How to prepare for the Kingston Grammar School 11+

The exam at a glance

Kingston Grammar School’s 11+ process for Year 7 entry uses the school’s own paper rather than a shared consortium test. For 2028 entry, the assessment focuses on Maths and English only. There is no Verbal Reasoning or Non-Verbal Reasoning in the tested subjects, so preparation is best kept tightly focused on strong curriculum knowledge, careful reading and accurate written work.

The exam is paper based. The school’s 11+ process also includes a supporting reference, and selected children are invited to interview after the written assessment. In other words, the written papers matter a great deal, but so do school report evidence, classroom attitude and how a child comes across at interview if shortlisted.

For parents, the most useful way to think about the day is as a selective independent-school assessment rather than a speed-heavy reasoning exam. Children usually need to show:

Maths: secure Key Stage 2 methods, accuracy, and the ability to apply them in unfamiliar contexts.
English: good comprehension, thoughtful written responses, and clear spelling, punctuation and grammar.
Exam stamina: the ability to stay calm, read instructions carefully and manage time across two substantial subject papers.

The school’s published admissions information confirms the broad sequence: registration, written entrance assessments, reference, interviews for selected candidates, then offers. If your child is aiming for 2028 entry, expect the exam to fall in the autumn of Year 6, with follow-up steps later in the admissions cycle.

School	Kingston Grammar School
Entry point	11+ for First Year (Year 7)
Exam board	The school’s own paper
Subjects	Maths and English
Reasoning papers	Not part of the tested subjects for this entry route
Delivery	Paper based
Other stages	Supporting reference and interviews for selected candidates

Registration and key dates

For Kingston Grammar School, registration is run by the school, not by a local authority 11+ portal. Parents apply through the school’s admissions process for 11+ entry.

For the current published cycle on the school website, the deadline for registration is 5 October 2026. The school also gives a typical exam date of 6 November 2026 for that cycle, with interviews on Tuesday 5 January 2027, offers emailed on Friday 12 February 2027 and an acceptance deadline of Wednesday 3 March 2027. The school states that registration for September 2027 entry is open.

Because your child is aiming for September 2028 entry, you should not assume those exact dates will be repeated. If the 2028 timetable is not yet published when you are reading this, the safest approach is to use the current cycle only as a guide: registration appears to run into early October, the exam is typically in early November, interviews are usually in early January, and offers are normally sent in February.

The school’s 11+ page should always be your first check for the live dates, forms and any document requests. Independent schools commonly ask for a registration form and fee, plus details of the child’s current school so that a reference can be requested. Kingston Grammar School’s admissions page confirms the supporting reference is part of the process, so it is sensible to have current school details ready and to register well before the deadline rather than leaving it to the final week.

If you want a simple place to monitor updates, keep an eye on The Kingston Grammar School 11+ guide (format, catchment, dates) and sign up for Free email alerts for this school's key dates.

Stage	Published current-cycle timing
Registration deadline	5 October 2026
Written assessment	6 November 2026
Interviews	Tuesday 5 January 2027
Offers emailed	Friday 12 February 2027
Acceptance deadline	Wednesday 3 March 2027

For 2028 entry, treat those as the best published guide so far until the school releases the next admissions cycle.

Who can apply: catchment and admissions

Kingston Grammar School is an independent, coeducational school offering 11+ entry into First Year (Year 7). Because it is an independent school, the admissions route is separate from local authority grammar-school testing and separate from the National Offer Day system used for maintained secondary places.

For Year 7, the school has 150 places. ElevenReady’s verified school data also notes that competition is typically around 800 to 900 candidates for 150 places. That makes the process competitive, so families should expect a high standard in both assessed subjects and should plan preparation early and steadily.

We did not find a published catchment area or state-school style distance rule for 11+ entry on the school information provided. If catchment, postcode priority or any geographic preference matters to your family, check the live admissions page directly before relying on any third-party summary. Independent schools often admit from a wide area, but you should follow only what the school itself currently publishes.

The school describes its 11+ admissions process as including:

written entrance assessments
a supporting reference
interviews for selected candidates
offers
an offer-holder event

In practice, that means parents should think beyond the exam itself. A strong application usually combines secure academic preparation with a positive, reliable school record and a child who can speak naturally and politely about their interests at interview if invited.

Because Kingston Grammar School is independent, families should also remember that an 11+ application here does not replace applications to other schools. Many parents keep a balanced list of options and continue with local authority applications where relevant.

A month-by-month preparation plan

For most children aiming at Kingston Grammar School, the best preparation is calm, consistent and subject-specific. Because there are only two tested subjects, depth matters more than trying to cover every possible 11+ style. Below is a realistic plan working back from an autumn Year 6 exam.

January to March of Year 5

Keep it light. One to two hours a week is enough at this stage. Focus on building strong habits rather than doing formal papers.

Maths: make sure core arithmetic is secure: times tables, place value, written methods, fractions and problem solving.
English: read widely, discuss vocabulary, and practise short written responses based on what your child has read.
Routine: aim for two or three short sessions each week rather than one long weekend block.

April to June of Year 5

Increase to about two to three hours a week. Start introducing more formal practice, but still keep most work untimed.

Use topic-based Maths practice to identify weak areas.
Build comprehension stamina with fiction and non-fiction passages.
Practise spelling, punctuation and grammar in context, especially sentence control and paragraphing.
Encourage tidy working and clear presentation on paper.

Summer holiday before Year 6

This is often the most useful period. Around three to four hours a week is realistic for many children, split over several days.

Move from pure teaching to a mixture of teaching and practice.
Introduce short timed sections in both subjects.
For Maths, expect your child to explain methods aloud as well as getting answers right.
For English, work on reading carefully, planning written answers and checking work at the end.

September of Year 6

Now make preparation more exam-shaped. About four to five hours a week is usually plenty if it is focused.

Begin doing timed paper practice in full sections.
Review mistakes properly rather than rushing into paper after paper.
Notice patterns: careless arithmetic, weak inference, running out of time, or thin written answers.
If your child is sitting for several independent schools, keep a close eye on differences in style and avoid overloading the week.

October of Year 6

This is the month to refine, not panic. Four to six hours a week is enough for most children; more than that can backfire.

Do one or two well-chosen timed papers each week across Maths and English.
Go back over corrections carefully.
Practise exam routines: reading instructions, moving on sensibly, and checking at the end.
Keep sleep, sport and ordinary schoolwork steady.

The final two weeks

Reduce the pressure. A small amount of sharp practice is better than cramming.

Revise known weak spots.
Use brief mixed Maths drills and short comprehension or writing tasks.
Avoid introducing lots of new material.
Make sure your child knows the practical plan for the day.

If your child is naturally anxious, the single most helpful message is that preparation should feel like steady training, not constant testing.

Subject by subject: what to practise

Maths

Because Kingston Grammar School uses its own paper, the exact question balance can vary, but families should expect a paper that rewards secure Key Stage 2 knowledge applied accurately. Useful practice areas include:

number skills and arithmetic fluency
fractions, decimals and percentages
ratio and proportion at an age-appropriate level
multi-step word problems
measurement, geometry and data handling
showing method clearly in written working

Good preparation is not just doing hard questions. It is making sure your child can complete straightforward questions quickly and accurately, then stay calm when one problem is less familiar. Encourage them to write method neatly, underline key information in word problems and check whether an answer is sensible.

A useful home routine is one mixed Maths session for fluency and one for problem solving each week. Later on, add timed sets so your child learns to keep moving without guessing wildly.

English

At independent-school 11+, English usually combines careful reading with clear, thoughtful written expression. For Kingston Grammar School, preparation should centre on:

comprehension of fiction and non-fiction
retrieval, inference and explanation
vocabulary from reading in context
spelling, punctuation and grammar
structured, well-organised writing
proofreading and improving written work

Strong English preparation starts with regular reading. Children who read often tend to cope better with comprehension, vocabulary and writing style. Discuss what they read: why a character acted in a certain way, what a word suggests, how the writer creates atmosphere, and what evidence supports an interpretation.

For writing, practise planning briefly before starting, writing in paragraphs, and leaving a few minutes to check punctuation, spelling and missing words. Many children lose marks not because they lack ideas, but because they rush.

If your child is stronger in Maths than English, start the English work earlier. Improvement in writing and comprehension usually takes longer to embed than a single Maths technique.

Practice papers and mock exams

Practice papers are most helpful when they are used to diagnose weaknesses, not just to produce a score. For a school like Kingston Grammar School, where the assessment is school-set and subject-specific, quality matters much more than sheer quantity.

A sensible sequence is:

Start with untimed topic practice to build confidence.
Move to timed sections once the basics are secure.
Use full papers later, when stamina and timing really matter.
Review every paper carefully, especially patterns of error.

When marking practice, separate mistakes into three groups:

Knowledge gaps — the topic was not understood.
Application gaps — the child knew the topic but could not use it in context.
Careless errors — they rushed, misread or skipped a step.

That makes next week’s revision much more effective than simply doing another paper.

For school-specific practice, use Free Kingston Grammar School practice papers (one per tested subject, with answers). You can also keep the full overview handy with The Kingston Grammar School 11+ guide (format, catchment, dates) and sign up for Free email alerts for this school's key dates.

Mock exams can be useful if your child needs practice working under pressure in an unfamiliar room. They are less useful if they simply increase anxiety. One or two well-timed mocks in the run-up to the exam are usually enough for most children.

As a rule, avoid doing full papers too early and too often. It is usually better to do fewer papers and learn more from each one.

On the day

The aim on the day is to help your child feel prepared, not over-managed.

The night before: pack what is needed, check travel plans, and keep the evening calm.
That morning: allow plenty of time, give a familiar breakfast, and avoid last-minute testing in the car.
Before going in: remind your child to read carefully, keep an eye on time and move on if stuck.
In the exam: encourage a simple routine — read the question, answer what is actually asked, and check if there is time.

Children often perform best when parents keep the message short and reassuring: do your best, read carefully, and don’t worry about one difficult question.

If your child is later invited to interview, treat that as a conversation rather than another paper. They do not need scripted answers. It is more helpful for them to be ready to talk naturally about school, reading, hobbies and why the school appeals to them.

After the exam: results, allocation and appeals

At Kingston Grammar School, the process continues after the written papers. The school states that selected candidates are invited to interview, then offers are made later in the cycle.

For the currently published cycle, offers are emailed on Friday 12 February 2027 and the acceptance deadline is Wednesday 3 March 2027. For your child’s 2028 entry, those dates may change, but the sequence is likely to be similar: written exam in autumn, interviews for selected children, then decisions and a deadline to accept.

Because this is an independent school, there is no local-authority allocation day for this application in the way there is for maintained secondary schools. The school communicates directly with families.

If your child is unsuccessful, the next practical step is to ask politely whether there is any feedback process or waiting-list process for that year. Appeal arrangements at independent schools are not the same as statutory admission appeals for state schools, so always follow the school’s own published procedure and deadlines.

Even where a child does not receive an offer, the preparation they have done in Maths, reading and writing is still valuable for Year 6 and for other school applications.

What has changed recently

For the latest published cycle on the school website, Kingston Grammar School lists a clear set of 11+ admissions milestones for September 2027 entry, including the registration deadline, written assessment date, interview date, offer date and acceptance deadline. The page also advertises specific 2026 open events for families considering 11+ entry.

We did not find any officially announced recent change to the exam board, tested subjects, paper-based delivery, catchment policy or number of Year 7 places beyond the current admissions information available. If the school announces changes for 2028 entry, families should rely on the live 11+ admissions page first.

Frequently asked questions

Does Kingston Grammar School test Verbal Reasoning or Non-Verbal Reasoning at 11+?

No. For the entry route covered here, the tested subjects are Maths and English only.

Who runs the Kingston Grammar School 11+ registration?

The school runs its own admissions process. Parents should use Kingston Grammar School’s admissions information rather than a local authority 11+ registration portal.

How many Year 7 places are there?

There are 150 places for Year 7 entry.

Is Kingston Grammar School 11+ very competitive?

Yes. ElevenReady’s verified data indicates roughly 800 to 900 candidates for 150 places, so steady preparation in both subjects is important.

When should my child start preparing?

For most children, a gentle start in Year 5 works well, with preparation becoming more structured over the summer before Year 6 and into the autumn term.

Are interviews part of the process?

Yes. The school says selected candidates are invited to interview after the written assessments.

📄 Free Kingston Grammar School practice papers Start free and track readiness for Kingston Grammar School 🔔 Email me this school's key dates

Sources

Kingston Grammar School – 11+ Entry: School runs its own 11+ admissions process; 11+ entry is for First Year (Year 7); process includes written entrance assessments, supporting reference, interviews for selected candidates, offers and an offer-holder event; registration for September 2027 entry is open; registration deadline 5 October
Kingston Grammar School – Home: School identity and official website.

Preparing for other schools in Kingston upon Thames

Written by ElevenReady from the school's published information and reviewed by a person before publishing. Last reviewed 4 October 2026. Exam arrangements change. Check the school's admissions page for the current year.