Schools near Atherstone
13 open schools in Atherstone, Warwickshire · Ofsted ratings, catchment areas and admission criteria · see all Warwickshire schools · grammar schools in Atherstone
Atherstone has 13 state schools: 10 primary, 1 secondary, part of Warwickshire's wider catchment. 13 have a published Ofsted rating, and 11 of those are rated Good or Outstanding.
Undersubscribed schools rated Good or Outstanding
These schools didn't fill on first preference in the latest admissions year, despite an Ofsted rating of Good or Outstanding — worth a look if you're chasing the same handful of famous names everyone else applies to.
How places are allocated in Warwickshire
Primary schools: Warwickshire's own term is 'Priority Area' (equivalent to catchment) — the primary criterion for community/VC schools ahead of siblings. (source)
Most schools use the local authority's default scheme rather than a school-specific catchment map — see each school's page for its own designated/catchment area where one is published.
Atherstone straddles a council boundary: the scheme above is Warwickshire's, and Leicestershire also has schools here, applying under its own.
Warwickshire entrance test format
One shared test for all five Warwickshire grammar schools, administered by Warwickshire County Council and provided by GL Assessment: two multiple-choice papers of around 50 minutes each, mixing English, mathematics, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. Answers go on separate sheets that are scanned electronically, and scores are age-standardised. Registration is a single online form with the county council (historically closing 4pm on 30 June of Year 5); the test is sat in mid-September of Year 6, and one sitting covers all five schools. A qualifying score does not guarantee a place — each school applies its own oversubscription criteria, several with priority areas.
Key dates
| Entry year | Event | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Registration opens | 2026-05-07 (passed) |
| Sept 2027 | Registration closes | 2026-06-30 (passed) |
| Sept 2027 | Test date | 2026-09-12 |
| 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 | Registration opens | 2025-05-06 (passed) |
| Sept 2026 | Registration closes | 2025-06-27 (passed) |
| Sept 2026 | Test date | 2025-09-13 (passed) |
| Sept 2026 | Results released | 2025-10-15 (passed) |
| Sept 2026 | Application deadline | 2025-10-31 (passed) |
| Sept 2026 | Primary application deadline | 2026-01-15 (passed) |
| Sept 2026 | Offer day | 2026-03-01 (passed) |
| Sept 2026 | Primary offer day | 2026-04-16 (passed) |
Out-of-area applications
Warwickshire's five grammar schools (Alcester Grammar School, King Edward VI School in Stratford-upon-Avon, Lawrence Sheriff School and Rugby High School in Rugby, Stratford Girls' Grammar School) share a single 11+ test run by Warwickshire County Council. The test is open to all children due to start secondary school, including those living outside Warwickshire — register once online with the county council (deadline historically 4pm on 30 June of Year 5, tests the following mid-September). Apply for places via your home LA's Common Application Form by 31 October, listing the Warwickshire school(s). Criteria impact: Warwickshire grammar schools define priority areas/circles in their oversubscription criteria, giving children living within a defined area priority over out-of-area applicants with similar scores — living far away can significantly reduce the chance of an offer even with a qualifying score. Check each school's published admissions policy.
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