- Grammar school for boys
- Bournemouth and Poole (BCP) 11+
Poole Grammar School: 11+ entry
Gravel Hill, Poole, Dorset, BH17 9JU
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
- Not published yet
Score to qualify
Dorset Consortium 11+ (GL Assessment)
Year 7 places
180
2027 entry, Published Admission Number ()Opens a short explanationPANPublished Admission NumberThe number of places a school offers in its first year group, for example Year 7. The admission authority sets it each year in the school’s admission policy.
Checked, source: Poole Grammar School, checked- Not publishedWe have no checked figure for how far offers reached.
Last distance offered
Your next deadlines
Next: School place applications close: Common Application Form ()Opens a short explanationCAFCommon Application FormThe form you use to apply for a secondary school place. You send it to your own council, even for schools in another area, and you list the schools you want in order of preference. In England it closes on 31 October.
12pmin 11 days
Coming up: Test registration closes
12pmProposed, not final
Can we get in?
How far offers reached
Each bar shows how far from Poole Grammar 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.
Applications and offers, September 2026 entry (Department for Education)
How many families applied to Poole Grammar 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.
| Figure | Department for Education |
|---|---|
| First-preference applications | 243First-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,839,E06000058,"Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole",Secondary,8395409,z,4,Poole Grammar School,177,177,171,6,0,400,243,80,38,1.4210526315789473,1.3728813559322033,63,33,Academy converter,No religious character,5.3,Selective,Urban: Nearer to a major town or city,No,E14001363,Mid Dorset and North Poole,136850,7View the official source |
| All applications (any preference) | 400All 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,839,E06000058,"Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole",Secondary,8395409,z,4,Poole Grammar School,177,177,171,6,0,400,243,80,38,1.4210526315789473,1.3728813559322033,63,33,Academy converter,No religious character,5.3,Selective,Urban: Nearer to a major town or city,No,E14001363,Mid Dorset and North Poole,136850,7View the official source |
| Places offered on National Offer Day | 177Places 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,839,E06000058,"Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole",Secondary,8395409,z,4,Poole Grammar School,177,177,171,6,0,400,243,80,38,1.4210526315789473,1.3728813559322033,63,33,Academy converter,No religious character,5.3,Selective,Urban: Nearer to a major town or city,No,E14001363,Mid Dorset and North Poole,136850,7View the official source |
| Applicants per place | 2.3Applicants 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,839,E06000058,"Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole",Secondary,8395409,z,4,Poole Grammar School,177,177,171,6,0,400,243,80,38,1.4210526315789473,1.3728813559322033,63,33,Academy converter,No religious character,5.3,Selective,Urban: Nearer to a major town or city,No,E14001363,Mid Dorset and North Poole,136850,7View the official source |
Source: Department for Education (Explore Education Statistics), checked
About these figures
Poole Grammar School does not publish a fixed score in advance or allocation figures in the documents we read. Results letters give each boy's scores alongside the mark for the year, and when the school is full, the boys with the highest totals in each priority group take the places.
At a glance
Poole Grammar School in brief
tap a value for its source
- Pupils
- boysPupilsChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Poole Grammar School.The source says:
The admissions policy of Poole Grammar School aims to reflect the underlying aim of the school, which is to provide a selective education for boys.
View the official source - Who the school admits.
- Year 7 places
- 180Year 7 placesChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Poole Grammar School.The source says:
The published admission number for September 2027 is 180 for Year 7 and 30 for Year 12.
View the official source2027 entry - The (PAN): how many children the school plans to admit.
- Entrance test
- Dorset Consortium 11+ (GL Assessment)
- The test children sit to be considered. Written by GL Assessment.
- Opens a short explanationcatchmentAn area, set by a school or a council, where children get higher priority for a place. Living inside it is not an offer of a place. Not every school has a catchment.
- 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.
- School type
- Academy converterSchool typeChecked 12 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (Get Information about Schools).The source says:
136850,"839","Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole","5409","Poole Grammar School","34","Academy converter"
View the official source - How the school is run and funded.
Key dates
Dates for September 2027 entry
For children in Year 6 in 2026/27.
Poole Grammar School
3 earlier steps, all doneShow
Done: Test registration closes
12pm
Done: Test day
Done: Results
Next: School place applications close (CAF)
12pmin 11 days
Coming up: National Offer Day
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.
Poole Grammar School
Next: Test registration closes
12pmProposed, not final
Coming up: Test day
Proposed, not final
Coming up: Results
Proposed, not final
Coming up: School place applications close: Common Application Form (CAF)
in about 54 weeks
Coming up: National Offer Day
Notes on these dates
Every date in the 2028 column comes from the draft policy and could still change.
- When the test falls: Test held within the last two weeks of September; specific date published on the PGS admissions pagesPoole Grammar School 2027 entry: Dates published byChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Poole Grammar School.The source says:
the entrance test will take place for all Consortium schools within the last two weeks of September each year. The specific date of the entrance tests will be published on the admissions pages of the Poole Grammar School website (www.poolegrammar.com).
View the official source. - Ill on the day: Poole's policy offers a catch-up sitting in early October for boys who could not sit the main test.
- Registered late (2027 entry): Late Entrance Test in February 2027 for those who missed registration; September candidates have priorityPoole Grammar School 2027 entry: Late registrationChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Poole Grammar School.The source says:
If you missed the original entrance test registration date but would still like your son to be considered for admission, you may apply for our Late Entrance Test due to be held in February 2027.
View the official source. Consortium documents give different closing dates for late registration, so we are checking which applies; Poole's admissions office can tell you where things stand. - Registered late (2028 entry, draft): Late registrants/applicants may sit as late applicants; considered after first round of allocations in March 2028Proposed (consultation, not final)Poole Grammar School 2028 entry: Late registrationChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Poole Grammar School; proposed in a consultation, not final.The source says:
These applications will be considered after the first round of allocations have taken place in March 2028
View the official source.
How places are given
6 admission rules, in order, for 2027 entry
If more children qualify than there are places, Poole Grammar School gives places using these rules (its Opens a short explanationoversubscription criteriaThe rules a school uses, in order, to decide who gets a place when more children apply than there are places. For example: children in care first, then brothers and sisters of pupils, then distance from home.), in this order (2027 entry).
- 1
Eligible looked after / previously looked after boys (England or abroad), by score
The policy's own words
a. Eligible(1) boys who are classed as ‘Looked After’ or have previously been ‘Looked After’(2), whether in England or another country, in rank order of the entrance test scores.
- 2
Eligible PP boys (as at 31 Oct 2026) living in historic Borough of Poole / listed Poole postcodes, by score
The policy's own words
b. Eligible boys who live within the historic Borough of Poole or Poole postcodes BH12, BH13, BH14, BH15, BH16, BH17, BH18 and BH21 3-- and who currently
- 3
Eligible PP boys living outside that area, by score
The policy's own words
c. Eligible boys who live outside the historic Borough of Poole or Poole postcodes BH12, BH13, BH14, BH15, BH16, BH17, BH18 and BH21 3--, who currently
- 4
Eligible sons of staff employed at the school for two or more years, by score
The policy's own words
d. Eligible boys who are the sons of current members of staff where the member of staff has been employed at the school for two or more years at the time when the application for admission to the school is made
- 5
Eligible non-PP boys living in the Poole area, by score
The policy's own words
e. Eligible boys who currently
- 6
Eligible non-PP boys living outside the Poole area, by score
The policy's own words
f. Eligible boys who currently
Source: Poole Grammar School, checked
- Who qualifies
- 'Eligible' = achieving the academic standard required in the consortium tests; aggregate of the English, maths and VR (age-standardised) scores decides whether a boy meets the standard (Group A) or not (Group B)Source: Poole Grammar School, checked
- Catchment
- Historic Borough of Poole or Poole postcodes BH12, BH13, BH14, BH15, BH16, BH17, BH18 and BH21 3--Source: Poole Grammar School, checked
- If two children are level for the last place
- Tie for the 180th place: home nearest the school (walking route); equal distance: random allocation overseen by an independent personSource: Poole Grammar School, checked
- Brothers and sisters
- No priority for brothers and sisters.Source: Poole Grammar School, checked
- Pupil premium
- Eligible boys receiving Pupil Premium (Ever 6 free school meals (FSM) or service children) on 31 October 2026: in-area PP ranked 2nd (b), out-of-area PP 3rd (c), each by test scoreSource: Poole Grammar School, checked
- Supplementary form
- Online test registration via the school website (email confirmation sent)Source: Poole Grammar School, checked
- Waiting list
- Boys of the required standard may join the waiting list; ranked by the oversubscription criteria (time on list ignored); lapses at end of the academic year; Year 7 'meets standard' status lasts 18 months from testingSource: Poole Grammar School, checked
- Address used
- The address you live at on Saturday 31 October 2026 is the one that counts.Source: Poole Grammar School, checked
More detail from our guide
2027 entry. The 2027 policy is determinedPoole Grammar School: Document status (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Poole Grammar School.The source says: Approved by Full Governors | Jan 2026
View the official source. Boys with an education, health and care plan naming the school, who meet the standard, are admitted first. Places then follow this order:
- Order of priority: (1) Eligible looked after / previously looked after boys (England or abroad), by score. (2) Eligible PP boys (as at 31 Oct 2026) living in historic Borough of Poole / listed Poole postcodes, by score. (3) Eligible PP boys living outside that area, by score. (4) Eligible sons of staff employed at the school for two or more years, by score. (5) Eligible non-PP boys living in the Poole area, by score. (6) Eligible non-PP boys living outside the Poole area, by score.Poole Grammar School: Oversubscription criteria (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Poole Grammar School.The source says:
In the event of the school being oversubscribed priority will be given in the following order:
View the official source - The Poole area: the historic Borough of Poole plus a list of Poole postcodes set out in the policy. We will show the full list here once we have tidied how it displays.
- If boys tie for the last place: Tie for the 180th place: home nearest the school (walking route); equal distance: random allocation overseen by an independent personPoole Grammar School: Tie break (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Poole Grammar School.The source says:
In the event of a tie for the 180th place, the place will be offered to the boy whose home address is nearest to Poole Grammar School.
View the official source. - Distance: shortest, safe and practicable walking route from boy's home address to nearest pedestrian entrance to the schoolPoole Grammar School: Distance rule (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Poole Grammar School.The source says:
The measurement will be the shortest, safe and practicable walking route from the boy’s home address to the nearest pedestrian entrance to the school. Measurements will be calculated using BCP Council’s digital mapping tools.
View the official source. - Sibling priority: NoPoole Grammar School: Sibling priority (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Poole Grammar School.The source says:
In the event of the school being oversubscribed priority will be given in the following order:
View the official source. - Waiting list: Boys of the required standard may join the waiting list; ranked by the oversubscription criteria (time on list ignored); lapses at end of the academic year; Year 7 'meets standard' status lasts 18 months from testingPoole Grammar School: Waiting list (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Poole Grammar School.The source says:
When places become available they are allocated from the waiting list in a priority order that is determined by the over-subscription criteria within this policy.
View the official source.
Pupil premium. At Poole this covers boys who have had free school meals in recent years and boys from service families. Poole splits them by address: those in the Poole area rank second, those from elsewhere rank third, ahead of all non-pupil-premium boys. Service families with a confirmed posting can apply before they arrive, using the address they are moving to. BCP Council lists Poole among the schools that need proof of eligibility. Free online KS2 learning and 11+ familiarisation for pupil-premium-eligible children in Years 3-6 via a consortium partner platformPoole Grammar School: Pp support programmeChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Poole Grammar School.The source says: The Dorset Consortium provides all Pupil Premium eligible children in Years 3 to 6 with free access to Atom Learning’s KS2 learning resources and 11+ assessment familiarisation.
View the official source.
2028 entry: proposals. The school has put a draft policy out for consultation. Its own summary says the Year 7 rules stay the same apart from dates moving on a year; the other change concerns the sixth form only. Until the policy is final, read these as proposals:
- Proposed order of priority: (1) Eligible looked after / previously looked after boys (England or abroad), by score. (2) Eligible PP boys (as at 31 Oct 2027) living in historic Borough of Poole / listed Poole postcodes, by score. (3) Eligible PP boys living outside that area, by score. (4) Eligible sons of staff employed at the school for two or more years, by score. (5) Eligible non-PP boys living in the Poole area, by score. (6) Eligible non-PP boys living outside the Poole area, by score.Proposed (consultation, not final)Poole Grammar School: Oversubscription criteria (2028)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Poole Grammar School; proposed in a consultation, not final.The source says:
In the event of the school being oversubscribed priority will be given in the following order:
View the official source - Proposed tie-break: Tie for the 180th place: home nearest the school (walking route); equal distance: random allocation overseen by an independent personProposed (consultation, not final)Poole Grammar School: Tie break (2028)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Poole Grammar School; proposed in a consultation, not final.The source says:
In the event of a tie for the 180th place, the place will be offered to the boy whose home address is nearest to Poole Grammar School.
View the official source - Proposed ranking by score: YesProposed (consultation, not final)Poole Grammar School: Ranked by score (2028)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Poole Grammar School; proposed in a consultation, not final.The source says:
In the event of over subscription in any of the criteria (a) to (f), priority will be given up to the published admission number to those boys obtaining the highest scores.
View the official source
To comment, write to the admissions email in the key facts table before the consultation closes; the closing date is on the school's admissions page.
The test
Dorset Consortium 11+ (GL Assessment)
- Test
- Dorset Consortium 11+ (GL Assessment)
- Written by
- GL Assessment
- Test date, 2027 entry
- Saturday 26 September 2026
Poole is a test venue for boys alongside Bournemouth School, and a parent can pick either. Boys from both venues are judged on the same papers.
- Venue (2027 entry): Bournemouth School or Poole Grammar School (parent's choice)Poole Grammar School 2027 entry: Test venueChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Poole Grammar School.The source says:
There are two testing venues for boys: Bournemouth School and Poole Grammar School. Parents/carers can pick the most convenient testing venue for their son, even if that is not the school that they ultimately wish their child to attend.
View the official source. - Registering: Online test registration via the PGS website (or contact the Admissions Officer) by 12:00 midday; boys may register to sit at Bournemouth School or PGSPoole Grammar School: Registration route (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Poole Grammar School.The source says:
All applicants to a Consortium School must complete the online registration process to attend the entrance test day at one of the schools.
View the official source. - Eligibility: Poole adds the English, maths and verbal reasoning scores together, after age standardisation, and that total decides whether a boy meets the standard.
- What the results show: Test scores and the test pass mark are issued; boys placed in Group A (meets standard) or Group B (does not)Poole Grammar School: Results contentChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Poole Grammar School.The source says:
On the basis of their results, boys will be placed in two groups, Group A - meets the required standard, or Group B - does not meet the required standard. ... An applicant’s test scores and the test pass mark will be issued to parents/carers.
View the official source. - How often, and for how long: Test may be taken once in 12 months; result valid 18 months from test date (Year 7)Poole Grammar School: Result validityChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Poole Grammar School.The source says:
The entrance tests may only be taken once by any boy during a 12 month period and the result remains valid for 18 months from the test date.
View the official source. - Naming Poole without the test: Naming PGS without sitting the test means no place can be offeredPoole Grammar School: No test no placeChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Poole Grammar School.The source says:
If parents/carers choose to name Poole Grammar School on their local authority common application form without their son having taken the test, there will be no entrance test score that can be considered within the oversubscription criteria and so no Poole Grammar School place will be offered.
View the official source.
| 2027 entry (Year 6 now) | 2028 entry (Year 5 now) | |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | GL AssessmentPoole Grammar School entrance test: Test providerChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Poole Grammar School.The source says: All four BCP grammar schools use the same entrance tests, provided by GL Assessment:View the official source | Quest AssessmentsPoole Grammar School entrance test: Test providerChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Poole Grammar School.The source says: Please note that, from September 2027 (for 2028 entry), our 11+ assessments will be provided by Quest Assessments.View the official source |
| Papers | Mathematics (50 minutes); English (comprehension and SPaG; 45 minutes); Verbal Reasoning (50 minutes)Poole Grammar School entrance test: PapersChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Poole Grammar School.The source says: MATHEMATICS Duration: 50 minutes ... ENGLISH Duration: 45 minutes Details: Tests comprehension and SPaG. VERBAL REASONING Duration: 50 minutesView the official source | See our comparison of the papers |
| Scoring | Scores adjusted ('standardised') according to agePoole Grammar School entrance test: StandardisationChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Poole Grammar School.The source says: The scores for the entrance tests are adjusted (or ‘standardised’) according to age.View the official source | Not yet described by the school |
| Practice | Practice papers available from GL AssessmentPoole Grammar School entrance test: Familiarisation materialsChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Poole Grammar School.The source says: Practice papers are available from GL Assessment.View the official source | Free booklets on Quest's Dorset page |
Poole's admissions page says Quest will supply the assessments from September 2027, for 2028 entry. The draft 2028 policy itself does not name a provider, so we rely on the school's web page for that.
Open days
Not published yet
We could not confirm Poole Grammar School's open event dates for either entry year. The Join our school page is the place to check, or ring the admissions office.
If you are refused a place
Reviews, appeals and the waiting list
General information, not legal advice.
- How appeals work
- Appeal to an independent appeals panel, in writing to Poole Grammar School (website gives process; on-time appeals via the CASA website)Source: Poole Grammar School, checked
General information, not legal advice.
- Route: Appeal to an independent appeals panel, in writing to Poole Grammar School (website gives process; on-time appeals via the CASA website)Poole Grammar School: Appeals route (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Poole Grammar School.The source says:
Appeals must be made in writing to Poole Grammar School and information on the appeals process is available on Poole Grammar School’s website (www.poolegrammar.com) and from the Admissions Officer at Poole Grammar School.
View the official source. - Timing: Poole has published only last year's appeal timetable. For 2026 entry, on-time appeals were due in April, a few weeks after offers.
Boys who reach the standard but miss out can also join the waiting list, which is ranked by the same rules. Few appeals for full schools succeed, so include other schools you would be glad of.
Official documents and sources
10 sources, each kept as an archived copy
- Department for Education (Explore Education Statistics)
Spreadsheet · copy archived by ExamKind on 16 Oct 2026
- Department for Education (Get Information about Schools)
Spreadsheet · copy archived by ExamKind on 11 Oct 2026
- Poole Grammar School
PDF document · copy archived by ExamKind on 9 Oct 2026
- Poole Grammar School
Web page · copy archived by ExamKind on 9 Oct 2026
- Poole Grammar School
PDF document · copy archived by ExamKind on 9 Oct 2026
- Poole Grammar School
PDF document · copy archived by ExamKind on 9 Oct 2026
- Poole Grammar School
Web page · copy archived by ExamKind on 9 Oct 2026
- Poole Grammar School
Web page · copy archived by ExamKind on 9 Oct 2026
- Poole Grammar School
Web page · copy archived by ExamKind on 9 Oct 2026
- Poole Grammar School
Web page · copy archived by ExamKind on 9 Oct 2026
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