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Trafford Consortium

Altrincham Grammar School for Boys 11+ Preparation

A selective boys' grammar school in Altrincham and one of the largest in the Trafford Consortium. It is consistently among the most heavily oversubscribed schools in the borough, which means the qualifying score is only the beginning of the story: where you live decides most of the rest.

The school in brief

Type
Boys, selective
Year 7 places
202 placesConfirmed as the published admission number for 2026 entry. Recheck for later years.
Entrance test
The shared Trafford Consortium test. One registration, one score, used by all five schools.

A large, academically traditional boys' school with a strong sixth form and a long-established reputation across south Manchester. Its size means a wide subject offer and substantial extracurricular provision, which suits a child who will take up what is on offer rather than needing to be drawn out.

Qualifying score

The qualifying score for 2028 entry is not yet confirmed for publication here. Check AGSB’s admissions page for the current figure.

Treat it as a threshold, not a target. Reaching it makes your child eligible; it does not secure a place. AGSB is oversubscribed, so qualified children are then ranked by the criteria below, in which where you live does most of the work.

Catchment and how places are allocated

Postal addresses in WA13, WA14, WA15, M33 and M23 which lie within the Trafford Local Authority.Note the local authority qualifier. An M23 or M33 address outside Trafford does not fall inside the priority area, which catches out families who assume the postcode alone is enough.

The order of oversubscription criteria is not yet confirmed for publication here. Check AGSB’s admissions page for the current figure.

How AGSB compares

Against the other Consortium schools, AGSB is the natural comparison for Altrincham Grammar School for Girls: similar size, similar profile, single-sex, and both drawing heavily on the WA postcodes. Its priority area is defined by postcode rather than by a fixed radius, which makes it different in kind from AGSG's mileage-based catchment. Families in M41 or M31 will usually find Urmston Grammar a more realistic prospect on distance alone, and families in M32 or M16 the same of Stretford.

Key dates

Entry September 2028

For children currently in Year 5.

Registration opens
Not yet published. In recent cycles registration has opened in late April.
Registration closes
Not yet published. In recent cycles registration has closed in mid-June.
Test date
Confirmed as September of Year 6, so September 2027. The exact date is not yet published.
Results
Not yet published.
Common Application Form deadline
The Common Application Form deadline is set nationally at 31 October.

Children currently in Year 5 sit the test in September 2027 for entry in September 2028. Dates shown as not yet published are ones no school has released, not ones we have failed to look up.

Preparing for AGSB

The test is shared, so preparation is not school-specific: the same work counts for all five. What is specific here is the threshold you are aiming past and whether your address puts you in contention at all. We measure before we teach. A free diagnostic assessment maps your child against the Key Stage 2 curriculum objective by objective, so sessions target gaps we have evidence for.

For the exam itself, read the Trafford Consortium page for how the shared test and registration work, and the FSCE exam page for the paper format and what changes.

Is AGSB realistic for your child?

A free diagnostic assessment shows you exactly which Key Stage 2 objectives are secure and which are not, so you can decide with evidence rather than hope.

Book a free assessment Or download the parent guide

The assessment is free. You get a written report showing exactly where your child stands, and you’re welcome to use it to work on things at home, whether or not you book tuition. See a sample report.

AGSB 11+: common questions

How many places does AGSB offer in Year 7?
The published admission number was 202 for 2026 entry. It has been stable at that level, but confirm the figure in the admissions policy for your child's entry year.
What is the AGSB catchment area?
AGSB defines a priority admission area rather than a fixed catchment: postal addresses in WA13, WA14, WA15, M33 and M23 that lie within the Trafford Local Authority. The local authority condition matters, because parts of M23 and M33 fall outside Trafford and therefore outside the priority area.
Do I have to live in the priority area to get a place?
Not formally, but in practice it is decisive. AGSB is heavily oversubscribed, so once boys have qualified, places are allocated by the oversubscription criteria, in which the priority area and then straight-line distance do most of the work. Qualifying from outside the area rarely results in an offer.
What score does my son need for AGSB?
AGSB does not publish a qualifying score on its public pages in the way some Consortium schools do. Trafford qualifying scores have generally sat in the mid 330s out of 400, but you should confirm the figure for your entry year in the school's own admissions policy rather than relying on a tutor's number.
Does AGSB set its own entrance exam?
No. AGSB uses the shared Trafford Consortium test, so your son registers once and sits one exam that also counts for the other four Consortium schools. AGSB then applies its own qualifying score and its own oversubscription criteria to the result.
Is AGSB changing to the FSCE exam?
Yes, along with the rest of the Consortium. Boys entering Year 7 in September 2028 will sit the FSCE test in September 2027. Verbal and non-verbal reasoning are removed and the test moves onto the Key Stage 2 English and maths curriculum.
How does AGSB compare with Altrincham Grammar School for Girls?
They are the closest pair in the Consortium on size and profile, and the obvious comparison for families with children of both sexes. The practical difference for admissions is how each defines its area: AGSB uses named postcodes within Trafford, while AGSG uses a mileage radius from the school. Depending on where you live, one can be comfortably within reach while the other is not.
Can we apply to AGSB and other Consortium schools at the same time?
Yes. One test and one score covers all five, and you rank your preferences on the local authority Common Application Form. Applying to more Consortium schools costs nothing extra and does not weaken any individual application.

Admissions details on this page were last checked against the school’s own published policy on .Arrangements change: always confirm directly with the school.