London grammar schools 11 plus guide

Are you considering a grammar school in London for your child? We've collated all the latest information about 11 plus exams in the capital. Learn about:

• Grammar schools in your borough
• What's tested on your local 11+
• How to help your child prepare for the exam

What is the 11 plus?

The 11 plus is an academic entry exam used by grammar schools in England. Children take the 11 plus in the autumn term of Year 6. Schools use the results of the test to select children for places in Year 7.

There is no universal 11 plus exam. The content and the format of the exam varies depending on the school or consortium (a group of schools who use the same exam). However, most grammar schools test some, or all, of the following subjects:

• English (usually reading comprehension, and occasionally creative writing)
• Maths
• Verbal reasoning
• Non-verbal reasoning

The test is designed to be challenging. As grammar schools are selective, they're looking for children working at the top of their year group. Even these children can find the test difficult!

Take a look at our guide to 11 plus exams to find out more.

Grammar schools in Barnet

There are three grammar schools in the London Borough of Barnet. These schools use a mixture of 11 plus papers provided by GL Assessment and school-written material.

The grammar schools in Barnet have different 11 plus registration and exam dates. Registration opens in April or May in Year 5 (depending on the school) and closes in July. All of the exams take place in September in Year 6, with the exception of The Henrietta Barnett School's second round exam, which is held in October.

Queen Elizabeth's School (boys only)

Children are tested on English and maths. Both exam papers are provided by GL Assessment. The exam consists of two multiple-choice papers, each lasting approximately 50 minutes.

St Michael's Catholic Grammar School (girls only)

Children are tested on verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, maths, and English. All four papers are provided by GL Assessment. The verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, and maths papers are multiple-choice; the English paper is a written paper.

The Henrietta Barnett School (girls only)

The Henrietta Barnett School has a two-round entrance exam. Children who perform well in the first round are invited back for the second round.

• Round 1: English, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning (GL Assessment, multiple-choice)
• Round 2: English and maths (school-written papers, not multiple-choice)

Learn more about Barnet grammar schools.

Grammar schools in Bexley

There are four grammar schools in the London Borough of Bexley. These schools all use the same 11 plus exam, known as the Bexley Selection Test. The test is administered by Quest Assessments and consists of two timed, multiple-choice papers taken in one session on the same day. Together, the papers assess verbal ability and English comprehension, numerical reasoning, and non-verbal reasoning.

Registration for the Bexley Selection Test opens on 1st March in Year 5 and closes on 31st March. The exam takes place in the first or second week of September in Year 6.

Beths Grammar School (boys)

Children are tested on verbal ability and English comprehension, numerical reasoning, and non-verbal reasoning.

Bexley Grammar School (boys and girls)

Children are tested on verbal ability and English comprehension, numerical reasoning, and non-verbal reasoning.

Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School (boys and girls)

Children are tested on verbal ability and English comprehension, numerical reasoning, and non-verbal reasoning.

Townley Grammar School (girls)

Children are tested on verbal ability and English comprehension, numerical reasoning, and non-verbal reasoning.

Find out more about the Bexley Selection Test.

Grammar schools in Bromley

There are two grammar schools in the London Borough of Bromley. The schools have different exam formats and registration dates.

Newstead Wood School (girls)

Children take two GL Assessment 11 plus papers, both multiple-choice. One tests verbal reasoning and the other tests non-verbal reasoning.

St Olave's Grammar School (boys)

St Olave's Grammar School has a two-stage entrance exam using the school's own test papers.

• Stage 1 (SET): English comprehension, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning (multiple-choice)
• Stage 2: English (comprehension and creative writing) and maths (not multiple-choice)

Learn more about grammar schools in Bromley.

Grammar schools in Enfield

There is one grammar school in the London Borough of Enfield. The Latymer School is a mixed grammar school in Edmonton, north London.

Children applying to The Latymer School take three papers. Two are provided by GL Assessment — a maths paper and a verbal reasoning paper, both 30 minutes and multiple-choice. The third is a 60-minute English paper set by the school itself, covering reading comprehension and creative writing; this paper is not multiple-choice.

The Latymer School has a defined Inner Area catchment. Only children whose home address falls within the published Inner Area postcodes are eligible for a place.

Exam registration opens in March in Year 5 and closes in June. The exam takes place in early September in Year 6.

Learn more about The Latymer School 11 plus.

Grammar schools in Kingston upon Thames

There are two grammar schools in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. Both schools have a two-stage testing process.

Tiffin School (boys)

• Stage 1: school-created English and maths tests (multiple-choice)
• Stage 2: school-created English and maths tests

Tiffin Girls' School

• Stage 1: school-created English and maths tests (multiple-choice)
• Stage 2: school-created English and maths tests

Find out more about the Tiffin grammar schools.

Grammar schools in Redbridge

There are two grammar schools in the London Borough of Redbridge. Both use the same Redbridge 11 plus selection test, which consists of two one-hour multiple-choice papers provided by GL Assessment: one testing English and verbal reasoning, and one testing maths and non-verbal reasoning.

Both schools have a catchment area, known as the Redbridge common catchment area. Registration opens on 1st May in Year 5 and closes on 15th June. The exam takes place in September in Year 6.

Ilford County High School (boys)

Children take two papers. The first tests English and verbal reasoning, and the second tests maths and non-verbal reasoning.

Woodford County High School (girls)

Children take two papers. The first tests English and verbal reasoning, and the second tests maths and non-verbal reasoning.

Learn more about the Redbridge 11 plus.

Grammar schools in Sutton

The London Borough of Sutton has more grammar schools than any other London borough. There are five fully-selective grammar schools, and one partially-selective school (Greenshaw High School).

All six schools use the Sutton Selective Eligibility Test (SET) as their 11 plus exam. The SET consists of two multiple-choice papers: a 50-minute English paper and a 50-minute maths paper. The five fully-selective grammar schools also have a second-stage exam.

Registration for the Sutton SET opens on 1st May in Year 5 and closes on 31st July. The exam takes place on 15th September in Year 6. The second-stage exams for the grammar schools are held between late September and October.

Greenshaw High School (boys and girls)

Children applying for one of the 60 selective places take the Sutton SET only. There is no second-stage exam for Greenshaw High School.

Nonsuch High School for Girls (girls)

All children take the Sutton SET. Children who achieve the qualifying mark are invited to sit a joint second-stage test with Wallington High School for Girls, known as the NWSSEE (Nonsuch and Wallington Second Stage Entrance Examination). This consists of two written papers in English and maths.

Sutton Grammar School (boys)

All children take the Sutton SET. Children who achieve the qualifying mark then take a joint second-stage test with Wallington County Grammar School and Wilson's School. This consists of two written papers in English and maths.

Wallington County Grammar School (boys)

All children take the Sutton SET. Children who achieve the qualifying mark take a joint second-stage test with Sutton Grammar School and Wilson's School. This consists of two written papers in English and maths.

Wallington High School for Girls (girls)

All children take the Sutton SET. Children who achieve the qualifying mark take a joint second-stage test with Nonsuch High School for Girls, known as the NWSSEE. This consists of two written papers in English and maths.

Wilson's School (boys)

All children take the Sutton SET. Children who achieve the qualifying mark take a joint second-stage test with Sutton Grammar School and Wallington County Grammar School. This consists of two written papers in English and maths.

Find out more about the Sutton Selective Eligibility Test.

How can I help my child prepare for entry to a grammar school in London?

The 11+ can feel like a big milestone, but preparation doesn't have to be stressful.

Here are some practical ways to support your child in a calm, structured way.

Stay on track with a clear 11+ revision plan

One of the hardest parts of 11+ preparation isn't motivation — it's knowing what to work on, when, and how to stay consistent without it taking over family life.

A clear plan helps your child build skills in the right order and avoid last-minute cramming.

With Atom's Exam Plan, you enter your child's exam date and target schools, and Atom builds a personalised weekly plan based on the key skills they'll be tested on. It adapts as they improve and shows them exactly what to focus on each week.

That means less guesswork for you, less stress for them, and a clearer path to exam day.

Build 11+ exam technique with realistic practice papers

Once your child feels secure with the main topics, paper practice tests help them feel more confident with the exam format.

Atom's 11+ practice papers are designed to reflect real test conditions. Parents simply photograph their child's answer sheets and upload them to Atom for instant marking.

You'll get:

• a Standardised Age Score (SAS)
• clear insight into strengths and areas for improvement
• a comparison with other children applying to the same schools

The papers are unlimited, meaning your child can practise again and again with new questions each time.

Encourage regular reading for 11+ English success

Strong reading skills underpin almost every part of the 11+.

Encourage your child to read for 10–15 minutes a day, focusing on variety — fiction, non-fiction, different genres and authors.

This helps build:

• vocabulary
• comprehension and inference
• confidence with unfamiliar texts

If you're looking for ideas, Atom's recommended reading lists for Years 3–6 include a wide range of age-appropriate books.

Celebrate progress, not just 11+ scores

When you're supporting your child through 11+ preparation, what really matters is knowing they're moving in the right direction.

Atom's progress tracking gives you a clear, simple view of how your child is doing across topics and how their performance is developing over time.

That makes it easier to give meaningful encouragement, keep motivation steady and focus on consistent improvement — not just one-off test results.