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Further education

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Original poster

Loreto 6th form college Manchester - entry requirements

12 replies

DataColour · 17/11/2025 09:56

Does anyone have any experience of applying to Loreto and not being religious? My DD really wants to go there and so do all her friends. We live about 30min walk away so quite close but last year my DS did not get an offer despite having predicted grades that were at least the minimum entry requirements.
DD's friends are probably religious and I'd hate for her to not get in as she's been working so hard for her mocks and really wants to go this college. Seems so unfair.

Any experiences of applying for Loreto would be good. I actually know a lot of people in real life who do have kids in Loreto but I don't really want to probe as to whether they put down being religious or not as it seems too intrusive.

OP posts:
zazazaaarmm · 17/11/2025 10:09

Both Xaverian and Loreto are Catholic colleges and I think they give some preference to people that have been baptised in attend church. Two of my kids have gone to either of them and we are not religious at all.I would say the majority of their friends were actually probably atheists, Muslim, or Sikh.

TheTurn0fTheScrew · 17/11/2025 10:21

Distance doesn't factor at all in the criteria. It's basically feeders school get priority, then other catholics, then everyone else.

Anecdotally, higher achievers tend to get in. This might be achievement in academics, or extra curricular/positions of responsibility etc. The application has a little mini personal statement bit where your DC can write about how they will contribute to college life, so they might want to have a think now about getting involved in activities that will tick those boxes.

Original poster
DataColour · 17/11/2025 10:35

Thanks for the replies.
DS who applied last year and didn't get an offer, probably didn't have high enough predicted grades? He had predicted 7s in Maths, Physics and Geography which is what he wanted to study plus a 5 in English Lang (he got a 7 in the end). DD is likely to get similar perhaps higher in English. She's been working hard to get higher than DS, so we shall see.

How does behaviour considered at Loreto? DS had undiagnosed ADHD, now formerly diagnosed, which led to lot of impulsive behaviour related incidences, suspensions and isolations early in year 11 which might have affected his reference. But he did get an offer for Xaverian.

OP posts:
postitnot · 18/11/2025 17:25

My DD is there. She is in a 'high achiever' form. Anecdotally, if you are at a grammar and applying with lower grades you won't get an offer, but she is friends with people who got 4s and 5s (higher grades in their A level subjects) but aren't Catholic. They've done lots of reaching out to non-catholic, non-grammar schools with no 6th forms...
Maybe the personal statement is really important?

Funkylights · 07/02/2026 20:21

@DataColour did you get an offer in the end? My DC got a place which I was actually surprised about but they do do lots extra curricular stuff and wrote a persuasive personal statement. Baptised RC but not at a Catholic schools not that they checked / asked. No one else we know had heard except one who is predicted 7-9s and also does extra curricular stuff

Funkylights · 07/02/2026 20:28

@DataColour where did your DS go instead? DC friends want Xaverian but I’m not sure which is best option (looking at others too)

Funkylights · 07/02/2026 20:30

@postitnot do they all stay in college 9-4pm? I’ve heard conflicting things. id like that as DC needs pastoral support

postitnot · 08/02/2026 13:22

Funkylights · 07/02/2026 20:30

@postitnot do they all stay in college 9-4pm? I’ve heard conflicting things. id like that as DC needs pastoral support

No, they only have to be in for lessons. They can go in and work in the library but it's not complulsory

Funkylights · 08/02/2026 13:51

Thankyou. Feels such a big decision to make. Hard to not just follow mates

Original poster
DataColour · 08/02/2026 23:28

Yes she did get an offer from loreto and so did all her friends. We went for the interview and she's still keen to go there. And it sounds like loreto will suit her from what I have heard from friends with kids there. She'll enjoy the freedom of not being in a school environment and she is motivated to do well as all her friends are quite academic.
Haven't heard from Xaverian yet though, but I'd rather she stayed at her school 6th form than go to Xaverian tbh, so I'm not concerned about not hearing from them.
@Funkylights DS stayed on at his school 6th form. Very structured routine, good for him with his ADHD.

OP posts:
postitnot · 11/02/2026 18:09

DataColour · 08/02/2026 23:28

Yes she did get an offer from loreto and so did all her friends. We went for the interview and she's still keen to go there. And it sounds like loreto will suit her from what I have heard from friends with kids there. She'll enjoy the freedom of not being in a school environment and she is motivated to do well as all her friends are quite academic.
Haven't heard from Xaverian yet though, but I'd rather she stayed at her school 6th form than go to Xaverian tbh, so I'm not concerned about not hearing from them.
@Funkylights DS stayed on at his school 6th form. Very structured routine, good for him with his ADHD.

So glad she got a place- my younger daughter has a place to start in September too (oldest in yr13 there) and was so excited after the 'interview'! She can't wait- now just the small matter of GCSEs...

Funkylights · 11/02/2026 23:33

Oh how great! Still undecided here but am feeling blessed to have options tbh. I really like Loreto from what I’ve seen

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