A selective co-educational grammar school in Welling, Greater London, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,502 pupils on roll.
Bexley Grammar School
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At a glance
Bexley Grammar School is a selective, co-educational grammar school in Welling with a substantial sixth form and a current roll of about 1,502. The school's own language is unusually clear: BGS wants pupils to develop Intellect, Empathy and Courage, and its curriculum has long carried an international flavour. Sixth formers currently follow the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, which the school has taught since 2003 and made its full sixth-form route in 2017; from September 2026, new sixth-form entrants move to A levels while current IB students finish their course.
That internationalism is not just a sixth-form badge. The school describes a broad curriculum from Year 7 onwards, with languages, science, mathematics, humanities, arts, technology and personal development sitting alongside a house system and leadership opportunities. The public co-curricular pages point to a busy school week: sports teams, musical ensembles, theatre productions, robotics and trips are all part of the offer, giving academically able pupils more than one way to find confidence.
For Year 7 entry, the published admission number is 210. Bexley Grammar uses the borough Bexley Selection Test, with two multiple-choice booklets supplied by Quest Assessments; children need to be deemed selective before the school's oversubscription rules can matter. The highest 180 Bexley scores have grammar-school priority, while other eligible places are mainly shaped by the school's pupil-premium, sibling, staff-child and distance criteria.
Recent official benchmarks give parents a sense of scale and academic context rather than the whole story: Ofsted Outstanding, Progress 8 of +0.49 and 99.6% grade 5+ in English and maths. The more distinctive point is how Bexley Grammar combines that selective academic record with a deliberately outward-looking curriculum and a large, active sixth form.
Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Bexley and England.
Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Bexley and England.
Latest 2024/25 Year 11 destination mix compared with Bexley and England.
January 2025 school census
Whole-school roll of 1,502 pupils; 1,482 had a recorded ethnic group.
| Recorded group | Share | Category | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| White British | 33.7% | White | 506 |
| Indian | 12.1% | Asian | 181 |
| Any other White background | 11.5% | White | 172 |
| African | 11.1% | Black | 167 |
| Any other Asian background | 9.5% | Asian | 142 |
| Chinese | 5.3% | Asian | 80 |
| White and Asian | 4.3% | Mixed | 65 |
| Any other mixed background | 2.9% | Mixed | 44 |
| Pakistani | 1.5% | Asian | 22 |
| Any other ethnic group | 1.4% | Other | 21 |
| Unclassified | 1.3% | Unclassified | 20 |
| Bangladeshi | 1.3% | Asian | 19 |
| White and Black African | 1.2% | Mixed | 18 |
| Caribbean | 0.9% | Black | 14 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 0.8% | Mixed | 12 |
| Irish | 0.7% | White | 10 |
| Any other Black background | 0.5% | Black | 8 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 0.1% | White | 1 |
Entry requires a deemed-selective Bexley Selection Test result. Children with an EHCP naming the school are admitted before the oversubscription criteria. The highest 180 Bexley scores receive grammar-school priority, and most remaining places are allocated by the published criteria, mainly distance.
There is no catchment boundary. Most remaining places are allocated by straight-line distance from home to the middle gate entrance; the March 2025 offer distance was 1.9 miles, with the waiting list reaching close to 2 miles later on.
Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school
Children with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming Bexley Grammar School are admitted before other places if they are deemed selective.
Looked-after and previously looked-after children
Looked-after and previously looked-after children are prioritised first under the oversubscription criteria if they are deemed selective.
Up to 12 Pupil Premium places
Up to 12 places are reserved for deemed-selective children eligible for Pupil Premium, ranked by straight-line distance, with the supplementary form returned by 31 October in the year of application.
Guaranteed grammar school place for the highest 180 scores
Children with one of the highest 180 standardised scores in the Bexley Selection Test are guaranteed a place at their preferred Bexley grammar school.
Sibling priority
Applicants with a brother, sister, step-sibling or half-sibling living at the same address and attending Bexley Grammar School in Years 7 to 11 at the time of application are prioritised next.
Child of staff
Priority then goes to children of staff where the member of staff has been employed at the school for at least two years when the application is made.
The shared Bexley Selection Test is provided by Quest Assessments. Both booklets are multiple choice and the full session lasts about two and a half to three hours including instructions and a short break.
Shared exam route
Bexley Grammar School uses the shared Bexley route. Use these common practice resources for the route, then check the full consortium guide for the complete set and current test guidance.
View all Bexley practice papersPaper 1
Verbal reasoning, English
Bexley Selection Test booklet 1
Verbal ability and English comprehension paper with timed multiple-choice sections, lasting about 50 minutes plus instructions.
Paper 2
Maths, Non-verbal reasoning
Bexley Selection Test booklet 2
Numerical reasoning and non-verbal reasoning paper with timed multiple-choice sections, lasting about 50 minutes plus instructions.
English, Maths, Verbal reasoning and Non-verbal reasoning are included in the published format.
Science is not listed in the current published format.
English
Maths
Verbal reasoning
Verbal ability and English comprehension paper with timed multiple-choice sections, lasting about 50 minutes plus instructions.
Non-verbal reasoning
Numerical reasoning and non-verbal reasoning paper with timed multiple-choice sections, lasting about 50 minutes plus instructions.
Science
Bexley Selection Test registration opens
1 March 2026
PastBexley Selection Test registration closes
31 March 2026
PastRegistration closed at midnight.
Bexley primary-school test window
2 to 10 September 2026
Bexley grammar-school test-centre window
7 to 10 September 2026
Bexley Selection Test results day
October 2026
Common Application Form deadline
31 October 2026
National Offer Day
1 March 2027
Read the 2027 admissions policy
Check the EHCP, Pupil Premium, highest-180, sibling, staff and distance rules before naming the school on the CAF.
Open 2027 policyCheck Bexley Selection Test registration
Registration for 2027 entry ran from 1 March 2026 and closed at midnight on 31 March 2026.
Open Bexley registrationPrepare for the September 2026 test window
Bexley primary-school sessions run from 2 to 10 September 2026, with grammar-school test-centre sessions from 7 to 10 September 2026.
View test datesSubmit the secondary application by 31 October 2026
Bexley's CAF opens on 1 September 2026 and closes on 31 October 2026.
View admissions datesLatest official destinations data currently covers 2022/23 study leavers.
Recent trend
This follows the school's published overall GCSE score across the subjects pupils take. Higher is better.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 76.9 | 74.2 | 49.4 |
| 2022/23 | 74 | 71.8 | 47.0 |
| 2023/24 | 74.7 | 72.1 | 46.7 |
| 2024/25 | 74.7 | 72.3 | 46.8 |
Recent trend
This school does not have a published A-level trend in the local GOV.UK files, so we have shown the share of pupils getting grade 5 or above in English and maths instead.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 99% | 97.7% | 66.1% |
| 2022/23 | 99% | 97.7% | 61.8% |
| 2023/24 | 99.1% | 97.8% | 61.5% |
| 2024/25 | 99.6% | 97.6% | 61.3% |
Recent trend
This follows the share of pupils moving into a sustained destination after Year 11, such as education, apprenticeships, or employment.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 100% | 99.1% | 94.1% |
| 2022/23 | 99% | 98.9% | 93.9% |
| 2023/24 | 99% | 99.0% | 93.3% |
| 2024/25 | 99% | 98.7% | 91.8% |
Latest year breakdown
| In education | 98% |
|---|---|
| In apprenticeships | 1% |
| In employment | 0% |
Latest inspection: 19 October 2022
Local rivals appear first, followed by nearby alternatives where the journey and admissions route are still comparable.
Same Bexley area and similar co-ed selective route
Nearby London option with a similar admissions route
Closest comparable alternatives with a similar academic profile, so parents can weigh local fit and results together.
Similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
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FAQ
Bexley Grammar School currently uses GL Assessment.
1. Read the 2027 admissions policy: Check the EHCP, Pupil Premium, highest-180, sibling, staff and distance rules before naming the school on the CAF. 2. Check Bexley Selection Test registration: Registration for 2027 entry ran from 1 March 2026 and closed at midnight on 31 March 2026. 3. Prepare for the September 2026 test window: Bexley primary-school sessions run from 2 to 10 September 2026, with grammar-school test-centre sessions from 7 to 10 September 2026. 4. Submit the secondary application by 31 October 2026: Bexley's CAF opens on 1 September 2026 and closes on 31 October 2026.
Bexley Selection Test registration opens: 1 March 2026. Bexley Selection Test registration closes: 31 March 2026. Bexley primary-school test window: 2 to 10 September 2026. Bexley grammar-school test-centre window: 7 to 10 September 2026. Bexley Selection Test results day: October 2026. Common Application Form deadline: 31 October 2026. National Offer Day: 1 March 2027
Bexley Grammar School is currently rated Outstanding following the latest published inspection dated 19 October 2022.