Kingston Grammar School: 11 plus entry guide

About Kingston Grammar School

Kingston Grammar School (KGS) is a private day school in Kingston upon Thames, southwest London, for boys and girls aged 11 to 18. The school was founded by Royal Charter in 1561, although the school’s Lovekyn Chapel can be traced back to the 13th century.

The school aims to instil students with curiosity, self-reliance, and independent critical thinking. Pupils study a broad and enriching curriculum from Year 7 before refining their choices in Year 9. Public exam results are consistently excellent and place the school within the top 1% of secondary schools in the country.

KGS has a strong tradition of theatre, art, music, and sport. There have been 28 appearances by KGS alumni at the Olympic Games (five have won gold medals), and more than 80% of pupils compete in 1,000+ sports fixtures every year. Opportunities and events in the arts include the annual Sixth Form Drama Festival, trips to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, house competitions in art, drama and dance, and regular musical concerts.

• Headteacher: Stephen Lehec

• Address: Kingston Grammar School, London Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT2 6PY

• London borough: Kingston upon Thames

• Age range and gender: boys and girls aged 11–18

• Number of pupils: 850+

• National league table rank (Sunday Times Parent Power): 43

• A level results: 92.5% A*–B

• GCSE results: 92.2% 9–7

Key info for 11+ admissions

• Admissions contact: [email protected], 020 8546 5875

• Open day: Thursday 28th September and Saturday 30th September 2023. More details are available on the KGS website

• Overview of selection procedure: exam, interview and school reference

• Registration closes: 9th October 2023

• Assessment date: 10th November 2023

Kingston Grammar School admissions process

11 plus is the main entry point to Kingston Grammar School. Children apply from nearly 300 different schools – both state and private – and join Year 7 tutor groups of 24 children.

If you're thinking about applying to Kingston Grammar School, it's a good idea to visit first. The school will hold an 11 plus information evening and an open day in late September. The open day provides a great experience to see the school facilities, talk to current students, attend the head's presentation, and take part in a range of activities.

1. Register for Year 7

To start the admissions process, register your child for Year 7 entry. Registration will open at the beginning of May 2023 and will close on 9th October 2023. A non-refundable registration fee of £135 applies, but this may be waived if your child receives free school meals. If this applies to you, contact the admissions team before completing the registration form.

Kingston Grammar School will seek a reference from your child's current school after they have received your application.

2. Entrance exam

Your child will then be invited to the Kingston Grammar School entrance exam, which takes place on 10th November 2023. We've included more information about the format and content of the exam below.

3. Interview

Children who perform well in the entrance exam will be invited to a one-to-one interview on 5th January 2024. The interview may be of a general nature to find out more about your child's interests and abilities, or with an English or maths focus (depending on your child's weaker subject, as determined by the entrance exam).

4. Offers

Kingston Grammar School will make offers to pupils who have performed well in the entrance exam and interview, and who have a positive reference from their current school. Offers will be posted on 8th February 2024.

If your child is offered a place in Year 7, you will have until 5th March 2024 to confirm and pay the acceptance deposit (£1,950).

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