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Introduction
Bristol Grammar School (BGS) is a co-educational independent day school in Bristol. It was founded in 1532 by the Royal Charter for the teaching of ‘good manners and literature’ and was financed by wealthy Bristol merchants Robert and Nicholas Thorne with the aim to educate the sons of the city’s merchants and tradesmen.
Bristol Grammar first admitted girls in 1980. Notable alumni include members of both houses of the UK Parliament, as well as two present Lord Justices of Appeal (Sirs Rabinder Singh and Timothy Holroyde).
The school aims to nurture, challenge and celebrate each individual and to make education available to all those who might benefit from it within BGS’s diverse and representative community.
The vast curriculum comprises art, design & technology, drama, French, Spanish, games, geography, history, IT, Latin, philosophy, religion & ethics, PE and music, in addition to the core subjects.
For those who struggle with their academic performance due to specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia or dyspraxia, physical disability or having English as an additional language, the school provides a Learning Support programme. The learning support team is dedicated to assisting these students, whilst offering more general support for everybody else.
Form tutors monitor and assess all students throughout their school life, as the children’s learning profiles are analysed at specific stages of their journey at BGS, followed up with diagnostic assessments which are then discussed with parents.
Form tutors are appointed to teach Wellbeing lessons, covering issues related to personal and social development, such as friendships, health and growing up.
Through the Enrichment programme, children take part in a variety of activities, including Dance, Food and Nutrition courses, as well as the Learning, Friendship and Adventure (LFA) programme at Failand and library sessions in Year 7.
With so much on offer, the ranking of the BGS’s Senior School and Sixth Form as one of the best performing independent schools in South West England truly comes as no surprise.
Bristol Grammar School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Information 2026
Address: University Road BS8 1SR
County: Bristol
Admissions info: admissions@bgs.bristol.sch.uk or 0117 933 9885
School type: Independent co-ed day school
Number of students: 1350 (approx.)
Open day: Each term
11+ Exam date: January of Year 6
11+ Exam type / Board: School’s own
Open Events for Bristol Grammar School 11 Plus (11+) Entry
Bristol Grammar offers a variety of opportunities to visit. Open Mornings take place during a normal day, offering a fantastic opportunity to see the school via a pupil-guided tour, meet Senior staff members and ask questions about the admissions process.
Taster Days are also on offer and generally take place during the Autumn term for children in Year 6 considering joining BGS at 11+. Additionally, you have the option to arrange an individual visit through the Admissions Office. The school’s exact location can be viewed on the map below:
Bristol Grammar School 11 Plus (11+) Admissions
Following your Year 7 application, your child will attend an interview with a staff member to discuss their hobbies, interests and school work. A current school reference will also be requested.
Your child will then sit paper-based entrance examinations. The registration fee is a total of £25 and the acceptance deposit amounts to £300.
Bristol Grammar School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Format
The 11+ exam at Bristol Grammar School consists of the following papers:
- English comprehension
- English writing
- Mathematics
The English comprehension paper is in the multiple-choice format. For the English writing paper, marks will be awarded for good use of imagination, creativity, form, purpose, organisation, cohesion and sentence structure.
The maths exam, also in the multiple-choice format, tests problem-solving and arithmetic skills. The paper will include questions on number, measurement, geometry, algebra and statistics.
Please see below for further details and recommendations on how to prepare for the Bristol Grammar School 11+ entrance examinations.
How to Prepare for the Bristol Grammar School 11 Plus (11+) Exam
One of the best ways to prepare your child for a competitive 11+ entrance exam is to familiarise them with the types of questions and the format of the actual exam. You can achieve this with the use of our practice tests.
Consisting of thoroughly researched and up to date questions, our practice tests will help you identify the strong and weak areas in your child’s knowledge base, and thus remove unnecessary stress from the exam preparation process.
By getting used to answering questions quickly and under time pressure, your child will gain a significant advantage over other candidates who prefer a less structured approach towards preparation for a competitive Year 7 entrance exam.
We highly recommend that you make use of our practice tests in order to increase your child’s confidence ahead of exam day. They are available for immediate download, print and use after purchase.
Please see below our recommended packs to help you prepare your child for the Bristol Grammar School 11+ entrance examinations.
Bristol Grammar School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Practice Papers
To prepare for the Bristol Grammar English paper, the following 11+ practice papers are highly recommended. They help improve comprehension and writing skills, including spelling, vocabulary and inference.
Practice Papers
Video Masterclasses
We highly recommend the use of the following packs to help develop your child’s problem-solving skills within the examination context of the Bristol Grammar School 11+ maths test.
Practice Papers
Video Masterclasses
If you’d like to have your child’s writing assessed and marked, you may be interested in our Writing Marking Service. Please click here to learn more.
Don’t forget to use the code eppdiscount at checkout to get 10% off orders over £70 and 20% off orders over £250 if you don’t buy a bundle.
Why do some of the recommendations above show me grammar school papers?
The main difference between independent and grammar school papers is the question format. Independent schools usually assess with standard format questions, which means students need to write out full answers. Grammar schools usually use multiple-choice format questions.
Whilst Bristol Grammar School is an independent school, they actually use the grammar school (multiple-choice) format for some of their exams, which is why they are included in the recommendations above.
Our practice tests aim to show what sort of questions have been included in Bristol Grammar School 11+ past papers. The information provided about Bristol Grammar School is believed to be correct at the time of publishing. However, please be aware of future changes. We advise you to contact the school directly if you are unsure of anything. School contact details are provided within the article.
Please note that Exam Papers Plus is an independent publisher of practice tests and resources, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Bristol Grammar School.
Other entry points for Bristol Grammar School:
Click here to learn about Year 3 entry via the 7 Plus (7+) Exam
Click here to learn about Year 4 entry via the 8 Plus (8+) Exam
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Author(s)
Louise Lang
Director of Learning