Altrincham Grammar Boys 11 Plus
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 Altrincham Grammar Boys 11 Plus ? What kind of exam structure is it? What stores sell test papers? We’ve provided parents with a “Altrincham Grammar Boys 11 Plus Tips” in this article that seeks to address all of your concerns.
Altrincham Grammar School for Boys
School Introduction
Altrincham Grammar School for Boys is a boys’ school in Greater Manchester. The school is an Academy, which means it can choose its own curriculum. Students at the school are aged 11 to 18, and study for GCSEs and A-levels. Altrincham Grammar School for Boys specialises in languages, and offers a range of languages from Latin to Chinese. It also has a state-of-the-art physics centre with six laboratories. The school has recently completed a major extension, which means it now accepts around 200 new students each year.
As well as academic success, Altrincham Grammar School for Boys has a strong focus on extracurricular activities. It is among the best state schools in the country for sports, and has playing fields, an astroturf and two sports halls. The school also has a lively music scene, with several bands and choirs and regular performances.
In 2018, Altrincham Grammar School for Boys was named the Best Secondary State School in the North-West of England by The Sunday Times.
School performance
Altrincham Grammar School for Boys has a Progress 8 score of 0.85, meaning that pupils, on average, gain almost a full grade on their performance at the KS2 SATs by the time they sit their GCSEs. The school has an Outstanding Ofsted rating. In 2019, 62% of GCSE marks were grade 8 or 9.
In 2019, 59% of A-level marks at the school were either A* or A, with 20% A*. In 2020, 87% of leavers went straight into Higher Education.
In 2021, 13 students at Altrincham Grammar School for Boys received offers from Oxford or Cambridge.
In 2022, Students at Altrincham Grammar School for Boys celebrate excellent results in their GCSE examinations. 87% of papers received the top 9 to 7 grades, with 43% at grade 9. In A levels, there were 42 A*, 76% of the students got A* to A, 91% of the students got A* to B and 100% got A* to E.
Page Contents
Admissions information
All applicants must sit an 11+ exam. For applicants for 2024 entry this exam will take place in September 2023. Parents will need to register their child for the exam in the summer the year before their proposed entry to the school. The registration form will appear on the school website. To apply, parents must also include Altrincham Grammar School for Boys on the Common Application Form of their Local Authority. Parents should not apply through Trafford Council, where the school is located, unless they live in Trafford.
Places are allocated based on the standardised scores achieved in the 11+ exam, and applicants must pass the exam in order to gain admission. Results will be sent to parents in October after the exam, but passing does not mean the applicant has gained a place. Pupils who pass and live within the school catchment area, which corresponds to the area covered by Trafford Council, are prioritised. Pupils who attend schools in Trafford, regardless of where they live, are also given priority. The school tends to be oversubscribed, but it is still possible for applicants who live outside Trafford to gain entry. In case two applicants have achieved the same score in the 11+ Exam the applicant who lives closer to the school will be given priority.
Applicants who pass the 11+ Exam but don’t win a place will be placed on a waiting list.
Coronavirus restrictions permitting, Altrincham Grammar School for Boys plan to hold an open evening in summer 2023 for parents who are considering applying for 2024 entry – the school strongly recommends that parents attend this event.
Altrincham Grammar School for Boys also has a very small number of places for applicants who want to join the Sixth Form from other schools. These applicants must complete an application form available on the school website.
Altrincham Grammar Boys 11 Plus Admissions timeline
Altrincham Grammar Boys 11 Plus
Altrincham Grammar Boys 11 Plus uses the CEM 11+ exam, which involves maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. The exam consists of two papers, each lasting an hour. Within each paper there may be several individually timed sections; candidates will be told how much time they have for each section before that section begins. Test scores are standardised based on the applicant’s age.
How to Prepare for Altrincham Grammar Boys 11 Plus Exam: A Guide to Parents
Altrincham Grammar School for Boys’s 11+ Exam consists of two papers that last 50 minutes each. Both are multiple choice and split into various timed sections with a break between the two tests.
The test formats:
Verbal ability (verbal reasoning, vocabulary, comprehension)
Non-verbal ability (shapes and objects).
Numerical ability (maths and problem solving)
English paper, which lasts for 20 minutes. The paper normally tests creative writing ability and is marked separately by the school.
Top 3 Advices on How to Prepare Altrincham Grammar Boys 11 Plus
1. Understand what CEM exam is all about
Altrincham Grammar Boys 11 Plus exam is set by CEM, which mainly covers non-verbal reasoning and verbal reasoning, and it combines English skills and English-related questions into the verbal reasoning paper. CEM also sometimes calls the maths paper numerical reasoning.
2. Practice with CEM familiarisation papers
Unfortunately, CEM is much more unpredictable. The exact format varies from year to year quite significantly, and CEM is particularly careful not to publish too many past papers online to make the test fairer for all pupils. However, schools sometimes release information about the format in advance, so it’s well worth parents contacting them to see if they can give some more guidance.
3. Do more time-pressured practices
As the number of sections in the CEM exam varies, it is also important that students read the time recommendations in the instructions carefully so that they spend adequate time on each part of the test. The CEM exam is much more 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, on average, far fewer students manage to finish the test then GL assessment.
This article about Top 10 Tips to Pass the 11+ Exam will give you some ideas on how to prepare your child for Altrincham Grammar School for Boys’ 11 plus exam. Here are also some Free 11+ Resources for CEM Assessment for your girl to practice. While it is recommended to start KS2 revision and 11+ preparation early, if your girl has left it late to begin, here is A Six Month Countdown Plan for 11+ Preparation written by an independent school teacher.
Sample test papers
Trafford Council have published a familiarisation booklet for the 11+ exam used by all schools in the area, including Altrincham Grammar School for Boys. This is a great guide to what the exam looks like, and how pupils should complete it. It also contains sample test questions.
CEM, the exam provider, has also published familiarisation booklets for the maths and non-verbal reasoning parts of the exam. For the verbal reasoning component they have produced separate familiarisation booklets for comprehension questions and word choice questions.
Think Academy UK has compiled a guide to the CEM Assessment, which includes a great range of free resources and sample test papers.
Additional information
- Location: Altrincham Grammar School for Boys is located near the centre of Altrincham, a town 8 miles southwest of Manchester city centre. The school is located in a suburban, leafy area, with the large school playing fields next to the school.
- Boarding: Altrincham Grammar School for boys does not offer boarding, but students are divided into four “houses” for events and competitions.
- Frequently asked questions
How do I apply for Altrincham Grammar Boys 11 Plus ?
To apply, parents must include Altrincham Grammar School for Boys on the Common Application Form of their local authority. They must also register for the 11+ Exam administered by the school. The registration window for this is in the summer the year before the pupil would like to start, and the registration form will be available on the school website.
Can I visit Altrincham Grammar School for Boys?
The school hopes to host an open evening for parents in the summer of 2023 – details of this will be published on the school website.
In the meantime, the school has published a virtual open day for interested parents.
Share your experiences!
Visit our dedicated forum thread if you would like to learn more about Altrincham Grammar School for Boys.
Has your child attended Altrincham Grammar School for Boys, or are you in the process of applying? Share your experience on our forum!
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
