Everything families need to know about the Torbay Consortium 11+ test, GL Assessment format, key dates, and preparation
Book a Free ConsultationChurston Ferrers Grammar School admits approximately 150 Year 7 pupils each September through the Torbay Consortium 11+ entrance test, a GL Assessment exam covering English and Mathematics. The test takes place in September of Year 6, with registration typically opening in March of that year. All three Torbay grammar schools — Churston Ferrers, Torquay Boys' Grammar School, and Torquay Girls' Grammar School — use the same entrance test, administered by GL Assessment, which means registering with the Torbay Consortium allows families to express preferences for any or all three schools on their application. This guide covers the exam format, 2026–27 key dates, admissions criteria, and how to prepare effectively for the Churston Ferrers 11 Plus.
Churston Ferrers Grammar School is a selective, co-educational state grammar school situated in Churston Ferrers, near Brixham in South Devon. Founded in 1957, the school has built a strong reputation for academic achievement, high expectations, and a supportive pastoral environment across its more than six decades of operation. It admits pupils from Year 7 through to the sixth form, catering to students aged 11 to 18.
The school is located on Greenway Road, Churston Ferrers, Brixham, Devon, TQ5 0LN, approximately 4.8 miles from Torquay town centre. Its rural setting on the edge of the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty gives the school a distinctive character, and many students travel from across Torbay, South Hams, and the wider area to attend. The school has approximately 931 pupils on roll across all year groups.
Ofsted inspected Churston Ferrers in October 2022 and judged it to be Good across all areas, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision. Inspectors noted that pupils are polite, motivated, and mature, that teachers are knowledgeable and supportive, and that safeguarding systems are robust. The school has a long tradition of excellent GCSE and A-level outcomes, and sixth-form students regularly progress to strong universities.
As a co-educational grammar school, Churston Ferrers is distinctive within the Torbay area. Torquay Boys' Grammar School and Torquay Girls' Grammar School are single-sex institutions, meaning that Churston Ferrers is the only Torbay grammar open equally to both boys and girls in the same year group. This makes it particularly popular with families who want a selective academic environment without single-sex schooling, and it draws pupils from a broad geographical and social range. The school is part of the Torbay Consortium of Grammar Schools, a formal arrangement that means all three Torbay grammars share the same 11+ entrance test and the same registration process.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Greenway Road, Churston Ferrers, Brixham, Devon TQ5 0LN |
| Type | Co-educational selective grammar school (state-funded) |
| Age range | 11 to 18 (Year 7 to Year 13) |
| Year 7 places | Approximately 150 |
| Admissions test | GL Assessment (Torbay Consortium) |
| Subjects tested | English and Mathematics |
| Papers | Two papers, each approximately 55 minutes, multiple choice |
| Test date | September of Year 6 |
| Ofsted | Good (October 2022) |
| Established | 1957 |
| Consortium | Torbay (with Torquay Boys' and Torquay Girls' Grammar Schools) |
The Torbay Consortium is a formal arrangement between the three selective grammar schools in the Torbay area: Churston Ferrers Grammar School, Torquay Boys' Grammar School, and Torquay Girls' Grammar School. All three schools use the same GL Assessment entrance test, administered on the same date in September of Year 6. This shared process means that families register with the Torbay Consortium once, rather than applying to each school separately, and can then express their school preferences through the standard Common Application Form.
The consortium approach has several practical implications for families. First, sitting the 11+ once covers all three schools simultaneously — there is no need to prepare for multiple different exam formats. Second, the guidance letter that families receive after the test confirms whether their child has met the grammar school standard for the Torbay Consortium as a whole, not just for one specific school. Third, where a child qualifies and lists multiple Torbay grammar schools on their CAF, the oversubscription criteria of each school are applied independently to determine the outcome at each institution.
Because the test is consortium-wide, the 11+ at Churston Ferrers is identical in format and content to the 11+ at Torquay Boys' Grammar School and Torquay Girls' Grammar School. Preparation for one school is therefore preparation for all three. Families who are open to any of the Torbay grammars are encouraged to register and list all three as preferences, as this maximises the chance of receiving at least one grammar school offer on 1 March. For official registration details, families should check the admissions page at churstongrammar.com/admissions-process.
The Churston Ferrers 11+ consists of two GL Assessment papers, each lasting approximately 55 minutes. All questions in both papers are in multiple-choice format, and the papers are marked externally by GL Assessment. Results are age-standardised, which means that the score a child achieves is adjusted for their age at the time of sitting, so summer-born children are not disadvantaged relative to peers born in September.
Paper 1 — English (55 minutes): This paper assesses a range of English skills including reading comprehension, vocabulary, spelling, punctuation, and grammar reasoning. Children are typically given a passage to read and then answer multiple-choice questions testing inference, vocabulary in context, and an understanding of language features. The grammar and punctuation sections assess knowledge of sentence construction, word classes, and standard English conventions. Strong readers who have built wide vocabulary through regular reading from Year 4 or 5 have a clear advantage in this paper.
Paper 2 — Mathematics (55 minutes): This paper covers the Key Stage 2 mathematics curriculum, testing numerical reasoning and problem-solving across topics including number and place value, fractions, decimals and percentages, ratio and proportion, algebra, geometry (including area, perimeter, and angles), statistics, and word problems requiring multi-step reasoning. Questions are set in multiple-choice format, but many require genuine problem-solving ability rather than simple recall. The paper tests speed as well as accuracy — children need to work efficiently under time pressure.
The Torbay Consortium does not publish a specific qualifying score or pass mark. Instead, after results are processed, each child receives a guidance letter indicating whether they are likely to be successful in applying to a Torbay grammar school. Pupils who are told they meet the grammar school standard can then proceed with confidence when completing their Common Application Form.
The Torbay Consortium 11+ follows an annual cycle aligned with the national secondary school admissions timetable. Below are the key dates for the 2026–27 admissions cycle (for September 2027 Year 7 entry).
Registration opens: March 2026. Families in Year 5 who wish their child to sit the Torbay 11+ the following September should register as soon as the window opens. Registration is completed via the school's website or through the Torbay Consortium registration process. Missing the registration window means the child cannot sit the test in that cycle.
Preferable registration deadline: July 2026. While registration remains open until September, the Torbay Consortium recommends completing it before the end of the summer term in Year 5. This gives families the most time to make arrangements and ensures they receive all preparatory communications from the consortium.
Final registration deadline: September 2026 (start of Year 6). The absolute latest date to register a child for the September test. Families should not rely on the final deadline — registering early is strongly advisable.
Entrance test date: September 2026. The test takes place in September of Year 6, shortly after the start of the autumn term. There is one sitting per year; there is no resit opportunity within the same admissions cycle.
Guidance letters released: October 2026. Families receive a letter confirming whether their child has met the Torbay grammar school standard. Children who receive a positive outcome can list Churston Ferrers (and/or the other Torbay grammars) as preferences on their CAF.
Common Application Form (CAF) deadline: 31 October 2026. This is the national secondary school application deadline. The CAF is submitted to the local authority — not to the school directly — and must include Churston Ferrers Grammar School as a named preference if a place there is desired. Both the registration form and the CAF must be completed; failure to submit either means the application is incomplete.
National Offer Day: 1 March 2027. Secondary school places are offered on this date. Families will find out whether Churston Ferrers Grammar School has offered their child a place and must respond within the deadline given by their local authority.
For the most up-to-date dates and to register, visit the official Churston Ferrers admissions page. You can also find a full overview of national grammar school 11+ dates in our 11+ exam dates guide.
Securing a place at Churston Ferrers involves two distinct processes that must both be completed correctly. Missing either one means the application cannot be considered.
Step 1 — Register for the 11+ test: Families must register their child for the Torbay Consortium entrance test through the school's website. Registration typically opens in March of Year 5 and closes in September of Year 6. It is separate from the Common Application Form and must be completed first. Registration does not commit the family to listing Churston Ferrers as a preference — it only grants the child permission to sit the test.
Step 2 — Sit the entrance test: The GL Assessment test takes place in September of Year 6. Children should arrive well-prepared, having practised English comprehension and Maths problem-solving under timed conditions. Our specialist tutors at Leading Tuition offer structured preparation programmes tailored to the Torbay 11+ format.
Step 3 — Receive the guidance letter: Within weeks of the test, families receive confirmation of whether their child has met the Torbay grammar school standard. A positive result allows them to proceed with confidence. A child who does not meet the standard can still be listed on the CAF, but is very unlikely to receive an offer at any of the three Torbay grammar schools.
Step 4 — Submit the Common Application Form: The CAF is submitted to the local authority (not the school) by 31 October of Year 6. Churston Ferrers Grammar School should be listed as one of the school preferences. Families may list up to five or six preferences in total, depending on their local authority's rules. Preference order matters: if a child qualifies for places at more than one grammar, the local authority allocates the highest-ranked preference for which the child qualifies.
Step 5 — Receive the offer and accept: On 1 March, families learn whether a place has been offered. Accepting the offer by the deadline confirms the Year 7 place. If a place was not offered at the preferred school, families can ask to be added to the waiting list and pursue the appeals process if appropriate.
Full details of the Churston Ferrers admissions process, including the admissions policy and oversubscription criteria, are available from the school directly. Our wider 11+ school guides cover the process at grammar schools across England if you are weighing up multiple options.
Churston Ferrers Grammar School is consistently oversubscribed. With approximately 150 Year 7 places available and competition running at approximately 3 or more applicants for every place, a significant number of families who sit the test and meet the grammar school standard will still not receive an offer. The demand is driven by the school's reputation, its co-educational status (which makes it attractive to families who prefer a mixed grammar), and its location serving a broad catchment that extends well beyond Brixham and Torbay.
The oversubscription criteria, applied in order, are: Looked After Children and Previously Looked After Children; children eligible for Free School Meals under the Pupil Premium; siblings of current pupils at the school; children living within the school's designated area who meet the grammar standard; and all other qualifying applicants ranked by their entrance test score. Distance from the school is used only as a final tiebreaker when two applicants are otherwise equally ranked. This structure means that high test scores are the primary differentiator for the majority of applicants who do not fall into a priority category.
Unlike Torquay Boys' Grammar School and Torquay Girls' Grammar School, where boys and girls compete separately, at Churston Ferrers all 150 places are open to both boys and girls simultaneously. This means the effective competition pool is larger in demographic terms, and children of both sexes must perform strongly against the full range of applicants. Families considering all three Torbay grammars should be aware of this distinction when setting realistic expectations about outcomes. Children who begin focused, structured preparation in Year 4 or the start of Year 5 have the best chance of performing at the level required.
Preparing for Churston Ferrers Grammar School 11+ Entry?
Our specialist tutors know the GL Assessment format in depth and provide one-to-one online preparation tailored to the Torbay Consortium English and Mathematics papers. We build vocabulary, reading inference, and mathematical fluency progressively, then introduce timed mock papers to develop exam confidence from Year 5 onwards.
Rated 4.8/5 on Trustpilot. Pupils supported by our tutors consistently achieve the scores needed for Torbay grammar school offers.
Book a Free Consultation Message us on WhatsAppEffective preparation for the Churston Ferrers 11+ requires a structured, progressive approach that begins well in advance of the September test. The children who perform most consistently at this level typically start building the relevant skills in Year 4 or the very start of Year 5, giving themselves 12 to 18 months of structured preparation before the test date.
English preparation: The English paper at Churston Ferrers rewards wide reading, strong vocabulary, and the ability to read quickly with precision and inference. Encourage your child to read broadly — fiction and non-fiction, classic and contemporary — from Year 4 onwards. Discuss what they read: ask what words mean, what the author is implying, why a character behaves in a particular way. This active reading habit builds the comprehension and vocabulary skills that the GL Assessment English paper tests. In Year 5, introduce GL Assessment-style comprehension practice under timed conditions. By Year 6, your child should be completing full timed papers to build speed alongside accuracy.
Maths preparation: The Mathematics paper covers the entire KS2 maths curriculum, including topics that are not always taught in full depth at primary school. Identify any gaps in your child's knowledge in Year 5 and address them systematically. Key areas to focus on include fractions, decimals and percentages, ratio and proportion, algebra (especially number patterns and simple equations), and area and perimeter of compound shapes. Problem-solving fluency is as important as topic knowledge: children should practise interpreting worded problems quickly and choosing the right method efficiently. Mental arithmetic speed is also a differentiator in a 55-minute multiple-choice exam where time per question is limited.
Mock exam practice: Completing timed mock papers in GL Assessment format is an essential part of preparation in Year 6. Mocks serve multiple purposes: they identify which topics need further work, they build familiarity with the question style and the exam environment, and they develop the pacing instinct that allows children to work through 55 minutes of questions without running out of time. Aim to complete at least four to six full mock papers in each subject before the September test date. Review every question afterwards, including correct answers, to understand what each question was testing.
Starting early and staying consistent: The most common mistake families make is starting preparation too late — typically in the summer term of Year 5 or even the start of Year 6. By that point, there is insufficient time to build skills from the ground up, and preparation becomes rushed and stressful. Starting in Year 4 or early Year 5 allows skills to develop at a natural pace, with time for consolidation and mock exam practice before the real test. For families who want expert-led preparation with structured progression, our guide to the 11 Plus explains the full landscape, and our specialist tutors can design a bespoke preparation plan from wherever your child is currently.
To be considered for a Year 7 place at Churston Ferrers Grammar School, your child must sit the Torbay Consortium 11+ entrance test in September of Year 6. The test is administered by GL Assessment and covers English and Mathematics. There is no catchment area requirement: pupils from any location may register and take the test. If the school is oversubscribed after all qualifying pupils are identified, places are allocated first to Looked After Children and Previously Looked After Children, then to children eligible for Free School Meals, then to siblings of current pupils, and finally by distance from the school. Meeting the grammar school standard in the entrance test is the primary requirement for any offer.
The Torbay Consortium 11+ at Churston Ferrers uses two GL Assessment multiple-choice papers. Paper 1 is a 55-minute English paper covering reading comprehension, vocabulary, spelling, punctuation, and grammar reasoning. Paper 2 is a 55-minute Mathematics paper testing problem-solving and numerical reasoning based on Key Stage 2 content. Both papers are marked externally by GL Assessment and standardised for age, so a summer-born child is not disadvantaged compared to an autumn-born peer. The Torbay Consortium does not publish a specific pass mark, but pupils who perform strongly across both papers are told they are likely to be successful in applying to any of the three Torbay grammar schools.
For September 2027 entry, registration for the Torbay Consortium 11+ opened in March 2026 and closed in September 2026. The entrance test took place in September 2026 during Year 6. Families received a guidance letter in October 2026 confirming whether their child met the grammar school standard. The Common Application Form (CAF) for secondary school places had to be submitted to the local authority by 31 October 2026, listing Churston Ferrers as a preference. Secondary school offers were issued on National Offer Day, 1 March 2027. For future cycles, the same annual timetable applies, with registration typically reopening in March of Year 6.
Churston Ferrers Grammar School is oversubscribed, with approximately three or more applicants for every available Year 7 place. The school offers around 150 places per year. Because Churston Ferrers is co-educational, both boys and girls compete for the same 150 places, unlike Torquay Boys' Grammar School and Torquay Girls' Grammar School where entry is gender-specific. Pupils applying to Churston Ferrers come from across Torbay, South Hams, and surrounding parts of Devon. Children who achieve high scores in both the English and Mathematics papers and who have prepared systematically from Year 4 or 5 are best placed to secure a place. Simply meeting the grammar standard is not sufficient if demand exceeds the 150 available places.
No. Churston Ferrers Grammar School does not operate a formal catchment area. Any child from any part of England may sit the Torbay Consortium 11+ test and apply for a place. Distance from the school is used only as a final tiebreaker if two or more pupils are otherwise equally ranked under the admissions criteria. In that specific scenario, the pupil whose home address is closer to the main school entrance, measured as a straight-line distance, is prioritised. This means that high-achieving children from outside the immediate Brixham and Torbay area, including families in South Hams, Exeter, or further afield, can and do secure places each year if their 11+ performance is strong enough.
Leading Tuition provides specialist one-to-one 11+ preparation for Churston Ferrers Grammar School, delivered online by experienced tutors who know the GL Assessment format thoroughly. Our tutors work on the specific skills tested in the Torbay Consortium papers: English comprehension and grammar reasoning under timed conditions, and mathematical problem-solving built on KS2 foundations. We typically begin preparation in Year 4 or 5, building vocabulary, reading inference, and numerical fluency gradually before introducing timed mock papers in Year 6. This structured approach means pupils arrive at their September test confident and well-practised. Rated 4.8/5 on Trustpilot. Book a free consultation to discuss a preparation plan for your child.
Leading Tuition provides expert one-to-one 11+ coaching for the Torbay Consortium GL Assessment. Rated 4.8/5 on Trustpilot.
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