RGS Guildford 11+ entry guide

Considering Royal Grammar School Guildford for your child? We’ve collated everything you need to know about 11+ entry. Learn how to apply, what’s on the entrance exam, and how to help your child prepare for success.

Key information for Royal Grammar School Guildford

• Address: Royal Grammar School Guildford, High Street, Guildford, GU1 3BB
• Age range and gender: boys aged 3–18
• Type of school: independent day
• Number of students: 1,300+
• Admissions contact: [email protected]
• 11+ open days: October in Year 4 and Year 5
• 11+ selection criteria: ISEB Common Pre-Test, interview, creative writing task, school reference
• Financial assistance: means-tested bursaries
• 11+ scholarships: academic, art, music, sport

About Royal Grammar School Guildford

Royal Grammar School Guildford (RGS) is an independent day school for boys aged 3–18. It’s located in the middle of the bustling market town of Guildford, Surrey. It has a 500-year history which is built on a commitment to innovation.

The senior school emphasises co-curricular enrichment. The school’s strong academic achievement is the result of passionate teachers, a collaborative environment, and a breadth of activities on offer. Sports, art, drama and music are especially important to the school.

RGS Guildford is ‘proud to be an integral part of our local community which is home to many students from all walks of life’. The school encourages openness, awareness and mutual respect.

The school is easily accessible to families, located only a 15-minute walk from Guildford train station.

Dates for your diary

• Registration closes: October in Year 6
• Entrance exam: November in Year 6
• Offers of places: February in Year 6
• Acceptance deadline: March in Year 6

Royal Grammar School Guildford 11+ entrance exam

All children applying for 11+ entry to Royal Grammar School Guildford sit the ISEB Common Pre-Test. This is an exam created by the Independent Schools Examination Board which is usually taken in the autumn term of Year 6.

The ISEB Common Pre-Test is taken online and consists of multiple choice questions. It is entirely adaptive, which means the questions become more difficult depending on how your child is performing. The questions span four subjects:

• Maths: questions are based on the Year 5 national curriculum – although children in Year 6 may find this section challenging. The questions range from arithmetic to multi-step problem solving.
• English: questions are split into two sections: reading comprehension, and spelling, punctuation and grammar.
• Verbal reasoning: your child will be tested on their ability to reason and solve problems with written information, such as letters, words, symbols and numbers.
• Non-verbal reasoning: these questions assess your child’s logic, critical thinking and problem-solving skills using figures and diagrams. They will need to show that they can analyse and manipulate 2D and 3D figures.

The ISEB Common Pre-Test takes around 2 and a half hours to complete. Your child can sit the four subjects together or at separate times. If they are taking all four subjects on the same day, they will be allowed a short break between each section.

In addition to the ISEB Common Pre-Test, applicants have a short creative writing task and an individual interview with a member of staff. This is designed to be a relaxed experience to see how well your child responds to unseen questions and to get an idea of their interests. You can help your child feel prepared with tips and free resources in our guide to senior school interviews.

Some children might be invited back to RGS Guildford for a second interview in January. This is to give the school the benefit of doubt, such as an inconsistency in performance or potential weakness in one area.

Atom’s top tips for applying to Royal Grammar School Guildford

Royal Grammar School Guildford is a selective school, and competition for places can be high. Here are our top tips to help your child prepare for the selection process.

Bitesize learning

It’s important to build a good knowledge base before school entrance exams. Your child should have a good understanding of the content they’ve been taught at school before testing their knowledge with practice tests.

Using a ‘little and often’ approach when learning is key – our brains encode new information more effectively when dealing with smaller ‘chunks’ of information. For children aged 10–11, child psychologists recommend regular study sessions of 20–30 minutes.

With Atom Home, you don’t need to worry about creating a study schedule. When you enter your target schools, you’ll get a bespoke learning plan tailored to your schools’ entrance exams. Know exactly what your child needs to do each week to confidently pass.

Read widely

Entrance exams test children’s ability to analyse and interpret written information. Regular reading is a great way to help your child build these skills.

Encourage them to read books from different genres and by a diverse range of authors. Increasing the variety of your child’s reading will help them understand different styles, tones and purposes. Meanwhile, reading a little every day will help widen their vocabulary, sharpen their analytical thinking, and enhance their imagination.

Looking for reading inspiration? Check out our Key Stage 2 reading list.

Hone curiosity

Selective schools are often looking for children who are interested in learning. You can help by supporting your child’s broader learning, their intellectual curiosity, and their passion for developing an understanding of the world.

Talk to your child about the world we live in and inspire an interest in current affairs with age-appropriate journalism. It’s also a good idea to make sure they’re benefitting from a rich variety of experiences, such as visiting libraries, museums and galleries.

Refine exam technique

When your child feels confident with their knowledge of the exam topics, they’ll be ready to put their knowledge to the test.

Mock tests can help your child develop problem-solving skills and refine exam technique. They’re also a great way to consolidate learning, while highlighting any knowledge gaps they might want to tackle before exam day.

When you set Royal Grammar School Guildford as a target school on Atom Home, your child will get ISEB mock tests as part of their learning plan. Atom’s mock tests mirror the real ISEB – the curriculum, the timings, the controls and even the colours. Know what to expect on exam day.

Celebrate progress

Setting regular, achievable goals and celebrating your child’s progress – no matter how big or small – will help keep their motivation high.

Make sure to encourage a growth mindset. This means celebrating effort, as well as achievement! When your child makes mistakes or struggles to understand a particular topic, help them understand that they’ll improve through practice. Regular praise will help your child improve their resilience when tackling new and challenging topics.