Inside the fight to get into Trafford’s grammar schools episode artwork

EPISODE · Jul 22, 2025 · 13 MIN

Inside the fight to get into Trafford’s grammar schools

from The Manchester Briefing from The Mill

Backstabbing parents, extortionate private tutoring companies and a 'web of deceit'. This is the world of Trafford Grammar Schools, a highly selective group of schools where each year, desperate families put their children through extensive private tutoring to pass the rigorous 11+ exam. Are they living up to their original promise of delivering exceptional education to working-class children? And is there a sense of cruelty in how the system works? Ophira Gottlieb, staff writer at The Mill, takes you inside her reporting.Read Ophira's first story: Backstabbing, crying, and a ‘web of deceit’: Inside the fight to get into Trafford’s grammar schoolsRead her second story: Grexit: should Trafford keep its grammar schools?To read more of these stories and support our mission to bring about a renaissance in high quality journalism in the North, sign up as a paying member for just £4.95 for your first three months.With thanks to our sponsor, Newton Music Festival. If you fancy a summer weekend of DJs, bands and festival fun, Newton Music Festival is offering just that from Friday 1st to Sunday 3rd August. The lineup includes (former Mill contributor) Dave Haslam on Friday, The K’s on Saturday and Flash (a Queen tribute band) on Sunday, and is set to repeat the incredible success of last year’s festival. Hosted in the beautiful Mesnes Park, just a 20 minute train from Piccadilly, Newton Music Festival has something for everyone. Day tickets start at £15 and Mill readers can get an exclusive 10% discount using the code ‘1qjpad’ – click here to book. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jul 22, 2025

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Inside the fight to get into Trafford’s grammar schools

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