How to prepare for the Townley Grammar School 11+

The exam at a glance

Townley Grammar School is one of the selective schools in the London Borough of Bexley, and Year 7 entry is tied to the Bexley Selection Test. For 2028 entry, ElevenReady’s verified information confirms that this is a consortium-set paper via the Bexley Selection Test.

The tested areas to prepare are Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. Because consortium arrangements can change, parents should always check the most recent Bexley and school admissions pages for the exact published format for their child’s sitting.

In practical terms, families should expect a selective test taken in the autumn of Year 6, ahead of the secondary application deadline. The school confirms that applications for Year 7 are coordinated by the London Borough of Bexley, so this is not a school-only process.

What the day looks like can vary slightly year to year, and we have not found a current official page confirming the delivery method for 2028 entry, so it is best to avoid assuming whether it will be on paper, computer-based, or a mixture until Bexley publishes the test arrangements for that cohort.

For now, the sensible preparation approach is to build secure skills across all four subjects, then add timed practice once your child is comfortable with the question styles.

Registration and key dates

For Townley Grammar School, the key point is that Year 7 applications are coordinated by the London Borough of Bexley. The school’s admissions page directs parents to the borough for the coordinated application process, and it also states that, for September 2027 entry, children would sit the Bexley Selection Test in September 2027.

Because you are preparing for September 2028 entry, the exact dates may not yet be published. Based on the official wording currently available, the safest way to phrase the timeline is:

Registration: check the London Borough of Bexley admissions pages regularly; the school page confirms that registration for the previous cycle had closed, but does not publish the opening date for 2028 entry.
Test date: typically September in Year 6, because the school states that children for September 2027 entry sit the Bexley Selection Test in September 2027.
Secondary application deadline: this is handled through the local authority’s normal Year 7 process, so parents should complete the Common Application Form through their home local authority as directed.
Results: check Bexley’s admissions and test pages for the release arrangements for your cohort, as we have not found a current official page giving the 2028-entry results date.

What to do now:

Read the school’s admissions page first: The Townley Grammar School 11+ guide (format, catchment, dates).
Sign up for reminders so you do not miss registration: Free email alerts for this school's key dates.
When Bexley opens registration for your child’s cohort, complete the borough’s process carefully and keep copies of confirmations.
If the borough asks for supporting documents, provide exactly what is listed on the official form or portal and by the deadline shown there.

If the 2028 dates are not yet live when you read this, treat any month mentioned here as typical timing only, not a confirmed deadline.

Who can apply: catchment and admissions

Townley Grammar School is a girls’ grammar school for Year 7 entry. The school’s admissions information explains that if places remain after all children deemed selective by the London Borough of Bexley have been offered places, then offers are made in descending order of aggregate score achieved in the Bexley Selection Test. The same page says that reserve-list offers may go to girls one point below the selective threshold, then two points below.

ElevenReady’s verified data confirms that the school has 224 Year 7 places.

There is no verified catchment distance published in the information we found for Townley Grammar School, so parents should not assume a distance rule applies in the same way it does for some other grammar schools. Instead, read the current oversubscription criteria on the school’s admissions page each year.

Competition does exist. ElevenReady’s verified directory records 286 first preferences for 224 places for September 2019. That figure is useful as background, but it should not be treated as a predictor for your child’s year.

Two practical points matter here:

Your child still needs to be part of the coordinated Year 7 admissions process through the local authority.
Because the school’s admissions arrangements refer to children deemed selective by Bexley, families should keep a close eye on both the borough test information and the school’s own admissions criteria.

If you are unsure how selective eligibility and the school’s oversubscription rules work together in your year, contact the school admissions team and the borough admissions service directly before submitting preferences.

A month-by-month preparation plan

The most useful plan for Townley Grammar School is steady, realistic preparation across Year 5 and the start of Year 6. For most children, consistency matters more than very long sessions.

Month	What to do
January to March (Year 5)	Start gently with core skills in maths and English, plus short introductions to verbal and non-verbal reasoning. Aim for 2 to 3 hours a week split into short sessions. Focus on accuracy, number fluency, vocabulary growth and reading comprehension.
April to May	Increase familiarity with all four subjects. Begin topic-based practice rather than full papers. Aim for 3 hours a week. Keep a notebook of errors so your child can revisit patterns, not just individual questions.
June	Introduce light timed work in small sections, not full papers yet unless your child is ready. Aim for 3 to 4 hours a week. Build exam habits: reading instructions carefully, moving on from a stuck question and checking answers.
July	Use the summer term to identify weak areas. Start occasional mixed-subject practice under time limits. Aim for 4 hours a week. Do not let speed overtake understanding.
August	This is usually the month to begin fuller timed practice, because the Bexley test is typically in September. Aim for 4 to 5 hours a week, with at least one rest day and plenty of reading, mental maths and vocabulary work alongside papers.
September (Year 6, before the test)	Taper rather than cram. Focus on confidence, routines and short refreshers. In the final week, use brief review sessions, early nights and calm encouragement.

A sensible rule is this: do not start timed full papers too early. Children usually make faster progress if they first learn the methods, then practise pace.

If your child is anxious, keep sessions short and predictable. Two focused 30-minute sessions often achieve more than one long, draining block.

Subject by subject: what to practise

Maths

Prepare for arithmetic fluency, multi-step problem solving and secure handling of standard Key Stage 2 topics. Useful areas to cover include number operations, fractions, decimals, percentages, ratio basics, measures, perimeter and area, time, data handling and worded problems.

Practise by mixing straightforward questions with problems that require careful reading. Encourage your child to underline key information, estimate before calculating and check whether an answer is sensible.

English

For English, build strong reading comprehension and precise written language skills. Children should be comfortable retrieving information, inferring meaning, explaining vocabulary in context and spotting tone or purpose in age-appropriate texts.

Useful preparation includes wide reading, vocabulary study, spelling patterns, punctuation review and short comprehension exercises. If the consortium publishes an updated breakdown for your child’s year, follow that official wording closely.

Verbal Reasoning

Verbal Reasoning usually tests how well a child works with words, patterns, codes and logical relationships. Preparation often includes vocabulary, letter and number codes, word relationships, sequences and careful instruction-following.

The best practice method is steady exposure to question types, followed by timed drills only once your child understands the rules. Keep a record of recurring mistakes, especially where errors come from rushing rather than lack of knowledge.

Non-Verbal Reasoning

Non-Verbal Reasoning typically involves shapes, patterns, rotations, reflections, similarities, differences and visual sequences. Children often improve most when they are taught the common pattern families explicitly, then practise recognising them quickly.

Use short, regular practice rather than very long sessions. Encourage your child to say what has changed between shapes before choosing an answer; this helps build method as well as speed.

Because Townley Grammar School uses the Bexley Selection Test and consortium arrangements can evolve, always check the current familiarisation materials published by the relevant authority or test provider before narrowing your preparation.

Practice papers and mock exams

Practice papers are most useful when they are used as a learning tool, not just as a score generator. Start with untimed or lightly timed work so your child learns the method for each question type. Only then move to timed sections and, later, fuller papers.

A good routine is:

Choose one subject area at a time.
Complete a short set of questions.
Mark it carefully and discuss every error.
Write down the reason for the mistake: knowledge gap, misunderstanding, or rushing.
Repeat similar questions a few days later.

Mocks can help children practise stamina, instructions and nerves, but they are only useful if followed by thoughtful review. One or two well-timed mock experiences are usually enough for most children.

For free school-specific practice, use these ElevenReady resources:

One final tip: avoid doing lots of papers back to back in the final fortnight. At that stage, confidence, routine and error correction matter more than volume.

On the day

Keep the morning simple. Lay out everything the night before, leave in good time and avoid any last-minute teaching. A calm child nearly always performs better than an overloaded one.

Make sure your child has slept well in the days leading up to the test, not just the night before.
Give a familiar breakfast and keep hydration sensible.
Arrive with time to spare so the day starts without a rush.
Remind your child that some questions will feel hard; that is normal in a selective test.
Encourage them to listen carefully to instructions, keep an eye on time and move on if stuck.
After the test, do not interrogate them question by question. Let the day end gently.

The most helpful message for children is usually: do the question in front of you, one at a time.

After the exam: results, allocation and appeals

After the Bexley Selection Test, families normally move through two separate but connected stages: the test outcome itself, and the coordinated secondary allocation process.

The school confirms that applications for Year 7 are coordinated by the London Borough of Bexley. That means families must still submit their school preferences through the local authority process, even if the test has already been taken.

If your child is eligible for consideration and you name Townley Grammar School on your application, the offer decision will be made under the school’s published admissions rules. If a place is not offered on allocation day, families can usually consider the waiting list and, where appropriate, an appeal. The detailed process and deadlines should always be taken from the school’s current admissions arrangements and the local authority guidance for that year.

We have not found a current official page giving the exact 2028-entry results date, allocation timetable wording or appeal deadline for this cohort, so check both the school and the local authority pages when they are published.

If you are placed on a waiting list, remember that movement can continue after the main allocation round. The school’s admissions page is particularly important here because it sets out how reserve-list offers may be handled in relation to the Bexley selective threshold.

What has changed recently

The clearest recent point on the school’s current admissions page is that, for September 2027 entry, children will sit the Bexley Selection Test in September 2027 and applications for Year 7 are coordinated by the London Borough of Bexley.

We have not found an official published announcement on the school page confirming a change of exam board, a change to the number of places, or a newly announced catchment rule within the last two years. If the school or borough publishes an updated testing format or admissions arrangement for 2028 entry, parents should rely on that latest official notice.

Frequently asked questions

Is Townley Grammar School only for girls?

Yes for Year 7 entry: Townley Grammar School is a girls’ grammar school. The school also states that boys are admitted in the Sixth Form.

Which test does Townley Grammar School use?

For 2028 entry, ElevenReady’s verified information confirms that it uses the Bexley Selection Test, a consortium-set entrance paper.

What subjects should my child prepare for?

Prepare Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. As consortium formats can change, check the latest official Bexley and school guidance for the exact published mix.

Does Townley Grammar School have a catchment area?

The admissions wording available to me does not give a standard catchment distance rule. The school’s arrangements refer to children deemed selective by Bexley and then rank by aggregate score if places remain, so read the current admissions criteria carefully.

How many places are there in Year 7?

ElevenReady’s verified data records 224 Year 7 places.

When is the test usually taken?

The school’s admissions page says that, for September 2027 entry, children sit the Bexley Selection Test in September 2027. For 2028 entry, treat September as typical timing until the official dates are published.

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

Sources

Townley Grammar School Admissions: Applications for Year 7 are coordinated by the London Borough of Bexley; for September 2027 entry children will sit the Bexley Selection Test in September 2027; admissions wording about offers after all students deemed selective by Bexley have been offered places, then descending order of aggregate
Townley Grammar School: School identity and context as a grammar school; school website reference for parents checking current admissions information.

Preparing for other schools in Bexley

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.