Devon 11+ Grammar Schools Guide: Plymouth, Torbay & Colyton
Devon does not operate one county-wide grammar-school test. Selective provision is concentrated around Plymouth, Torbay and Colyton, with distinct admissions arrangements.
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How this regional 11+ system works
Devon does not operate one county-wide grammar-school test. Selective provision is concentrated around Plymouth, Torbay and Colyton, with distinct admissions arrangements.
Use this flagship page to understand the regional structure, then verify the current entry-year policy with the relevant local authority, consortium and individual grammar school. Registration windows, test providers, score-sharing arrangements, priority areas and oversubscription rules can change.
Four things parents need to understand
No Devon-wide test
Plymouth, Torbay and Colyton should be treated as separate selective routes.
Plymouth has grammar-school admissions
Plymouth City Council maintains a dedicated 11 Plus admissions route.
Torbay has its own selective schools
Torquay-area grammar schools publish their own admissions arrangements.
Colyton is a distinct route
Colyton Grammar School should be checked separately from Plymouth and Torbay systems.
Step-by-step grammar-school admissions process
| Stage | What to do |
|---|---|
| Choose the correct Devon route | Separate Plymouth, Torbay and Colyton in your planning. |
| Check the organiser | Register through the relevant school or local selective process. |
| Match preparation to the test | Do not assume the same subjects or provider across Devon. |
| Study the admissions policy | Check priority, residence, score and ranking rules. |
| Apply through your home authority | Complete the secondary-school application after testing. |
What the 11+ may assess
English
May form part of local selective testing.
Mathematics
Core numerical knowledge and problem solving.
Verbal reasoning
Used by some selective routes.
Non-verbal reasoning
Used by some routes; check the current test specification.
Official familiarisation material should be the starting point. Third-party practice is most useful when its question types, timing, response format and difficulty resemble the current test. Scores from unrelated publishers should not be treated as interchangeable predictions.
Grammar schools and selective routes covered
- Devonport High School for Boys
- Devonport High School for Girls
- Plymouth High School for Girls
- Torquay Boys’ Grammar School
- Torquay Girls’ Grammar School
- Churston Ferrers Grammar School
- Colyton Grammar School
Retain a separate school-specific SET page when it has substantial unique value: current admissions-policy detail, distinct test stages, catchment analysis, travel guidance, school-specific search demand or a strong existing ranking. Thin school summaries should be merged into this regional flagship.
How to prepare effectively
1. Diagnose
Identify strengths and gaps in the exact subjects required by the target test. Record the reason for errors, not just the score.
2. Teach
Repair curriculum, vocabulary and reasoning gaps explicitly before relying on repeated papers.
3. Practise
Use short targeted sets, then mix skills so the child must recognise the appropriate method independently.
4. Time and rehearse
Introduce timing after accuracy is secure. Progress towards realistic papers, answer-sheet practice and full-session stamina.
Scores, qualifying standards and offers
A qualifying score, standardised score, rank and effective allocation score can mean different things. A child may be academically eligible but still not receive an offer because the school is oversubscribed.
Historical scores can help parents understand competitiveness, but they should not be presented as guaranteed future thresholds. Applicant numbers, age standardisation, priority categories, address rules and school capacity can all change the final allocation picture.
Common mistakes
- Calling one test the Devon 11+.
- Assuming Plymouth registration covers Torbay or Colyton.
- Ignoring the long travel distances between Devon selective areas.
- Using preparation for the wrong school’s test.
- Confusing eligibility with allocation.
Official information and related SET guides
Official admissions sources
Plymouth school admissions and 11 PlusTorbay school admissions
Related School Entrance Tests guides
11+ Year 4 Preparation11+ Year 5 Preparation11+ Year 6 Final Preparation11+ Practice Tests11+ Exam Timelines11+ Syllabus Guide
Devon 11+ Grammar Schools Guide: Plymouth, Torbay & Colyton FAQs
Is there one Devon 11+ test?
No. Devon’s selective schools operate through distinct Plymouth, Torbay and Colyton routes.
Which areas have grammar schools?
The main selective clusters are Plymouth, Torbay and Colyton.
Do all Devon grammar schools use the same test?
Do not assume this; verify each school’s current arrangements.
Can one score be transferred between routes?
Only where the current schools explicitly permit it.
What should preparation focus on?
Start from the exact target school’s published format, then build the required English, maths and reasoning skills.
Does passing guarantee admission?
No. Each school’s admissions and oversubscription policy still applies.
Build the plan around the actual admissions policy
Confirm the current test, school criteria and application stages first. Then build the relevant knowledge and reasoning skills, use practice diagnostically and add realistic timed rehearsal only when accuracy is secure.
Editorial framework updated August 2026. Verify all dates and admission arrangements for the relevant entry year directly with the authority, consortium and school.
11+ Preparation by School Year
Preparation should change as children move through primary
school. Use these guides to match the amount and type of
practice to the child’s stage.
11+ Year 3 Preparation
Develop reading, vocabulary, mathematics and
reasoning foundations without intensive test pressure.
11+ Year 4 Preparation
Introduce structured preparation and the main
11+ question types before the core preparation year.
11+ Year 5 Preparation
Use a structured revision timetable covering
syllabus completion, timing and mock tests.
11+ Year 6 Preparation
Consolidate performance with final revision,
exam-month preparation and test-day planning.
Explore 11+ grammar schools
11+ Grammar School Guides by Region
Grammar-school admissions vary considerably across England.
Select your region below for guidance on local 11+ tests,
grammar schools, admissions policies, preparation,
qualifying scores and school applications.
Birmingham & West Midlands
Birmingham and West Midlands grammar schools,
entrance testing and regional selective admissions.
View Birmingham & West Midlands 11+ guide →
Warwickshire
Warwickshire grammar schools, priority areas and
West Midlands Grammar Schools Entrance Test guidance.
View Warwickshire 11+ guide →
Liverpool & Wirral
Wirral grammar schools, local assessment arrangements
and selective routes around Liverpool.
View Liverpool & Wirral 11+ guide →
Manchester & Trafford
Trafford grammar schools and the different selective
admissions routes around Greater Manchester.
View Manchester & Trafford 11+ guide →
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire grammar schools, entrance testing,
qualifying ranks and applications.
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire grammar schools, local 11+ testing
and school-specific admissions arrangements.
View Lincolnshire 11+ guide →
Devon
Compare selective routes around Plymouth, Torbay
and Colyton.
View Devon 11+ grammar schools guide →
Bournemouth & Poole
Grammar-school admissions serving Bournemouth,
Poole and the wider Dorset area.
View Bournemouth & Poole 11+ guide →
Yorkshire & North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire grammar schools and other
school-specific selective routes across Yorkshire.
View Yorkshire 11+ grammar schools guide →
Medway
Medway Test preparation and grammar-school admissions,
separate from the Kent Test system.
Bexley
Bexley Selection Test guidance and admissions
to Bexley’s four grammar schools.
Sutton
Sutton Selective Eligibility Test, grammar-school
second stages and admissions.
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire grammar schools and the
Secondary Transfer Test admissions system.
Kent
Kent Test guidance, grammar assessment and
individual grammar-school admissions criteria.
View Kent 11+ guide →
Essex
CSSE entrance testing and grammar-school admissions
across Essex and Southend.
Berkshire
Compare Slough Consortium, Reading School and
Kendrick School selective admissions.
Hertfordshire
South West Herts and other selective-school
admissions arrangements across Hertfordshire.
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examination, and neighbouring regions can use different
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