The school’s entrance test is provided by Quest Assessments.
- Test provider
- Quest Assessments
- Scores
- Age-standardised
What the test includes
- English
- Maths
School profile
Record updated 27 October 2026
A selective co-educational grammar school in Colyton, Devon, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,071 pupils on roll.
Grammar school Co-ed Academy converter Ages 11-18 Sixth form Quest Assessments
- 2025–2026 GCSE rank ?
- UK Rank #30
- Year 7 places
- 160
- Competition ?
- High (estimated)
- Ofsted ?
- Outstanding
- 11+ route
- Quest Assessments
On this page
At a glance
Key facts
- 2025–2026 GCSE rank ?
- UK Rank #30
- Sector
- Grammar school
- Admissions
- Mixed
- Assessment
- Quest Assessments
- Places in Year 7
- 160
- Competition ?
- High (estimated)
- Catchment
- You can apply from any area. There is no defined catchment or local-priority area, although distance may still affect allocation or a tie-break.
- Ofsted ?
- Outstanding
Overview
Overview
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.
Key points
Key points
- Assessment route
- Quest Assessments covering English and Maths.
- Places and demand
- 160 places in Year 7 and High (estimated)
- Catchment
- You can apply from any area. There is no defined catchment or local-priority area, although distance may still affect allocation or a tie-break.
- Results
- 99.3% grade 5+ in English and maths and 78.3 Attainment 8
- Sixth form
- Sixth form available with 58.2% AAB or better and 56.9% in higher education.
GCSE benchmark
Latest 2025/26 KS4 measures compared with Devon and England.
School Local authority England
- Attainment 8
- 78.3
- Grade 5+ English and maths
- 99.3%
Attainment 8 trend
Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Devon and England.
School Local authority England
Destinations
Latest 2024/25 Year 11 destination mix compared with Devon and England.
Education Apprenticeships Employment Other / unknown
School details
School details
- Sector
- Grammar school
- School type
- Academy converter
- Application
- Local authority CAF
- Gender
- Mixed
- Age range
- 11-18
- Headteacher
- Mr Tim Harris
- Pupil roll
- 1,083 pupils
- Sixth form
- Yes
- Trust
- Colyton Grammar School Academy Trust
- FSM ?
- 9.4%
- EAL ?
- 12.9%
- EHCP ?
- 0.7%
Extracurriculars
Sport
School statistics
School statistics
Ethnicity
Ethnicity
Pupil ethnicity
Whole-school roll of 1,083 pupils; 1,053 had a recorded ethnic group.
White 831 pupils, 76.8%
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Asian 127 pupils, 11.8%
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Mixed 75 pupils, 7%
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Black 12 pupils, 1.1%
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Other 8 pupils, 0.7%
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Unclassified 30 pupils, 2.8%
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Location and contact
Location and contact
Address
School leadership
- Headteacher
- Mr Tim Harris
School contact
- School email
- admin@colytongrammar.com
- School phone
- 01297552327
Admissions contact
- Admissions team
- Admissions Team
- Admissions email
- admissions@colytongrammar.com
- Admissions phone
- 01297552327
Admissions
Admissions
- Year 7 places
- 160 places
- Applications listed
- 228 applications (2026 entry)
- First preferences
- 196 first preferences (2026 entry)
- Competition ?
- High (estimated)
- Catchment
- You can apply from any area. There is no defined catchment or local-priority area, although distance may still affect allocation or a tie-break.
- Published score basis
- Selective standard first; no published numeric threshold (2027 entry)
- Pass mark note
- No fixed score cutoff is published. If more than 160 applicants meet the required standard, places are allocated in score rank order with distance as the tie-break.
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.
Oversubscription and eligibility
-
1
Looked after and previously looked after children.
Colyton considers looked after and previously looked after children first.
-
2
Eligible pupil premium and service premium applicants.
Eligible pupil premium and service premium applicants are considered next if they meet the required academic standard.
-
3
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.
-
4
Distance is used to separate tied scores.
The tie-break is distance from the school's main entrance measured through Devon's GIS system.
Exam and test format
Exam and test format
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.
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Open the exam resources
Create a free parent account to open the official papers, sample questions and guidance listed here.
Application
Application
Key dates
Get date reminders-
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
Past -
Year 7 test date
Saturday 12 September 2026
Past -
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
PastParents still need to name Colyton on their home local authority application.
-
National Offer Date
Monday 1 March 2027
How to apply
- 1
Read the admissions policy
Use the published policy to confirm the 160-place intake, score-based ranking, and the distance tie-break.
Open admissions policy - 2
Register through the school portal
Register for Year 7 2027 entry through Colyton's Applicaa portal before the school's published deadline.
Open registration portal - 3
Sit the September test
The Year 7 test date published by the school is Saturday 12 September 2026.
Open admissions FAQ - 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.
Review application rules
Official admissions documents
Results
Results
Inspection
Inspection
Outstanding
Latest inspection: 23 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: The 2022 inspection judged Colyton Grammar outstanding across all areas. Pupils are proud of the school, behave impeccably and benefit from an ambitious curriculum, inclusive culture, exceptional wider development and effective safeguarding.
- Quality of education: The curriculum is highly ambitious, with EBacc breadth at GCSE and wide A-level options. Teachers check understanding, adapt lessons and meet SEND needs consistently, while sixth-form students undertake demanding independent projects beyond their qualifications.
- Behaviour and attitudes: Pupils understand the reasons behind high expectations and behave exceptionally well. Lessons focus on learning, pupils persist with difficult work, and sixth-form mentors help younger pupils in subjects they both care about.
- Personal development: Pupils learn about healthy relationships, consent, mental health and online safety from expert staff. Leadership roles, clubs, outdoor education, trips and competitions are plentiful, and leaders check that disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND can take part.
- Leadership and management: Leaders keep the curriculum rigorous and relevant through regular review. They promote an inclusive culture where pupils value different backgrounds, and they adjust safeguarding and personal development work to reflect local and national risks.
- Sixth form provision: Sixth-form students choose from a wide range of A levels and complete an ambitious personal project. They also lead groups that celebrate under-represented communities and guide younger pupils through clubs and mentoring.
Similar schools and comparisons
Similar schools and comparisons
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Local rivals appear first, followed by nearby alternatives where the journey and admissions route are still comparable.
Churston Ferrers Grammar School Academy
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Nearby schools with similar results
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Heckmondwike Grammar School
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Langley Grammar School
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Shortlist comparisons
Explore this school in context
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Related pages and guides
Related pages and guides
Area and ranking pages
Best Grammar Schools in Devon
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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Guides and related reading
Related guides are still being added.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Which entrance tests does Colyton Grammar School use?
For September 2027 entry, Colyton Grammar School uses Quest Assessments. Check the named test and any alternative or later-stage requirements in the admissions policy.
How do I apply to Colyton Grammar School?
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.
When are the key dates for Colyton Grammar School?
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
What does the latest inspection picture look like for Colyton Grammar School?
Colyton Grammar School is currently rated Outstanding following the latest published inspection dated 23 November 2022.