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Bexley Grammar School

Bexley Grammar School

About Bexley Grammar School

Bexley Grammar School is a mixed (girls and boys) school in the south-east London Borough of Bexley. It was founded in 1955 by local MP Edward Heath and converted into an Academy in January 2011. Rated Outstanding by Ofted for over 15 years, it remains one of the UK’s leading schools for the teaching of modern languages. All students study at least two modern languages at GCSE and the school has adopted the International Baccalaureate (IB) system for sixth form students.
Bexley Grammar strives to develop students who value 'intellect, empathy and courage', and offers opportunities for international trips and foreign exchanges, as well as taking advantage of the learning activities on offer in London.

  • Address: Danson Lane, Welling, DA16 2BL
  • Local authority: London Borough of Bexley
  • School type: mixed grammar
  • Headteacher: Stephen Elphick
  • Number of pupils: 1,460
  • National rank (Sunday Times Parent Power): 67
  • A level results: 82.2% A*–B
  • GCSE results: 74.9% 9/8/7

Bexley Grammar School term dates

The 2023–2024 term dates at Bexley Grammar School are:


  • Autumn term: 5th September – 21st December 2023
  • Half term: 20th–30th October 2023
  • Spring term: 8th January – 28th March 2024
  • Half term: 12th–16th February 2024
  • Summer term: 15th April – 24th July 2024
  • Half term: 27th–31st May 2024

How to apply to Bexley Grammar School

Bexley Grammar School shares an entrance test with the three other schools in the London Borough of Bexley (Beths Grammar, Chislehurst & Sidcup Grammar, and Townley Grammar). This means that your child only needs to take one exam – known as the Bexley Selection Test – to apply for these schools.


1. Register for the 11 plus

Before registering, speak to your child’s teacher to see if the 11 plus and grammar school is right for them.

While your child is in Year 5, register them to take the Bexley Selection Test on the council website. Registration opens in early May each year and closes at the end of June.

If you are considering schools outside Bexley, such as grammar schools in Kent, remember to register for their 11 plus exams too.


2. Apply for school places

You will receive your child's 11 plus results by the 17th October 2023. You can use the results to decide which schools to include on your local authority application form.

Before listing Bexley Grammar School as a preference on your form, check its admissions policy and make sure your child is eligible. As well as your child's exam score, how close you live to a school is an important factor in whether your child is likely to be offered a place.

The application form must be submitted to your home local council by 31st October 2023.

What's on the Bexley Grammar School 11 plus?

What's on the Bexley Grammar School 11 plus exam?

The 11 plus exam for Bexley Grammar School (the Bexley Selection Test) will take place during the week of 11th September 2023. Your child will be assigned a test slot on one day during this week.

It consists of two papers, which include questions in four subject areas:

  • English comprehension
  • Maths
  • Verbal reasoning
  • Non-verbal reasoning

In April 2023, Bexley Council announced they're changing their 11 plus provider from CEM to GL Assessment.

Learn more and get free preparation resources in our full guide to the Bexley Selection Test:

What is the pass mark for Bexley Grammar School?

There is no specified pass mark for Bexley Grammar School. After your child takes the exam, their scores are age-standardised and combined to give them a total score across both papers. These total scores are ranked in order and the 180 highest-scoring children are eligible to be considered for a place. As a result, the cut-off score varies from year to year and is only decided after the tests have been marked.

Achieving a particular score doesn't guarantee a place at the school, as it is likely to be oversubscribed with qualified candidates. We always recommend researching the admission policies for your target schools, looking at their oversubscription criteria and their catchment area.

Bexley Grammar School admission criteria

The planned admission number (PAN) for the school is 210. When there are more eligible applicants than there are places available, places are allocated in this order:

1.Looked-After or previously Looked-After Children.

2.Children who have achieved the highest 180 scores in the Selection Test.

3.Children who have a sibling at the school.

4.Children who have a parent employed by the school for two or more years.

5.Children who live closest to the school, regardless of their test score. Distance is measured as a straight line distance between the child's home address to the middle gate entrance to Bexley Grammar School. Selection Test scores are used as a tie-breaker when the distance is identical.


Bexley Grammar School catchment area

There is no catchment area for Bexley Grammar School. The highest-scoring 180 children are offered a place at the school regardless of how far they live from it. The places offered on distance (criteria 5 above) vary each year depending on the number of available places and where the applicants live.

In 2022 the furthest address from the school at which a child was offered a place under criteria 5 was 1.92 miles.

School Details

Type of School Grammar
Website https://www.bexleygs.co.uk
Address Danson Lane Welling Kent DA16 2BL
Phone 02083048538
Email enquiries@bexleygs.co.uk
Location
Region Bexley

Admissions

Admission Year Sept 2024
Gender in YEAR 7 Mixed

Calendar

Registration 1/5/2023 - 16/5/2023
Academic Exam 11/9/2023 - 13/9/2023 The test sessions are planned for week commencing Monday 11 September 2023.
CAF form 31/10/2023
Allocation Day 1/3/2024

Academic Selection

Number of Places 192
Standardised Yes
Age Standardised Yes
Number of Rounds 1
Admission Policy View

Exam Boards

  • Granada Learning (GL)

Exam Styles

  • Multiple Choice (MC)

Sample Papers

Name Document or Link Subjects
Familiarisation booklet View Mixed Subjects

Find answers to our frequently asked questions about Bexley Grammar School

  • WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM DISTANCE WITHIN WHICH YOU ARE ABLE TO OFFER PLACES?
    This varies each year. Distance is measured as a straight line from home to BGS. Last year it was 1.92 miles as of June 2022 but it extends a little further when students on the waiting list take up vacated places (to near the 2 mile mark). Every year, parents are worried about how to prioritise their choices. The key message is simple - there is no game-playing or trickery - simply put the schools in order of your preferred choice. The system does the rest, allocating the school that is highest on your list for which you meet the admission requirement. So if BGS is your first choice, put it first on the form.
  • WE LIVE 5 MILES AWAY. I'M WORRIED IF I PUT BGS FIRST CHOICE I MIGHT LOSE OUT ON A PLACE AT "XXXXXX GRAMMAR SCHOOL" WHERE I AM COMFORTABLY WITHIN ITS USUAL CATCHMENT. WHAT DO YOU ADVISE?
    Your likely offer of a place at "Xxxxxx Grammar School" is unaffected by the position you place it on the application form. The system sorts out which of your choices you qualify for and then awards you a place at the one which is highest on your list. Put the schools in order of your preferred choice.
  • MY SON HASN'T PASSED THE TEST. CAN I STILL PLACE BGS ON THE APPLICATION FORM?
    Yes. In order to appeal you have to apply and be rejected. The advice is the same as Q3 with the added point that you must name at least one non-selective school or else you run the risk of having no place in September.
  • MY SON'S SCORE WAS NOT IN THE TOP 180 AND HE DOESN'T HAVE A BROTHER OR SISTER CURRENTLY AT THE SCHOOL. I'M RELYING ON THE DISTANCE. HOW MANY PLACES ARE AWARDED THROUGH DISTANCE?
    This varies slightly from year to year. Last year 73% of places were given on the basis of distance to the school after sibling/top 180/staff children criteria were filled.
  • IF WE DON'T GAIN A PLACE AT BGS, CAN WE JOIN A WAITING LIST? HOW DOES IT WORK?
    Parents who are Bexley residents and are not offered a place at their first preference school will automatically be included on the waiting list for higher preference schools than the one offered. Non-Bexley residents are advised to contact their home Local Authority to ask for their child to be placed on our waiting list. Please note that a child's name cannot be included on our waiting list unless he or she has achieved a high enough score in the Bexley selection test to be deemed selective. Waiting lists are kept in the same order as the school's over-subscription criteria. If a vacancy arises before the start of the term in September 2024, Bexley Grammar School will inform the Bexley Schools Admissions Team about whom the place can be offered to and the home Local Authority will send an offer letter to the child's parent / carer. If the parent / carer does not accept the offer, it will be offered to the next child on the waiting list. This procedure will be followed until the vacancy is accepted. Bexley Grammar School operates and maintains a waiting list until at least 31 December of each school year of admission. Each added child will require the list to be ranked again in line with the school's published over-subscription criteria.