Lincolnshire / Lincolnshire 11+
Brook Street, Grantham, NG31 6RP
The King's School, Grantham
1
A selective boys grammar school in Grantham, Lincolnshire, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,216 pupils on roll.
At a glance
At a glance
A selective boys grammar school in Grantham, Lincolnshire, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,216 pupils on roll. Families looking at Grantham, Lincolnshire will usually see The King's School, Grantham as a selective option for boys aged 11-18, with sixth form continuing the academic journey on the same site. Current published roll and admissions data point to around 1,216 pupils on roll and 174 Year 7 places.
For parents thinking about the 11+, the admissions picture is one of the clearest differentiators here. The current route includes GL Assessment, with 174 places available in Year 7 and demand that currently looks moderate by grammar-school standards. Catchment or distance rules still matter at allocation stage, so this is the kind of school where families need to read the admissions policy carefully rather than rely on headline scores alone.
On current official measures, the school offers a clear academic profile for parents to weigh up. The latest published Ofsted judgement is Good. Recent official performance measures show Progress 8 at 1.10 and Attainment 8 at 70.7. 96.5% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths in the latest stored GCSE figures. In the sixth form, 38.5% of entries were awarded AAB or better at A level. Destinations data also suggest strong progression after sixth form, with 73% moving into higher education.
Published school information highlights facilities such as Library. The wider offer currently includes Sport. For many parents, the presence of a sixth form is part of the attraction, because it gives able pupils the option to stay in a familiar academic setting through to A level. The King's School, Grantham is likely to appeal most to families who want strong academic expectations but also need the practical details, culture, and selective route to line up sensibly.
Latest 2024/25 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.
For 2027 entry King's offers 174 Year 7 places. Boys need a minimum standardised qualifying score of 220, and reaching that score does not guarantee an offer because the school uses a 30-mile priority area before open score ranking.
King's uses a 30-mile straight-line priority area. Full pupil premium boys within 30 miles can take up to 20 places, then other qualified boys within 30 miles are ranked by score before boys outside the area are considered.
Children with an EHCP naming King's
Boys whose Education, Health and Care Plan names the school are admitted first.
Looked after and previously looked after boys
Looked after, previously looked after, and internationally adopted previously looked after boys are ranked by standardised score.
Pupil premium boys within 30 miles
Up to 20 places are reserved for full pupil premium boys who live within 30 miles of the school and are ranked by standardised score.
Qualified boys within 30 miles
Other qualified boys living within 30 miles are then ranked by standardised score.
All other qualified boys
Remaining qualified boys are ranked by score regardless of address, with distance and then lottery used if scores tie.
King's uses the Lincolnshire Consortium GL-style multiple-choice tests with OMR answer sheets. The same consortium tests can only be taken once, even if a family is considering more than one Lincolnshire grammar school.
This school uses the shared Lincolnshire consortium route. The consortium page brings together the common test format, key dates and official papers used across that route.
Open Lincolnshire guidePaper 1
VR
Verbal reasoning test
The first Lincolnshire Consortium paper is a verbal reasoning test.
Paper 2
NVR
Non-verbal reasoning and spatial awareness test
The second paper combines non-verbal reasoning with spatial-awareness questions.
Verbal reasoning and Non-verbal reasoning are included in the published format.
English, Maths, Science and Creative writing are not listed in the current published format.
Verbal reasoning
The first Lincolnshire Consortium paper is a verbal reasoning test.
Non-verbal reasoning
The second paper combines non-verbal reasoning with spatial-awareness questions.
English
Maths
Science
Creative writing
First 11+ test
11 or 12 September 2026
Second 11+ test
18 or 19 September 2026
Results emailed
9 October 2026
Local authority application deadline
31 October 2026
National Offer Day
1 March 2027
Read the 2027 entry guidance
Check the King's entry page and policy for the qualifying score, the 30-mile priority rule, and the late-registration route.
Open Year 7 entry guidanceRegister for the King's test
Complete the school's 11+ registration by 31 March 2026. Late registration reopens on 1 May 2026 for families who missed the main window.
Check registration detailsSit the two 11+ tests
Candidates sit the verbal reasoning paper first, then the non-verbal reasoning and spatial awareness paper on the published September test dates.
Open key datesSubmit your local authority preferences
Add King's on your home local authority secondary application by 31 October 2026. Test registration does not replace the local authority application.
Read LA guidanceLatest 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 | 72.3 | 74.2 | 49.4 |
| 2022/23 | 69.7 | 71.8 | 47.0 |
| 2023/24 | 70.7 | 72.1 | 46.7 |
| 2024/25 | 72.7 | 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 (46.0 points) | 44.0 points | 37.5 points |
| 2022/23 | B+ average (42.5 points) | 40.5 points | 33.7 points |
| 2023/24 | B+ average (44.3 points) | 41.3 points | 34.5 points |
| 2024/25 | B+ average (43 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 | 99% | 99.1% | 94.1% |
| 2022/23 | 100% | 98.9% | 93.9% |
| 2023/24 | 99% | 99.0% | 93.3% |
| 2024/25 | 96% | 97.8% | 91.4% |
Latest year breakdown
| In education | 94% |
|---|---|
| In apprenticeships | 0% |
| In employment | 2% |
Latest inspection: 14 December 2022
Local rivals first, then nearby alternatives that still fit the same shortlist-building context.
Same Lincolnshire area and similar boys' selective route
Same Lincolnshire area and similar boys' selective route
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 Lincolnshire
Compare the best grammar schools in Lincolnshire for the 2026 admissions cycle using published GCSE results, Ofsted, admissions routes, and practical local context. Much of Lincolnshire sits within the Lincolnshire route, so shared testing still matters alongside each school's own admissions rules.
Best Boys' Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best boys grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking parents can filter by county and Ofsted before comparing realistic shortlist options.
Best Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking parents can filter by county, school type, and Ofsted. Useful for broad searches like top UK grammar schools, grammar school rankings, and 11+ school shortlists.
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 the best grammar schools in Lincolnshire for the 2026 admissions cycle using published GCSE results, Ofsted, admissions routes, and practical local context. Much of Lincolnshire sits within the Lincolnshire route, so shared testing still matters alongside each school's own admissions rules.
Best Boys' Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best boys grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking parents can filter by county and Ofsted before comparing realistic shortlist options.
Best Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking parents can filter by county, school type, and Ofsted. Useful for broad searches like top UK grammar schools, grammar school rankings, and 11+ school shortlists.
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
King's School, Grantham currently uses GL Assessment.
1. Read the 2027 entry guidance: Check the King's entry page and policy for the qualifying score, the 30-mile priority rule, and the late-registration route. 2. Register for the King's test: Complete the school's 11+ registration by 31 March 2026. Late registration reopens on 1 May 2026 for families who missed the main window. 3. Sit the two 11+ tests: Candidates sit the verbal reasoning paper first, then the non-verbal reasoning and spatial awareness paper on the published September test dates. 4. Submit your local authority preferences: Add King's on your home local authority secondary application by 31 October 2026. Test registration does not replace the local authority application.
First 11+ test: 11 or 12 September 2026. Second 11+ test: 18 or 19 September 2026. Results emailed: 9 October 2026. Local authority application deadline: 31 October 2026. National Offer Day: 1 March 2027
King's School, Grantham is currently rated Good following the latest published inspection dated 14 December 2022.