Grammar schools are England's free, academically selective state secondaries, and the very best of them rank among the top schools in the country, of any kind, without a penny in fees. Below are our ten best grammar schools in the UK, ranked on a blend of 2025 results, Ofsted and how hard they are to get into. For each one you will find what actually helps you plan: who it is for, the 11+ exam and board it uses, how competitive it is, and why it earns its place. We never run a school down, and the "best" school is always the one that fits your child.
- Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet tops the country at GCSE and A-level; the rest span England.
- All are free, state-funded schools - only entry is selective, by an 11+ test in September of Year 6.
- The board varies by area: GL in many regions, CSSE in Essex, FSCE in Reading and Gloucestershire, and consortium tests in Sutton, Trafford and Birmingham.
- They are hugely oversubscribed, so apply to several and prepare early across the subjects each one tests.
How we ranked them
There is no single official league table of grammar schools, so we used a transparent blend of three things: the most recent published exam results (2025 GCSE grades 9 to 7 and A-level A*/A), the latest Ofsted inspection rating, and entrance competitiveness. We also weighed consistency and reputation over time, and reflected the range of regions and of boys', girls' and co-educational schools.
Two honest caveats. First, every school here is outstanding, so the order separates excellent from excellent, and any would be a superb choice. Second, results and admissions change every year, and boards differ by area, so treat the detail as a 2025/2026 snapshot and always confirm the latest on each school's own website and your local authority's pages. Our guide to the 11+ exam types explains the different boards. Pip is not affiliated with any school or exam board.
1Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet
- Who it's forBoys' grammar, day · Barnet, north London (EN5)
- Entrance examThe school's own GL-style test: two papers covering maths, English, verbal and non-verbal reasoning
- CompetitionRoughly 12 to 15 applicants per place, ranked purely on score with no catchment
- Results & OfstedAround 95% of GCSEs at 9 to 7 and 98% of A-levels at A* to B (2025); Ofsted Outstanding
Queen Elizabeth's is, year after year, the strongest grammar school in the country at both GCSE and A-level, and was named The Times State Secondary School of the Year 2026. Entry is by the school's own two-paper test covering all four skills, and boys are ranked purely on score, so talent from across north London and beyond competes head to head. It is a GL-style exam in format.
2Pate's Grammar School
- Who it's forCo-educational grammar, day · Cheltenham, Gloucestershire (GL50)
- Entrance examA GL-style 11+ in English, maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning; Gloucestershire is moving to the FSCE for 2028 entry
- CompetitionOne of the most sought-after co-educational grammars in the country
- Results & OfstedA top-five school nationally at both GCSE and A-level in 2025; Ofsted Outstanding
Pate's is the leading co-educational grammar in the country and routinely sits in the national top five at both GCSE and A-level. It is one of the seven Gloucestershire grammars, which are moving from a GL-style test to the FSCE for September 2028 entry, so families should check which test applies to their child's year. Until then, the entrance exam covers English, maths and reasoning.
3The Henrietta Barnett School
- Who it's forGirls' grammar, day · Hampstead Garden Suburb, north London (NW11)
- Entrance examRound 1 GL test (English, verbal and non-verbal reasoning); top scorers sit Round 2 (English and maths)
- CompetitionAround 15 or more applicants per place, among the most oversubscribed in the country
- Results & OfstedAround 97% of GCSEs at 9 to 7 (2025); Ofsted Good
Henrietta Barnett is the standout girls' grammar in the country and a perennial fixture at the very top of the national results tables. It is also one of the hardest schools anywhere to get into, with a two-round process that begins with a GL reasoning and English paper before a second round of the school's own English and maths tests.
4Reading School
- Who it's forBoys' grammar, day and boarding · Reading, Berkshire (RG1)
- Entrance examThe FSCE test, the school-designed assessment that Reading School itself helped create
- CompetitionHighly oversubscribed across Berkshire and beyond
- Results & OfstedAround 89% of GCSEs at 9 to 7 and 89% of A-levels at A* to B (2025); Ofsted Outstanding
Reading School is one of the country's leading boys' grammars and unusual in offering boarding alongside day places. It is the home of the FSCE, the newer school-designed test that drops standalone reasoning and adds a creative-writing element, so preparation here leans on strong English and maths rather than reasoning drills.
5Colchester Royal Grammar School
- Who it's forBoys' grammar (boarding for sixth form), day · Colchester, Essex (CO3)
- Entrance examThe CSSE, the Essex consortium's own written papers in English and maths
- CompetitionThe highest CSSE threshold in Essex, around 320 against the county mark of 303
- Results & OfstedNamed The Times State Secondary School of the Year in East Anglia 2025; Ofsted Outstanding
Founded in 1206, Colchester Royal Grammar is one of the oldest schools in the country and the top grammar in Essex. Entry is by the CSSE, the consortium's own written English and maths papers, which include continuous writing rather than multiple-choice reasoning. Its qualifying score is set higher than the standard Essex mark, reflecting fierce competition.
6The Judd School
- Who it's forBoys' grammar (mixed sixth form), day · Tonbridge, Kent (TN9)
- Entrance examThe Kent Test (GL): English and maths, plus verbal and non-verbal reasoning
- CompetitionA Kent super-selective, applying a much higher threshold than the county qualifying mark
- Results & OfstedAmong the strongest results of any grammar in the country; Ofsted Outstanding
The Judd School is one of Kent's super-selective grammars and one of the highest-achieving schools in the country. Entry is through the Kent Test, after which Judd applies its own much higher cut-off score on top of the county qualifying mark, so a strong pass is essential rather than just qualifying.
7King Edward VI Five Ways School
- Who it's forCo-educational grammar, day · Birmingham, West Midlands (B32)
- Entrance examThe King Edward VI Birmingham consortium 11+: English, maths and verbal reasoning
- CompetitionOne of the most popular grammars in Birmingham's King Edward VI consortium
- Results & OfstedAmong the strongest results in the Midlands; Ofsted Outstanding
King Edward VI Five Ways is a high-achieving co-educational grammar and part of the King Edward VI Birmingham consortium, one of the strongest groups of selective schools outside the South East. Entry is by the shared consortium 11+, which covers English, maths and verbal reasoning, so a single test gives access to several of the city's grammars.
8Altrincham Grammar School for Girls
- Who it's forGirls' grammar, day · Altrincham, Greater Manchester (WA14)
- Entrance examThe Trafford Consortium 11+ (GL): English, maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning
- CompetitionOne of the most sought-after grammars in Greater Manchester
- Results & OfstedConsistently outstanding results in the North West; Ofsted Outstanding
Altrincham Grammar School for Girls is one of the leading grammars in the North of England and a cornerstone of the Trafford cluster. Entry is via the Trafford Consortium 11+, a bespoke GL paper covering all four skills, which is sat once for all five Trafford grammar schools.
9Wilson's School
- Who it's forBoys' grammar (co-ed sixth form), day · Wallington, south London (SM6)
- Entrance examThe Sutton Selective Eligibility Test (SET): Stage 1 English and maths, then a Stage 2 paper for top scorers
- CompetitionOne of the Sutton cluster's most sought-after boys' schools
- Results & OfstedAround 95% of GCSEs at 9 to 7 and 81% of A-levels at A*/A (2025); Ofsted Outstanding
Founded in 1615, Wilson's places among the best schools of any kind in the country, and the Sunday Times ranked it the third best grammar in the UK in 2025. It is part of the Sutton consortium, so entry is via the two-stage Sutton SET, whose first stage tests English and maths only.
10The Tiffin Girls' School
- Who it's forGirls' grammar, day · Kingston upon Thames, south-west London (KT2)
- Entrance examThe school's own two-stage test in English and maths (Key Stage 2 content to the end of Year 5)
- CompetitionAround 14 applicants per place; distance is the final tiebreaker
- Results & OfstedAround 94% of GCSEs at 9 to 7 (2025); Ofsted Outstanding
Tiffin Girls' is the dominant girls' grammar in south-west London and one of the strongest in the country, rated Outstanding and sending pupils to the most competitive universities every year. Its entrance test is set by the school and focuses on English and maths, with a distance tiebreaker once girls have qualified on score.
Whether a grammar uses GL, CSSE, FSCE or a consortium test, it comes down to English, maths and usually reasoning. Pip builds all four with unlimited, exam-style questions and free papers, Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. Our exam types guide explains each board, and how to choose which schools to apply to helps you target your list.
One free app for every grammar on this list
Grammar schools test some mix of these four skills. Pip turns them into five calm minutes a day, adaptive, exam-style, and genuinely free.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best grammar school in the UK?+
By 2025 results, Queen Elizabeth's School in Barnet is consistently the top grammar in the UK at both GCSE and A-level, and one of the highest-achieving state schools in the country. The best school for your child, though, depends on where you live and what suits them, not just league-table position.
How do you get into a grammar school?+
Register your child directly with each school in Year 5, sit its 11+ test in September of Year 6, then name the school on your local authority's Common Application Form by 31 October. The board varies by area: GL in many regions, CSSE in Essex, FSCE in Reading and Gloucestershire, and consortium tests in Sutton, Trafford and Birmingham.
Are grammar schools free?+
Yes. Grammar schools are state-funded and free to attend. Only admission is selective, decided by an 11+ entrance test rather than by fees. If you would also consider fee-paying schools, see our guide to the best private schools in the UK.
Which exam board do the best grammar schools use?+
It depends on the area. Many use GL Assessment, Essex schools use the CSSE, Reading School and the Gloucestershire grammars use the FSCE, and Sutton, Trafford and Birmingham run their own consortium tests. Almost all assess some combination of English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. See our exam types guide.
How competitive are the top grammar schools?+
Extremely. The leading grammars attract many more applicants than places, and because passing does not guarantee an offer at an oversubscribed school, most families apply to several and prepare early across the subjects each one tests.
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