London Grammar Schools Guide: Boroughs, 11+ Tests and Admissions

What the London label actually covers

There is no London-wide grammar school exam, pass mark or catchment. Fully selective state schools are concentrated in several outer boroughs, while some families also consider schools beyond Greater London.

Keep those searches distinct. A Kent, Essex, Buckinghamshire or Slough school is not part of a single London admissions route just because it is reachable from a London address. Identify the school, test organiser and home-authority application process separately.

London grammar schools at a glance

Sutton

Boys at Year 7: Sutton Grammar, Wilson’s and Wallington County Grammar. Girls: Nonsuch and Wallington High. Read the Sutton guide for the shared SET and further assessment.

Bexley

Beths admits boys at Year 7; Townley admits girls. Bexley Grammar and Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar are mixed. The schools use the Bexley selection-test route, with school-specific allocation rules.

Barnet

Queen Elizabeth’s School is for boys at Year 7. The Henrietta Barnett School and St Michael’s Catholic Grammar are for girls. They have separate admission arrangements; read St Michael’s faith-related requirements as well as its testing instructions.

Bromley

St Olave’s admits boys at Year 7 and Newstead Wood admits girls. They run different selection processes. Do not assume a registration for one covers the other.

Kingston upon Thames

Tiffin School is for boys at Year 7 and The Tiffin Girls’ School is for girls. Read each school’s own testing stages, geographical provisions and application instructions.

Redbridge

Ilford County High is for boys at Year 7 and Woodford County High is for girls. Redbridge’s shared selective arrangements include a defined common catchment and priority rules.

Enfield

The Latymer School is mixed. Its published inner-area and residence requirements need careful attention alongside the assessment process.

Separate the test routes

Examples of different assessment arrangements
Route	What to establish
Sutton SET	The shared first stage and relevant second-stage arrangements.
Bexley selection test	The council’s test process and each grammar school’s allocation rules.
Redbridge selection	Shared arrangements, qualification and common-catchment priority.
Individual school processes	The named school’s own registration, subjects, stages and priority provisions.

For 2027 entry, all five Sutton grammar schools require a second stage after the SET. Elsewhere, do not infer the number of stages from the school’s reputation or a different borough’s process.

Use the exam-area directory to reach official organisers. Keep a calendar of each registration and assessment before committing to several unrelated routes.

Check eligibility before registering

Being able to travel to a school does not establish admission eligibility or priority. Check the Year 7 intake, defined priority groups, address dates and required evidence.

Redbridge’s arrangements distinguish common-catchment applicants from those outside it. Latymer publishes its own inner-area conditions. St Michael’s has faith-related requirements. These are different kinds of rule and must not be reduced to a general claim that London grammar schools have “no catchment”.

Apply for school places through your home council, including preferences in other boroughs. Test registration and supplementary forms remain separate.

Test the London school journey

A route that looks short on a map can involve several buses, an awkward interchange or a long walk from the station. Try the journey at school arrival time and check a return after clubs.

Record door-to-door time, reliability and cost, including any transport eligibility or fare restrictions. Do not assume a borough boundary is a sensible limit—or that crossing several boroughs is manageable because the rail journey is fast.

For younger pupils, also consider crowded platforms, winter walks and what happens when the usual connection fails. The travel guide includes a full journey checklist.

Use rankings with context

A London ranking is useful only when the measure and year are clear. GCSE attainment, progress and sixth-form results answer different questions; selective intake also affects comparisons.

Use rankings to explore the stated measure. Before keeping a school, check Year 7 eligibility, geographical rules and the journey. Read current Ofsted findings, curriculum and support information instead of treating a league-table position as a complete recommendation.

Build a manageable school list

Confirm the relevant schools
Separate Year 7 boys’, girls’ and mixed options, then identify the applicable policy category.
Count test routes, not just school names
Check registrations, stages and clashes. Shared geography does not mean shared testing.
Visit for specific questions
Ask about curriculum, support and ordinary school life. Read published admission rules before the visit.
Keep suitable alternatives
Include acceptable non-selective schools and order the CAF by genuine preference. A qualifying result may not secure a place.

A few more answers

Common questions

Is there one 11+ test for London?

No. London grammar schools use several shared and school-specific assessment systems. Confirm the organiser for every school.

Can we apply to a school in another London borough?

Normally yes through your home council’s CAF, but the school’s eligibility and priority rules still apply. Test registration is separate.

Do London grammar schools have catchment areas?

Some have geographical eligibility or priority provisions and others use different rules. Read the specific school’s policy rather than assuming a London-wide approach.

Is a mixed sixth form evidence of mixed Year 7 entry?

No. Several single-sex schools have mixed sixth forms. Use the Year 7 admission arrangements to establish eligibility.

Official sources

Reviewed 28 Sept 2026. Check the published arrangements for your child’s entry year.