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Bishop Wordsworth's School: 11+ entry

Exeter Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 2ED

Facts checked 19 October 2026By ExamKind Editorial TeamSchool website

Some details are being re-checked

We check every fact against the official source on a schedule, and some details on this page are due their next check (last verified 19 October 2026). We'll update the page if anything has changed. How we check facts

Can we apply, and what did it take?

For September 2027 entry

  • Score to qualify

    Not published yet

  • Year 7 places

    160

    2027 entry, Published Admission Number ()

    Checked, source: Bishop Wordsworth's School, checked

  • Last distance offered

    Not publishedWe have no checked figure for how far offers reached.

Your next deadline

  1. Next: School place applications close: Common Application Form ()

    in 11 days

How far offers reached

Can we get in?

How far offers reached

Each bar shows how far from Bishop Wordsworth's School the last child offered a place lived, under the last admission rule the offers reached. Up to five years, on one scale.

Qualifying is not the same as being offered a place.

Reaching the school's standard means your child can be considered. If more children qualify than there are places, the school gives places using its admission rules, in order. The figures below show how far those rules reached in past years. They are history, not a prediction: they change every year with who applies.

Checked, source: Department for Education (GOV.UK), checked
No distance figures publishedWe have not found a checked figure for how far offers reached at Bishop Wordsworth's School. We add each year's figures after National Offer Day, when the council or school publishes them.

Applications and offers, September 2026 entry (Department for Education)

How many families applied to Bishop Wordsworth's School and how many places it offered. Applicants per place is all applications divided by offers. Families apply to several schools and not every applicant qualifies, so it is not the chance of a place.

Applications and offers at Bishop Wordsworth's School, September 2026 entry
FigureDepartment for Education
First-preference applications213First-preference applications, 2026 entryChecked 16 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (Explore Education Statistics).The source says: 202627,Academic year,School,E92000001,England,E12000009,South West,865,E06000054,Wiltshire,Secondary,8655413,z,3,Bishop Wordsworth's Church of England Grammar School,157,157,157,0,0,249,213,22,12,1.356687898089172,1.356687898089172,108,65,Academy converter,Faith,4.1,Selective,Urban: Further from a major town or city,No,E14001460,Salisbury,136500,7View the official source
All applications (any preference)249All applications (any preference), 2026 entryChecked 16 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (Explore Education Statistics).The source says: 202627,Academic year,School,E92000001,England,E12000009,South West,865,E06000054,Wiltshire,Secondary,8655413,z,3,Bishop Wordsworth's Church of England Grammar School,157,157,157,0,0,249,213,22,12,1.356687898089172,1.356687898089172,108,65,Academy converter,Faith,4.1,Selective,Urban: Further from a major town or city,No,E14001460,Salisbury,136500,7View the official source
Places offered on National Offer Day157Places offered on National Offer Day, 2026 entryChecked 16 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (Explore Education Statistics).The source says: 202627,Academic year,School,E92000001,England,E12000009,South West,865,E06000054,Wiltshire,Secondary,8655413,z,3,Bishop Wordsworth's Church of England Grammar School,157,157,157,0,0,249,213,22,12,1.356687898089172,1.356687898089172,108,65,Academy converter,Faith,4.1,Selective,Urban: Further from a major town or city,No,E14001460,Salisbury,136500,7View the official source
Applicants per place1.6Applicants per place, 2026 entryChecked 16 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (Explore Education Statistics).The source says: 202627,Academic year,School,E92000001,England,E12000009,South West,865,E06000054,Wiltshire,Secondary,8655413,z,3,Bishop Wordsworth's Church of England Grammar School,157,157,157,0,0,249,213,22,12,1.356687898089172,1.356687898089172,108,65,Academy converter,Faith,4.1,Selective,Urban: Further from a major town or city,No,E14001460,Salisbury,136500,7View the official source

Source: Department for Education (Explore Education Statistics), checked

About these figures

There is no fixed pass mark to aim for. The school decides the qualifying standard after each test, by reference to how the boys sitting it scored, and it has not published past standards, numbers tested or allocation results in a form we could check. That means we cannot show a cut-off history for Bishop Wordsworth's. Because the standard moves with each year's cohort, an old figure would be only a loose guide. If you would like past figures, the admissions office (admissions@bishopwordsworths.org.ukBishop Wordsworth's School: Admissions contactChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Wordsworth's School.The source says: Please contact admissions@bishopwordsworths.org.uk for further information.View the official source) is the place to ask.

At a glance

Bishop Wordsworth's School in brief

tap a value for its source

Pupils
boysPupilsChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Wordsworth's School.The source says: Bishop Wordsworth’s School is a selective boys' grammar school, with responsibility for setting its own testing and admission requirements.View the official source
Who the school admits.
School type
academySchool typeChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Wordsworth's School.The source says: The admission authority for Bishop Wordsworth’s School is Bishop Wordsworth’s Academy Trust.View the official source
How the school is run and funded.
Year 7 places
160Year 7 placesChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Wordsworth's School.The source says: The PAN for Year 7 commencing 1 September 2027 is 160.View the official source2027 entry
The (PAN): how many children the school plans to admit.
Bishop Wordsworth's Academy Trust (represented by the governing body)Admission authorityChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Wordsworth's School.The source says: The Admissions Authority for Bishop Wordsworth’s School (the School) is the Academy Trust represented by the School’s Governing Body.View the official source
Who sets the admission rules and decides who is offered a place.
A mapped area (see the admission rules)
Where children get priority. Living inside it does not by itself mean a place.
Supplementary Information Form (SIF)
Yes, for this school
An extra form some schools ask for. It goes to the school, not the council.

Key dates

Dates for September 2027 entry

For children in Year 6 in 2026/27.

Add to my calendar

Bishop Wordsworth's School

5 earlier steps, all doneShow

  1. Done: Test registration opens

  2. Done: Test registration closes

  3. Done: School place applications open (CAF)

  4. Done: Test day

  5. Done: Results

  1. Next: School place applications close (CAF)

    in 11 days

  2. Coming up: National Offer Day

  3. Not published yet: Appeal deadline

    Not yet published

Year 5 now? Dates for September 2028 entrySome are only given as a month so far, so we mark them as expected.

Bishop Wordsworth's School

  1. Coming up: Test day

    Expected

  2. Not published yet: Test registration opens

    Not yet published

  3. Not published yet: Test registration closes

    Not yet published

  4. Not published yet: Results

    Not yet published

  5. Not published yet: School place applications close: Common Application Form (CAF)

    Not yet published

  6. Not published yet: National Offer Day

    Not yet published

  7. Not published yet: Appeal deadline

    Not yet published

Notes on these dates

The school's web pages and its admissions policy disagree on when test applications closed and when access arrangement requests were due. Whichever is right, those steps have passed for families applying for 2027 entry. If you are planning for 2028 entry, check the school's own timetable once it is published.

How places are given

Admission rules and catchment
Admission rules not checked yetWe add the school's rules from its determined admission policy.
Who qualifies
a qualifying standard set each year by reference to the scores of the boys who sit the test (not a pre-defined mark)Source: Bishop Wordsworth's School, checked
Catchment
the school's designated area (map on the school website)Source: Bishop Wordsworth's School, checked
If two children are level for the last place
straight-line distance to the Exeter St gate within each criterion; casting of lots if equalSource: Bishop Wordsworth's School, checked
Supplementary form
School's own 11+ Application Form (online; paper on request) plus the home local authority (LA) common/secondary application form; the school form also collects oversubscription information.Source: Bishop Wordsworth's School, checked
Waiting list
kept until 30 April after the test for boys who met the standard and appliedSource: Bishop Wordsworth's School, checked
Address used
The address you live at on Saturday 31 October 2026 is the one that counts.Source: Bishop Wordsworth's School, checked

The admission rules for September 2028 entry are not published yet. We check the school's website and add them when they appear.

More detail from our guide

2027 entry. The admission arrangements for September 2027 were determinedBishop Wordsworth's School: Document status (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Wordsworth's School.The source says: This Policy was determined by Governors as below: [...] 10 November 2025 Approved for consultation [...] 30 January 2026 Approved after consultationView the official source by the governors on Friday 30 January 2026Bishop Wordsworth's School: Determined date (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Wordsworth's School.The source says: 30 January 2026 Approved after consultationView the official source.

The priority order is not settled in the school's own documents. The determined policy, the school's FAQ and its appeals procedure document set out different oversubscription criteria. They differ on the order of the groups, on whether brothers of current pupils get priority, and on whether a set number of places is kept for pupil-premium boys. We are checking with the school and will list the order once it is confirmed. Until then, please read the determined policy on the school's website and ask the admissions office about anything that affects your son.

These points we have been able to confirm:

  • First preference only: a place is offered only if the school is the first preference on the application formBishop Wordsworth's School: First preference ruleChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Wordsworth's School.The source says: Where the School is not listed as first preference, then a place will not be offered irrespective of an applicant meeting the qualifying standard.View the official source. A boy who reaches the standard but has the school second or lower will not be offered a place here.
  • Is a higher score an advantage? NoBishop Wordsworth's School: Ranked by score (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Wordsworth's School.The source says: The shortest straight-line distance from the applicant’s home (Annexe D, paragraph 3) to the School (the Exeter St Gate) will be used to determine priority where there is a tie in rank for places within any given criterion.View the official source. Once a boy reaches the standard, the priority groups and distance decide.
  • Lower standard for some boys: looked-after and previously looked-after boys, and boys eligible for the pupil premium, need a lower qualifying standard than other applicants.
  • Designated area: the school's designated area (map on the school website)Bishop Wordsworth's School 2027 entry: DescriptionChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Wordsworth's School.The source says: Applicants whose permanent home is in the School’s designated area (map available on the School’s website) at the time of applicationView the official source.
  • Distance: straight line from applicant's permanent home (OS Eastings/Northings) to the School (Exeter St gate)Bishop Wordsworth's School: Distance rule (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Wordsworth's School.The source says: Distances supplied by the Local Authority will be used and these will measure the straight-line distance using the Ordnance Survey Eastings and Northings of the permanent home and the School.View the official source. Ties within a group go by straight-line distance to the Exeter St gate within each criterion; casting of lots if equalBishop Wordsworth's School: Tie break (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Wordsworth's School.The source says: If two or more applicants with the same priority for admission live the same distance from the School but cannot all be admitted, then the available place(s) will be allocated by the casting of lots.View the official source.
  • Moving house: the school uses the address on your application. A move into the designated area before Saturday 31 October 2026Bishop Wordsworth's School: Address date (where your child must live) (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Wordsworth's School.The source says: Applicants (except for Crown Servants etc., see Sub-paragraph (6) below) who move into the designated area after 31 October 2026, but before the 1 March 2027 (the national offer day), who have made an application on-time to their Local Authority and included the School as a preference will be considered from the original address on the School Application Form.View the official source can count if the school receives legal evidence by Wednesday 16 December 2026Bishop Wordsworth's School: Relocation evidence deadlineChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Wordsworth's School.The source says: The School must receive the evidence and legal documentation referred to above by 16 December 2026.View the official source; a later move is judged from the original address.
  • Service families: evidence for service premium priority is due by Wednesday 16 December 2026, 5pmBishop Wordsworth's School: Service premium evidence deadlineChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Wordsworth's School.The source says: Please note that verification checks may be made. All evidence must uploaded to your application account by 1700 hours on Wednesday 16 December 2026.View the official source.
  • Waiting list: kept until 30 April after the test for boys who met the standard and appliedBishop Wordsworth's School: Waiting list (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Wordsworth's School.The source says: A waiting list will be maintained until the 30 April following the 11+ examination for boys who achieved the qualifying standard and applied to the School but were not offered a place.View the official source.

2028 entry: Bishop Wordsworth's School: Document status (2028)Not yet published by Bishop Wordsworth's School; last checked 9 Oct 2026.The source says: 4. Admissions - Years 7-11 2026-27 pdf 5. Admissions - Years 7-11 2027-28 pdfView the official source. We will update this section when the school publishes its arrangements for September 2028.

The test

The entrance test
Test date, 2027 entry
Saturday 26 September 2026

Bishop Wordsworth's sets its own entrance exam rather than sharing a county test. Boys take it in the autumn of Year 6, and for 2027 entry they had to be born between 1 September 2015 and 31 August 2016Bishop Wordsworth's School 2027 entry: Birth date rangeChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Wordsworth's School.The source says: the applicant’s date of birth must be between 1 September 2015 and 31 August 2016 (both dates inclusive)View the official source.

  • Papers: 2Bishop Wordsworth's 11+ (GL Assessment): Paper countChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Wordsworth's School.The source says: The test is a verbal skills paper and a mathematics and non-verbal reasoning paper.View the official source papers from GL AssessmentBishop Wordsworth's 11+ (GL Assessment): Test providerChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Wordsworth's School.The source says: The School uses examination papers set by GL Assessment.View the official source: Verbal skills; Mathematics and non-verbal reasoningBishop Wordsworth's 11+ (GL Assessment): PapersChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Wordsworth's School.The source says: The test is a verbal skills paper and a mathematics and non-verbal reasoning paper.View the official source.
  • Marking: marks standardised by ageBishop Wordsworth's 11+ (GL Assessment): StandardisationChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Wordsworth's School.The source says: Marks are standardised by age weighting.View the official source, so a boy born in August is not compared directly with one born the previous September.
  • Registering: families apply to sit the exam on the school's online application formBishop Wordsworth's School: Registration route (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Wordsworth's School.The source says: Application to sit the Exam should be made on the School’s online Application FormView the official source. This is separate from the council application, which comes later.
  • Practice material: the school's Year 7 admissions pages point to familiarisation material. We have not been able to check it, so look there directly.

Who actually sits the test. The school does not test every boy who applies. Its policy says that if more apply, the 480 applicants living nearest (Exeter St gate) sit the testBishop Wordsworth's School: Testing capChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Wordsworth's School.The source says: For entry into year 7 the 480 applicants who live nearest to the School will take the entrance test.View the official source. Distance is the straight line from your home, on the date you applied, to the school's Exeter Street gate. In a year with heavy demand, a boy living further from Salisbury may not be offered a seat in the exam room, however able he is. If you are some distance away, it is worth asking the admissions office how far the cap reached in recent years.

Help with costs. The school's open events page says the BWS Foundation offers grants for families needing help to attend open events or the 11+Bishop Wordsworth's School: Financial assistanceChecked 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.

2028 entry. The school says its next test will be in September 2027Bishop Wordsworth's School 2028 entry: Test dateChecked 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. It has not yet said which provider it will use for that year. See also how the Salisbury tests compare.

How the Wiltshire test works

Open days

Next: Talk and Tour for Year 5 boys and parents, Tue 20 Oct 2026

  1. Coming up: Talk and Tour for Year 5 boys and parents

    09:15-11:00

Source: Bishop Wordsworth's School, checked

If you are refused a place

Reviews, appeals and the waiting list

General information, not legal advice.

How appeals work
independent appeal panel arranged for the Academy Trust; appeal follows a refusal by the local authoritySource: Bishop Wordsworth's School, checked

General information, not legal advice.

If the council refuses your son a place, you can appeal. For this school there is an independent appeal panel arranged for the Academy Trust; appeal follows a refusal by the local authorityBishop Wordsworth's School: Appeals route (2027)Checked 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. Requests go to the school in writing, by the deadline given in its appeal guidance; we could not find a fixed appeal date for 2027 entry in the documents we checked.

One point catches families out: you can only appeal if you applied. If your son did not reach the qualifying standard but you still want to appeal, name Bishop Wordsworth's on your council application by Saturday 31 October 2026Bishop Wordsworth's School 2027 entry: School place applications close (CAF)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Bishop Wordsworth's School.The source says: | Friday 31 October 2026 | Local Authority Applications close |View the official source, and remember the first-preference rule above.

Appeals for oversubscribed grammar schools are often unsuccessful, so keep a realistic alternative on your form. Our grammar school appeals guide explains the process.

Official documents and sources

7 sources, each kept as an archived copy

ExamKind is independent. We are not connected with Bishop Wordsworth's School, its council or any test provider, and nobody pays to appear on this page. How we check facts · Report an error on this page