Saint Ambrose College
Ofsted
Official inspection reports and grades
Inspected 25 November 2025
Results
Compared with the local authority and England
KS4 Results
Attainment and progress
Attainment 8 scores a pupil's best 8 GCSE results, out of about 90. Progress 8 compares those results with pupils who started secondary school at the same level: 0 is average.
| Measure | School | Trafford | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 score | 76.2 | 57.9 | 46.1 |
GCSE results
Grade 4 is a standard pass; grade 5 is a strong pass.
| Measure | School | Trafford | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 98% | 64% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 100% | 79% | 65% |
| 5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths | 100% | 77% | 60% |
English Baccalaureate
The EBacc is English, maths, science, a language, and history or geography. It is a set of subjects rather than a qualification.
| Measure | School | Trafford | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entering the EBacc | 77% | 50% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 7.1 | 5.2 | 4.1 |
Based on 150 pupils at the end of key stage 4.
Catchment area
Pupils and staff
Pupils
- Pupils
- 1,091
- Capacity
- 1,050
- Free school meals
- 6%
Staff
- Teachers (FTE)
- 58.1
- Teaching assistants (FTE)
- 5.3
- Leadership (FTE)
- 6
- Part-time teachers
- 10%
School workforce census, 2025/26.
Parent View
Ofsted’s survey of parents at this school
Ofsted changed the Parent View questions in November 2025, so some questions differ between years.
98%
of parents would recommend this school to another parent
97%
of parents have a positive overall view of the school
246 responses up to 6 April 2026 · 23% response rate
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Don’t know
- Disagree
- Strongly disagree
My child is happy at this school.
98% agreeMy child feels safe at this school.
98% agreeThe school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.
98% agreeMy child has been bullied, and the school dealt with it quickly and effectively.
67% agreeMy child has SEND, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.
82% agree
Questions about Saint Ambrose College
What is Saint Ambrose College's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted inspected Saint Ambrose College on 25 November 2025 using a report card, which grades each area separately and gives no overall grade. The school met Ofsted's safeguarding standards. It was graded Exceptional for achievement and for personal development and wellbeing; Strong standard for curriculum and teaching, for inclusion, for leadership and governance, for post-16 provision and for attendance and behaviour.
How do I apply for a place at Saint Ambrose College?
Apply through the council where you live by 31 October in your child's Year 6, for a place starting the following September. You apply to your home council even if Saint Ambrose College is in another council's area, and can usually list between 3 and 6 schools in order of preference. Offers are sent on 1 March, or the next working day. Saint Ambrose College is a grammar school, so your child must also sit its entrance test, usually in September of Year 6. You register for the test separately, normally in the summer term of Year 5. As a Roman Catholic school it may also ask for a supplementary form, and its admissions policy says whether it does.
Does living near Saint Ambrose College guarantee a place?
No. Distance only counts when Saint Ambrose College has more applicants than places. Then its admission criteria, set by its academy trust, decide who is offered a place first. Children in care or adopted from care come first by law. Most schools put brothers and sisters of current pupils next, then distance or a catchment area. As a Roman Catholic school, it can give priority to children on grounds of faith. As a grammar school, it only offers places to children who reach the pass mark in its entrance test. How far away the last place went changes every year, depending on who applies.
How many pupils are at Saint Ambrose College?
Saint Ambrose College had 1,091 pupils aged 11 to 18 at the latest school census. Its official capacity is 1,050. It is a boys' school with a sixth form.
