How to prepare for the Loughborough Grammar School 11+

Not independently verified. We could not verify the facts in this guide against an official source when it was written. Check the school's admissions page before relying on any date or number.

The exam at a glance

Loughborough Grammar School uses its own entrance papers for Year 7 entry. For 2028 entry, the school’s 11+ assessment focuses on Maths and English only, and the papers are paper-based.

That matters for preparation. Because there is no Verbal Reasoning or Non-Verbal Reasoning in this process, families can spend their time going deeper in core literacy and numeracy rather than spreading practice across more subjects.

The school says its entrance procedures for Years 6 to 10 include school reports, examination papers and an interview. In practice, parents should expect the admissions process to be broader than a single test score.

For the exam day itself, the school has published two sittings for the current admissions cycle: one in November and one in January. That suggests a structured test day rather than an informal assessment, so children benefit from being comfortable with working steadily on paper, reading instructions carefully and checking their work.

Exam board: the school’s own paper
Subjects: Maths and English
Delivery: paper-based
Wider admissions process: school report, entrance papers and interview

If you want a quick overview of the format and current admissions summary, see The Loughborough Grammar School 11+ guide (format, catchment, dates).

Registration and key dates

Loughborough Grammar School runs its own entrance examination process through the school’s admissions team rather than through a local authority 11+ system. The school’s admissions page gives the entrance examination dates and explains that parents should contact or apply through the school.

For the current published cycle, the school states that Years 6 to 7 entrance examinations will be held on Thursday 19 November 2026 and Saturday 16 January 2027. The school also says that offers for Years 6 to 10 are sent within two weeks of sitting the entrance examination, and that an Induction Evening for new pupils in Years 7 to 10 is held towards the end of June.

At the time of writing, we did not find a published registration opening date or application deadline for 2028 entry on the school page we reviewed. Parents should therefore check the school’s admissions page directly and, if needed, contact the admissions office for the live timeline.

For planning purposes only, the exam appears to be held in the late autumn and again in January for the currently published cycle. For a child starting Year 7 in September 2028, that means families should expect the main admissions activity to happen during Year 6.

Who runs registration? The school
How to register? Via the school’s admissions process and admissions team
Published exam dates for the current cycle: 19 November 2026 and 16 January 2027
When offers are sent: within two weeks of sitting the entrance examination
Induction timing: towards the end of June

Because independent school dates can change from year to year, it is worth setting a reminder to check regularly. You can also use Free email alerts for this school's key dates.

Who can apply: catchment and admissions

Loughborough Grammar School is an independent day school for boys, and it does not use a catchment area for admissions. That is helpful for families further afield: eligibility is not based on living within a defined boundary.

The school describes itself as serving boys from Years 6 to 13. For entry to Years 6 to 10, the admissions process includes school reports, examination papers and an interview. In other words, preparation should not be limited to written papers alone. A child should also be ready to talk politely and confidently about school, interests and learning.

We did not find a published figure on the entrance examination page we reviewed for the exact number of Year 7 places available or any published score threshold for entry. Independent schools often keep decisions holistic, and where the school does not publish a cut-off, parents should avoid relying on unofficial claims online.

In practical terms, this means:

There is no catchment hurdle to worry about.
The quality of your child’s Maths and English work matters most for the papers.
School reports and interview readiness also form part of the process.
If you need precise details on places, deadlines or current entry expectations, check directly with the school’s admissions team.

A month-by-month preparation plan

For most families, a calm, steady build-up works better than intensive cramming. Because Loughborough Grammar School tests only Maths and English, your child can aim for secure fundamentals first and then sharper timed work later.

The plan below assumes the main examination period falls in the autumn of Year 6, with a possible later sitting in January if the school offers one again.

January to March of Year 5

Keep preparation light. Around 1 to 1.5 hours a week in total is enough at this stage.

Read widely every week: novels, nonfiction and short articles.
Build arithmetic fluency: number bonds, times tables, written methods and mental maths.
Practise accurate spelling, punctuation and neat handwriting.
Introduce short comprehension tasks and one short piece of writing every week or two.

April to June of Year 5

Increase to around 2 hours a week. This is a good time to spot weaknesses early.

In Maths, work through topics systematically: place value, the four operations, fractions, decimals, percentages, measures and basic geometry.
In English, alternate between comprehension and writing.
Start talking about how to show workings clearly in Maths.
Encourage your child to edit their own writing for accuracy and clarity.

July to August before Year 6

Aim for 2 to 3 hours a week, but keep it manageable around holidays.

Do one longer Maths task and one longer English task each week.
Begin occasional timed sections, but not full papers every week.
Use errors well: keep a notebook of mistakes and revisit them.
Keep reading daily, even for 20 minutes.

September of Year 6

This is the point to become more structured: roughly 3 to 4 hours a week.

Move from topic practice to mixed practice.
Start doing timed paper sections in both subjects.
For English, practise planning quickly before writing.
For Maths, focus on accuracy under time pressure, not just finishing quickly.

October of Year 6

Use 4 hours a week if your child is coping well. Quality matters more than volume.

Complete one timed Maths paper or paper section most weeks.
Complete one timed English task most weeks, alternating comprehension and writing.
Review every paper carefully: what was missed, what was rushed, what needs reteaching.
Practise exam habits: skipping and returning, checking spellings, checking calculations.

November of Year 6

In the final stretch, keep work steady and calm.

Do shorter, sharper practice rather than exhausting marathons.
Revisit familiar question types.
Stop introducing brand-new material at the last minute.
Prioritise sleep, routine and confidence.

If your child is offered or chooses a later January sitting, use December for light consolidation rather than heavy pressure. One or two good sessions a week, plus reading, is usually enough over the holiday period.

Subject by subject: what to practise

Maths

Because the school uses its own Maths paper, the safest preparation is strong Key Stage 2 mastery presented clearly on paper. Children should be comfortable with both mental methods and written workings.

Arithmetic fluency: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division
Fractions, decimals and percentages
Word problems and multi-step problems
Measures, time and money
Shape, angles, perimeter, area and basic geometry
Interpreting tables, charts and simple data

How to practise well:

Mix easy, medium and more demanding questions in one sitting.
Insist on clear workings; many errors come from untidy layout.
Use short timed bursts to build pace without panic.
After each task, ask your child to explain one answer aloud. If they can explain it, they usually understand it.

English

For English, prepare for a combination of reading comprehension and written expression. With school-set papers, the exact balance can vary, so children should be ready for both careful reading and purposeful writing.

Comprehension: retrieving information, inferring meaning, explaining language and giving evidence from a text
Vocabulary development through regular reading
Spelling, punctuation and grammar in context
Creative or descriptive writing with clear structure
Writing accurately under time pressure

How to practise well:

Use age-appropriate fiction and nonfiction passages.
Encourage answers in full sentences unless a task clearly asks otherwise.
Teach your child to plan writing briefly before starting.
Leave a few minutes to check punctuation, capital letters, spellings and whether the writing actually answers the task.

Because there is no Verbal Reasoning or Non-Verbal Reasoning in this process, there is no need to spend precious preparation time on those formats unless your child is also applying elsewhere.

Practice papers and mock exams

Practice papers are most useful when they are used as a learning tool, not just a score generator. For Loughborough Grammar School, focus on paper-based Maths and English practice that rewards careful reading, clear method and accurate written work.

Start with untimed work, then move gradually to timed sections, and only later to fuller timed papers. After every paper, spend at least as long reviewing as you did completing it.

Ask why an answer was wrong: gap in knowledge, misunderstanding, misread instruction or rushing?
Keep an error log and revisit it weekly.
Practise on paper, with a sensible desk set-up, rather than doing everything on screen.
Do not overload your child with too many papers in one week; one good paper reviewed properly is better than three skimmed through.

Useful starting points:

If you use a mock exam, treat it as a rehearsal. Replicate a quiet room, printed paper, set timings and a short break. Afterwards, keep the tone constructive. The point is to learn how your child works under test conditions, not to create anxiety.

On the day

The best exam-day preparation is practical and predictable.

Check the timing, venue and arrival instructions from the school in advance.
Prepare stationery the night before if the school asks children to bring any.
Aim for a normal breakfast and plenty of time to travel.
Dress comfortably within any instructions the school gives.

For your child, keep reminders short and calm:

Read every instruction carefully.
If one question feels hard, move on and come back.
Show clear workings in Maths.
In English, leave time to check punctuation and spelling.
Take a steady breath before starting each section.

Because the process may also include an interview, remind your child that being polite, listening carefully and speaking naturally are enough. They do not need rehearsed speeches. A simple, thoughtful answer is far better than trying to sound overly polished.

After the exam: results, allocation and appeals

Loughborough Grammar School says that offers for Years 6 to 10 are sent within two weeks of sitting the entrance examination. That is faster than many state-sector 11+ processes, so families should be ready to respond promptly if the school asks for next steps.

The school also states that an Induction Evening for new pupils in Years 7 to 10 is held towards the end of June. That gives successful applicants a chance to become familiar with the school before September entry.

Because this is an independent school, the admissions route is different from local authority school allocation on National Offer Day. Offers are made through the school’s own admissions system.

We did not find a published appeals process on the entrance examination page we reviewed. Independent schools do not use the same statutory admissions appeals system as state schools. If your child is unsuccessful and you want feedback or to ask about waiting list movement, the sensible next step is to contact the school’s admissions team directly and ask what options remain.

What has changed recently

For the current published admissions cycle, the school has announced specific entrance examination dates of 19 November 2026 and 16 January 2027, together with the note that offers for Years 6 to 10 are sent within two weeks of the exam and that an induction evening is held towards the end of June. We did not find any separate official announcement of a recent change to the exam board, tested subjects, catchment or number of places on the sources reviewed.

Frequently asked questions

Does Loughborough Grammar School use GL Assessment or ISEB for 11+?

No. For 2028 entry, Loughborough Grammar School uses its own entrance papers.

What subjects should my child prepare for?

Maths and English only. Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning are not part of this school’s 11+ process.

Is there a catchment area for Loughborough Grammar School?

No. It is an independent school and does not use a catchment area for admissions.

When is the Loughborough Grammar School entrance exam usually held?

For the currently published cycle, the school lists sittings on 19 November 2026 and 16 January 2027. Parents applying for 2028 entry should check the school’s admissions page for the live dates.

How quickly do offers come after the exam?

The school says offers for Years 6 to 10 are sent within two weeks of sitting the entrance examination.

Does the admissions process include anything besides written papers?

Yes. The school says entry to Years 6 to 10 includes school reports, examination papers and an interview.

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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.