Saint Ambrose College: admissions history
How many families applied, how many places there were, and how far the last place went - every year we hold.
Saint Ambrose College is a grammar school: places go to children who reach the required standard in its entrance test, and only then are the oversubscription criteria applied.
For September 2026 entry, 223 families put Saint Ambrose College as their first choice and 458 named it as one of their preferences, for 149 places offered. That is 1.5 first choices for every place. 86 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Demand has been fairly steady: 206 first choices in 2021, against 223 in 2026.
34% of applications came from families living in another council area.
Across Trafford, 81% of families were offered their first-choice secondary school for 2026 entry, and 98% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2025, families in Trafford lodged 444 appeals against secondary school offers; 385 reached a hearing and 48 succeeded (12.5% of those heard).
Applications and offers by year
| Entry year | Places offered | First choices | Named at all | First choices per place | First choices not offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 149 | 223 | 458 | 1.5 | 86 |
| 2025 | 150 | 205 | 415 | 1.4 | 65 |
| 2024 | 176 | 253 | 460 | 1.4 | 84 |
| 2023 | 149 | 218 | 421 | 1.5 | 73 |
| 2022 | 150 | 192 | 376 | 1.3 | 49 |
| 2021 | 146 | 206 | 485 | 1.4 | 112 |
| 2020 | 148 | 184 | 375 | 1.2 | 42 |
| 2019 | 178 | 224 | 459 | 1.3 | 61 |
| 2018 | 184 | 246 | 460 | 1.3 | 71 |
| 2017 | 144 | 204 | 411 | 1.4 | 68 |
| 2016 | 172 | 223 | 382 | 1.3 | 58 |
| 2015 | 147 | 199 | 362 | 1.4 | 56 |
| 2014 | 141 | 200 | 355 | 1.4 | 66 |
Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers (school-level file). "Places offered" is the number of offers made on national offer day, which can differ from the school's published admission number.