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Bourne Grammar School vs The King's School, Grantham

Both are grammar schools in Lincolnshire, 15.4 miles apart. Side-by-side on official DfE, Ofsted and council admissions data.

Side by side

Bourne Grammar School The King's School, Grantham
Phase Secondary Secondary
Gender Mixed Boys
Pupils on roll 1,718 1,221
Free school meals 7.3% 7.6%
Ofsted rating Good Good
Attainment 8 — 2025/26 67.2 73.2
11+ test board GL Assessment GL Assessment
Admission system pass/fail then criteria order (score doesn't give priority after passing) qualifying score is the minimum; places then go in score order (distance only breaks ties)
Places offered — 202627 238 171
First preferences per place — higher means more competition for a first-preference place 1.26 1.64

Qualifying scores

Bourne Grammar School

220 (2026 entry)

Total standardised score ≥ 220 across two papers (VR paper + NVR/spatial paper). LCGS: Lincolnshire Consortium of Grammar Schools.

Council source ↗

The King's School, Grantham

220 (2026 entry)

Total standardised score ≥ 220 across two papers (VR paper + NVR/spatial paper). LCGS: Lincolnshire Consortium of Grammar Schools.

Council source ↗

Who gets priority

Where a school is oversubscribed, these are the first criteria applied, in order. This is usually what decides an application.

Bourne Grammar School

  1. Looked after and previously looked after children who reach the qualifying standard
  2. Children with a sibling on roll at the time of application
  3. Children of staff
  4. 35 places for Pupil Premium or forces children — nearest first if more apply
  5. The next 24 places to the highest scorers living within 15 miles of the school
  6. All remaining places — nearest first

Source: school admissions policy.

The King's School, Grantham

  1. Looked after and previously looked after children — by score
  2. Up to 20 places for boys on the full Pupil Premium living within 30 miles — by score
  3. Boys living within 30 miles (straight line) — by score
  4. Any remaining places to other qualified boys — by score

Source: school admissions policy.

Choosing between them

Bourne Grammar School is a mixed school and The King's School, Grantham is a boys 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.

Full detail for each school: Bourne Grammar School · The King's School, Grantham
Or see all secondary schools in Lincolnshire ranked.

Other Lincolnshire comparisons

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