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School profile Record updated 27 October 2026

Wiltshire Wiltshire 11+

Bishop Wordsworth's Church of England Grammar School

Exeter Street, Salisbury, SP1 2ED

A selective boys grammar school in Salisbury, Wiltshire, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,188 pupils on roll.

Grammar school Boys Academy converter Ages 11-18 Sixth form GL Assessment
2025–2026 GCSE rank ?
UK Rank #77
Year 7 places
160
Competition ?
3.0 candidates per place (2027 entry)
Ofsted ?
Outstanding
11+ route
GL Assessment
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On this page

At a glance

Key facts

2025–2026 GCSE rank ?
UK Rank #77
Sector
Grammar school
Admissions
Boys only
Assessment
GL Assessment
Places in Year 7
160
Competition ?
3.0 candidates per place (2027 entry)
Catchment
You can apply from any area, but living in the published local area gives priority for some or all places.
Ofsted ?
Outstanding

Overview

Bishop Wordsworth's is a Salisbury grammar with a very particular setting: a Church of England boys' school founded in 1890 and still rooted close to the Cathedral Close. It educates roughly 1,190 pupils from Year 7 through sixth form, with a house structure, chapel life and a strong tradition of music, drama and public service giving the school a more distinctive feel than a purely exam-led grammar.

The academic pitch is unapologetically ambitious. The school publishes GCSE and A level results, and its 2022 Ofsted judgement was Outstanding across the inspected areas. The sixth form is a significant part of the school, with prefect leadership, a broad A level curriculum and a culture that expects pupils to take visible responsibility in the wider community.

Co-curricular life is active rather than decorative: choirs and house music sit alongside drama productions, sport, coding, competitions and student leadership. Facilities named across the school material include performance spaces, music rooms, a library and sports provision, so the day-to-day offer is not confined to the classroom.

For Year 7, Bishop Wordsworth's publishes 160 places. The admissions route is the school's own two-paper 11+ process, with only the nearest 480 applicants invited to test; ten places are reserved for qualifying pupil-premium applicants. The headteacher and governors set the qualifying standard each year, so a qualifying result is the start of the allocation process, not an automatic offer.

Key points
Assessment route
GL Assessment: 2 papers, covering English, Maths, Verbal reasoning and Non-verbal reasoning.
Places and demand
160 places in Year 7 and 3.0 candidates per place (2027 entry)
Catchment
You can apply from any area, but living in the published local area gives priority for some or all places.
Results
98.1% grade 5+ in English and maths and 73.5 Attainment 8
Sixth form
Sixth form available with 32.8% AAB or better and 60.7% in higher education.

GCSE benchmark

Latest 2025/26 KS4 measures compared with Wiltshire and England.

School Local authority England
GCSE benchmark comparison Latest GCSE benchmark measures for Bishop Wordsworth's Church of England Grammar School, Wiltshire, and England. 0 50 100 Att. 8 5+ E&M
Attainment 8
73.5
Grade 5+ English and maths
98.1%

Attainment 8 trend

Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Wiltshire and England.

School Local authority England
Attainment 8 trend line Attainment 8 over time for Bishop Wordsworth's Church of England Grammar School, Wiltshire, and England. 100 80 60 40 21/22 22/23 23/24 24/25 25/26

Destinations

Latest 2024/25 Year 11 destination mix compared with Wiltshire and England.

Education Apprenticeships Employment Other / unknown
Destinations stacked bar comparison Year 11 destinations for Bishop Wordsworth's Church of England Grammar School, Wiltshire, and England across education, apprenticeships, employment, and other or unknown destinations. 0 50 100 School Local auth. England

School details
Sector
Grammar school
School type
Academy converter
Application
Local authority CAF
Gender
Boys only
Age range
11-18
Headmaster
Mr Michael Thorne
Pupil roll
1,193 pupils
Sixth form
Yes
Trust
Bishop Wordsworth's Church Of England Grammar School
FSM ?
3.6%
EAL ?
7.9%
EHCP ?
0.3%

Facilities

Sports hall Library Theatre

Extracurriculars

Choir Drama Coding club Sport

School statistics

Ethnicity

Pupil ethnicity

Whole-school roll of 1,193 pupils; 1,086 had a recorded ethnic group.

White 68.9% Asian 12.5% Mixed 5.4% Black 3.3% Other 1.1% Unclassified 9%

Location and contact

Address

Address
Exeter Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire
Postcode
SP1 2ED
Area
Wiltshire
Exam area
Wiltshire 11+

School leadership

Headmaster
Mr Michael Thorne

School contact

School email
admissions@bishopwordsworths.org.uk
School phone
01722333851

Admissions contact

Admissions team
Admissions Office
Admissions contact
Mrs Ruth Cliffe
Admissions email
admissions@bishopwordsworths.org.uk
Admissions phone
01722333851
Open in Map Open school website

Admissions

Residence and moving rules

2027 entry

For local priority

Complete the move
Before this date
Meet previous-home conditions
Qualifying previous-home and new-home legal arrangements must pre-date this cutoff

Applies to: On-time applicants moving into the designated area after their school application; service/Crown-servant exceptions are separate.

Provide address evidence
Before offers

Applies to: Families asking the school to recognise a qualifying new address or service posting.

Policy wording, evidence and exceptions

Address for local priority

Families moving into the designated area after applying may use the new address for the first allocation only if the move and the required previous-home and new-home arrangements are completed before 31 October 2026. Later moves before National Offer Day use the original application address.

Evidence required
  • Sale or exchange/tenancy termination for the previous home
  • A qualifying new lease and council-tax notice where renting
Home address conditions
A new rental agreement must be for at least 12 months without a break clause, and the child must actually live there with a parent.

Address evidence

The school must receive the legal documents supporting a qualifying move by 16 December 2026. Service, Crown-servant and British Council posting evidence is also due by this date.

Evidence required
  • Required legal address documents
  • For a qualifying posting, an official government letter declaring the relocation date
Official admissions policy

Checked

Year 7 places
160 places
Applications listed
249 applications (2026 entry)
First preferences
213 first preferences (2026 entry)
Competition ?
3.0 candidates per place (2027 entry)
Catchment
You can apply from any area, but living in the published local area gives priority for some or all places.
Published score basis
No fixed numeric pass mark published (2027 entry)
Pass mark note
No fixed numeric pass mark is published for Year 7. The headteacher sets the qualifying standard each year in consultation with governors, and meeting that required standard does not guarantee an offer when the school is oversubscribed.

The designated area gives priority in oversubscription, but boys do not need to live inside it to apply or attend. If applications to sit the 11+ exceed capacity, the nearest 480 applicants to the Exeter Street gate are invited to test; straight-line distance is also used within an oversubscription criterion.

Oversubscription and eligibility

  1. 1

    Looked after and previously looked after children

    Priority first goes to looked after children, previously looked after children, and children previously in state care outside England who are now adopted or under special guardianship or child arrangements orders.

  2. 2

    Pupil premium applicants

    Ten places are reserved for qualifying pupil premium applicants, who can reach a qualifying standard set at 10 percent below the main standard.

  3. 3

    Designated area applicants

    Qualified applicants living in the designated area are ranked ahead of other qualified applicants.

  4. 4

    Children of eligible staff

    Priority then extends to children of staff who meet the published service criteria in the policy.

  5. 5

    Service premium and armed forces applicants

    Priority then goes to children who qualify under the service premium or other published armed-forces conditions.

  6. 6

    Other qualified applicants

    Remaining places go to other qualified applicants, with distance to the Exeter Street gate used as the final tie-break.

Admissions policy

Admissions Policy 2027-28

2027 entry

Information booklet

11+ Entry Information Leaflet

2027 entry

Exam and test format
September 2027 entry

Two papers covering verbal skills, maths and non-verbal reasoning.

Test provider
GL Assessment
Scores
Age-standardised

Papers and timings

  • Verbal skills English · Verbal reasoning
  • Mathematics and non-verbal reasoning Maths · Non-verbal reasoning

What the test includes

  • English
  • Maths
  • Verbal reasoning
  • Non-verbal reasoning
Official test guidance

Official exam resources

Past papers and practice materials

No released past entrance-test papers are currently verified here. The resources below are labelled by type.

Application

Key dates

Get date reminders
Find open days and plan a visit

  1. Bishop's applications open

    25 March 2026

    Past

  2. School application deadline

    3 July 2026

    Past

    3 July 2026 in the live 2027 timetable; 1 September 2026 in the determined policy. Contact admissions if this difference affects your application.

  3. Local authority applications open

    1 September 2026

    Past

  4. 11+ test day

    26 September 2026

    Past

  5. Results released

    6 October 2026

    Past

  6. Common Application Form deadline

    31 October 2026

    Past

  7. National Offer Day

    1 March 2027

  8. Address evidence deadline

    16 December 2026

  9. School offer acceptance deadline

    15 March 2027

  10. Move-in deadline

    31 October 2026, Before this date

    Past

  11. Previous-home residence deadline

    31 October 2026, Qualifying previous-home and new-home legal arrangements must pre-date this cutoff

    Past

How to apply

  1. 1

    Complete the school application

    Submit the Bishop Wordsworth's 11+ application and all supporting documents between 25 March 2026 and 26 June 2026.

    Open admissions page
  2. 2

    Sit the 11+ test if invited

    Only the nearest 480 applicants are invited to sit the test, which takes place on Saturday 26 September 2026.

    View admissions dates
  3. 3

    Use the result on your local authority form

    Results are released on 16 October 2026 and the local authority application closes on 31 October 2026.

    Open Year 7 timetable

Official admissions documents

Admissions policy

Admissions Policy 2027-28

2027 entry

Information booklet

11+ Entry Information Leaflet

2027 entry

Key dates

Year 7 Admissions Page

2027 entry

Results

Inspection
View report
Outstanding

Latest inspection: 16 November 2022

Quality of education
Outstanding
Behaviour and attitudes
Outstanding
Personal development
Outstanding
Leadership and management
Outstanding
Sixth form provision
Outstanding

Quick summary

  • Overall effectiveness: Bishop Wordsworth's was graded Outstanding. Pupils are proud, safe and happy, behaviour is exemplary, and the school combines high academic expectations with a strong extracurricular offer and a Christian ethos that supports moral and social development.
  • Quality of education: The curriculum is rigorous, ambitious and broad, with academic subjects at its heart. Teachers use strong subject knowledge, precise SEND guidance, reading time and rigorous assessment to help pupils remember learning and correct misconceptions.
  • Behaviour and attitudes: Behaviour was described as exemplary. Pupils strive to meet leaders' high expectations, bullying is very rare and stopped quickly, and sixth-form students take seriously their role as positive examples for younger pupils.
  • Personal development: Pupils develop interests through many extracurricular activities, including sports teams, music clubs, computer coding, philosophy and pottery. The curriculum also teaches consent and healthy relationships at age-appropriate points, continuing into the sixth form.
  • Leadership and management: Leaders ensure all subjects are valued within a balanced education and have added curriculum time for reading. Safeguarding is effective, with staff alert to well-being concerns, though leaders had begun work to make pupil reporting easier.
  • Sixth form provision: Sixth form was graded Outstanding. Students act as role models, girls joining the sixth form are welcomed quickly into the community, and sixth-formers value the reading lists that support their chosen courses.

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Shortlist comparisons

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Related pages and guides

Guides and related reading

Related guides are still being added.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Which entrance tests does Bishop Wordsworth's Church of England Grammar School use?

For September 2027 entry, Bishop Wordsworth's Church of England Grammar School uses GL Assessment. Check the named test and any alternative or later-stage requirements in the admissions policy.

How do I apply to Bishop Wordsworth's Church of England Grammar School?

1. Complete the school application: Submit the Bishop Wordsworth's 11+ application and all supporting documents between 25 March 2026 and 26 June 2026. 2. Sit the 11+ test if invited: Only the nearest 480 applicants are invited to sit the test, which takes place on Saturday 26 September 2026. 3. Use the result on your local authority form: Results are released on 16 October 2026 and the local authority application closes on 31 October 2026.

When are the key dates for Bishop Wordsworth's Church of England Grammar School?

Bishop's applications open: 25 March 2026. School application deadline: 3 July 2026. Local authority applications open: 1 September 2026. 11+ test day: 26 September 2026. Results released: 6 October 2026. Common Application Form deadline: 31 October 2026. National Offer Day: 1 March 2027. Address evidence deadline: 16 December 2026. School offer acceptance deadline: 15 March 2027. Move-in deadline: 31 October 2026, Before this date. Previous-home residence deadline: 31 October 2026, Qualifying previous-home and new-home legal arrangements must pre-date this cutoff

What does the latest inspection picture look like for Bishop Wordsworth's Church of England Grammar School?

Bishop Wordsworth's Church of England Grammar School is currently rated Outstanding following the latest published inspection dated 16 November 2022.