The Stamford badge is adapted from the shield which forms
part of the arms of the Earls of Stamford and Warrington,
Lords of the Manor of Ashton-Under-Lyne.
In two quarters are six horizontal bars,
alternately blue and silver (the arms of the Grey family)
and in the remaining quarters are
three black boars' heads, on a silver background
(the arms of the Booth family of Dunham Massey).

The school shield retains the 6 horizontal bars
but has only 1 boar's head in each of the other 2 quarters.
The bars are blue and yellow, the original school colours.

The school motto owes nothing to the Stamford and Warrington arms.
It is Latin, and reads:
VEL PRIMUS VELCUM PRIMIS
which translates as "either first or with the first".