Bourne Grammar School: Comprehensive 11+ Admissions Guide

Key Information Summary

• School: Bourne Grammar School
• Type: Mixed Selective Academy
• Location: South Road, Bourne, Lincolnshire, PE10 9JE
• Age Range: 11-18 years
• Headteacher: Mr Alastair Anderson
• Ofsted Rating: Outstanding (October 2022)
• Contact: 01778 422288
• Entrance Test: September (Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, Mathematics)

About Bourne Grammar School

Bourne Grammar School has established itself as a beacon of academic excellence in Lincolnshire since its foundation. This Outstanding-rated selective academy serves the market town of Bourne and surrounding rural communities, providing exceptional educational opportunities for academically able students aged 11-18.

The school's impressive sixth form attracts students from across the region, offering a comprehensive range of A-Level subjects taught by specialist teachers. With its strong emphasis on traditional academic values combined with modern teaching methods, Bourne Grammar School consistently achieves excellent examination results whilst fostering a supportive community atmosphere.

The school's ethos centres on maximising each student's potential through high expectations, personalised learning, and extensive enrichment opportunities. Students benefit from small class sizes, exceptional pastoral care, and access to specialist facilities that support both academic achievement and personal development.

The 11+ Assessment Process

Bourne Grammar School employs a rigorous 11+ entrance examination to identify students who will thrive in its academically selective environment. The assessment takes place in September and comprises three key components:

Verbal Reasoning

This section evaluates students' ability to think logically using language and comprehension skills. Candidates complete analogies, identify word relationships, and demonstrate understanding of vocabulary in context. The test assesses analytical thinking and linguistic competence essential for success across the curriculum.

Non-Verbal Reasoning

Students tackle problems involving shapes, patterns, and spatial relationships. This component measures logical thinking independent of language skills, testing pattern recognition, sequence completion, and visual problem-solving abilities crucial for mathematics and sciences.

Mathematics

The mathematics assessment covers arithmetic, problem-solving, and mathematical reasoning appropriate to Year 6 level. Students demonstrate competence in number operations, basic geometry, data interpretation, and mathematical logic, ensuring they possess the foundation skills required for the school's demanding mathematics curriculum.

All assessments are designed to identify academic potential rather than specific knowledge, focusing on reasoning abilities and thinking skills that predict success in a grammar school environment.

How to Apply

The admissions process for Bourne Grammar School follows a structured timeline requiring careful attention to deadlines:

Registration Phase

Parents must register their child for the entrance examination during the spring term of Year 5. Registration forms are available on the school's website and must be completed by the specified deadline, typically in late spring.

Entrance Examination

Registered candidates sit the 11+ assessment in September of Year 6. The examination takes place at the school under supervised conditions, with results communicated to parents in early autumn.

Local Authority Application

Following the entrance test, parents must submit their secondary school application through Lincolnshire County Council's coordinated admissions scheme. Bourne Grammar School should be listed as a preference, with the application deadline typically falling in October.

Offers and Acceptance

Successful candidates receive conditional offers in March, dependent on maintaining academic standards. Parents must confirm acceptance by the specified deadline to secure their child's place for September entry.

Preparing for the Bourne Grammar School 11+ with Taylor Tuition

Preparation for the Bourne Grammar School 11+ tends to go best when it starts early and stays steady, and most families who work with us begin between twelve and eighteen months out. Our tutors, who have prepared pupils for entry to leading independent and grammar schools including Westminster, St Paul's, Wycombe Abbey and Eton, plan the work backwards from the school's own assessment format and registration deadline.

The tutors we match to 11+ preparation are drawn from a pool in which more than half hold Qualified Teacher Status, around three in five hold a master's degree or doctorate, and which includes former heads of department, exam-board examiners and teachers from independent and boarding schools. Every tutor who works with children holds an enhanced DBS check.

Families work with us online from anywhere in the UK or abroad, and in person in central London. Fees start from £50 per 50-minute session and depend on tutor level and subject, with no registration fee and a free initial consultation to talk through your child's current level and the timeline to the 11+. Families receive progress reports after sessions and have a dedicated point of contact, and we reply to enquiries within one working day with tutor recommendations.

Read more about our 11+ entrance exam tutors, or send an enquiry and we will come back with tutor recommendations.