Best Grammar Schools in London 2026/27

There are 19 state grammar schools across Greater London, in seven boroughs: Barnet, Bexley, Bromley, Enfield, Kingston upon Thames, Redbridge and Sutton. This page lists London grammar schools in six of those boroughs (Bexley grammar schools are covered on our separate Bexley page) plus 14 nearby grammar schools in Hertfordshire, Berkshire and Dorset that London families regularly consider.

Top-performing London grammar schools in recent national rankings include The Henrietta Barnett School (Sunday Times State Secondary School of the Year for Academic Excellence 2025), Queen Elizabeth's School Barnet (State School of the Year for A-levels 2025 and #1 state school for Oxbridge), Wilson's School (State School of the Year for GCSEs 2026 and ranked #3 grammar school UK 2025), Tiffin Girls' School (6th nationally Sunday Times 2025), and St Olave's Grammar School (Top 5 for academic results, Sunday Times 2024).

Yes. There are state grammar schools in seven Greater London boroughs — Barnet, Bexley, Bromley, Enfield, Kingston upon Thames, Redbridge and Sutton. Admission is by 11+ entrance examination and they are amongst the most competitive in the country.

For September 2027 entry, London-area grammar school 11+ tests are sat in autumn 2026, with most first-stage exams in September. The Sutton consortium's shared Selective Eligibility Test (SET Stage 1) is on 15 September 2026, Queen Elizabeth's School Barnet tests on 16-17 September 2026, St Olave's sits its SET Stage 1 on 18 September 2026 (Stage 2 on 13 November 2026), and The Tiffin School (Kingston) holds its Stage One test on 2 October 2026, with Henrietta Barnett's first-round test in early September 2026. Each school then runs its own second-round test in October or November for shortlisted candidates, so check the individual school website for your child's exact date.

Each London grammar school sets its own registration deadline, and for September 2027 entry these mostly closed in late spring or summer 2026 (Year 5), well before the national 31 October 2026 deadline for the Common Application Form. Key 2027-entry registration closing dates were: St Olave's (Bromley) 29 June 2026 at midday, Henrietta Barnett 1 July 2026 at 5pm, Queen Elizabeth's School Barnet 8 July 2026 at noon, the Sutton consortium (Sutton Grammar, Nonsuch, the Wallington schools and Wilson's, sharing one SET) 31 July 2026, and The Tiffin School (Kingston) 1 September 2026 at noon. You must register directly with the school or consortium to sit the test AND separately list the school on your local authority's Common Application Form by 31 October 2026.

Extremely competitive. The Henrietta Barnett School receives approximately 15 applications per place, Tiffin School and Tiffin Girls' School around 14, and Queen Elizabeth's School Barnet roughly 12. Some London grammar schools test 2,000+ candidates for around 120 places.

Boys' grammar schools include Queen Elizabeth's School Barnet, Tiffin School (mixed Sixth Form), St Olave's (mixed Sixth Form), Wilson's School, Sutton Grammar School, Wallington County Grammar School and Ilford County High School. Girls' grammar schools include The Henrietta Barnett School, Tiffin Girls' School, Newstead Wood School, Nonsuch High School, Wallington High School for Girls, Woodford County High School and St Michael's Catholic Grammar School. The Latymer School is co-educational.

Most London grammar schools do not have strict catchment area requirements, but distance from the school can be used as a tie-breaker when places are oversubscribed. Tiffin School operates priority distance bands (Inner under 10km, Outer 10–14km). Always check each school's published admissions policy.

London uses mixed testing arrangements rather than one board. The Sutton Consortium (Nonsuch High School, Sutton Grammar, Wallington County Grammar, Wallington High School for Girls and Wilson's School) uses the SET as Stage 1, followed by school-specific Stage 2 tests. The Henrietta Barnett School and Queen Elizabeth's School use GL Assessment for Round 1. Tiffin Schools, St Olave's, The Latymer School and others set their own school-specific tests.

Begin focused preparation in Year 4 or early Year 5. London 11+ exams typically test four subjects — Maths, English (comprehension and creative writing), Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. Because London uses mixed test formats, practise with past papers from each target school. Prep4All provides practice papers, mock exams and adaptive lessons across all four 11+ subjects.