Altrincham College
Academy converter · sixth form · 973 pupils
88% stayed in education · Attainment 8 48.5
Academy converter
Saint Ambrose College
- Pupils on roll
- 1,096of 1,050 places
- Free school meals
- 6.4%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 150
- Ofsted
- Report card, 25 November 2025Read the Ofsted report
Curriculum and teaching Strong standardAchievement ExceptionalAttendance and behaviour Strong standardPersonal development and wellbeing ExceptionalInclusion Strong standardLeadership and governance Strong standardPost-16 provision Strong standardSafeguarding Met
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: St Ambrose College (URN 131315, until 1 May 2012).
What the data says
Of the 180 pupils who finished Year 11 at Saint Ambrose College in 2023, 74% stayed on in Saint Ambrose College’s own sixth form (Trafford average 42%), 3% went to a further education college and none started an apprenticeship.
Among the 138 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 73% went to university (Trafford 38%, England 37%), and 63% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
GCSE results in 2025 were well above the national picture: Attainment 8 of 76.2 against 46.1 across England and 57.9 in Trafford, with 98% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%) — as a selective grammar school, Saint Ambrose College admits pupils by test at 11, which drives these figures.
Physical Education is unusually popular at GCSE: 43% of the year group took it, against 11% of pupils across England.
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Trafford and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Saint Ambrose College | Trafford | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 180 | 3,338 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 100% | 95% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 99% | 92% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 74% | 42% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 21% | 20% | 13% |
| — further education college | 3% | 27% | 37% |
| — other education | 1% | 3% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 0% | 2% | 3% |
| Employment | 1% | 2% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 0% | 3% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 0% | 2% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Saint Ambrose College | Trafford | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 138 | 3,906 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 92% | 80% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 73% | 38% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 63% | 30% | 19% |
| Further education | 0% | 8% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 1% | 7% | 7% |
| Employment | 17% | 27% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 4% | 14% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | Saint Ambrose College | Trafford | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 76.2 | 57.9 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 98% | 64% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 100% | 79% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 77% | 50% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 7.10 | 5.24 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 9% | 19% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 74.6 | 40.0 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 76.4 | 62.1 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 1% | 18% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 150 | 100% | 89% | 69% | 20% | 100% |
| Mathematics | 150 | 100% | 88% | 82% | 22% | 100% |
| English Literature | 150 | 100% | 86% | 67% | 21% | 97% |
| Religious Studies | 148 | 99% | 31% | 84% | 32% | 97% |
| Chemistry | 95 | 63% | 23% | 86% | 47% | 100% |
| Physics | 95 | 63% | 23% | 91% | 46% | 100% |
| Biology | 95 | 63% | 23% | 83% | 45% | 100% |
| History | 84 | 56% | 41% | 69% | 26% | 93% |
| Spanish | 75 | 50% | 19% | 63% | 27% | 99% |
| Geography | 74 | 49% | 41% | 84% | 25% | 100% |
| Physical Education | 64 | 43% | 11% | 58% | 24% | 98% |
| Combined Science | 55 | 37% | 65% | 56% | 9% | 98% |
| French | 51 | 34% | 18% | 47% | 29% | 92% |
| Computer Science | 48 | 32% | 13% | 90% | 30% | 100% |
| Design and Technology | 28 | 19% | 11% | 82% | 23% | 100% |
| Latin | 22 | 15% | 1% | 59% | 74% | 86% |
| Music | 21 | 14% | 5% | 86% | 33% | 100% |
| Food Preparation and Nutrition | 14 | 9% | 8% | 100% | 21% | 100% |
| Drama | 13 | 9% | 7% | 100% | 27% | 100% |
| Fine Art | 10 | 7% | 9% | 100% | 28% | 100% |
| Polish | 2 | 1% | 1% | — | 84% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | Saint Ambrose College | Trafford | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 282 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 126 | 1,595 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | B+ | B | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 44.54 | 41.10 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | B+ | B | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 40% | 34% | 18% |
| Average grade, applied general courses | — | — | — |
| Average grade, T levels | — | — | — |
A level subjects
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 70 | 56% | 31% |
| Chemistry | 50 | 40% | 17% |
| Economics | 46 | 37% | 13% |
| Biology | 30 | 24% | 20% |
| Business Studies | 30 | 24% | 13% |
| Physics | 30 | 24% | 12% |
| History | 22 | 17% | 13% |
| Computer Science | 20 | 16% | 5% |
| Geography | 15 | 12% | 10% |
| English Language | 15 | 12% | 4% |
| Further Mathematics | 10 | 8% | 5% |
| Psychology | 8 | 6% | 23% |
| English Literature | 8 | 6% | 11% |
| Politics | 8 | 6% | 6% |
| Physical Education | 7 | 6% | 3% |
| Fine Art | — | — | 3% |
| Polish | — | — | 0% |
| Religious Studies | — | — | 4% |
| Russian | — | — | 0% |
| Spanish | — | — | 2% |
| Product Design | — | — | 2% |
| Music | — | — | 0% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | 53 | 42% | — |
| Mathematical Studies | Core Maths Qualifications at Level 3 | 24 | 19% | — |
| Further Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Further Mathematics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Trafford
Altrincham Grammar School for Boys
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,432 pupils
99% stayed in education · Attainment 8 78.5
Altrincham Grammar School for Girls
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,381 pupils
100% stayed in education · Attainment 8 80.6
Ashton-on-Mersey School
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,609 pupils
90% stayed in education · Attainment 8 52.1
Blessed Thomas Holford Catholic College
Voluntary aided school · sixth form · 1,638 pupils
86% stayed in education · Attainment 8 48.9
Broadoak School
Academy converter · 507 pupils
83% stayed in education · Attainment 8 42.4
Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.