About London Grammar Schools
London hosts the densest concentration of academically elite state grammar schools in the UK — including Queen Elizabeth's Barnet (Times #1), Wilson's School Sutton (#2), and St Olave's Bromley (#3). The London grammar system spans eight Local Authority boroughs (Barnet, Bexley, Bromley, Enfield, Kingston-upon-Thames, Redbridge, Sutton, and parts of Wandsworth and Hammersmith), each operating its own test format. Many London grammars are 'super-selective' with no catchment area — admitting purely on rank order. Combined applications across boroughs are common.
History & Tradition
London's grammar tradition dates to the City Livery Companies of the 14th-15th centuries — Latymer Upper, City of London School, and Mercers' all have roots in medieval education. Modern state grammars include Queen Elizabeth's Barnet (founded 1573, became a grammar in 1567), Tiffin School (1638), Henrietta Barnett (1911), and Wilson's School (1615). When London Government Reform abolished most state grammars in 1965, eight boroughs retained selective schools — creating the modern London grammar 'archipelago'.
The Entry Test
London grammars use diverse exam formats. Barnet: each school sets own test (QE Barnet, Henrietta Barnett, St Michael's Catholic). Bexley: Bexley Selection Test across 4 grammars. Bromley: Newstead Wood and St Olave's set own. Sutton: Sutton SET (Selective Eligibility Test) used by 5 grammars across two stages. Kingston: Tiffin schools' own two-stage test. Enfield: Latymer School test. Redbridge: Redbridge 11+ for Ilford County + Woodford County.
London 11+ at a Glance
7 Things You Should Know About London Grammar Schools
Researched facts about the region's selective schools — drawn from official sources, school websites and education research.
- 1Five of the Sunday Times UK Top 10 grammar schools are in London: Queen Elizabeth's Barnet (#1), Wilson's School Sutton (#2), St Olave's Bromley (#3), The Tiffin Girls' School Kingston (#5), and Henrietta Barnett School Barnet (#8).
- 2London grammar schools have no shared admissions consortium — each borough operates independently, making multi-school applications a logistical challenge. Many families apply to 3-4 grammars across different boroughs.
- 3Queen Elizabeth's School Barnet has no catchment area and admits the top 180 scoring candidates from anywhere in the UK — typically receiving over 2,400 applications for those 180 places.
- 4Sutton's 6 selective schools (Nonsuch, Sutton, Wallington County, Wallington High, Wilson's, Greenshaw) share a common Stage 1 test (SET) before each school's own Stage 2 papers — the most coordinated London consortium.
- 5London grammars test in multiple stages: most run Stage 1 (basic eligibility) in September and Stage 2 (deeper selection) in October/November. Multi-stage testing means even 'pass' rates are 30-50% rather than top quartile.
- 6Bexley operates a unique 'no catchment' rule across all 4 of its grammars — Beths, Bexley Grammar, Chislehurst & Sidcup, and Townley. Children from across London and Kent attend.
- 7London grammars set the highest qualifying scores in the UK — Tiffin School and QE Barnet effectively require near-perfect performance (scores of 130+ standardised), well above the typical English grammar pass mark of 121.
| Rank | School Name | Gender | PAN | 11+ Exam | GCSE 9-7 | A-Level A*-B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet (QE Boys)#1 | Boys | 192 | GL Assessment | 95.5% | 97.6% |
| #2 | Wilson's School#2 | Boys | 180 | GL Assessment | 97.4% | 95.4% |
| #3 | St. Olave's Grammar School#3 | Boys | 124 | GL Assessment | 89.7% | 95.1% |
| #5 | Tiffin Girls' School#5 | Girls | 155 | GL Assessment | 95.7% | 89.9% |
| #8 | Henrietta Barnett School (HBS)#8 | Girls | 104 | GL Assessment | 97.2% | 86% |
| #11 | Tiffin School#11 | Boys | 180 | GL Assessment | 79.8% | 91.8% |
| #13 | Nonsuch High School for Girls#13 | Girls | 186 | GL Assessment | 82.8% | 89.2% |
| #18 | The Latymer School, Enfield#18 | Mixed | 192 | GL Assessment | 84.1% | 85.7% |
| #21 | Sutton Grammar School#21 | Boys | 150 | GL Assessment | 81.1% | 87% |
| #22 | St Michael’s RC Grammar School, Finchley#22 | Girls | 128 | GL Assessment | 90% | 85-90% |
| #24 | Wallington High School for Girls (WHSG)#24 | Girls | 210 | GL Assessment | 83.3% | 84.3% |
| #30 | Wallington County Grammar School#30 | Boys | 150 | GL Assessment | 73% | 87% |
| #34 | Newstead Wood School#34 | Girls | 160 | GL Assessment | 87.9% | 77.3% |
| #37 | Woodford County High School (WCHS)#37 | Girls | 186 | GL Assessment | 85% | 78% |
| #44 | West London Free School#44 | Mixed | — | Free School test | 63.1 | 87.4 |
| #59 | JFS#59 | Mixed | — | Independent | 54 | 87.5 |
| #85 | Camden School for Girls#85 | Girls | — | Aptitude (Music) | 50 | 83 |
| #88 | Ilford County High School (ICHS)#88 | Boys | 180 | GL Assessment | 68.2% | 72.7% |
| #97 | The Charter School North Dulwich#97 | Mixed | — | Independent | 54 | 78 |
| #98 | The Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School#98 | Boys | — | Independent | 55.5 | 77.1 |
| #100 | Waldegrave School, Twickenham#100 | Girls (Mixed 6th) | — | Independent | 53 | 78 |
| Alleyn's School | Girls | — | Independent | 94.8% | 94.7% | |
| Barnet and Enfield Grammar Schools | Girls | 104 | GL Assessment | 95.0% | 100.0% | |
| Chislehurst & Sidcup Grammar School | Boys | 245 | GL Assessment | 71.5% | 72.6% | |
| City of London Freemen's School | Mixed | 120 | Independent | 81.5% | 92.2% | |
| City of London School (CLS) | Boys | 188 | GL Assessment | 95.5% | 93.2% | |
| City of London School for Girls (CLSG) | Girls | 100 | CEM | 95.4% | 95.7% | |
| Dulwich College | Boys | 160 | GL Assessment | 93.5% | 89.1% | |
| Dulwich Prep London | Boys | — | Independent | — | — | |
| Godolphin School | Girls | — | Independent | 57.2% | 72.6% | |
| Haberdashers' Adams Grammar School | Boys | — | GL Assessment | 80-90% | 74.8% | |
| Haberdashers' Boys' School (Habs Boys) | Boys | 100 | CEM Select | 70% | 70% | |
| Haberdashers' Monmouth Schools | Boys | — | CEM | — | 70% | |
| Haberdashers' School for Girls (Habs Girls) | Girls | — | Independent | 70% | 70% | |
| Hampton Court House School | Mixed | — | GL Assessment | 61.6% | 58.9% | |
| Hampton School | Boys | 170 | Independent | 95.8% | 91.5% | |
| Hasmonean High School | Mixed | 180 | Independent | — | — | |
| Highgate School | Boys | 180 | GL Assessment | 95.7% | 92.7% | |
| Hitchin Girls' School | Girls | 180 | Independent | — | — | |
| JCoSS (Jewish Community Secondary School) | Mixed | 180 | Independent | — | — | |
| Kingston Grammar School (KGS) | Boys | — | Independent | 91.6% | 92.7% | |
| Latymer Upper School | Mixed | — | Independent / ISEB | 96.5% | 95.1% | |
| Merchant Taylors' School (MTS) Northwood | Boys | — | Independent | 88.3% | 89.3% | |
| Mill Hill County High School | Mixed | 243 | GL Assessment | 41% | 58% | |
| Queen's College, Taunton | Mixed | — | Independent | — | 30% | |
| St. Paul's Girls' School (SPGS) | Girls | 90 | CEM | 99.5% | 95.6% | |
| Sutton Grammar Schools - Selective Eligibility Test (SET) | Boys | 180 | GL Assessment | 94.0% | 77.5% | |
| Thomas's Battersea | Mixed | — | CEM Select | — | — | |
| University College School (UCS) | Boys | — | Independent | 91.3% | 93.6% |
London Grammar Schools — Frequently Asked Questions
Which are the top-ranked grammar schools in London?
In the 2026 Sunday Times Parent Power tables, the highest-ranked London grammar schools include Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet (QE Boys), Wilson's School, St. Olave's Grammar School. Full rankings plus GCSE and A-Level results for every school are in the table above.
What 11+ exam do London grammar schools use?
Most London grammar schools admit pupils through the GL Assessment 11+. Check each school's row above, as some set their own entrance test or use a different exam board.
What makes London grammar schools distinctive?
Five of the Sunday Times UK Top 10 grammar schools are in London: Queen Elizabeth's Barnet (#1), Wilson's School Sutton (#2), St Olave's Bromley (#3), The Tiffin Girls' School Kingston (#5), and Henrietta Barnett School Barnet (#8).
What else should families know about the London 11+?
London grammar schools have no shared admissions consortium — each borough operates independently, making multi-school applications a logistical challenge. Many families apply to 3-4 grammars across different boroughs.
Nearby Regions
Many families consider grammars in neighbouring regions to maximise options. Explore: