North Cestrian School
Dunham Road, Altrincham, WA14 4AJOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
North Cestrian School is a secondary school in Altrincham for ages 11 to 18. It is one of the 101 schools in Trafford. It ranks 6th of 8 secondary schools in Altrincham. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in March 2019.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 6 March 2019, report published 29 April 2019
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 19 November 2024
The Cestrian Way and ABC toolkit provides a firm foundation for pupils to build character. Pupils eagerly take up the weekly character development challenges. For instance, pupils' generosity of spirit is encouraged by performing acts of kindness such as writing appreciation cards to staff. Pupils confidently talk about how the school's values of fairness, hard work and honesty are threaded through everything that they do. They appreciate and embrace the way in which the school is preparing them for life after school. Teachers have high expectations of pupils' academic achievement. Pupils take responsibility for their own learning. For example, most use 'prep' effectively to help them to embed knowledge. Many pupils achieve highly across a broad range of subjects. There is a calm and purposeful atmosphere for learning. The routines for moving around school are well established. Pupils move around in an orderly manner. They behave very well. Pupils appreciate the diverse nature of the school. They enjoy celebrating and learning about each other's cultures through 'culture day'. Pupils seize the manifold leadership opportunities from representing their form as form captain, raising money for the school's chosen charity or organising the school talent show.
What the school should improve
- The school's reading curriculum is in development. Consequently, some pupils, including some disadvantaged pupils, do not receive the help that they need to improve their reading. This hampers how well they can access other areas of the curriculum. The school should ensure that appropriate support is in place for these pupils, and that their progress is closely monitored, so that they learn to read fluently and confidently.
- The school's processes for evaluating its work are not clearly defined. This means that the school does not have a precise understanding of what is working well and what needs to be improved. The school should ensure that it develops a monitoring and evaluation system that allows it to sustain continuous improvements.
Exam results
GCSE results (key stage 4), 2024/25
148 pupils in the year group
Pupil numbers and mix
799 pupils on roll, with places for 755
Schools near North Cestrian School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loreto Grammar School | 0.1 miles | Ofsted: Outstanding | Attainment 8: 73.7 |
| Altrincham Grammar School for Girls | 0.5 miles | Ofsted: Outstanding | Attainment 8: 80.6 |
| Blessed Thomas Holford Catholic College | 0.6 miles | Ofsted judgements: Good | Attainment 8: 48.9 |
| Altrincham Grammar School for Boys | 0.8 miles | Ofsted: Outstanding | Attainment 8: 78.5 |
| Wellington School | 1 mile | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 57.3 |
School details
- School type
- Free schools
- Sector
- Free school
- Trust
- THE HAMBLIN EDUCATION TRUST
- Age range
- 11 to 18
- Gender
- Mixed
- Sixth form
- No
- Headteacher
- Mr L R Bergin
- Phone
- 01619281856
- Address
- Dunham Road, Altrincham, WA14 4AJ
- Local authority
- Trafford
- URN
- 143104
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.