Colyton Grammar School 11+

How to get into Colyton Grammar School

Colyton Grammar School is a selective secondary school in Devon. To get into Colyton Grammar School children need to pass the school's 11+ entrance test. Here is the step-by-step guide to getting your child into Colyton Grammar School with all the important information you need to know.

Admission Requirements

Colyton Grammar School is a co-educational grammar school located in the village of Colyford in East Devon, England that teaches students from years 7 to 13 ^[1]. The school offers 155 places annually for Year 7 entry.

Families must register their children for the FSCE 11+ examination to be considered for admission. A single Common Application Form (CAF) covers application to all state secondary schools ^[1]. Children born between 1st September 2013 and 31st August 2014 are eligible for Year 7 entry in September 2025.

Colyton Grammar School operates without a designated catchment area. All applicants are treated equally, regardless of their residential address. All children, including those with an EHC Plan or Statement naming the school must be eligible to be admitted ^[1].

• Complete the Common Application Form (CAF) through the local authority
• Register online for the 11+ examination directly with the school
• Colyton Grammar must be named on the CAF in order for students to be considered for a place
• A child will receive only one offer of a school place ^[1]
• Contact details available in the school information section

Application Process

The application process involves two separate registration requirements. Registration for the Colyton Grammar School 11 plus opens on the school website on Monday 31st April 2025 and closes in September. The deadline to register is the 31st July 2025 at 17:00 for Year 7 entry in September 2026^[1].

In order to apply for Year 7 entry to Colyton Grammar School, parents need to register their child online. The registration form can be accessed on the school's website. The secondary school common application form will be available on your home council website from early September and must be submitted by 31st October 2025.

Your child will take the exam on Saturday 13th September 2025 and you'll receive their results in mid-October. On Monday 2nd March 2026, you will find out which school your child has been allocated a place at.

• Register online for the 11+ examination through the school website
• Complete the Common Application Form (CAF) through the local authority by 31st October 2025
• The form is used to double-check that students meet all the necessary admission criteria to attend the Test Day
• Late registrations may still be considered under exceptional circumstances, such as illness etc
• Children may only take the entrance test once in each academic year ^[1]
• No application fees are mentioned for the 11+ registration process
• Contact the school directly for special considerations through the school information section

Examination Format

Colyton Grammar School uses 11 plus papers provided by FSCE (Future Stories Community Enterprise). There are three papers in this exam. Please note: the exam provider used by Colyton Grammar School may be changing the structure and content of the test from September 2025. The information on this page may not accurately reflect the changes for 2025. Information about the new changes will be available on this page in May 2025.

The current FSCE 11+ format includes three distinct papers. Paper 1: mathematics and English skills (multiple-choice format; 45 minutes in length) Paper 2: mathematics and English (constrained/free response format; 35 minutes in length). The third paper focuses on creative writing.

Your child's marks in the English and maths papers are age-standardised to ensure that younger children aren't disadvantaged. Colyton Grammar School will then set a qualifying score. Children who have achieved the qualifying score then have their creative writing paper marked by staff at Colyton Grammar School.

• English: reading comprehension, vocabulary and spelling
• Maths: based on the content your child will have learned in Year 5 maths
• Creative writing: your child will need to write a creative response to a prompt. They will have different options to base their piece on
• Test results are fully standardised and age-weighted to ensure fairness for all those sitting the exams
• The mark from the creative writing paper is added to the standardised mark for the English and maths papers. Children are then placed in rank order from highest overall score to lowest score

Oversubscription Criteria

If the number of children who achieve the qualifying score exceeds the 160 places available, Colyton Grammar School applies oversubscription criteria. Priority for admission is determined by specific criteria: Looked After and previously Looked After Children are given first consideration, followed by children entitled to pupil premium or service premium.

In cases where there are more eligible applicants than places available, the school uses the following over-subscription criteria to determine priority: Looked After Children or children, who have previously been in looked after care. Students who are eligible for Pupil Premium. Children of staff members. Rank order of the total score in the 11 Plus tests.

In the event of a tie for the last available place, proximity to the school is used as a determining factor, with preference given to the child residing closest, measured by a straight line from their home to the school reception.

• Looked After Children and previously Looked After Children
• Children entitled to Pupil Premium including the Service Premium
• Children of staff members
• Rank order based on total test scores
• Distance from school (tie-breaker only)

Preparation Guidance

It's important to build a good knowledge base before the 11 plus. Using a 'little and often' approach when learning is key – our brains encode new information more effectively when dealing with smaller 'chunks' of information. For children aged 10–11, child psychologists recommend regular study sessions of 20–30 minutes.

To prepare your child effectively for the Colyton Grammar School 11 plus, it's essential to cover all content, ensuring they revise a wide range of Key Stage 2 curriculum topics and beyond, ideally starting at least a year before the exam. Encourage regular study sessions, adopting a 'little and often' approach to gradually build skills, and avoid focusing solely on preferred topics or challenging ones.

Pupils who are able to score 80%+ consistently in our 11+ practice tests should be on track to pass the Colyton Grammar 11+ test. Families can access free practice papers for preparation support.

• Start preparation at least one year before the examination
• Use 20-30 minute regular study sessions for optimal learning
• Cover the full Key Stage 2 curriculum and beyond
• Practice both multiple choice and free response question formats
• Focus on achieving 80%+ scores in practice tests consistently
• Develop creative writing skills with regular practice
• Consider professional tutoring support if needed

Special Support

To encourage greater representation of children from lower income families to the school we provide a free programme of online resources designed to help children become familiar with the topics on the entrance test and importantly to help boost progress at KS2. This programme is provided by Atom Home and is open to all children (Year 3-Year 6) who are eligible for the Pupil Premium (FSM), whether or not they choose to apply to Colyton ^[1].

The school provides targeted support for families from lower income backgrounds. This free programme helps children become familiar with examination topics and supports progress throughout Key Stage 2.

• Free online resources for Pupil Premium eligible children
• Support available from Year 3 to Year 6
• Programme focuses on examination preparation and KS2 progress
• Available to all eligible families, regardless of application status

Practical Advice

When your child feels confident with the topics they've learnt in Year 5, they'll be ready to put their knowledge to the test. Practice tests can help your child develop problem-solving skills and build confidence working under test conditions. They're also a great way to consolidate learning and highlight knowledge gaps for further improvement.

Examination day requires careful preparation. Practice exam techniques by familiarising your child with various question styles through 11 plus test papers, which will boost their confidence and reduce exam-day stress. Children should arrive well-rested and prepared with appropriate equipment.

Increasing the variety of your child's reading will help them understand different styles, tones and purposes. Meanwhile, reading a little every day will help widen their vocabulary, sharpen their analytical thinking, and enhance their imagination.

• Ensure children are familiar with different question formats before examination day
• Practice under timed conditions to build confidence
• Encourage daily reading across different genres and styles
• Develop problem-solving skills through regular practice
• Identify and address knowledge gaps early in preparation
• Maintain realistic expectations about examination outcomes
• Consider backup options at other schools in Devon

Key Dates

Families should note that registration deadlines and examination dates are subject to change. For Year 7 entry in September 2026, the deadline to register is the 31st July 2025 at 17:00 ^[1]. The Common Application Form must be submitted by 31st October 2025.

Colyton Grammar School Open Events for Year 7 Entry 2026/27 Have the opportunity to tour and learn about the school, chat with our Headteacher & Director of Admissions and ask any questions you have. To book an open day, click here: Colyton Grammar School Open Events for Year 7 Entry 2026/27 Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite ^[1].

Results are typically communicated in mid-October following the September examination. Final school allocation decisions are announced on National Offers Day in early March.

• Open Days: Multiple dates available for Year 7 Entry 2026/27
• Registration Opens: April 2025 for September 2026 entry
• Registration Deadline: 31st July 2025 at 17:00
• CAF Deadline: 31st October 2025
• Examination Date: September 2025 (specific date to be confirmed)
• Results: Mid-October 2025
• School Offers: Early March 2026

Contact Information

For the most current information about admissions, examination dates, and school policies, families should contact the school directly. All specific enquiries about registration, special considerations, and application support should be directed to the admissions team.

Contact details and the most up-to-date information are available in the school information section. The school provides comprehensive guidance for families throughout the application process.

FSCE 11+ Information

In order to get into Colyton Grammar School, children need to pass the FSCE 11+. This 11+ test is written by FSCE for use by the school's admissions process.

FSCE 11+ Subjects & Structure

The FSCE 11+ requires children to complete tests in the following subjects:

• English
• Maths
• Creative Writing

The 11 plus exam for entry into Colyton Grammar School is provided by FSCE (Future Stories Community Enterprise) and consists of three papers, each lasting roughly one hour. The English paper tests reading comprehension, vocabulary, and spelling through multiple-choice questions. The Maths paper includes a combination of multiple-choice and free-form questions based on the Year 5 maths curriculum.

In addition to these two subjects, the 11 plus exam also includes a Creative Writing paper. In this section, students are given a prompt and must compose a creative response based on one of the provided options. This paper allows the school to assess the applicant's writing skills and creativity.

Overall, the 11 plus exam for Colyton Grammar School is designed to evaluate a student's abilities in key areas such as English, Maths, and Creative Writing. Success in this exam is crucial for securing a place at this prestigious grammar school.

Other Schools using FSCE 11+

As well as Colyton Grammar School, several other schools also use FSCE 11+. These are:

• Reading School
• Chelmsford County High School for Girls

FSCE 11+ Marking Process

The reality of 11+ tests, selective education and academic institutions such as Colyton Grammar School is that only children with particularly high marks are admitted. Hence why it is important that children perform well in their 11+ papers.

Different schools (and different 11+ tests) have different marking processes. Some tests are marked in person, some remotely, while others utilise computer-based optical recognition technologies for quickly marking multiple-choice answer sheets.

Many 11+ tests are age-standardised to ensure younger children are not disadvantaged (i.e. their marks may be moderated depending on the month in which they were born). While creative writing papers can be used as tie-breakers, multiple-choice tests in Maths, Comprehension, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning normally make up the bulk of a child's marks. The specific details and weightings can vary from year to year.

It's worth remembering that once children's 11+ tests are being marked, the admissions process is completely outside of the parents' control. Hence, parents should not worry themselves about whether their child has got a place!

FSCE 11+ Pass Mark

The pass mark for the FSCE 11+ changes every year and isn't generally made public knowledge. This is due to the academic strength of the children taking the test varying and how challenging the test ends up being (as well as plenty of other smaller variables).

Hence, as a vague rule-of-thumb, it's recommended that children aim for roughly 75-80% in their practice tests. Whilst this won't guarantee them a place at Colyton Grammar School, it's a ballpark exam result figure for successful candidates.

Key Dates for the Colyton Grammar School 11+ Entrance Tests

Here are all the important dates for the 11+ tests (to get into Colyton Grammar School) as well as other relevant dates.

Although the utmost care has been taken to gather these dates, parents should treat them as a guide and check with Colyton Grammar School as they may well change.

11+ Tutor for Colyton Grammar School

As the FSCE 11+ entrance process is particularly gruelling, we would highly recommend using an 11+ private tutor.

Why use a private 11+ tutor?

Personal tutors have the experience and expertise to help children pass their 11+ exams. They know the requirements of the FSCE 11+ tests inside-out and can provide tailored support to give children the best possible chance of success. It's also important to bear in mind that plenty of other children will be using private tutors too.

11+ tutors don't need to be face-to-face, plenty of children use online 11+ tutors.

11+ tutors can also provide regular progress reports and feedback, helping parents to monitor their child's progress and make any necessary adjustments to their preparation.

Most importantly, using an 11+ tutor helps ensure that the preparation work gets done!

Private 11+ Tutors for the Colyton Grammar School 11+ Tests

We have a range of private tutors who specialise in preparing children for the Colyton Grammar School 11+ entrance tests. Please click here to be put in touch with a range of excellent 11+ private tutors from our friends at exams.courses.

11+ Past Papers for Colyton Grammar School

Unfortunately, Colyton Grammar School has not made any of their 11+ past papers publicly available. However, you can use However, you can use 11+ practice papers from other exam boards (such as GL Assessment, CEM and CSSE) to help your child prepare.

11+ Practice Papers for Colyton Grammar School

Unfortunately, there are no targeted 11+ practice papers for Colyton Grammar School available. However, you can use 11+ practice papers from other exam boards (such as GL Assessment, CEM and CSSE) to help your child prepare.

School Information

Below you will find further information about Colyton Grammar School together with their admissions contact details.

Colyton Grammar School is a mixed (i.e. both girls and boys) school. It is also an academy, meaning the school is run independently by a trust or sponsor and is directly funded by the central government (not the local authority).

In total 1,038 pupils attend Colyton Grammar School and it's led by the Headteacher, Mr Tim Harris.

Colyton Grammar School Location

Below you will find a map showing the school's location:

Ofsted Information

Colyton Grammar School was last inspected by Ofsted on 22/11/2022 and the inspection only lasted one day. Ofsted published their report on 30/01/2023, declaring that the school was 'Outstanding'. This information is summarised in the table below along with a link to the full report.

Last Ofsted Report Data

Ofsted Report Summary

Colyton Grammar School was inspected by Ofsted on 22 November 2022 and received an Outstanding overall rating. The school demonstrated exceptional performance across all areas evaluated, including Quality of education, Behaviour and attitudes, Personal development, Leadership and management, and Sixth form provision.

The inspection report highlights the school's commitment to providing a high-quality education and fostering a positive learning environment. Colyton Grammar School excels in nurturing students' academic growth, personal development, and well-being.

The Outstanding ratings across all categories underscore the school's dedication to maintaining the highest standards of education and support for its students. The leadership and management team's efforts have been instrumental in creating a culture of excellence that permeates every aspect of the school, from the classroom to extracurricular activities and sixth form provision.

GCSE & A-Level Subjects

Below you will find a complete list of GCSE and A-Level subjects offered to pupils at Colyton Grammar School for the 2022-23 academic year.

GCSE & A-Level Performance

Below are the individual GCSE and A-Level performance tables for Colyton Grammar School per subject. Note that this may include children taking GCSEs early (e.g. taking a language GCSE in Year 10) or indeed a child in Year 12 retaking a GCSE.

GCSE Results Information (2022-23)

A-Level Results Information (2022-23)