Key Facts
| School type | State grammar school (academy), girls 11 to 18, mixed-sex Sixth Form (boys admitted at 16+) |
|---|---|
| Location | Bexleyheath, Kent (London Borough of Bexley) |
| Entry points | 11+ (Year 7), with 224 places published; boys admitted only to the Sixth Form (16+) |
| Assessment | Bexley Selection Test: two multiple-choice papers covering verbal ability/English comprehension and numerical/non-verbal reasoning, run by Quest Assessments, with no Townley-specific paper or interview |
| Test provider | Quest Assessments |
| Registration deadline | Not published for the next entry round; the school directs parents to the Bexley Selection Test registration page for current dates |
| Assessment date | Not published for the next entry round (2026 test cycle registration and test dates have passed at time of writing) |
Figures correct at the time of writing. Confirm current fees and deadlines with the school or university directly.
Getting into Townley Grammar School at 11+ depends on a child being deemed selective in the Bexley Selection Test, a borough-wide assessment shared by all four Bexley grammar schools and run by Quest Assessments, and then being ranked highly enough or matching Townley's own oversubscription criteria once that standard is met. Townley is a girls' grammar school in the London Borough of Bexley with 224 published places for Year 7, making it the largest of the borough's four grammar schools by intake; boys join the school only at Sixth Form.
There is no separate Townley entrance paper, no interview and no fixed catchment area: any child who registers for and sits the Bexley Selection Test can be considered, wherever they live. What decides an offer, once a child is deemed selective, is the school's published order of priority, in which distance from home to school is typically the deciding factor for most places.
How entry to the school works at 11+
Townley Grammar School admits girls to Year 7 through the Bexley Selection Test, the shared entrance assessment used by all four grammar schools in the London Borough of Bexley. The school has a published admission number of 224 places for Year 7, the largest intake among Bexley's grammar schools, and is the admissions authority for its own Year 7 place allocation even though the test itself is coordinated across the borough.
Boys are not admitted to Year 7; the school takes boys only into its mixed Sixth Form through a separate admissions process. There is no Townley-specific entrance exam and no fixed catchment area, so eligibility to apply rests on registering for and sitting the Bexley Selection Test; where a family lives makes no difference.
How the school's 11+ assessment works
Children sit the Bexley Selection Test, administered by Quest Assessments, in September of Year 6. The test is split across two papers taken in the same session: one covering verbal ability and English comprehension, the other covering numerical reasoning and non-verbal reasoning, each running for approximately 50 minutes, with the full session including instructions and a break lasting two and a half to three hours.
All questions are multiple choice, and there is no Townley-specific paper and no interview; Townley uses the borough-wide result exclusively. Scoring is weighted, with the verbal ability score contributing 50% of the aggregate, and the numerical and non-verbal scores each contributing 25%, against an average standardised score of 200.
Achieving the selective standard set by the Bexley grammar school headteachers makes a child eligible to apply to Townley and the other Bexley grammar schools, but Townley does not publish a specific pass mark, and meeting the standard is separate from being offered a place.
- English comprehension and verbal ability paper
- Numerical reasoning and non-verbal reasoning paper
- All questions multiple choice, no interview or Townley-specific paper
11+ tutors
Hannah
Master TutorI am a UK-qualified teacher with 15+ years across private and state schools in the UK and abroad, and hold a BSc from LSE and a PGCE with QTS. I teach English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning, 11+ and Common Entrance preparation. My approach is personalised, confidence-building and rigorous.
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Sochima
Master TutorI'm a qualified teacher in a London classroom every day, with a BSc in Computer Science from Brunel and a PGCE with QTS. I teach Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Computer Science to A-Level, plus 11+ preparation, through project-based work that suits SEND learners well.
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Robert
Master TutorI am a qualified teacher with over twenty years' experience in the UK, Gulf and New Zealand, holding an MA in History and PGCE. I teach English, History, Geography and French from KS2 to A-Level and IB, preparing 11+/13+ candidates. My approach is student-led, focused and diagnostic.
Enquire about this tutorRegistering for the test and applying to the school
The process runs as a sequence of separate steps. Parents first register their child online for the Bexley Selection Test during the registration window set by the council; this applies to every child, including those already at a Bexley primary school, since registration is never automatic. There is no fee to register, and late registrations are not accepted.
After registering, children are allocated a test centre, which may be their own primary school or one of the four grammar schools, and sit the two papers in September. Results are issued to families some weeks later, followed by the deadline for submitting the home local authority's Common Application Form naming preferred schools, including Townley if wanted.
National Offer Day follows in the spring, when families learn which school has offered a place. Families whose child is not registered for the standard age cohort, or who need special arrangements, are asked to contact the school admissions team or Bexley directly; online registration does not apply to them.
- Register online for the Bexley Selection Test
- Sit the two test papers at an allocated centre
- Receive results
- Submit the Common Application Form naming preferred schools
- National Offer Day
How places are allocated: oversubscription criteria and distance
The school does not have a defined catchment area, so any child deemed selective may apply regardless of home address. Across Bexley, children ranked among the highest-scoring in the borough are guaranteed a place at their preferred Bexley grammar school; for the remaining places, each school applies its own published oversubscription criteria.
At Townley, priority within each aggregate score band runs in order: looked-after and previously looked-after children; children attracting Pupil Premium who achieve the qualifying score; siblings already at the school; children of staff employed for two or more years or filling a demonstrable skill-shortage post; and then distance from home to school as the tie-break.
If places remain once all children deemed selective have been offered a place, Townley follows the principles of Bexley's reserve list, offering remaining places in descending order of the aggregate score achieved in the test. A waiting list is kept in the same order as the oversubscription criteria.
- Looked-after and previously looked-after children
- Pupil Premium children achieving the qualifying score
- Siblings already at the school
- Staff children (two or more years' service, or skill-shortage post)
- Distance from home to school
Preparing for the Bexley Selection Test format
Because the Bexley Selection Test covers verbal ability and English comprehension, numerical reasoning and non-verbal reasoning across two multiple-choice papers, familiarity with all three question types matters more than guessing which one Townley favours, since the school sets no paper of its own. Working steadily on comprehension, vocabulary, arithmetic reasoning and pattern-based non-verbal questions across Year 5 and 6 tends to help children manage the timed format calmly.
The school, working with Atom Learning, offers free online 11+ familiarisation and practice papers to children eligible for Pupil Premium, and its PTA also runs familiarisation test sessions with Atom Learning that replicate the test's format and environment. Sitting practice papers under similar timed conditions beforehand tends to reduce surprise on the day, leaving a child free to focus on the questions with the format already familiar.
Related guides
- London grammar schools guide
- Tutors for families in London
- Grammar schools in England: the full directory
Preparing for the Townley Grammar School 11+ with Taylor Tuition
Families preparing for the Townley Grammar School 11+ usually come to us a year or so before the assessment, though shorter runs work where the foundations are already sound. Having prepared pupils for entry to leading independent and grammar schools, with placements including Westminster, St Paul's, Wycombe Abbey and Eton, our tutors build each programme around the format the school actually uses, whether a written paper, an online pre-test, an interview or a combination of them.
More than half of our tutors hold Qualified Teacher Status and around three in five hold a master's degree or doctorate, and the pool includes former heads of department, exam-board examiners and teachers from independent and boarding schools, so the preparation is led by people who know how selective schools assess. 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.
Read more about our 11+ entrance exam tutors, or send an enquiry and we will come back with tutor recommendations.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Townley Grammar School set its own 11+ test?
- No. Entry is decided entirely by the Bexley Selection Test, run by Quest Assessments and shared by all four Bexley grammar schools. Townley does not set a separate paper or hold an entrance interview, and it does not publish its own pass mark; a child's outcome depends on the aggregate score achieved in the borough-wide test.
- Does my child need to live in Bexley to apply to Townley Grammar School?
- No. The Bexley Selection Test is open to any child, regardless of home address, and Townley does not operate a fixed catchment area. Home-to-school distance is used only as one of the oversubscription criteria once a child has been deemed selective and the school is oversubscribed.
- Does achieving the selective standard guarantee a place at Townley?
- No. Being deemed selective in the Bexley Selection Test makes a child eligible to apply, but it does not guarantee a place, since Townley's 224 places are then allocated against its published oversubscription criteria, with looked-after children, Pupil Premium children meeting the qualifying score, siblings, staff children and distance considered in that order.
- Is there support for children eligible for free school meals or Pupil Premium?
- Yes. Townley Grammar School partners with Atom Learning to offer free online 11+ familiarisation, including Key Stage 2 practice questions and practice papers, to children who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the previous six years, once eligibility is confirmed by their primary school.
- What is the Sixth Form bursary at Townley Grammar School?
- The school offers a Sixth Form bursary to students aged 16 to 19 towards essential costs such as transport, books and equipment. This concerns Sixth Form entry: Year 7 places are for girls only, so boys join the school at Sixth Form, and 11+ admission does not apply to them.
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English, Maths, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning, with mark schemes.
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