School profile Verified 18 August 2026

Surrey Private schools

Royal Grammar School Guildford

High Street, Guildford, GU1 3BB

Royal Grammar School Guildford is a private secondary-stage school in Surrey, Surrey, with a published age range of 3-18.

Private school Boys Ages 3-18 Sixth form No boarders
Application ?
Apply direct to school
Age range
3-18
ISI ?
Standards met
Boarding ?
No boarders
Compare Official website Map

At a glance

Key facts

Sector
Private school
Gender
Boys only
Application ?
Apply direct to school
Age range
3-18
Boarding ?
No boarders
Route check
Independent schools do not use the local-authority grammar-school catchment model; check the school site for boarding, transport and eligibility rules.
ISI ?
Standards met

Overview

A 1552 foundation, a 2021 merger and a phased move to co-education give Royal Grammar School Guildford a story of continuity and change. The free grammar school tradition began under Edward VI, while the merger with Lanesborough brought the present structure closer to a future in which girls join the Senior School Sixth Form in 2027 and Year 7 from 2028.

The academic offer is broad. Ancient history, Latin and Greek sit alongside sciences, computer science, economics, languages, music, politics and religious studies, with Sixth Form pupils choosing from a wide range of subjects. Confidence, collaboration and creativity are treated as companions to examination knowledge rather than separate extras.

Monday-afternoon co-curricular time and five senior field days create room for clubs, societies, music, drama, sport, trips and leadership. Pastoral care centres on wellbeing, kindness and mutual respect, and the central Guildford setting keeps those opportunities close to ordinary school life.

Applications are made directly through prep, senior and Sixth Form routes. Open events, assessment arrangements and assistance-with-fees guidance accompany the introduction of co-education. The provision is day-only, spans prep and senior years, and has a registered 3-18 age range, with the next admissions stages shaped by the transition dates.

Key points

Assessment route
Applications are made directly to the school. Check the school's own admissions pages for registration dates, entrance assessment stages, interviews, fees, scholarships and bursaries.
Places and demand
Published Year 7 place numbers and applicant-per-place data are not included in GIAS for this private-school seed profile.
Catchment
Private-school eligibility is not controlled by the local-authority grammar catchment model; check boarding, day-pupil, transport and any sibling or faith rules on the school site.
Results
0% grade 5+ in English and maths and 30.6 Attainment 8
Sixth form
Sixth form available with 71.7% AAB or better.

GCSE benchmark

Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Surrey and England.

School Local authority England
GCSE benchmark comparison Latest GCSE benchmark measures for Royal Grammar School Guildford, Surrey, and England. 0 50 100 Att. 8 5+ E&M EBacc APS EBacc %
Attainment 8
30.6
Grade 5+ English and maths
0%
EBacc APS
1.58
EBacc entry
0%

Attainment 8 trend

Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Surrey and England.

School Local authority England
Attainment 8 trend line Attainment 8 over time for Royal Grammar School Guildford, Surrey, and England. 60 46.7 33.3 20 21/22 22/23 23/24 24/25

School details

Sector
Private school
School type
Other independent school
Funding
Independent fee-paying
Application
Apply direct to school
Gender
Boys only
Age range
3-18
Headteacher
Dr Jon Cox
Pupil roll
1,325 pupils
Sixth form
Yes

Location and contact

Address

Address
High Street, Guildford, Surrey
Postcode
GU1 3BB

School leadership

Headteacher
Dr Jon Cox

School contact

School phone
01483880600

Admissions contact

Admissions team
Admissions
Admissions phone
01483880600

Admissions

Application route
Apply direct to school
Age range
3-18
Gender
Boys only
Boarding
No boarders
Day fees
£9,252–£9,360/term
Scholarships and bursaries
Bursaries available
Entrance details
The 11+ route combines age-standardised ISEB Common Pre-Tests in English, Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning with a writing task task, individual interview and teamwork task. Some candidates are invited to a second interview.
Admissions note
GIAS confirms the school type and age range; fees, scholarships, bursaries and entrance assessments should be checked on the school's own website.

GIAS confirms the school type and age range; fees, scholarships, bursaries and entrance assessments should be checked on the school's own website.

Independent schools do not use the local-authority grammar-school catchment model; check the school site for boarding, transport and eligibility rules.

Oversubscription and eligibility

Use the official admissions policy for the current priority order and eligibility rules.

Exam and test format

Entrance route and assessment

The 11+ route combines age-standardised ISEB Common Pre-Tests in English, Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning with a writing task task, individual interview and teamwork task. Some candidates are invited to a second interview.

Assessment route
Apply direct to school
Papers and stages
5 stages
Format
Mixed format

Papers and rounds

  1. Round 1

    English, Maths, Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning

    11+ ISEB Common Pre-Tests

    The online ISEB Common Pre-Tests are multiple-choice, age-standardised tests covering English, Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning.

  2. Round 2

    Writing task

    11+ English composition task

    The 11+ assessment includes a short composition or English writing task task.

  3. Round 3

    Interview

    11+ individual interview

    Candidates attend an individual interview with current members of staff.

  4. Round 4

    Other

    11+ teamwork task

    Candidates complete a teamwork task involving collaborative challenges.

  5. Round 5

    Interview

    11+ second interview

    Some candidates are invited back for a second interview to explore inconsistent or incomplete evidence.

Published assessment components

English, Maths, Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning, Writing task and Interview are listed across the school's published assessment routes.

Published

  • English

  • Maths

  • Verbal reasoning

    The online ISEB Common Pre-Tests are multiple-choice, age-standardised tests covering English, Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning.

  • Non-verbal reasoning

    The online ISEB Common Pre-Tests are multiple-choice, age-standardised tests covering English, Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning.

  • Writing task

    The 11+ assessment includes a short composition or English writing task task.

  • Interview

    Candidates attend an individual interview with current members of staff.

Application

  1. 11+ registration deadline

    15 October 2026

    Route: Year 7 (11+); entry: September 2027.

  2. 11+ entrance assessment

    7 November 2026

    Route: Year 7 (11+); entry: September 2027.

  3. ISEB Common Pre-Test

    13 November 2026

    Route: Year 7 (11+); entry: September 2027.

  4. 11+ bursary application deadline

    27 November 2026

    Route: Year 7 (11+) bursary; entry: September 2027.

  5. 11+ art, drama, music and sport scholarship deadline

    27 November 2026

    Route: Year 7 (11+) scholarships; entry: September 2027.

  6. 11+ second interviews

    13 January 2027

    Route: Year 7 (11+); entry: September 2027.

  7. 11+ scholarship assessments

    Monday 18 to Friday 22 January 2027

    Route: Year 7 (11+) scholarships; entry: September 2027.

  8. 11+ offers emailed

    Mid February 2027

    Route: Year 7 (11+); entry: September 2027.

  9. 11+ offer acceptance deadline

    Early March 2027

    Route: Year 7 (11+); entry: September 2027.

How to apply

  1. 1

    Apply direct to the school

    Independent-school admissions are handled by the school rather than the local authority CAF.

    Check school admissions

Results

Attainment snapshot

Attainment 8 ?
30.6 Attainment 8
GCSE results
0% grade 4+ in English and maths
Grade 5+ English and maths ?
0% grade 5+ in English and maths
EBacc average point score ?
1.58 EBacc APS
A-level results
71.7% AAB or better
A-level average points
50.44 A-level points per entry

Inspection

Standards met

Latest inspection: 28 January 2025

Leadership, management and governance
Standards met
Quality of education, training and recreation
Standards met
Physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing
Standards met
Social and economic education and contribution to society
Standards met
Safeguarding
Standards met

Quick summary

  • Latest ISI report: Routine Inspections 2025 records an inspection beginning 28 January 2025. The report says the relevant standards were met.

Similar schools and comparisons

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How does Royal Grammar School Guildford handle admissions?

Royal Grammar School Guildford handles applications directly. Check the school website for registration dates, entrance assessments, interviews, fees, scholarships and bursaries.

How do I apply to Royal Grammar School Guildford?

1. Apply direct to the school: Independent-school admissions are handled by the school rather than the local authority CAF.

When are the key dates for Royal Grammar School Guildford?

11+ registration deadline: 15 October 2026. 11+ entrance assessment: 7 November 2026. ISEB Common Pre-Test: 13 November 2026. 11+ bursary application deadline: 27 November 2026. 11+ art, drama, music and sport scholarship deadline: 27 November 2026. 11+ second interviews: 13 January 2027. 11+ scholarship assessments: Monday 18 to Friday 22 January 2027. 11+ offers emailed: Mid February 2027. 11+ offer acceptance deadline: Early March 2027

What does the latest inspection picture look like for Royal Grammar School Guildford?

Royal Grammar School Guildford is currently rated Standards met following the latest published inspection dated 28 January 2025.