Wiltshire 11+: the Salisbury grammar school tests

The routes look alike from a distance: both use GL Assessment papers, both are sat in the autumn of Year 6, and neither school ranks children by score. Up close they differ in papers, scoring and who gets to sit.

The Bishop Wordsworth's testing cap. If more boys apply than the cap allows, the school measures the straight-line distance from each home to its Exeter Street gate and tests only the nearest. A boy who lives further out may not be invited to sit at all, so families some distance from Salisbury should read the policy closely before relying on this route.

South Wilts' practice paper. Girls registered for South Wilts are invited to an unmarked verbal reasoning paper shortly before the real test, so the room and format feel familiar, and the school arranges another sitting for girls who cannot attend on the day. For 2027 entry: familiarisation verbal reasoning paper (not marked): Saturday 19 September 2026; alternative sitting for children unable to attend: Wednesday 7 October 2026Source for South Wilts Grammar School 2027 entry: OtherSouth Wilts Grammar School 2027 entry: OtherCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against South Wilts Grammar School.The source says: Arrangements will be made for any child who cannot attend on Saturday 26 September 20256 to sit the 11+ Test on Wednesday 7 October 2026 instead.View the official source.

Access arrangements. South Wilts asked for requests and evidence by Tuesday 1 September 2026, midnightSource for South Wilts Grammar School 2027 entry: Access arrangements deadlineSouth Wilts Grammar School 2027 entry: Access arrangements deadlineCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against South Wilts Grammar School.The source says: Parents must complete the Special Access Arrangements section of the registration form and upload any evidence by midnight Tuesday 1 September 2026.View the official source. Bishop Wordsworth's documents give different deadlines for access arrangements; we are checking with the school.

Neither school uses a fixed mark that is known in advance, and neither gives a higher score extra priority once the standard is met.

• Bishop Wordsworth's uses a qualifying standard set each year by reference to the scores of the boys who sit the test (not a pre-defined mark)Source for Bishop Wordsworth's School: Qualifying rule (2027)Bishop Wordsworth's School: Qualifying rule (2027)CloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Wordsworth's School.The source says: The qualifying standard is not a pre-defined mark but is determined in reference to the scores of students sitting the examination.View the official source. Looked-after and previously looked-after boys, and boys eligible for the pupil premium, are held to a lower standard than other applicants. The school has not published past standards in a form we could check.
• South Wilts adds up the scores: the three age-standardised scores (maths, English, verbal reasoning, equally weighted) are added; reaching the standardised pass mark means a passSource for South Wilts Grammar School: Qualifying rule (2027)South Wilts Grammar School: Qualifying rule (2027)CloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against South Wilts Grammar School.The source says: All candidates whose combined score in the maths, English and verbal reasoning papers reaches the standardised pass mark will be regarded as having passed the entrance test.View the official source. The pass mark is set each year, and the school publishes it afterwards. Girls eligible for the pupil premium have a lower pass mark (see below).

South Wilts' most recent published figures are below. They describe past years and are a guide, not a promise; the longer series is on the South Wilts Grammar School page.

Both schools make room for children eligible for the pupil premium (usually those who get, or recently got, free school meals), but in different ways.

• South Wilts: pass mark 3% lower for pupil premium applicants, with 10 places reserved for them; in-catchment pupil premium girls are criterion c(i), out-of-catchment criterion eSource for South Wilts Grammar School: Pp priority (2027)South Wilts Grammar School: Pp priority (2027)CloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against South Wilts Grammar School.The source says: The pass mark for those who qualify for pupil premium will be 3% lower than the standard pass mark and 10 places will be reserved for them. If fewer than 10 pass at the reduced pass mark, then the places will be re-allocated to standard pass mark applicants.View the official source (the letters are the school's labels for its priority groups). If not enough girls reach the lower pass mark to fill the reserved places, the spare places go to girls who reached the standard one. For 2026 entry, 40Source for South Wilts Grammar School 2026 entry: Offers pupil premiumSouth Wilts Grammar School 2026 entry: Offers pupil premiumCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against South Wilts Grammar School.The source says: applicants who attract the Pupil 40 31 26 19 12 25 22 14 and/or Service PremiumsView the official source places went to girls with pupil or service premium priority.
• Bishop Wordsworth's: eligible boys are held to a lower qualifying standard. The school's FAQ also describes a set number of reserved places, but the determined policy does not; we are checking which applies. The school asked for pupil premium evidence by Friday 26 June 2026Source for Bishop Wordsworth's School: Priority evidence deadlineBishop Wordsworth's School: Priority evidence deadlineCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Wordsworth's School.The source says: Please indicate this on the Priority for Admission section of the application form and upload a letter from your son's current school confirming his eligibility by Friday 26 June 2026.View the official source, and the BWS Foundation offers grants for families needing help to attend open events or the 11+Source for Bishop Wordsworth's School: Financial assistanceBishop Wordsworth's School: Financial assistanceCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Wordsworth's School.The source says: The BWS Foundation provides grants to pupils not currently at the School but who need financial assistance to support their application, for example attending open days and the 11+ examination.View the official source.

This section is general information, not legal advice. Check each school's own appeal guidance and deadlines.

• If something went wrong on test day at South Wilts, the school asked parents to write in with evidence by Friday 2 October 2026Source for South Wilts Grammar School: Illness claim deadlineSouth Wilts Grammar School: Illness claim deadlineCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against South Wilts Grammar School.The source says: any parent who considers that their child’s performance may have been adversely affected on the day of the test is required to write to SWGS by Friday 2 October 2026 giving full background information and accompanying evidenceView the official source.
• Appeals after National Offer Day (Monday 1 March 2027Source for Wiltshire 2027 entry: National Offer DayWiltshire 2027 entry: National Offer DayCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against South Wilts Grammar School.The source says: For 2027 entry this will be Monday 1 March 2027View the official source). For Bishop Wordsworth's, there is an independent appeal panel arranged for the Academy Trust; appeal follows a refusal by the local authoritySource for Bishop Wordsworth's School: Appeals route (2027)Bishop Wordsworth's School: Appeals route (2027)CloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Wordsworth's School.The source says: Appeals must follow a refusal of a place by the Local Authority. Where the qualifying standard has not been achieved, an application for a place must still be submitted in order for an appeal to be made.View the official source. You can only appeal if you applied, so name the school on your form even if your son did not reach the standard. South Wilts says its appeals will be heard in May/June 2027Source for South Wilts Grammar School: Appeals hearing windowSouth Wilts Grammar School: Appeals hearing windowCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against South Wilts Grammar School.The source says: details of how to lodge an appeal will be sent out in early March. The appeals will be held in May/June 2027.View the official source

Appeals for full grammar schools are often unsuccessful, so it helps to keep a realistic alternative on your application. Our grammar school appeals guide explains the process.

We have not seen any announced change to either test. Neither school has yet published admission arrangements for 2028 entry, so the provider and format for that year are not confirmed. South Wilts has set its registration opening (Wednesday 24 March 2027Source for South Wilts Grammar School 2028 entry: Registration opensSouth Wilts Grammar School 2028 entry: Registration opensCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against South Wilts Grammar School.The source says: | 11+ test registration opens | Wednesday 24 March 2027 |View the official source) and test date (Saturday 25 September 2027Source for South Wilts Grammar School 2028 entry: Test dateSouth Wilts Grammar School 2028 entry: Test dateCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against South Wilts Grammar School.The source says: | 11+ test | Saturday 25 September 2027 |View the official source); Bishop Wordsworth's has said only that its test will be in September 2027Source for Bishop Wordsworth's School 2028 entry: Test dateBishop Wordsworth's School 2028 entry: Test dateCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Wordsworth's School.The source says: Please note that Talk& tours are only for boys, and their parent(s)/Guardian(s) who are considering sitting the 11+ in September 2027.View the official source.