Altrincham College

About Altrincham College

Altrincham College is a state secondary school in Trafford that is clearly in high demand among local families. For the 2025/26 admissions cycle, the school received 1,100 applications for just 186 places, giving it an oversubscription ratio of 5.91. That means nearly six families applied for every available spot, and only 68 of those offers went to first-preference applicants out of 92 who put the school top of their list. While the school does not publish a parent recommendation percentage, the sheer volume of applications suggests strong local confidence. The school is led by headteacher Andy Keegan and has a non-selective, mixed intake for pupils aged 11 to 18. It is not a boarding school and has no nursery provision, but it does have an official sixth form. With 27% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a diverse community, and its facilities include playing fields, art studios, a sixth form centre, an ICT suite, music rooms, and a theatre.

Academically, Altrincham College holds a Good rating from Ofsted across all categories in its most recent inspection in 2022, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth form provision. This is consistent with its previous inspection in 2017, which also rated overall effectiveness as Good. At Key Stage 4, the school’s Progress 8 score is -0.03, which is classified as Average and places it 15th out of 19 secondary schools in Trafford. This is below the local authority average Progress 8 of 0.36. The Attainment 8 score is 48.2, and 64.5% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, dropping to 48.5% at grade 5 or above. The EBacc entry rate is 27.8%, with 14.2% achieving the EBacc at grade 4 or above. At Key Stage 5, the school’s value-added score is -0.1, also rated Average, with an average points per entry of 30.89, equivalent to a grade C.

For families considering Altrincham College, the school offers a broad range of extracurricular activities including football, rugby, swimming, martial arts, badminton, and hockey, as well as clubs for drama, choir, debating, coding, chess, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, and Young Enterprise. The school has a strong focus on SEND support, with provisions for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disabilities, and autistic spectrum disorder. The school is oversubscribed, so families should be prepared for a competitive admissions process. It sits within Trafford, a local authority with four outstanding-rated secondary schools, the nearest being Altrincham Grammar School for Boys, just 2 km away. This school will suit families who want a Good-rated, inclusive secondary with a strong sixth form and a wide range of enrichment opportunities, set in a high-performing local area.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Altrincham College

Helpful Guides for Parents