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Bournemouth School catchment area

Bournemouth · boys grammar school · ages 11 to 18
Admissions
Catchment area
(distance priority)
Intake
Boys · ages 11 to 18
11+ test
Dorset 11+ (consortium; English+Maths)
Year 7 places
180
Location
Bournemouth, Dorset
Catchment, explained

How catchment works at Bournemouth School

Bournemouth School draws its intake using a designated catchment or distance priority around Bournemouth. To be considered your child first needs to pass Dorset 11+ (consortium; English+Maths), which makes them eligible but does not guarantee a place.

Pass; then looked-after, Pupil Premium by score, Priority-Area boys by score, staff, then all remaining by score; distance tie-break. The qualifying distance shifts every year with demand, so a postcode that was inside the catchment one year can fall outside it the next.

Bottom line: for Bournemouth School, both things matter, your child must pass the 11+, and you generally need to live close enough to clear that year's distance cut-off.
Grammar schools near Bournemouth
Dorset
Nearby options

Other grammar schools near Bournemouth

Bournemouth School for Girls
Bournemouth · Part-catchment
0.3 miles away
Poole Grammar School
Poole · Catchment area
5.3 miles away
Parkstone Grammar School
Poole · Catchment area
5.6 miles away
Bishop Wordsworth's School
Salisbury · Catchment area
22.1 miles away
South Wilts Grammar School
Salisbury · Catchment area
23.0 miles away
Colyton Grammar School
Colyford · No catchment
53.1 miles away
Applying

Sitting the 11+ for Bournemouth School

1

Register

Sign up for Dorset 11+ (consortium; English+Maths) with the school or local authority, usually by early summer before Year 6 begins.

2

Sit the test

Your child takes the test in September of Year 6. Results follow in October, before the 31 October secondary application deadline.

3

Get your place

Pass, then your home distance decides. List Bournemouth schools by preference on the application.

FAQs

Bournemouth School catchment, your questions answered

Does Bournemouth School have a catchment area?+
Yes. Bournemouth has a Priority Area of BH postcodes; out-of-area boys only fill places left after it on score.
Is Bournemouth School super-selective?+
No. Bournemouth School is a selective grammar with a catchment or distance priority, so both a qualifying mark and your home address affect whether you get a place.
How is the catchment for Bournemouth School measured?+
Pass; then looked-after, Pupil Premium by score, Priority-Area boys by score, staff, then all remaining by score; distance tie-break. Distances are normally measured in a straight line from your home to the school, and the cut-off moves each year with demand.
What test does my child sit for Bournemouth School?+
Children applying to Bournemouth School sit Dorset 11+ (consortium; English+Maths), usually at the start of Year 6. Register with the school or local authority before the summer deadline in Year 5.
How many places does Bournemouth School offer?+
Bournemouth School admits 180 pupils into Year 7 each year. With far more qualifiers than places, the score needed in practice is well above the basic pass mark.
Can we apply to Bournemouth School from outside the area?+
Yes, you can always apply. In quieter years out-of-area children are offered places, but in-catchment families take priority, so it is less predictable.
Does passing the 11+ guarantee a place at Bournemouth School?+
No. Passing qualifies your child, the place then depends on the admissions priorities, most often home-to-school distance.
When do we register for the Dorset 11+ (consortium; English+Maths)?+
Registration usually opens in the spring or early summer of Year 5 and closes before the test, which is sat in September of Year 6. Results come back in October, the secondary application deadline is 31 October, and offers are sent on national offer day, 1 March. Always confirm the exact dates with Bournemouth School or your local authority.

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Catchment and admissions details change every year. This page is an indicative guide for parents, always confirm the current catchment area, distances, places and test arrangements directly with Bournemouth School and your local authority before applying.