Updated at: 05-04-2023 - By: Eden Wise

Overview

It can be a Herculean task to locate the top London Grammar Schools. Trying to locate it online makes the process even more tedious.

This is due to the fact that London is made up of numerous boroughs and towns, each of which contains its own set of grammar schools. Other elementary schools exist outside of the typical cities and towns.

Regardless of the financial burden, it is your responsibility as a parent or guardian to ensure that your child attends a reputable institution of higher learning. However, this choice is not without its challenges.

This piece will provide a list of the top London-based grammar schools. If you need to find a grammar school in a location other than London county or the United Kingdom, you can do so by looking elsewhere.

Your child may need to fulfill additional requirements for admission to a particular school. Check the admissions policies of the institution of your choice to learn more about these requirements.

Okay, let’s just jump in!

Best Grammar Schools In Uk

Best grammar schools in uk

The Henrietta Barnett School

Hampstead Garden Suburb in North London is home to the prestigious all-girls Henrietta Barnett School, a grammar school with academy status. Dame Henrietta Barnett established the organization in 1911 with the goal of providing a better education for girls based on merit rather than socioeconomic status.

On multiple occasions, Henrietta Barnett has been named the best girls’ grammar school, topping the state schools league table due to its exceptional academic performance. The majority of Henrietta Barnett’s graduates go on to study at elite institutions like Oxbridge, UCL, King’s College London, and LSE.

The Sunday Times recognized The Henrietta Barnett School as the “Top Secondary School for Academic Performance” in 2022.

The Henrietta Barnett School has a two-part 11 plus exam for girls applying for a spot in Year 7. The first round of testing consists of verbal and numerical ability papers, and the final round of testing consists of school-specific English and mathematics exams for those who made the cut.

Wilson’s School

Wilson's School

Wilson’s School is an academy-level, boys-only grammar school in Sutton, southwest London. One of the oldest public schools in England, it was established in Camberwell (South London) in 1615 thanks to a royal charter. In 2020, The Sunday Times recognized Wilson’s School as the “London Secondary School of the Decade.”

Wilson’s School offers a comprehensive curriculum designed to help each boy reach his full potential, as well as an enrichment program that complements the academic curriculum. The three parts of the ‘The Elizabethan’ curriculum that will help students get ready for adulthood in modern Britain are politics, culture, and public speaking.

Boys who want to enter the seventh grade must take the 11 Plus exam in the sixth grade. Wilson’s School is a Sutton grammar school, so it requires prospective students to take the Sutton Selective Eligibility Test (SET) before admittance.

Altrincham Grammar School for Girls

The Sunday Times named the all-girls Altrincham Grammar School for Girls (abbreviated as “AGGS”) in Bowdon, Greater Manchester, as “Northwest Secondary School of the Year” in 2022. As part of the 1902 Education Act, which sought to construct new schools with improved education for girls, it was founded in 1910. It has more students than any other single-sex grammar school in England, at over 1,300.

In many areas, including mathematics, science, PSHE, and modern foreign languages, AGGS ranks at the top of its field. It was one of the first schools in the country to receive the National Teaching School designation. The Bright Futures Educational Trust of which the school is a part.

Altrincham Grammar School for Girls administers entrance exams in verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, and mathematics to girls who wish to enter the school in Year 7.

Instructions for Female Applicants to Altrincham Grammar School

King Edward VI Grammar School

King Edward VI Grammar School

Chelmsford, Essex’s King Edward VI Grammar School is a boys-only grammar school with a mixed-gender sixth grade. It was established in 1551 with a royal warrant from King Edward VI and has kept up a stellar reputation ever since thanks to a dedication to academic excellence and a rigorous work ethic. It was recognized as the “East Anglia Secondary School of the Year 2022” by the Sunday Times.

Students at KEGS have many opportunities to learn outside of the classroom through the many clubs and activities offered during lunch and after school. Orchestras, choirs, and ensembles, plays, musicals, local and national fixtures in a wide variety of sports, the Combed Cadet Force (CCF), and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award are just a few of the many options available.

King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford requires an 11 plus score for entry into Year 7 for boys. This score is determined by the Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE). There will be English and mathematics homework included.

Queen Elizabeth’s School, Barnet

The boys’ school in London has been around for 450 years, and it promises to help each student reach his or her full academic and personal potential. Before submitting the common application form to your local authority, you must visit their website, download the entrance test request form, and return it to the school. With a Progress 8 score of 1.08 and a perfect 100% of students achieving 5 9-4s, this secondary school is a top pick.

The Tiffin Girls’ School

Tiffin Girls’ School, established in Greater London in 1880, is well-known for producing top-tier graduates year after year. The school offers many extracurricular opportunities, especially in the areas of sports and the arts. The website also emphasizes the importance the school places on developing a passion for education and a strong sense of belonging among its students.

Pate’s Grammar School

Pate’s Grammar School

Pate’s Grammar School, located in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, is an academy-level, coeducational grammar school. This institution has won The Sunday Times’ “State Secondary School of the Year” award twice (in 2012 and 2020). The schools have achieved remarkable success, ranking in the top 10 of many national league tables and being the South West’s highest achieving school for GCSE grade nine. In addition, last year, every single one of Pate’s GCSE students achieved (on average) 0.79 of a grade above their target in every GCSE they took, putting them in the top 5% of all schools in the country.

Colchester Royal Grammar School

Colchester, Essex is home to the publicly funded Colchester Royal Grammar School (CRGS). It was founded in 1128, and later received royal charters from Henry VIII (1539) and Elizabeth I (1584).

About 950 students, ages 11 to 18, attend this school, with most of the buildings and sports fields located in the Lexden area of Colchester. Until 1998, only boys were accepted into the school, but now both sexes are welcome in the upper grades. Studies in both science and language are highlighted. Every year, the school comes out on top of national A-level rankings.

Dartford Grammar School for Girls

When it comes to academic achievement, Dartford Grammar School for Girls ranks among Kent’s and the UK’s best. Both academic performance and extracurricular involvement are valued equally at this institution. The most recent review by OFSTED rated it “Outstanding,” so it’s clear that it’s a top pick for students taking the 11 Plus.

Nonsuch High School for Girls

The campus is located in Sutton. The Selective Eligibility Test (SET) is used in the first of two entry phases into the school. Accepted students can choose between attending Nonsuch or Wallington. With a National average of 1.04, Nonsuch High School is ranked in the top two percent of all high schools in the United States.

Highworth Grammar School

Highworth Grammar School

Ashford, Kent’s Highworth Grammar School is one of the country’s oldest Grammar Schools, having opened in 1904. The Music Specialist status has been held since 2005. The school received a perfect 1 from OFSTED in June 2013. In 2019, 100% of students at this school earned a passing grade in both English and mathematics on the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE), and over 60% of GCSE results were 7 or above (grades A or A*).

Colyton Grammar School

CGS is an academy in East Devon that serves students of both sexes. The Sunday Times ranks it as the fourteenth-best grammar school in the country, making it one of the best in the United Kingdom and the South West. Colyton also asserts that his institution’s student body has a positive attitude toward education. They have a genuine interest in expanding their knowledge base. This institution provides an exceptional education.

Henrietta Barnett Elementary

Looking for a college with no tuition or other costs? That institution is known as Henrietta Barnett. This London grammar school has an extremely competitive admissions process. The Henrietta Barnett School has extremely selective admissions, making it difficult for students to gain entry.

More than three thousand students applied to London Grammar School this year. The following facts explain why: in 2020, grades 8 and 9 accounted for 87% of all GCSE awards, and 50% of all A-LEVEL awards were awarded at the highest possible level, an A*.

The Catholic Grade School of St. Michael

The London Borough of Barnet is home to this all-female grammar institution. Furthermore, it is a school dedicated to the Catholic faith. St. Michael’s is the best option for your daughter if you are the religiously committed type who also wants her to have a great elementary school experience. The school has mastered the art of incorporating a deeply Catholic ethos into the educational experience.

The 11 entrance exam is used at St. Michael’s Catholic School, and it is held on September 10th, which is earlier than most schools. Since there are only 128 spots available for freshmen in 2022 merry, competition for admission is expected to be fierce.

Tiffin Girls School

Tiffin Girls School, ranked #8 on our list, is widely considered to be among London’s finest grammar schools. Even though we can’t put a precise number on it, it’s also widely considered to be among the best in all of England. The academic accomplishments of Tiffin Girls School students are noteworthy. Only previous efforts can do that justice.

In 2020, over eighty-five percent of Tiffin Girls School students received a GCSE grade of nine or higher. However, A*s made up 35% of all A-Level grades. Given these kinds of outcomes, competition is typically high to gain admission to Tiffin Girls School. There are only 180 available spots in 2022.

Tiffin School

You may be surprised to find the name “Tiffin” on our list twice. The aforementioned institution is an all-female educational institution.

Kingston-upon-Thames is home to the highly competitive Tiffin School, an All-Boys Grammar school. As a result of its excellent academic performance, it has earned a reputation as one of London’s top Grammar schools.

The Tiffin School comes in second because it does not perform as well as the Tiffin Girls School. Tiffin Girls school is superior based on the percentage of A* grades earned at A-LEVEL, GCSE results, and Progress 8 score.

Colchester County High School for Girls

The North Essex girls’ grammar school was founded in 1909. As of now, it’s a Grammar Academy affiliated with the Alpha Trust, which also includes The Gilberd School, Manningtree High, and Home Farm Primary School. The trust’s mission is to improve its schools’ access to high-quality education in order to inspire its students to reach their full potential. In 2019, 74% of students earned grades 8-9 on the GCSE, and almost 60% earned A*-A on the A-LEVEL; many of these students went on to receive offers from the best universities in the country after completing the 12th grade. Pre-pandemic Progress 8 data from the government website shows that the school has a score of 1.01. This means that students are outperforming the local authority average and achieving one full grade higher at GCSE than was predicted based on their primary school performance. The institution was among the first of its kind to focus solely on science education in the United Kingdom. It also has an emphasis on contemporary languages.

FAQs

Where are some of England’s finest grammar schools located?

London, the Home Counties, Kent, and Manchester are where you’ll find the country’s top-tier grammar schools. It’s a good idea to research all the ‘grammar school areas’ in the country to find the one that seems like the best fit if you’re set on attending a primary school.

Do you think that grammar schools excel over public universities?

Neither grammar schools nor regular public schools are inherently superior or inferior. Numerous examples exist in which one class performs better than another on important indicators. Grammar schools have a history of outperforming public schools academically. The most important difference between grammar schools and public schools is that the former do not charge tuition.

Conclusion

If you want to send your kid to one of the best grammar schools in the UK so they can have a successful future, read the piece up top. Experts in the field of studying gifted children agree that enrolling your child in one of the top UK grammar schools is essential to his or her intellectual growth. Although the primary focus of a grammar school is on building a student’s foundational knowledge, extracurricular activities like sports and music are sometimes included to help students connect with the larger community.