Bexley Grammar School vs Townley Grammar School
Both are grammar schools in Bexley, 1.5 miles apart. Side-by-side on official DfE, Ofsted and council admissions data.
Side by side
| Bexley Grammar School | Townley Grammar School | |
|---|---|---|
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary |
| Gender | Mixed | Girls |
| Pupils on roll | 1,504 | 1,669 |
| Free school meals | 4% | 9.1% |
| Ofsted rating | Outstanding | Outstanding |
| Attainment 8 — 2025/26 | 72.6 | 74.8 |
| 11+ test board | GL Assessment | GL Assessment |
| Admission system | pass/fail then criteria order | pass/fail then criteria order |
| Places offered — 202627 | 208 | 246 |
| First preferences per place — higher means more competition for a first-preference place | 1.61 | 0.77 |
Qualifying scores
Bexley Grammar School
No fixed pass mark. Bexley sets the selection-test threshold each year after marking. The 180 highest-scoring children ('Top 180') are guaranteed a place at a preferred Bexley grammar school; other eligible children compete under each school's criteria, where distance matters. Per-school cutoff scores are not pre-announced.
Townley Grammar School
No fixed pass mark. Bexley sets the selection-test threshold each year after marking. The 180 highest-scoring children ('Top 180') are guaranteed a place at a preferred Bexley grammar school; other eligible children compete under each school's criteria, where distance matters. Per-school cutoff scores are not pre-announced.
Who gets priority
Where a school is oversubscribed, these are the first criteria applied, in order. This is usually what decides an application.
Bexley Grammar School
- Looked After Children and Previously Looked After Children
- Up to 12 places: Pupil Premium children deemed selective, ranked by distance from the school
- Guaranteed Grammar School Place: LA-wide top 180 standardised scores in the Bexley Selection Test (across all Bexley grammar schools)
- Sibling (incl. step/half) currently attending the school in Years 7-11
- Children of staff employed ≥2 years
- Remaining places by straight-line proximity to school
Source: school admissions policy.
Townley Grammar School
- Looked After Children and Previously Looked After Children
- 56 places (25% of PAN): Pupil Premium girls achieving the qualifying selective score
- If category 2 undersubscribed: further Pupil Premium girls up to 5% below the standardised selective score, ranked by score then distance
- Guaranteed Grammar School Place: LA-wide top 180 standardised scores in the Bexley Selection Test
- Sibling attending a school within the Townley Trust
- Children of Townley Trust staff employed ≥2 years
Source: school admissions policy.
Choosing between them
Bexley Grammar School is a mixed school and Townley Grammar School is a girls school, so for many families the starting point is which one can admit their child. The figures on this page are the published ones — they describe intakes and results, not what either school would be like for your child. The right choice depends on your family's own priorities and circumstances.
Other Bexley comparisons
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