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Grammar schools in Wiltshire

2 grammar schools · qualifying scores, test dates and admission criteria · see all Wiltshire schools

Wiltshire has 2 grammar schools. Between them they teach around 2,373 pupils. 2 have enough published data for a score, averaging 8.7 out of 10, and 2 score 8 or above.

2 have a sixth form. 1 has a religious character, which usually means the school sets its own admissions criteria rather than the council's. How the score works.

Bishop Wordsworth's Church of England Grammar School Salisbury · Outstanding South Wilts Grammar School Salisbury · Good

Compare two of them head to head

Side by side on results, 11+ test board, who gets priority and how oversubscribed each one is.

Wiltshire entrance test format

The two Wiltshire (Salisbury) grammar schools test separately, both with GL Assessment papers but different structures: 1. Bishop Wordsworth's School (boys) — two papers of about 50 minutes: Verbal Skills (English + verbal reasoning) and Mathematics + Non-Verbal/Spatial Reasoning. Multiple-choice, held at the school in the second half of September. 2. South Wilts Grammar School (girls) — three papers in one sitting with breaks: Mathematics (50 minutes, Year 5 curriculum plus early Year 6), English (45 minutes — linguistic skills, comprehension, spelling, punctuation) and Verbal Reasoning (50 minutes). No non-verbal reasoning. Separate registrations with each school; results arrive in October. A child applying to a Salisbury school and e.g. a Hampshire/Dorset school will face different formats — prepare per school.

Key dates

Entry yearEventDate
Sept 2028 Application deadline 2027-10-31
Sept 2028 Primary application deadline 2028-01-15
Sept 2028 Offer day 2028-03-01
Sept 2028 Primary offer day 2028-04-17
Sept 2027 Test date 2026-09-26
Sept 2027 Application deadline 2026-10-31
Sept 2027 Primary application deadline 2027-01-15
Sept 2027 Offer day 2027-03-01
Sept 2027 Primary offer day 2027-04-16
Sept 2026 Application deadline 2025-10-31 (passed)
Sept 2026 Primary application deadline 2026-01-15 (passed)
Sept 2026 Offer day 2026-03-02 (passed)
Sept 2026 Primary offer day 2026-04-16 (passed)

Out-of-area applications

Wiltshire's two grammar schools are both in Salisbury and register SEPARATELY: Bishop Wordsworth's Church of England Grammar School (boys) and South Wilts Grammar School (girls). Each runs its own entrance test — register direct with each school (Bishop Wordsworth's registration historically runs late March to 1 September; check South Wilts' own window), with tests in the second half of September of Year 6. Children living outside Wiltshire can register — the schools draw from south Wiltshire, Hampshire and Dorset. Apply via your home LA's Common Application Form by 31 October. Check each school's oversubscription criteria: both use catchment/priority-area elements, and Bishop Wordsworth's is a Church of England school (check any faith-related criteria in its current policy).

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