It might be difficult to find your way around the 11 Plus the first time as a parent. How do you aid your kid in getting ready for the Stretford Grammar 11 Plus Exam? What kind of exam structure is it? What stores sell test papers? We’ve provided parents with a “Stretford Grammar 11 Plus Tips” in this article that seeks to address all of your concerns.

Stretford Grammar School, Stretford, Manchester

Stretford Grammar School is a co-educational grammar school with academy status in Stretford, in the Trafford borough of Greater Manchester. It is a smaller-than-average school with a large proportion of students from minority ethnic backgrounds. This page has everything you need to know about Stretford Grammar School and can help you get started with the admissions process. You can also find helpful information about the 11 plus exam, such as exam practice resources, information about exam boards and key dates in the calendar.

School details:

Address: Stretford Grammar School, Granby Road, Stretford, Manchester, M32 8JB

County: Manchester

Type of school: Co-educational grammar school

Age range: 11-18

Ofsted rating: Good

Number of pupils: 837

Admissions to Year 7: 160

Open evening (2024 entry): TBC

11+ exam date (2024 entry): September 2023

Exam board: CEM 11+

Admissions phone number: 0161 865 2293

Admissions email address: admin@stretfordgrammar.com

A Brief Overview of Stretford Grammar School and its Performance

The school was originally founded in 1927 and in 1986 Stretford Grammar School for Boys merged with Stretford Grammar School for Girls. In 2012, the school announced a £250,000 project to renovate the school fields into a state-of-the-art sports facility. In 2009, the school became the first grammar school to be placed in Special Measures by Ofsted; however since Michael Mullins took over as Headmaster in 2012 the school has improved immensely. In terms of student make up, approximately 40% of pupils speak English as a second language, 19% are on free school meals and 4% have some support for special educational needs.

The school’s results have improved dramatically over recent years. In 2020, 60% of GCSE grades were awarded 7-9 (old style A*-A) and 100% of students achieved grades 4 or above (old style C). The picture at A-level was similarly strong: you can see an overview of results and leavers’ destinations here, and it was also ranked number six in the top schools in Trafford based on its results and progress 8 score, which is well above average and in the top 14% of schools in England. You can also compare Stretford Grammar School to other similar schools in the area here.

In 2022, a truly impressive set of results with 44% of students achieving Grade 7 and above in all of their GCSEs and almost 80% of entries awarded the top grades 7,8 or 9 .  In addition, 7 students achieved a full sweep of Grade 9s across their subjects.

In A Levels, as a cohort 47% of all grades were awarded A*/A with 70% A*-B.

Stretford Grammar 11 Plus Admissions Process: 2024 Entry

Below you can find the key dates in the calendar for the 2024 entry. You can also find more information in the school’s Admissions Policy here. The exact dates are yet to be confirmed.

Preparing for Stretford Grammar 11 Plus Exam

The four grammar schools in Trafford all sit the same entrance exam which is based on the CEM exam board. You can find more details of the exam and example practice papers here. Students can expect to sit two exams, both of which will be around an hour long, which will test Verbal ability, Non-Verbal ability, and Maths. Although the school itself does not provide familiarisation booklets, you can find similar packs which offer examples of comprehension questions, non-verbal reasoning, word choice questions and Maths papers.

You can find a breakdown of the difference between CEM and GL exam boards here, but one of the main things to note is that CEM exams tend to be very time pressured. For example, one past paper CEM test only gave pupils 15 minutes to answer 25 maths questions and 15 minutes to answer 60 verbal reasoning questions. As a result, it’s important for students to complete lots of practice papers under timed conditions so that they can familiarise themselves with the format of the exam and get a sense of how much time they have to spend on each question. For a good starting point, you might want to check out this site, which offers lots of free downloadable resources for CEM.

While much of the test is like KS2 Maths and English questions that candidates are familiar with from school, Verbal and Non-Verbal reasoning may be new and this may be where your child should start with revision. This helpful 11 Plus Exam Guide to the Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning Tests can help you to better understand how to prepare your child for these elements of the entrance exam, and it’s also worth checking out the CEM Assessment page, which has lots of handy resources.

As the exam is scheduled for mid-September, your child should already be getting prepared. However, if they have not started revising yet, it is not too late. Discover Help your Child Become 11 Plus-Ready in the Six-Month Countdown to the exam for support in approaching exam readiness and preparation, and for parents who are unsure where to begin, you might like to check out this Top 10 Tips to Pass the 11+ Exam guide.

You may also want to invest in some CGP resources which are specifically designed for the CEM paper – they have everything from exercise books, flashcards, 10 minute tests and practice exams to choose from.

Stretford Grammar 11 Plus Sample Test Papers and Resources

There are past papers available online, but it’s important to remember that it does vary slightly from year to year in order to make it harder for students to prepare. As their entrance exam uses the CEM exam board there are lots of resources and past papers available online; you can find a selection of these below.

English and Verbal Reasoning

11+ English and Verbal Reasoning Book 1 | Answer 1

Maths

11+ Maths Test Book 1 | Answer Sheet 1

Non-Verbal Reasoning

11+ Non Verbal Reasoning Book 1 | Answer Sheet 1

11+ Non Verbal Reasoning Book 2 | Answer Sheet 2

There are lots of overlaps in question types between the CEM and GL exam boards, and so it may be worth checking out this page which offers lots more links to CEM and GL resources.

Additional Information about Stretford Grammar School

The school’s website is currently undergoing development but you can check this page regularly for the school’s prospectus. There are also some pages detailing the wide extra-curricular activities on offer, including a Photography Competition, Inter-House Touch Rugby, and a Geography trip to Iceland. You can find details about the KS3 curriculum here and the KS4 curriculum here. According to the latest Ofsted report, “the school is welcoming and inclusive, with a strong sense of community. Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, make very strong progress in a broad range of subjects. Leaders place great emphasis on pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils have many opportunities to learn about a range of faiths and cultures. They demonstrate a good understanding of British values, including tolerance and respect for diversity.”

Stretford Grammar School FAQs

What is Stretford Grammar School’s Ofsted?

Stretford Grammar School’s Ofsted rating is ‘Good’. You can find all the previous reports and ratings here.

What happens if Stretford Grammar School is oversubscribed?

In the event that more students pass the entrance exams than there are places, then priority will be given to looked-after or previously looked-after children, children in receipt of Pupil Premium, the top 20 highest scoring candidates (regardless of home address), children with a sibling at the school, successful candidates who live within the immediate area of the school (being M32, M33, M41, M15 and M16 and including M21), and then children outside of these areas ranked closest to the school.

Does Stretford Grammar School have a catchment area?

Yes – priority will be given to children living in certain postcodes. You can find full details here.

What is the pass mark for the entry exam?

This can vary slightly year on year but for the past couple of years this has been 334.

Do all schools in Trafford take the same test?

No. All seven schools in Trafford set their own entrance exam, although they cover very similar skills. You can find more details for the individual schools here.

Are the results standardised by age?

Yes – the test papers are marked by an external company, who convert the raw scores (the number of correct answers in each section) into an age-standardised score to make allowance for the child’s age at the time of the test and to ensure that younger children are not disadvantaged.

What is the automatic review?

An automatic review is conducted for all candidates who score between 324 to 333. According to their Admissions Policy booklet, in the review process the following will be considered:

• The test score achieved by the applicant.

• Any special circumstances that the School have been advised of on or prior to the date of the Entrance Test or in the week immediately after the testing (for example, if your child is ill the day of the exam).

• The invigilator’s Report – This is a record of the testing process including any events that may have taken place during the test
• The panel consists of the Headteacher and a current primary school Headteacher. Those candidates who are deemed to have qualified following the review will have their score amended to 334R.

Can I appeal?

Yes, you can appeal if you are not given a place. You can find more details here.

Is there a waiting list?

Yes. You can find more details in the Admissions Policy, but an appeals timetable is published on the school’s website by 28th February each year.

Does the school have a uniform?

Yes – you can find more details here.

You can also access further 11 plus exam resources below:

Best Private Schools in the UK: Top 100 List

Best Grammar Schools in the UK: Top 100 List 

A Guide to Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning Tests

11+ Maths Exam: Helping Your Child to Prepare and Pass in 2022

Meet the 11+ Online Tutors Delivering Results

When Should you Start to Prepare Your Child for the 11 Plus Exam