North Cestrian School, Altrincham
North Cestrian School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 18 in Altrincham, part of The Hamblin Education Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 6th-highest of the 8 schools in Altrincham with published results, and 650th of 3,298 across England. It was full in 2025, at 108% of capacity.
- GCSE results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
- Progress (2024)
- Above average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Trafford (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
North Cestrian School in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at North Cestrian School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 52.9, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 58.2 in Trafford and 47 across England.
58% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 66% in Trafford and 47% in England.
That is down from 54.2 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.49: pupils made above average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.
Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 38.9, against 55.6 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 16.7 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 24 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and Geography.
Getting a place at North Cestrian School
For September 2026 entry, 112 families put North Cestrian School as their first choice and 1047 named it as one of their preferences, for 175 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 23 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at North Cestrian School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to North Cestrian School are Loreto Grammar School (under 0.1 miles, Outstanding, selective, Attainment 8 75.2); Altrincham Grammar School for Girls (0.5 miles, Outstanding, selective, Attainment 8 77.8); Blessed Thomas Holford Catholic College (0.6 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 47.1); and Altrincham Grammar School for Boys (0.8 miles, Outstanding, selective, Attainment 8 79.1).
North Cestrian School's 2026 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Loreto Grammar SchoolAltrincham Grammar School for GirlsBlessed Thomas Holford Catholic CollegeAltrincham Grammar School for Boys
The trust
North Cestrian School is one of 2 schools run by The Hamblin Education Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
143 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about North Cestrian School (as of September 2025): 78% would recommend the school, 81% say their child is happy there and 57% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school has high expectations for their child (83%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (57%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 153 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 86% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 32% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.
Who goes there
16.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 26.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (54%), Asian (17%) and Mixed (8%).
In 2026, 84 pupils (10.5%) received SEN support and 52 (6.5%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Altrincham Rail Station, about 540 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).
1 bus stop is within a five-minute walk; the closest is Loreto Grammar School (outside), 160 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood North Cestrian School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, North Cestrian School issued 67 suspensions, 8.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 4 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to North Cestrian School are Altrincham CofE (Aided) Primary School (0.2 miles), St Vincent's Catholic Primary School (0.6 miles), Navigation Primary School (0.6 miles) and Stamford Park Primary School (0.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Altrincham CofE (Aided) Primary SchoolSt Vincent's Catholic Primary SchoolNavigation Primary SchoolStamford Park Primary School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from March 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
North Cestrian School excels at developing well-rounded young people through an exceptional character development programme. Teachers have high expectations of academic achievement and clearly explain concepts, while the school is also excellent at supporting pupils with additional needs. Pupils benefit from highly effective careers guidance and multiple leadership opportunities that prepare them well for life after school.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on character development through the Cestrian Way and ABC toolkit, helping pupils build confidence and resilience
- Knowledgeable teachers who explain concepts clearly and check pupils' learning effectively
- Excellent support for pupils with additional needs and SEND, with well-trained staff
- Exceptional personal development programme with enrichment activities like gallery visits and competitions
- Effective careers guidance that helps pupils develop high aspirations
Areas for Improvement
- Reading curriculum is still in development - some pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, are not receiving the support they need to improve their reading
- Monitoring and evaluation processes are not yet fully established, making it difficult for the school to measure the effectiveness of its strategies
- Attendance remains inconsistent for some disadvantaged pupils despite recent improvements
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school has created a positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Form captain roles, charity fundraising, school talent show, culture day celebrations, North Cestrian 100 reading challenge, art gallery visits, competitions
North Cestrian School has maintained the good standards from its previous inspection in 2019. The school provides a broad curriculum with high expectations for academic achievement and exceptional character development opportunities.
About
North Cestrian School, formerly North Cestrian Grammar School, is a free school in Altrincham, Greater Manchester, England, for pupils aged between 11 and 18. North Cestrian is part of the Hamblin Educational Trust.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
16.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
143 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has improved from 0.08 to 0.49 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has improved from 49.9 to 52.9 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has improved from 50% to 58% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 52.9 | 58.4% |
| Disadvantaged(25) | - | 38.9 | 32% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(129) | - | 55.6 | 63.6% |
| Boys(77) | - | 52.0 | 58.4% |
| Girls(77) | - | 53.8 | 58.4% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(40) | - | 57.3 | 65% |
| Non mobile(148) | - | 53.6 | 60.1% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 4 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 153 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
4
Permanent exclusions
0.51%
Exclusion rate
67
Suspensions
8.62%
Suspension rate
46 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 777 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with North Cestrian School
Term dates
North Cestrian School is a free school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Trafford's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Train Stations
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to North Cestrian School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. North Cestrian School is in Trafford; for families living there:
Apply to Trafford for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 22
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 7
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 22 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 7 serious and 14 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
6 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Trafford is 11 (the median across 103 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at North Cestrian School
Will you get a place at North Cestrian School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against North Cestrian School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for North Cestrian School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to North Cestrian School.
- Trafford publishes last distance offered figures, but none for North Cestrian School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at North Cestrian School for 2017 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Trafford got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
108%
Over capacity
782 pupils
727 places
55 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Altrincham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Altrincham
Across Trafford council
Places available
3,679
Applications
3,221
Got 1st preference
81.0%
Got preferred school
98.4%
All secondary applications across Trafford council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
84
SEN Support
52
EHC Plans
17.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
799
Total Pupils
398
Boys
401
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
50
Teachers
16.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£41,435
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,851
Per pupil
£5611k
Total funding
£134k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.9%
Overall absence
21.2%
Persistent absence
815
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about North Cestrian School
What are GCSE results like at North Cestrian School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at North Cestrian School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 52.9. 58% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is North Cestrian School's Ofsted rating?
North Cestrian School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for North Cestrian School?
No fixed boundary. When North Cestrian School is oversubscribed, Trafford allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at North Cestrian School?
North Cestrian School was full in 2025, at 108% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at North Cestrian School?
Classes at North Cestrian School average 22.6 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to North Cestrian School?
North Cestrian School has around 799 pupils on roll. 17% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at North Cestrian School?
7.9% of sessions were missed at North Cestrian School in 2024/25. 21.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to North Cestrian School?
Apply through Trafford's coordinated admissions process, naming North Cestrian School on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near North Cestrian School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 22 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 7 serious and 14 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 6 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Trafford is 11 (the median across 103 schools, same distance and years).
Where is North Cestrian School?
North Cestrian School is at Dunham Road, Altrincham, Cheshire, WA14 4AJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)