North West local authority
Schools in Trafford
Search and compare schools in Trafford with map view, rankings, Ofsted context, performance data and admissions research links. Use this page as a local hub before opening individual school profiles or building a side-by-side comparison.
Trafford school comparison signals
Metrics use latest available published data where present. Local authority averages can be unavailable when a metric is not published for enough schools in the selected authority.
Search paths for Trafford
Checked 23 May 2026
Trafford school admissions for parents
Trafford Council groups its primary, secondary, grammar-test and appeal material inside one starting-school-and-admissions section. Trafford also gives targeted warnings about very high demand in parts of the borough, especially around Altrincham and Sale secondary admissions.
Primary September 2026 round
Trafford says children born between 1 September 2021 and 31 August 2022 can start school in September 2026. The primary closing date was 15 January 2026, national offer day was 16 April 2026, and Trafford published May 2026 for its review of allocation vacancies.
Secondary September 2026 round
Trafford published 31 October 2025 as the secondary closing date and 2 March 2026 as national offer day, followed by an April 2026 review of allocation vacancies.
Apply through Trafford
If you live in Trafford, you must apply to Trafford even if some or all of your preferred schools are in other council areas. Trafford also says an application made only direct to a school will not be considered in the coordinated admissions round.
Supplementary forms and grammar tests
Trafford says some schools require a supplementary form, especially faith schools and grammar schools. Families interested in a grammar school also need to follow the separate entrance-test guidance alongside the standard application.
Oversubscription in Altrincham and Sale
Trafford gives specific advice that all secondary schools in the Altrincham and Sale areas are significantly oversubscribed and tells local residents to read separate application advice before submitting preferences.
Official Trafford links
In-depth guide · Checked May 2026
Trafford school admissions guide for parents
This guide summarises Trafford Council admissions pages as available on 23 May 2026 for September 2026 entry. Always re-check the live council pages and any school-level rules before you apply.
Executive summary
Trafford groups primary, secondary, grammar-test and appeal content inside one starting-school-and-admissions section. Trafford's pages are also unusually direct about oversubscription pressures, especially for secondary schools in Altrincham and Sale.
Key dates
| Stage | Primary | Secondary |
|---|---|---|
| On-time closing date | 15 January 2026 | 31 October 2025 |
| Offer day | 16 April 2026 | 2 March 2026 |
| Vacancy review | May 2026 | April 2026 |
What matters in Trafford
- Trafford residents must apply through Trafford even if they want schools in another authority.
- Trafford says an application sent only to a school will not count in the coordinated admissions round.
- Some schools require supplementary forms, especially faith schools and grammar schools.
- Grammar-school applicants also need to follow the separate entrance-test guidance.
- Trafford warns that all secondary schools in Altrincham and Sale are significantly oversubscribed and points local residents to extra application advice.
After offer day
Trafford publishes separate primary and secondary appeal pages from the admissions-appeals hub. If you are appealing, keep those dedicated appeal pages with the main primary or secondary guidance because they explain both process and published outcomes.
Official links
| Topic | Link |
|---|---|
| Starting school and admissions | https://www.trafford.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/starting-school-and-admissions |
| Starting primary school | https://www.trafford.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/starting-school-and-admissions/starting-primary-school |
| Starting secondary school | https://www.trafford.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/starting-school-and-admissions/starting-secondary-school |
| Entrance test for grammar schools | https://www.trafford.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/starting-school-and-admissions/starting-secondary-school/entrance-test-grammar-schools |
| School admissions appeals | https://www.trafford.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/starting-school-and-admissions/school-admissions-appeals |