Bourne Grammar School 11+ Tuition 2026

About Bourne Grammar School

Bourne Grammar School is a co-educational, non-selective-by-catchment state grammar school on South Road, Bourne, Lincolnshire, PE10 9JE. Its origins trace back to 1330, when it was established by Lincoln Cathedral, and it was re-endowed in 1636 by a bequest from William Trollope. After closing in 1904, the school reopened in 1920 and moved to its current South Road site in 1921. It converted to academy status in 2012 and is now led by headteacher Mr Mark Brunker.

The school has grown substantially: from a roll of around 400 pupils in the 1970s to approximately 1,718 pupils today, including a sixth form of more than 400 students — one of the largest in the county. A £3.5 million science building opened in 2018, adding fifteen laboratories and roughly 600 additional teaching spaces. The Leading Tuition Bourne Grammar 11+ guide covers the school's history and wider context in more depth; this page focuses on what families need to act on now.

Following its inspection on 11–12 October 2022, Ofsted rated Bourne Grammar School Good overall, with Outstanding judgements for Quality of Education, Behaviour and Attitudes, and Sixth-Form Provision, and Good for Personal Development and Leadership and Management. This was the first routine inspection since the pandemic and the first under the school's academy status.

What Is Tested in the Bourne Grammar 11+ Exam?

For September 2027 Year 7 entry, Bourne Grammar School sets two separate multiple-choice tests. The Verbal Reasoning test is taken first, on Friday 11 or Saturday 12 September 2026, with answers marked on separate answer sheets in pencil. A week later, on Friday 18 or Saturday 19 September 2026, candidates sit the Non-Verbal & Spatial Reasoning test, worked through section-by-section under invigilator instruction. Rough working is permitted in the question booklet for both papers. Each paper is standardised to a maximum score of 141, giving a maximum combined score of 282.

To be offered a place, a child needs a combined standardised score of 220 or above across both papers — a threshold the school describes as targeting approximately the top 25% of the ability range sitting the test. Registration for the 2026 testing round closes on Monday 30 June 2026, and results are emailed to the address given on the registration form at noon on Friday 9 October 2026, ahead of the Common Application Form (CAF) deadline of 31 October 2026, submitted to the family's home local authority.

How Are Places Allocated at Bourne Grammar School?

Bourne Grammar School has no catchment area: children from anywhere may register and sit the test. Once the qualifying score of 220+ has been met, places among 240 available are allocated using a strict order of oversubscription criteria set out in the school's published admissions policy:

1. Children with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school
2. Looked-after and previously looked-after children, including internationally adopted children
3. Siblings — full siblings or children living in the same household with parental responsibility
4. Children of staff, where the member of staff has been employed for two years or more, or was recruited to a demonstrable skill shortage post
5. Pupil Premium quota — 35 of the 240 places reserved for children eligible for the Pupil Premium who meet the minimum qualifying standard
6. Distance from home to school, measured in a straight line, with a random-allocation lottery as the absolute final tie-breaker

How Does the Pupil Premium Admissions Quota Work?

One detail that rarely appears in general 11+ guides is Bourne Grammar's specific Pupil Premium quota: the school's admissions policy sets aside 35 of its 240 Year 7 places for children who are eligible for the Pupil Premium and who reach the school's minimum qualifying standard in the entrance test. This sits above general distance-based allocation in the oversubscription order, meaning eligible families are prioritised ahead of the wider distance tie-break once the qualifying standard is met. For families who may be eligible, understanding this quota — and that it depends on meeting a minimum standard rather than the full 220+ qualifying score required elsewhere in the process — is directly relevant to how realistic an application is.

Because oversubscription criteria interact (EHCP and looked-after-child priority sit above the Pupil Premium quota, for instance), families in any of these categories should read the school's full published admissions policy carefully and, where their circumstances are unusual, contact the admissions team directly rather than relying on general assumptions.

What Ofsted Rating Does Bourne Grammar School Have?

Bourne Grammar School was inspected by Ofsted on 11–12 October 2022 and rated Good overall. Within that headline judgement, three of the five inspection categories were rated Outstanding: Quality of Education, Behaviour and Attitudes, and Sixth-Form Provision. Personal Development and Leadership and Management were rated Good. This was notable as the school's first routine inspection since the Covid-19 pandemic began, and its first as an academy converter (status gained in 2012). The distinction between the overall "Good" label and the Outstanding sub-judgements is worth understanding when comparing Bourne Grammar to neighbouring selective schools, since headline ratings alone can understate genuine areas of strength.

Academically, the school's 2022/23 Progress 8 score stood at approximately +0.60, a strong positive figure indicating pupils make significantly more progress than the national average between Key Stage 2 and GCSE. Historically the school has also placed among the top schools in the East Midlands for A-level results and was ranked second in Lincolnshire for GCSE outcomes in 2017.

Start Your Child's 11+ Preparation Today

Our specialist tutors help children prepare for the Bourne Grammar School 11+ with personalised, one-to-one tuition. Rated 4.8/5 on Trustpilot.

Book a Free Consultation

How Can We Prepare for the Bourne Grammar 11+?

Leading Tuition's specialist 11+ tuition programme supports families across Bourne, Stamford, Spalding, Grantham and the wider South Kesteven and South Lincolnshire area preparing for Bourne Grammar School and neighbouring Lincolnshire grammar schools that share similar test formats. Because Bourne Grammar tests Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal & Spatial Reasoning as two separate papers a week apart, preparation can be sequenced deliberately — building verbal fluency and vocabulary first, then shifting emphasis to spatial and pattern-based reasoning as the second test date approaches.

We begin with a diagnostic assessment across both tested skill areas to establish where your child currently sits relative to the 220+ qualifying score, and build a plan from there. Verbal reasoning preparation covers vocabulary, comprehension and the full range of standard question types under timed conditions from an early stage. Non-verbal and spatial reasoning work develops figure-matching, rotation, sequencing and pattern-recognition skills systematically, since these do not come naturally from the primary curriculum and need dedicated practice.

As the September 2026 test dates approach, we introduce full standardised-format mock papers to build stamina, pacing and composure, and track progress after every session so that any drift in a particular question type is caught early. We also talk families through the admissions mechanics in plain terms — the oversubscription order, the Pupil Premium quota where relevant, and the distance tie-break — so expectations going into results day on 9 October 2026 are realistic. For a longer read on the school's history, catchment context and general preparation strategy, see our companion Bourne Grammar School 11+ guide; for exam dates across other Lincolnshire and national grammar schools, see our 11+ exam dates guide. Full details of the school's current admissions policy are published on the Bourne Grammar School official website.

Key Dates for Bourne Grammar 2026 Testing (September 2027 Entry)

• Registration deadline: Monday 30 June 2026
• Verbal Reasoning test: Friday 11 or Saturday 12 September 2026
• Non-Verbal & Spatial Reasoning test: Friday 18 or Saturday 19 September 2026
• Results issued: Friday 9 October 2026, noon (by email)
• CAF deadline: 31 October 2026 (submitted to home local authority)
• National Offer Day: 1 March 2027

Note: Dates relate to the 2026 testing round for entry to Year 7 in September 2027. Always confirm current-year dates directly with the school's admissions office (01778 422288) before finalising your preparation timeline.

Frequently Asked Questions