published Admission Number (PAN)?

The number of places a school plans to offer for that admissions year, published in advance by the admissions authority.

What does oversubscribed mean?

A school is oversubscribed when more families apply than there are places available, so not every applicant meeting the general criteria can be offered one.

What is a qualifying score?

For grammar and selective schools, applicants sit an entrance test. The qualifying score is the mark needed to be considered for a place that year.

What is a catchment or final distance?

Where a school prioritises nearby families, the final distance is how far the furthest successful applicant lived from the school that year.

What is a final allocation category?

Admissions policies rank applicants into priority categories (such as siblings, faith, or distance). The final category reached shows how far down that list places were allocated.

Why do outcomes change every year?

The number of applications a school receives varies year to year, so how competitive admissions were can shift even when the school's policy hasn't changed at all.