Saint Ambrose College

Saint Ambrose College is performing exceptionally well, demonstrating a strong commitment to student success and wellbeing. The school's leadership has fostered a supportive and ambitious environment that allows students to achieve remarkable academic results, with pupils from diverse backgrounds excelling beyond national averages. The personal development program is notably strong, integrating moral, ethical, and cultural education and empowering pupils to engage meaningfully with their community and the wider world. The commitment to inclusivity and high expectations supports students' holistic development, preparing them for life beyond school effectively.

Strengths

• Highly motivated pupils who make incredible progress.
• Exceptional achievement levels, especially for disadvantaged and SEND pupils.
• Strong personal development program promoting moral and ethical understanding.
• High attendance rates and positive pupil behavior.
• Effective leadership and governance ensuring a clear vision for pupil success.
• Comprehensive careers curriculum leading to high post-16 progression rates.
• Excellent support for pupils with special educational needs.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Saint Ambrose College attended 95.9% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 5.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 4.1% of pupils at Saint Ambrose College were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Saint Ambrose College had 18.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.2% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 4.8% of pupils at Saint Ambrose College were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 0.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2023–24 Saint Ambrose College received £7,305 and spent £7,154 for each of its 1,068 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,034,000 (£968 per pupil).

Across all 4 schools of The Laetare Catholic Multi Academy Trust, income was £7,306 and spending £7,393 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Altrincham · Trafford local authority: places and applications

Saint Ambrose College is part of The Laetare Catholic Multi Academy Trust, which runs 5 schools. The nearest others:

• De La Salle School St. Helens
• St Edward's College Liverpool
• St Joseph's College Stoke-On-Trent
• St Anselm's College Prenton

What is Saint Ambrose College's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Saint Ambrose College is Strong standard, from an inspection in March 2026.

When was Saint Ambrose College last inspected by Ofsted?

Saint Ambrose College was last inspected in March 2026.

How many pupils does Saint Ambrose College have?

Saint Ambrose College has 1,096 pupils on roll.

What age range does Saint Ambrose College cover?

Saint Ambrose College for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Saint Ambrose College's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 72.3, and 99% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Saint Ambrose College?

Saint Ambrose College is at Hale Road, Hale Barns, Altrincham, Cheshire, WA15 0HE.