Five schools, one test
Five of Trafford's seven grammar schools share one entrance test, so your child sits it once and the result can be considered by any of them:
- Altrincham Grammar School for Boys
- Altrincham Grammar School for Girls
- Sale Grammar School
- Stretford Grammar School
- Urmston Grammar School
From September 2028 entry, that test is provided by Future Stories Community Enterprise (FSCE). Trafford's other two grammar schools, Loreto Grammar School and St Ambrose College, set a different test.
When your child sits it
- September 2028 entry: September 2027, at the start of Year 6. This is for children in Year 5 this school year (2026 to 2027).
- September 2029 entry: the latter part of the summer term of Year 5, in 2028. This is for children in Year 4 this school year (2026 to 2027).
You register with your preferred grammar school, not the council, so your chosen school's admissions page has the registration dates and the exact test date.
What the test covers
The FSCE test replaces the verbal, non-verbal and mathematical reasoning in Trafford's previous test. It draws on the Key Stage 2 national curriculum up to the end of Year 5, and may include any subject: art and design, computing, design and technology, English, geography, history, languages, maths, music, PE and science.
The consortium describes two papers each year:
- one drawing on the English and maths curriculum;
- one drawing on the other Key Stage 2 subjects.
It does not mention a creative writing paper, and it says the content, question types and format may change from year to year. FSCE marks and age-standardises the results, and offers Braille, large print and modified papers for children who need them.
How to prepare
The consortium says children are not expected to learn extra subject content or memorise facts, and that families should not need commercial materials or tutoring. The best preparation is steady work at primary school, reading widely, and confident everyday maths. Practice still helps a child meet the style of the questions before the day, and shows where their Year 3 to 5 knowledge has gaps while there is time to fill them.
How Keystral helps
- Daily practice that adapts: short sessions in Key Stage 2 maths and English that find gaps and go back over them.
- Practice papers in FSCE's format: our Adventure and Beacon papers practise English and maths, and Compass practises the other subjects. They follow the format FSCE publishes for Gloucestershire; Trafford's papers may be laid out differently, but they draw on the same curriculum.
- Progress you can see: a parent view of what your child has covered and where they need help.
Keystral is independent of FSCE and of the Trafford grammar schools. Our practice papers are written by us: they are not FSCE's papers, and FSCE does not endorse them. Sources: Altrincham Grammar School for Girls, admissions 2028 and Trafford Council, entrance test for grammar schools.