A selective co-educational grammar school in Colyton, Devon, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,071 pupils on roll.
Colyton Grammar School
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At a glance
Colyton Grammar School is a co-educational selective grammar in East Devon, based at Colyford and serving about 1,071 pupils from 11 to 18. Its historic roots are part of the school's identity, but the modern message is sharper: scholarship, humility and service, with the stated purpose of helping students from all backgrounds flourish on demanding courses and in adult life.
The curriculum is deliberately accelerated and deepened for high-attaining pupils. Colyton runs its lower-years programme across Years 7 and 8, then a three-year GCSE phase before a focused two-year sixth form. The school names academic coherence, knowledge richness, stretch, partnership and preparation for an unpredictable future as the principles behind that structure, which is more specific than the usual grammar-school promise of challenge.
The wider school offer is built through houses, clubs, careers guidance, outdoor and sustainability work, and a sixth form with EPQ and higher-education preparation in view. The structured outcomes are correspondingly strong: Outstanding Ofsted, +0.99 Progress 8, 99.3% grade 5+ in English and maths, and 57.7% AAB or better at A level.
Year 7 entry has 160 places and uses Colyton's own admissions process rather than a county-wide verbal-reasoning test. Candidates sit English, mathematics and creative writing; the school states that there are no verbal reasoning or non-verbal reasoning papers. Looked-after children and eligible pupil-premium or service-premium applicants are considered within the published policy before remaining places are ranked by total score, with distance used only to separate tied scores.
Creative writing is tested in this school's current 11+ assessment.
A weak creative writing piece can leave a child short of qualification. 11 Plus Writing Coach helps families build steadier practice and clearer feedback.
From our 11 Plus Writing Coach site
Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Devon and England.
Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Devon and England.
Latest 2024/25 Year 11 destination mix compared with Devon and England.
January 2025 school census
Whole-school roll of 1,071 pupils; 1,042 had a recorded ethnic group.
| Recorded group | Share | Category | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| White British | 73.9% | White | 791 |
| Chinese | 5.2% | Asian | 56 |
| Any other White background | 5% | White | 54 |
| White and Asian | 4.1% | Mixed | 44 |
| Unclassified | 2.7% | Unclassified | 29 |
| Indian | 2.5% | Asian | 27 |
| Any other mixed background | 2.1% | Mixed | 23 |
| Any other Asian background | 1% | Asian | 11 |
| African | 0.9% | Black | 10 |
| Any other ethnic group | 0.7% | Other | 7 |
| Irish | 0.5% | White | 5 |
| Bangladeshi | 0.4% | Asian | 4 |
| Pakistani | 0.3% | Asian | 3 |
| White and Black African | 0.3% | Mixed | 3 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 0.3% | Mixed | 3 |
| Any other Black background | 0.1% | Black | 1 |
The 2027 process runs through the school's Applicaa registration portal. Registration for testing closes on 31 July 2026, the test is on 12 September 2026, results are published in October before the CAF deadline, and National Offer Date is 1 March 2027.
No catchment area operates for Year 7 places. If scores are tied for the final place, distance from the main school gates measured through Devon's GIS system is used.
Looked after and previously looked after children.
Colyton considers looked after and previously looked after children first.
Eligible pupil premium and service premium applicants.
Eligible pupil premium and service premium applicants are considered next if they meet the required academic standard.
Remaining places are allocated by test score rank.
If more than 160 children reach the standard required for a grammar school education, Colyton ranks them by total score.
Distance is used to separate tied scores.
The tie-break is distance from the school's main entrance measured through Devon's GIS system.
Tests are provided by Quest Assessments. Candidates sit English, mathematics, and writing task, and there are no verbal reasoning or non-verbal reasoning papers.
Shared exam route
Colyton Grammar School uses the shared Plymouth and Devon 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 Plymouth and Devon practice papersPaper 1
English, Maths
English and mathematics papers
The test consists of Quest Assessments papers in English and mathematics drawn from the Key Stage 2 curriculum.
Paper 2
Writing task
Writing task
Candidates also sit a writing task task. There are no verbal reasoning 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
Registration opens
April 2026
The online registration form will be available when registration opens in April 2026; no exact opening date is published.
Registration closes
Friday 31 July 2026
Year 7 test date
Saturday 12 September 2026
Results published
October 2026, at least one week before Saturday 31 October 2026
The policy and FAQ give an October results window rather than an exact results date.
CAF deadline
Saturday 31 October 2026
Parents still need to name Colyton on their home local authority application.
National Offer Date
Monday 1 March 2027
Read the admissions policy
Use the published policy to confirm the 160-place intake, score-based ranking, and the distance tie-break.
Open admissions policyRegister through the school portal
Register for Year 7 2027 entry through Colyton's Applicaa portal before the school's published deadline.
Open registration portalSit the September test
The Year 7 test date published by the school is Saturday 12 September 2026.
Open admissions FAQSubmit your home local authority application
Results are issued at least one week before the 31 October CAF deadline, so list Colyton on your home authority application if you want to be considered.
Review application rulesLatest 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 | 83.1 | 74.2 | 49.4 |
| 2022/23 | 79.7 | 71.8 | 47.0 |
| 2023/24 | 79.8 | 72.1 | 46.7 |
| 2024/25 | 78.8 | 72.3 | 46.8 |
Recent trend
This follows the published average A-level result for the school's sixth form. Higher is better.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | A average (49.6 points) | 44.0 points | 37.5 points |
| 2022/23 | A- average (47.2 points) | 40.5 points | 33.7 points |
| 2023/24 | A- average (46.4 points) | 41.3 points | 34.5 points |
| 2024/25 | A- average (47.7 points) | 41.8 points | 35.0 points |
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 | 98% | 98.9% | 93.9% |
| 2023/24 | 100% | 99.0% | 93.3% |
| 2024/25 | 98% | 98.7% | 91.8% |
Latest year breakdown
| In education | 98% |
|---|---|
| In apprenticeships | 0% |
| In employment | 0% |
Latest inspection: 23 November 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
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Compare 1 Devon grammar school for 2026: GCSE ranking table, Ofsted, Plymouth and Devon 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.
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Related guides are still being added.
FAQ
Colyton Grammar School currently uses CEM.
1. Read the admissions policy: Use the published policy to confirm the 160-place intake, score-based ranking, and the distance tie-break. 2. Register through the school portal: Register for Year 7 2027 entry through Colyton's Applicaa portal before the school's published deadline. 3. Sit the September test: The Year 7 test date published by the school is Saturday 12 September 2026. 4. Submit your home local authority application: Results are issued at least one week before the 31 October CAF deadline, so list Colyton on your home authority application if you want to be considered.
Registration opens: April 2026. Registration closes: Friday 31 July 2026. Year 7 test date: Saturday 12 September 2026. Results published: October 2026, at least one week before Saturday 31 October 2026. CAF deadline: Saturday 31 October 2026. National Offer Date: Monday 1 March 2027
Colyton Grammar School is currently rated Outstanding following the latest published inspection dated 23 November 2022.