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Book a Free ConsultationKingston Grammar School is a co-educational independent day school for ages 11 to 18 in Kingston upon Thames that sets its own 11+ entrance exam: two 50-minute papers, English and Mathematics, on Friday 6 November 2026 for September 2027 entry. Candidates who show potential are interviewed in January 2027. The school puts entry at approximately 800 to 900 candidates for 150 places.
If you are weighing up whether the preparation effort is worthwhile, this guide sets out what the school's entrance process involves, when each step falls, and how it fits around the Tiffin schools' tests, which fall in the same autumn.
Kingston Grammar School 11+ tuition
Our specialist 11+ tutors prepare children for Kingston Grammar School's two 50-minute papers, English and Mathematics, on Friday 6 November 2026. 91% of our students achieve their desired grades.
Book a Free ConsultationUpdated for 2027 entry - exams on Friday 6 November 2026, interviews in January 2027
Kingston Grammar School's registration deadline for September 2027 entry is Monday 5 October 2026. Its two 50-minute entrance papers are on Friday 6 November 2026, candidates who show potential are interviewed on Tuesday 5 January 2027, offers are emailed on Friday 12 February 2027 and acceptances are due by Wednesday 3 March 2027.
The school's own admissions FAQs put 11+ entry at approximately 800 to 900 candidates for 150 places. Every admissions date and figure on this page comes from Kingston Grammar School's 11+ entry page, its admissions FAQs and its apply-for-a-place page, or from the two Tiffin schools' Year 7 Admissions pages and Tiffin School's registration portal where their dates are set beside it.
Kingston Grammar School describes itself as a co-educational independent day school for ages 11 to 18 in Kingston upon Thames. Despite its name it is not a state grammar school and is not part of either Tiffin school's testing: it sets and runs its own entrance exam, and a child can sit it as well as the Tiffin tests. Its two main entry points are 11+ and 16+; for entry into Year 8, Year 9 or Year 10 the school asks families to contact its Admissions Team before applying, to confirm whether exams will be taking place.
Beyond the written papers, the school offers co-curricular scholarships in Art, Music and Sport at 11+, each with its own assessment. For children entering at 11, the process is a written exam in November, an interview in January for those who show potential, and a decision that weighs the exam, the interview and the primary school's report together.
Kingston Grammar School sets its own entrance assessment, entirely separate from the Tiffin schools' Stage One and Stage Two tests. The assessment consists of two papers: English (comprehension and creative writing) and Mathematics, each lasting 50 minutes, according to the school's 11+ admissions page. The school says the papers are designed to align with age-appropriate National Curriculum levels.
There is a break between the two papers, when candidates can have a drink and a snack. Sample papers are emailed once a child is fully registered to sit the exam, so the school's own examples of the format arrive only after registration. Extra time is allowed in all papers, and a laptop may be used for written papers, if a current school or an educational psychologist recommends it and the school's Head of Learning Support approves, and only if the child would be granted the same concessions in external formal exams under Joint Council for Qualifications rules; the recommendation has to reach the school by the registration deadline.
The written papers are not the whole picture. Before the exam the school asks the child's current Headteacher for a confidential report, and parents upload the child's most recent school report. Candidates who show potential in the written assessments are invited to an interview, which the school describes as a casual conversation about the child's interests and hobbies; it strongly discourages interview coaching because it wants to see the candidate's authentic personality.
The school's own admissions FAQs put 11+ entry at approximately 800 to 900 candidates for 150 places. Our arithmetic on that range, not a figure the school publishes: between 5.3 and 6.0 candidates for every place (800 ÷ 150 and 900 ÷ 150).
The school's 11+ entry page describes no pass mark. Once all entrance and scholarship assessments are complete, it reviews each candidate's performance in full, taking into account the exam or scholarship results, the interview and the school references, and it emails offers in February 2027 with acceptances due by the first week of March.
Preparing for the Kingston Grammar School exam?
Our specialist Kingston Grammar School 11+ tutors work on the two 50-minute papers the school sets: comprehension and creative writing in English, and problem-solving in Mathematics, under the timing of the day.
Book a Free Consultation Message us on WhatsAppFor a family putting Kingston Grammar School alongside one or both Tiffin schools, the three calendars interlock. Kingston Grammar School's published key dates for 2027 entry run from a registration deadline in October 2026 to an acceptance deadline in March 2027:
| Step | Kingston Grammar School | The Tiffin Girls' School | Tiffin School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration | Deadline Monday 5 October 2026 | Closed at 12.00 noon on Tuesday 1 September 2026 | Closed; 1 September 2026 in its notice, 2 September 2026 in its key-dates table |
| Written tests | Friday 6 November 2026: English and Mathematics, 50 minutes each | Stage One 1 and 2 October 2026; Stage Two Saturday 7 November 2026 | Stage One 2 October 2026; Stage Two 12 November 2026 |
| Interview | Tuesday 5 January 2027, for candidates who show potential | — | — |
| Offers | Emailed on Friday 12 February 2027 | Monday 1 March 2027, from your local authority | Early March 2027 (National Offer Day), from your local authority |
| Acceptance | Wednesday 3 March 2027 | — | Mid March 2027 |
Source: Kingston Grammar School 11+ entry page; The Tiffin Girls' School and Tiffin School Year 7 Admissions pages and Tiffin School's registration portal, retrieved 24 September 2026.
Our reading of those calendars, not a claim any of the schools makes. Kingston Grammar School's exam on Friday 6 November 2026 falls the day before The Tiffin Girls' School's Stage Two on Saturday 7 November 2026, so a girl invited to Stage Two who is also sitting at Kingston Grammar has written papers on consecutive days. Kingston Grammar School's registration deadline, Monday 5 October 2026, is 34 days after The Tiffin Girls' School's deadline of 12.00 noon on Tuesday 1 September 2026. And its acceptance deadline, Wednesday 3 March 2027, is two days after National Offer Day on Monday 1 March 2027, so a family holding a Kingston Grammar offer knows its local authority offer before it has to accept.
If a child has another school's exam on 6 November, Kingston Grammar School asks families to email its Admissions Team by the registration deadline, naming the other school, and says it will try to give an exam time that lets the child sit both that day. If a child is unwell on the day, the family must contact the Admissions Team before the exam starts; with a medical letter, the school will try to make alternative arrangements. The two Tiffin schools' tests are set out on our Kingston 11+ page and our Tiffin Girls' School 11+ page, and our Twickenham 11+ tuition page sets Kingston Grammar beside other independent schools for Twickenham families.
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For 2027 entry the exam is on Friday 6 November 2026, in the autumn term of Year 6, so a preparation plan works back from November of Year 6. Starting structured work in Year 5 gives a child time to build genuine competence rather than cramming material in the final weeks.
Our 11+ specialists work with Kingston Grammar applicants on the English and Maths papers the school uses for 11+ selection, preparing students for the specific format and standards KGS expects. Our students have achieved a 95%+ offer rate across selective school entry. Book a free consultation to discuss a preparation plan for the Kingston Grammar School 11+.
A concrete tip for Kingston Grammar's format: practise both 50-minute papers in the same mock session, with a short break between them as on the day, so sustaining concentration across English and Mathematics feels familiar rather than a shock. Building stamina across a full-length sitting is as important as content knowledge.
Leading Tuition provides specialist 1-to-1 tutoring for children preparing for Kingston Grammar School's 11+ entrance exam. Our tutors prepare children for Kingston Grammar School's own two-paper format — 50 minutes of English comprehension and creative writing and 50 minutes of Mathematics — rather than a generic 11+ syllabus. Sessions are tailored to each child's starting point, whether that means building foundational skills in Year 4 or refining exam technique in the final months of Year 6.
We work closely with parents throughout the preparation process, providing honest assessments of progress and adjusting the programme as needed. Our approach is structured and purposeful — we do not believe in padding sessions with material a child has already mastered. Every session is focused on moving your child closer to the standard required to compete for a place at Kingston Grammar School.
For official entry requirements and registration details, see the Kingston Grammar School 11+ admissions page, or book a free consultation to plan your child's preparation.
Leading Tuition is rated 4.8 out of 5 on Trustpilot from 59 reviews, read on 3 October 2026, and 91% of our students achieve their desired grades.
Reviewed September 2026: the 2027-entry timetable, exam format, interview, selection, applicant ratio and entry points checked against Kingston Grammar School's 11+ entry page, admissions FAQs and apply-for-a-place page, and the two Tiffin schools' Year 7 Admissions pages.
The entrance exams for September 2027 entry are on Friday 6 November 2026 at the school, for children in Year 6. The school's registration deadline for 2027 entry is Monday 5 October 2026, and scholarship applications, recommendations for extra time or a laptop, notice of a clash with another school's exam and arrangements for children studying overseas all have to reach the school by that deadline. Candidates who show potential are interviewed on Tuesday 5 January 2027, offers are emailed on Friday 12 February 2027, and acceptances are due by Wednesday 3 March 2027.
Two papers: English, covering comprehension and creative writing, which lasts 50 minutes, and Mathematics, also 50 minutes, with a break between them for a drink and a snack. The school says the papers are designed to align with age-appropriate National Curriculum levels. Sample papers are emailed once a child is fully registered. Before the exam the school also asks the child's current Headteacher for a confidential report, and parents upload the child's most recent school report to the admissions profile.
The school's admissions FAQs put it at approximately 800 to 900 candidates for 150 places. On our arithmetic that is between 5.3 and 6.0 candidates for each place (800 divided by 150, and 900 divided by 150). The school's 11+ entry page describes no pass mark: once all entrance and scholarship assessments are complete, it reviews each candidate's exam or scholarship results, interview and school references together before emailing offers in February 2027.
Yes, for candidates who demonstrate potential in the written assessments. For 2027 entry the interviews are at the school on Tuesday 5 January 2027. The school describes the interview as a casual conversation exploring the candidate's interests and hobbies in a friendly atmosphere, and it strongly discourages interview coaching because it prefers to observe the candidate's authentic personality. The interview is weighed together with the exam results and the school references when offers are decided.
No. Kingston Grammar School is a co-educational independent day school that sets its own exam, while Tiffin School and The Tiffin Girls' School each run their own Stage One and Stage Two tests. The deadlines differ: The Tiffin Girls' School closed registration for 2027 entry at 12.00 noon on Tuesday 1 September 2026, while Kingston Grammar School's deadline is Monday 5 October 2026. A child can sit both, and Kingston Grammar's exam on Friday 6 November 2026 falls the day before The Tiffin Girls' School's Stage Two on Saturday 7 November 2026.
For a clash, Kingston Grammar School asks families to email its Admissions Team at registrar@kgs.org.uk by the registration deadline, naming the other school, and says it will try to give an exam time that lets the child sit both exams that day. If a child is unwell on the day, the family must contact the Admissions Team before the scheduled start of the exam; as long as they can supply a medical letter as proof of illness, the school will try to make alternative arrangements.
Yes, co-curricular scholarships in Art, Music and Sport. Each needs a separate assessment, held in November or December, alongside the written entrance exam. Families indicate their interest on the registration form, and the scholarship application then appears in the online admissions checklist; the scholarship application deadline is the registration deadline, Monday 5 October 2026. When offers are decided, the school reviews each candidate's exam or scholarship results together with the interview and the school references.
Work back from the exam on Friday 6 November 2026, which falls in the autumn term of Year 6. Kingston Grammar School's own admissions FAQs say its papers are broadly in line with the knowledge expected from National Curriculum teaching in English and Mathematics, and that it does not recommend tutoring in these subjects. For families who do prepare, the work is less about new content than about comprehension, creative writing and problem-solving under a 50-minute limit. Structured work through Year 5 gives time to build those skills without cramming, and a diagnostic assessment shows where a particular child needs to begin.
Our specialist 11+ tutors prepare children for the two papers Kingston Grammar School sets: 50 minutes of English comprehension and creative writing and 50 minutes of Mathematics, practised together with a break between them as on the day. We start with a diagnostic assessment and build a programme around the gaps it finds, and we plan around the Tiffin schools' dates for families sitting both. 91% of our students achieve their desired grades. Book a free consultation to plan your child's preparation.
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