A selective co-educational grammar school in Bourne, Lincolnshire, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,740 pupils on roll.
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At a glance
Bourne Grammar School is a large co-educational selective grammar on South Road in Bourne, Lincolnshire. It serves ages 11 to 18, has a recorded Christian character, and has about 1,740 pupils on roll. The school presents itself as an ambitious but practical grammar-school community, organised around the ideas of the best atmosphere, best support and best results, with high standards, personal growth and a love of learning treated as part of the same offer.
The academic character is broad rather than narrowly exam-led. Bourne's sixth form lists 25 A-level subjects, and the school describes a broad, challenging curriculum intended to prepare students for future study and work. Pastoral care is visible in the sixth-form material too, where students follow a bespoke programme of study with year-level support and a dedicated Head of Sixth Form team.
School life has a strong performance, sport and competition thread. The official website highlights choir and orchestral work, chess success at national-final level, a house maths challenge and history fieldwork, alongside orchestra, Duke of Edinburgh and sport. That mix gives Bourne a recognisable tone: academic achievement is central, but participation, responsibility and community contribution are repeatedly foregrounded.
Year 7 entry is through the Lincolnshire grammar-school testing route, with 240 places published for 2027 entry. Candidates sit a verbal reasoning paper and a non-verbal and spatial reasoning paper on adjacent Saturdays; a combined standardised score of 220 or above is the qualifying standard, identifying the top 25% by academic ability in the selective areas of Lincolnshire. The policy then applies its oversubscription rules, including looked-after, sibling, staff, pupil-premium/service-family, 15-mile high-score and distance categories. Ofsted judged the school Good in October 2022, with Outstanding judgements for quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, and sixth form; GOV.UK shows +0.68 Progress 8, 97.5% grade 5+ in English and maths, and 23% AAB or better at A level.
Latest 2025/26 KS4 measures compared with Lincolnshire and England.
Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Lincolnshire and England.
Latest 2024/25 Year 11 destination mix compared with Lincolnshire and England.
Whole-school roll of 1,718 pupils; 1,714 had a recorded ethnic group.
Bourne Grammar School's current admissions materials say there is no guaranteed catchment area or safe distance for a Year 7 offer because each cohort differs. Qualified applicants are considered through the school's published oversubscription order rather than a fixed catchment map.
There is no defined Year 7 catchment area and no guaranteed safe distance. Geography still matters through the 24 high-scoring places reserved within 15 miles and the final straight-line distance criterion.
Looked after and previously looked after children
Priority goes first to looked after and previously looked after children, including children previously in state care outside England who were later adopted, provided they have reached the qualifying standard.
Siblings on roll
Qualified applicants with a sibling already on roll at Bourne Grammar School are ranked next.
Children of staff
Qualified children of staff are prioritised under the school's staff criterion.
Pupil Premium and service-family places
35 places are reserved for qualified applicants eligible for Pupil Premium or the listed armed-forces criteria, with priority within this group given to those living closest to the school.
15-mile high-score places
After criteria 1 to 4, the next 24 places go to the highest-ranking qualified applicants by standardised score who live within 15 miles of the school.
Remaining places by straight-line distance
Any remaining qualified applicants are ranked by straight-line distance from home to the school, with those living nearest given priority.
Official exam resources
No released past entrance-test papers are currently verified here. The resources below are labelled by type.
Lincolnshire test guideFree parent account
Create a free parent account to open the official papers, sample questions and guidance listed here.
11+ registration closes
30 June 2026
PastFamiliarisation session
5 September 2026
PastFormal testing invitations emailed
Week commencing 1 September 2026
Verbal reasoning test at partner primaries
11 September 2026
PastVerbal reasoning test at Bourne Grammar School
12 September 2026
PastNon-verbal and spatial reasoning test at partner primaries
18 September 2026
PastNon-verbal and spatial reasoning test at Bourne Grammar School
19 September 2026
PastResults emailed
9 October 2026, From 12 noon
PastYear 7 application deadline
31 October 2026
PastOffer day
1 March 2027
Register for the 11+ test
Complete Bourne Grammar School's online registration form by midnight on 30 June 2026.
Register for the 11+Prepare for the two test dates
The Year 7 admissions test has a verbal reasoning paper and a non-verbal and spatial reasoning paper on adjacent Saturdays. Both papers must be taken for a valid full score.
Open testing bookletApply for the Year 7 place through your home local authority
Registration for testing does not apply for a school place. Submit your secondary application by 31 October 2026 through your home local authority.
Open Lincolnshire application routeUse the appeals route after allocations if needed
If Bourne Grammar School is one of your listed preferences and no place is offered on 1 March 2027, you can use the published appeal route.
Open appeals routeLatest inspection: 12 October 2022
Local rivals appear first, followed by nearby alternatives where the journey and admissions route are still comparable.
Same Lincolnshire area and similar co-ed selective route
Same Lincolnshire area and similar co-ed selective route
Same Lincolnshire area and similar co-ed selective route
Same Lincolnshire area and similar co-ed selective route
Closest comparable alternatives with a similar academic profile, so parents can weigh local fit and results together.
Nearby option with similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Nearby option with similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Nearby option with similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Best Grammar Schools in Lincolnshire
Compare 15 Lincolnshire grammar schools for 2026: GCSE ranking table, Ofsted, Lincolnshire route, admissions rules, competition, and school profiles.
Best Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking that can be filtered by county, school type, and Ofsted before moving into local admissions detail.
Best Grammar Schools by A-level Results
Explore the best grammar schools by A-level results in the UK, ranked by the published share of students achieving AAB or better at A level.
Best Grammar Schools in Lincolnshire
Compare 15 Lincolnshire grammar schools for 2026: GCSE ranking table, Ofsted, Lincolnshire route, admissions rules, competition, and school profiles.
Best Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking that can be filtered by county, school type, and Ofsted before moving into local admissions detail.
Best Grammar Schools by A-level Results
Explore the best grammar schools by A-level results in the UK, ranked by the published share of students achieving AAB or better at A level.
Related guides are still being added.
FAQ
For September 2027 entry, Bourne Grammar School uses Lincolnshire Consortium 11+. Check the named test and any alternative or later-stage requirements in the admissions policy.
1. Register for the 11+ test: Complete Bourne Grammar School's online registration form by midnight on 30 June 2026. 2. Prepare for the two test dates: The Year 7 admissions test has a verbal reasoning paper and a non-verbal and spatial reasoning paper on adjacent Saturdays. Both papers must be taken for a valid full score. 3. Apply for the Year 7 place through your home local authority: Registration for testing does not apply for a school place. Submit your secondary application by 31 October 2026 through your home local authority. 4. Use the appeals route after allocations if needed: If Bourne Grammar School is one of your listed preferences and no place is offered on 1 March 2027, you can use the published appeal route.
11+ registration closes: 30 June 2026. Familiarisation session: 5 September 2026. Formal testing invitations emailed: Week commencing 1 September 2026. Verbal reasoning test at partner primaries: 11 September 2026. Verbal reasoning test at Bourne Grammar School: 12 September 2026. Non-verbal and spatial reasoning test at partner primaries: 18 September 2026. Non-verbal and spatial reasoning test at Bourne Grammar School: 19 September 2026. Results emailed: 9 October 2026, From 12 noon. Year 7 application deadline: 31 October 2026. Offer day: 1 March 2027
Bourne Grammar School is currently rated Good following the latest published inspection dated 12 October 2022.
