Which London grammars should we consider?

[StitchSeat]

My daughter is about to start year 4. She’s very bright and has consistently been greater depth in reading, writing and maths. We live in central London so the grammar schools of Kent, Surrey and west London are quite far away but we would consider relocating for the right school.

Where we currently live, she has a very good chance of getting a place at the Grey Coat Hospital School. This is a good back up option and I would be reluctant to give this up by relocating to be closer to a grammar school in case she doesn’t pass the 11+. However, I think I would rather she went to one of the grammars with all the advantages that they bring (not to mention being somewhere less urban than Grey Coat and with better sports provision).

I would really appreciate some advice on which grammar schools have no catchment that we could apply for and only move closer to if she got a place. Are the grammars without catchments generally more competitive? Are those with catchments really worth the gamble of moving to be closer to?

Thanks.

I vaguely explored this a few years ago (& stuck with local comp in the end), as ultimately I think all the grammars have a postcode element when schools are making offers. I don’t think you can apply and then move if successful, but things may have changed (I was looking at the Sutton area, and Barnet area originally). It would probably be best to look at published admissions criteria on the websites of schools in each area and confirm the latest admission arrangements to see how address factors in to the application .

Wallington High School for Girls and Nonsuch High school for Girls both offer a certain number of places to top scoring candidates irrespective of their postcode. I think Wallington it is the top 100 scoring candidates and Nonsuch it is the top 85 scoring candidates but check the admissions policies on their websites to be sure.

Henrietta Barnett - has a priority area, but I believe quite a few girls get places from outside of that if they score highly enough. Most competitive option and very hard to even get to the second round of the exam.

Latymer - you can move after the application deadline by early January of the calendar year she’d start Y7 (so January 2028 for you?), though this may not be helpful unless she scores highly enough that you know she’ll get a place as you want to have Grey Coat’s as a backup.

Chelmsford County High School - 20% of places go to out of catchment (though have to score very highly), so you can apply from London then move closer if she gets a place. Further outside of London than others, but the train makes it a fairly easy commute (many OOC girls come from east London).

Some Sutton (as mentioned, Wallington and Nonsuch) and Bexley grammars have OOC places, so I'd look at those too.

Obviously you also have to consider where you need to be as a parent for work and what commutes are feasible for you. Some grammar options might not work for you as a family.

Some grammars don’t have a geographical catchment and a minority of pupils travel really long distances on a daily basis. Often their parents enter them for multiple tests in multiple local authorities. As an out of area child they may be sitting exams in the week and at the weekend too. Many families bite off more they can chew and as a result some areas experience high levels of no shows for external candidates which means hard pressed LAs are paying public money to organise and run tests that are not taken. I would say think very carefully about what your child’s day to day life will be with a long commute to grammar.

Bexley grammars all go on distance unless you score in the top 180 scorers in the 11+ and then you can take your pick. Otherwise it's distance. There are only 3 of them that take girls though.

Yes, places in selective schools with no distance criteria are far more competitive because they take the top scoring students who apply from all over London and often beyond! They are known as super selectives.

Whereas if you move to Kent: pass the 11+ and you’re in.

Grammars usually reflect their intake. Unless your choice is grammar or private, I would be mindful of being in catchment for a good comprehensive. With good top sets and if you check the range of MFL on offer and that they do the full 3 sciences to GCSE students do as well in good comp as as in grammar.

Mine did.