A selective co-educational grammar school in Brixham, Devon, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,016 pupils on roll.
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At a glance
Churston Ferrers Grammar School Academy is a co-educational selective grammar in Churston Ferrers, Brixham, serving ages 11 to 18. The school's public identity is unusually direct: its headline promise is "learning to create a better world", with scholarship, wellbeing and active citizenship used as the three anchors for school life. The school has 1,016 pupils on roll, including the sixth form.
The curriculum offer is framed around academic rigour without losing breadth. Churston describes a rich programme running from core subjects into languages, physical education and creative subjects, with sixth-form options designed to keep strong A-level routes open. The academic-results page links this to high expectations and strong progression into university, Russell Group destinations and competitive degree apprenticeships, while also making wellbeing part of the route to achievement rather than a separate add-on.
Daily school life has a pronounced community tone. The website repeatedly returns to resilience, kindness, responsibility, connection and mutual respect; school-life pages name Duke of Edinburgh, music, drama, sport, student leadership and the house system. Churston puts unusual weight on students finding their place in the community, not only on individual performance.
Year 7 admission has 160 places. The current 11+ route is a GL Assessment test in English and mathematics only: verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and creative writing are not listed for this route. No numeric pass mark is published; instead, the oversubscription policy uses rank-based bands, including a priority block tied to the score of the fiftieth-ranked child, followed by pupil-premium, sibling, staff, feeder-primary and score-ranked categories. Ofsted judged the school Good in October 2022, and GOV.UK shows +0.17 Progress 8, 97.9% grade 5+ in English and maths, and 22.3% AAB or better at A level.
Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Torbay and England.
Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Torbay and England.
Latest 2024/25 Year 11 destination mix compared with Torbay and England.
Whole-school roll of 1,016 pupils; 1,010 had a recorded ethnic group.
Year 7 applicants sit the shared Torbay selective-school tests and only register with one school, because scores can then be shared between the Torbay selective schools if needed. For September 2026 entry, the latest official allocation summary gives an admission number of 160.
No fixed boundary map was found in the reviewed sources. The published priority is for children on roll at one of 15 named feeder primary schools in Churston's priority admission school group, before the remaining places are ranked by 11+ score.
Education, Health and Care Plan
Children are admitted where Churston Ferrers Grammar School is named in the child's Education, Health and Care Plan.
Looked-after and previously looked-after children
Includes children in care, previously looked-after children, and children previously in state care outside England who ceased to be in care through adoption or equivalent orders.
Qualifying score at least equal to the 50th ranked child
This priority block is defined by rank rather than by a published numeric score: eligible children whose result reaches the level of the fiftieth-ranked child are placed ahead of the later pupil-premium, sibling, staff, feeder-primary, and remaining score-ranked categories.
Free school meals or pupil premium
Eligible children in receipt of free school meals or pupil premium at the time of the test.
Siblings
Eligible children with a sibling already on roll when the 11+ test was taken and still due to be on roll in September.
Children of staff
Eligible children of staff employed on a permanent contract for at least two years or recruited to fill a skill-shortage post.
The 11+ test is administered by GL Assessment and evaluates English and mathematics only. Verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and writing task are not listed for the current Year 7 route.
Official exam resources
No released past entrance-test papers are currently verified here. The resources below are labelled by type.
Torbay test guideFree parent account
Create a free parent account to open the official papers, sample questions and guidance listed here.
Paper 1
English, Maths
GL Assessment English and mathematics test
The 11+ test is administered by GL Assessment and evaluates English and mathematics only; there are no verbal or non-verbal reasoning papers.
English and Maths are included in the published format.
Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning and Science are not listed in the current published format.
English
Maths
Verbal reasoning
Non-verbal reasoning
Science
11+ registration form available
Form live; complete by midday 2 September 2026 at the latest
The school's registration form asks families to submit by midday on 15 July 2026 where possible, or by midday on 2 September 2026 at the latest.
Shared Torbay 11+ tests
Saturday 19 September 2026
The shared Torbay selective test is on Saturday 19 September 2026.
Guidance letter after the tests
Following the 2026 11+ tests
A guidance letter is sent after the tests to indicate whether a selective-school application is recommended.
Local authority application deadline
Saturday 31 October 2026
Guidance letters are issued ahead of the 31 October Common Application Form deadline.
National Allocation Day
Monday 1 March 2027
The local authority advises families of their allocated school on this date.
Entrance test outcome
On or after 13 October 2026
Complete one 11+ registration form
Register for the shared Torbay selective tests through one school only. Scores can then be shared between the Torbay selective schools when needed.
Open registration formSit the shared Torbay tests
Children take the same 11+ tests used by the selective schools in Torbay. The school recommends sitting them at the school you expect to place first on your application.
Read admissions guidanceSubmit your local authority application
After the tests, complete your Common Application Form through your home local authority before the 31 October deadline for the cycle.
Check application guidanceLook for the guidance letter and offer day outcome
Following the tests, a guidance letter is sent about whether a selective-school application is recommended, and the allocated school is confirmed on National Allocation Day.
See what happens nextLatest inspection: 19 October 2022
Local rivals appear first, followed by nearby alternatives where the journey and admissions route are still comparable.
Same wider selective region with a comparable travel distance
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
Best Grammar Schools in Torbay
Compare 3 Torbay grammar schools for 2026: GCSE ranking table, Ofsted, Torbay route, admissions rules, competition, and school profiles.
Best Grammar Schools in the UK
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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 Torbay
Compare 3 Torbay grammar schools for 2026: GCSE ranking table, Ofsted, Torbay 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
Churston Ferrers Grammar School Academy currently uses GL Assessment.
1. Complete one 11+ registration form: Register for the shared Torbay selective tests through one school only. Scores can then be shared between the Torbay selective schools when needed. 2. Sit the shared Torbay tests: Children take the same 11+ tests used by the selective schools in Torbay. The school recommends sitting them at the school you expect to place first on your application. 3. Submit your local authority application: After the tests, complete your Common Application Form through your home local authority before the 31 October deadline for the cycle. 4. Look for the guidance letter and offer day outcome: Following the tests, a guidance letter is sent about whether a selective-school application is recommended, and the allocated school is confirmed on National Allocation Day.
11+ registration form available: Form live; complete by midday 2 September 2026 at the latest. Shared Torbay 11+ tests: Saturday 19 September 2026. Guidance letter after the tests: Following the 2026 11+ tests. Local authority application deadline: Saturday 31 October 2026. National Allocation Day: Monday 1 March 2027. Entrance test outcome: On or after 13 October 2026
Churston Ferrers Grammar School Academy is currently rated Good following the latest published inspection dated 19 October 2022.
