Admissions Update - Autumn 2026

Trafford Grammar School Consortium Appoints New Provider for Admissions Test

We are delighted to announce that the Trafford Grammar School Consortium has appointed Future Stories Community Enterprise (FSCE) as their new admissions test provider for entry to Year 7 from 2028 onwards.

Due to the combined value of the contract, the Consortium undertook a compliant tender process under the Procurement Act 2023. The procurement sought an organisation with proven technical expertise, robust security, strong capacity for large‑scale assessment, and a commitment to fair and accessible selective testing. The opportunity was openly advertised and each submission was evaluated against pre-agreed criteria to determine the most advantageous tender. FSCE was selected from a field of qualified national providers.

A New Chapter for Grammar School Admissions in Trafford

The Trafford Grammar School Consortium comprises Altrincham Grammar School for Boys, Altrincham Grammar School for Girls, Sale Grammar School, Stretford Grammar School and Urmston Grammar School. The Consortium operates a shared testing process, enabling children to sit one test for entry to any of these schools.

Under the new arrangements, FSCE will design, develop, and deliver the test papers – including scoring, analysis, age‑standardisation, and secure reporting of results – and will provide specialist guidance and support to admissions teams across all five schools.

Beginning with the entrance test to be sat in September 2027, the content of the admissions test will change from verbal, non-verbal and mathematical reasoning. The new admissions test will draw on the Key Stage 2 national curriculum programmes of study up to the end of Year 5.

As part of the new arrangements, for entry to Year 7 from 2029 onwards, the Trafford Grammar School Consortium have also taken the decision to move the test date from September of Year 6 to the latter part of the summer term of Year 5.

For clarity, this means:

For entry to Year 7 in 2027, the test provider will be GL and the admissions test will be held in September 2026, as previously communicated.
For entry to Year 7 in 2028, the test provider will be FSCE and the admissions test will be held in September of Year 6.
For entry to Year 7 in 2029 onwards, the test provider will continue to be FSCE and the admissions test will be held in the latter part of the Summer Term of Year 5.

Content of the New Test

The Entrance Examination may assess knowledge and skills from any National Curriculum subject taught up to and including the Year 5 programme of study, meaning the assessment may include art & design, computing, design & technology, English, geography, history, languages, mathematics, music, physical education and science. Each year one full paper will contain questions which draw upon the English and mathematics curriculums. A second paper will draw upon other subjects within the KS2 national curriculum.

The subjects, question types, content and format of the assessment may vary from year to year. This is a deliberate feature of the assessment and is intended to ensure that no individual, tutor or commercial organisation has prior knowledge of, or an advantage in preparing candidates for, the format or content of the test.

Questions are designed to assess how children apply their skills, reasoning and thinking in both familiar and unfamiliar contexts, rather than their ability to recall specific factual knowledge. Candidates are therefore not expected to undertake additional subject-specific learning or memorisation in preparation for the assessment.

The changing nature of the assessment also supports the principle that families should not need to purchase commercial preparation materials or tutoring in order for a child to participate effectively. Preparation should focus on the skills and knowledge children develop through their normal primary education. Working with our test provider, we are committed to making the test content accessible to all candidates regardless of primary school, socio economic background and disabilities. The assessment is intended to identify children who can think independently, respond confidently to unfamiliar situations and apply their knowledge and skills flexibly.

Why FSCE?

FSCE, a not‑for‑profit subsidiary of Reading School, develops bespoke admissions assessments designed specifically for selective state grammar schools. Their tests are currently used by twelve grammar schools and consortia nationally, with more than 8,000 pupils sitting FSCE papers each year.

The Trafford Consortium’s decision reflects FSCE’s strong technical expertise in designing valid, curriculum‑aligned assessments; its commitment to fairness and accessibility through inclusive design and its shared focus on widening access for disadvantaged pupils.

A Focus on Fairness and Opportunity

A key objective of the Trafford tender was to identify an assessment provider whose tests support fair access for all pupils, regardless of background. FSCE’s approach draws heavily on Key Stage 2 curriculum content, ensuring accessibility for children from a wide range of primary schools and reducing reliance on external tutoring. FSCE also provides specialist formats – including Braille, large print and modified papers – and expert support for schools making reasonable adjustments for candidates with additional needs.

A spokesperson for Future Stories Community Enterprise (FSCE) said:

“We are delighted to be working with the Trafford Grammar Schools, who share our vision for fairer selective admissions. At the heart of our approach is a commitment to ensuring that assessments identify true potential, not just prior advantage.

Through research and data-led test design, we aim to dissuade intensive test preparation and encourage natural curiosity and critical thinking. We focus on creating accessible and inclusive tests that maintain the highest standards of rigorous selective assessment and demystifying admissions processes through cohesive partnerships with schools, children and their families.

Working in unison with all schools in the Trafford Consortium, we look forward to developing robust, fair and innovative assessments, to build on the success of the Horizons outreach work and to continue widening participation so that every child has an equal opportunity to demonstrate their ability.”