Dorset Grammar Schools

There are four Grammar Schools in Dorset:

As Dorset only has partial provision of Grammar School places competition for places is high.

Dorset- Choosing your new Grammar school

Parents should check with each school for their admissions criteria because these do change frequently. In some cases Grammar Schools will have geographic restrictions on who can apply and in others they are open entry. Often Parents will want to apply to more than one school if they are eligible to ensure they give their child the best chance of a place.

Do visit any school you are thinking of with your child. Try and visit more than one if it is relevant for you to get a feel of how they differ. We would also advise you to visit the local comprehensive school as well because it is useful to get a feeling for any differences between the two systems. Most schools have open days so ask the school for the dates (most are in the late spring or early summer).

We do have some more detailed information on our Dorset 11 Plus admissions and applications pages.

11 Plus Age adjusted results in Dorset

Because Dorset uses GL papers these are age adjusted, this is done to ensure younger children are not disadvantaged. The difference varies by paper and by year but if there is a year gap then the oldest children would need to score roughly 10% more to get the same result as someone a year younger than them.

Preparation for the Dorset 11 Plus test

If you’d like to understand what the Dorset exam involves then please go through to our page on the Dorset 11 Plus Exam Format.

If you’d like more information on how to prepare your child for the test and when to start then have a look at our Dorset 11 Plus preparation page which will help you to find your way through the options.

Completing 11 Plus Mocks are also useful preparation for the real thing. You can get more information on completing an 11+ Mock at home here or visit our Dorset Mock Exams page for more information on Dorset Mock test centres.