Best Schools in Trafford

How many schools are there in Trafford?

Trafford has 103 open schools: 63 state primary, 19 state secondary or all-through, 8 independent, 11 special and 2 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Trafford are rated Outstanding?

22 schools in Trafford were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: St Vincent's Catholic Primary School, Davyhulme Primary School, Park Road Sale Primary School, Seymour Park Community Primary School, Park Road Academy Primary School and 17 more. Counting Good as well, 91% of the 87 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

St Vincent's Catholic Primary SchoolDavyhulme Primary SchoolPark Road Sale Primary SchoolSeymour Park Community Primary SchoolPark Road Academy Primary School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Trafford get the best GCSE results?

Of the 21 schools in Trafford with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Altrincham Grammar School for Boys (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 79.1 and 100% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Altrincham Grammar School for Girls (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 77.8 and 98% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Urmston Grammar Academy (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 75.6 and 99% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Selective schools admit by ability, so their raw results are not a like-for-like comparison with comprehensives. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Altrincham Grammar School for BoysAltrincham Grammar School for GirlsUrmston Grammar Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Trafford have the best SATs results?

Of the 55 primary schools in Trafford with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Park Road Academy Primary School (100% in reading, 97% in maths); Park Road Sale Primary School (100% in reading, 97% in maths); and Well Green Primary School (97% in reading, 97% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Park Road Academy Primary SchoolPark Road Sale Primary SchoolWell Green Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Trafford?

Yes. Trafford has 7 state grammar schools, including Altrincham Grammar School for Boys, Altrincham Grammar School for Girls, Loreto Grammar School, Saint Ambrose College, Sale Grammar School and Stretford Grammar School. Grammar schools admit pupils by ability through an entrance test, usually sat at the start of Year 6.

Altrincham Grammar School for BoysAltrincham Grammar School for GirlsLoreto Grammar SchoolSaint Ambrose CollegeSale Grammar SchoolStretford Grammar School

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

How close do you need to live to get into schools in Trafford?

It depends on the school, and the cut-off moves every year with the number of applications. Trafford published how far the last place offered went at these schools: Davyhulme Primary School, 0.667 miles for 2025 entry; Elmridge Primary School, 2.883 miles for 2025 entry; Brooklands Primary School, 1.566 miles for 2023 entry; Cloverlea Primary School, 1.546 miles for 2023 entry; English Martyrs' RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy, 0.286 miles for 2023 entry. These are the authority's own figures, not fixed boundaries.

Davyhulme Primary SchoolElmridge Primary SchoolBrooklands Primary SchoolCloverlea Primary SchoolEnglish Martyrs' RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy

Source: Trafford admissions booklets

How do I apply for a school place in Trafford?

Apply to Trafford through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.