Which Manchester schools use the GL Assessment 11 plus exam?
The four Trafford state grammar schools — Altrincham Grammar School for Boys, Altrincham Grammar School for Girls, Sale Grammar School, and Stretford Grammar School — all use the GL Assessment format for their shared September entrance examination. This means that a child sitting the test in early September of Year 6 is simultaneously being considered for all four schools based on a single set of papers. Manchester Grammar School and Stockport Grammar School are independent and use their own bespoke entrance examinations in January of Year 6, which are separate from the Trafford GL Assessment process.
When should my child start preparing for the Manchester 11 plus?
For the Trafford GL Assessment, most families begin structured preparation at the start of Year 5, giving approximately 12 months before the September test. This timeline allows children to become fluent across all 21 GL verbal reasoning question types, consolidate any KS2 mathematics gaps, and complete enough timed mock papers to build exam stamina. Families targeting Manchester Grammar School or Stockport Grammar School should start in Year 4, as these independent schools test at a more advanced level and the January Year 6 exam date is earlier. Starting too late — after Christmas of Year 5 — leaves insufficient time to address all subject areas adequately.
What is the pass mark for Trafford grammar schools?
Trafford does not publish a fixed pass mark. Instead, GL Assessment converts raw scores to age-standardised scores (mean 100, standard deviation 15). Children must achieve the selective eligibility threshold — broadly the top 25% of registered Trafford pupils — to be considered for a grammar school place. In practice, competition means that children in the top 10–15% of the cohort are most likely to receive offers at oversubscribed schools like Altrincham Grammar School for Boys or Altrincham Grammar School for Girls. A child can pass the threshold and still not receive a grammar school place if they live far from their preferred school and higher-ranking applicants fill all places.
Can children who live outside Trafford apply to Trafford grammar schools?
Yes. Families living outside Trafford — for example in Stockport, Manchester City, Salford, or Cheshire East — can apply to the four Trafford state grammars. They must register through Trafford Borough Council's admissions process in June–August of Year 5 and sit the same September GL Assessment as Trafford-resident children. However, after the selective threshold is met, school places are allocated based on oversubscription criteria which typically give priority to children living in Trafford first. Non-Trafford applicants need to achieve higher standardised scores to compensate for the distance disadvantage in place allocation.
How is Manchester Grammar School different from the Trafford grammar schools?
Manchester Grammar School is a fully independent, fee-paying boys' school that is widely regarded as one of the academically strongest schools in the United Kingdom. Unlike the Trafford state grammars which use GL Assessment multiple-choice papers, MGS sets its own extended written entrance exam in January of Year 6 covering English (comprehension and creative writing) and mathematics at a level well beyond the KS2 curriculum. MGS also offers means-tested bursaries and academic scholarships. Admission is through a separate application process with its own registration deadline in November of Year 5. Preparing for MGS and the Trafford grammars simultaneously requires managing two distinct preparation styles.
What subjects are tested in the Trafford GL Assessment?
The Trafford GL Assessment covers four subjects: verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, mathematics, and English. The verbal reasoning paper tests linguistic logic across 21 question types including letter series, word codes, analogies, and hidden words. The non-verbal reasoning paper tests spatial pattern recognition using symbols and shapes. The mathematics paper covers the full KS2 curriculum with multi-step reasoning and unfamiliar problem formats. The English paper includes reading comprehension on complex extracts and grammar and punctuation questions. All papers use multiple-choice answer sheets. Children are assessed across all four papers in a single sitting, and age-standardised scores are generated for each domain before being combined.
Does Altrincham Grammar School for Girls have a different exam from Altrincham Grammar School for Boys?
No. Both Altrincham Grammar School for Boys and Altrincham Grammar School for Girls sit the same shared GL Assessment papers as part of the Trafford consortium alongside Sale Grammar School and Stretford Grammar School. The papers, sitting date, and scoring methodology are identical for all four schools. The difference lies in admissions allocation after the selective threshold is met: boys are considered for AGSB and Stretford Grammar, while girls are considered for AGSG and Sale Grammar, with preferences and distance criteria determining final offers. Families register once with Trafford and then rank their preferred schools on the standard Trafford secondary preferences form submitted in October of Year 6.
Are there any bursaries or financial support options for Manchester selective schools?
Both Manchester Grammar School and Stockport Grammar School offer means-tested bursaries that can reduce fees substantially for qualifying families — in some cases to zero. MGS in particular has a strong bursary programme and actively encourages applications from academically able boys from all financial backgrounds. Bursary applications must be made alongside the entrance exam registration and require financial documentation. Academic scholarships are also available at MGS and Stockport Grammar, awarded on the basis of entrance exam performance, with no means-testing required. The four Trafford state grammars — AGSB, AGSG, Sale Grammar, and Stretford Grammar — are fully state-funded and therefore free to attend.
