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St Ambrose College catchment area

Hale Barns · boys grammar school · ages 11 to 18
Admissions
Catchment area
(distance priority)
Intake
Boys · ages 11 to 18
11+ test
St Ambrose Entrance Exam (VR/Maths/English)
Year 7 places
140
Location
Hale Barns, Trafford
Catchment, explained

How catchment works at St Ambrose College

St Ambrose College draws its intake using a designated catchment or distance priority around Hale Barns. To be considered your child first needs to pass St Ambrose Entrance Exam (VR/Maths/English), which makes them eligible but does not guarantee a place.

Pass the entrance exam (VR, maths, English), then ranked by faith/pastoral-area categories, with distance used within categories as the tie-break. The qualifying distance shifts every year with demand, so a postcode that was inside the catchment one year can fall outside it the next.

Bottom line: for St Ambrose College, both things matter, your child must pass the 11+, and you generally need to live close enough to clear that year's distance cut-off.
Grammar schools near Hale Barns
Trafford
Nearby options

Other grammar schools near Hale Barns

Altrincham Grammar School for Boys
Altrincham · Catchment area
1.3 miles away
Loreto Grammar School
Altrincham · Catchment area
1.8 miles away
Altrincham Grammar School for Girls
Altrincham · Catchment area
1.9 miles away
Sale Grammar School
Sale · Catchment area
3.7 miles away
Stretford Grammar School
Stretford · Catchment area
5.8 miles away
Urmston Grammar
Urmston · Part-catchment
6.2 miles away
Applying

Sitting the 11+ for St Ambrose College

1

Register

Sign up for St Ambrose Entrance Exam (VR/Maths/English) with the school or local authority, usually by early summer before Year 6 begins.

2

Sit the test

Your child takes the test in September of Year 6. Results follow in October, before the 31 October secondary application deadline.

3

Get your place

Pass, then your home distance decides. List Hale Barns schools by preference on the application.

FAQs

St Ambrose College catchment, your questions answered

Does St Ambrose College have a catchment area?+
Effectively yes, via faith: Catholic boys in Nominated Local Pastoral Areas (WA14/WA15/M31/M33) are prioritised after passing the test.
Is St Ambrose College super-selective?+
No. St Ambrose College is a selective grammar with a catchment or distance priority, so both a qualifying mark and your home address affect whether you get a place.
How is the catchment for St Ambrose College measured?+
Pass the entrance exam (VR, maths, English), then ranked by faith/pastoral-area categories, with distance used within categories as the tie-break. Distances are normally measured in a straight line from your home to the school, and the cut-off moves each year with demand.
What test does my child sit for St Ambrose College?+
Children applying to St Ambrose College sit St Ambrose Entrance Exam (VR/Maths/English), usually at the start of Year 6. Register with the school or local authority before the summer deadline in Year 5.
How many places does St Ambrose College offer?+
St Ambrose College admits 140 pupils into Year 7 each year. With far more qualifiers than places, the score needed in practice is well above the basic pass mark.
Can we apply to St Ambrose College from outside the area?+
Yes, you can always apply. In quieter years out-of-area children are offered places, but in-catchment families take priority, so it is less predictable.
Does passing the 11+ guarantee a place at St Ambrose College?+
No. Passing qualifies your child, the place then depends on the admissions priorities, most often home-to-school distance.
When do we register for the St Ambrose Entrance Exam (VR/Maths/English)?+
Registration usually opens in the spring or early summer of Year 5 and closes before the test, which is sat in September of Year 6. Results come back in October, the secondary application deadline is 31 October, and offers are sent on national offer day, 1 March. Always confirm the exact dates with St Ambrose College or your local authority.

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Catchment and admissions details change every year. This page is an indicative guide for parents, always confirm the current catchment area, distances, places and test arrangements directly with St Ambrose College and your local authority before applying.