The King’s School Grantham 11+ Guide 2026: Admissions, Exam & Prep

The King’s School, Grantham is a Lincolnshire grammar school whose Old School building, the school says, has educated boys continuously for over 500 years, and it was here, from 1655 to 1660, that Isaac Newton was a pupil. Today, The King’s School continues as a selective boys’ grammar school with 174 Year 7 places, a Good Ofsted rating and membership of the Lincolnshire Consortium of Grammar Schools. For September 2027 entry, the main registration deadline was 31 March 2026 (the online late-registration form closed on 17 July 2026; after that date the school asks families to email it), the consortium 11+ was sat on 12 and 19 September 2026, and a boy needs a qualifying score of 220 and a Year 7 application to his home local authority (in Lincolnshire, by 31 October 2026). This guide covers everything families need to know.

Key Facts: The King’s School, Grantham

Source: The King's School Grantham admission policy and Year 7 entry page, the Lincolnshire Consortium of Grammar Schools, Get Information about Schools and Ofsted, retrieved 29 September 2026.

About The King’s School, Grantham

The King’s School, Grantham is a historic grammar school. Located on Brook Street in Grantham, South Lincolnshire, it says boys have been educated in its Old School building continuously for over 500 years. Today it is a selective boys’ grammar school within the Lincolnshire Consortium of Grammar Schools, offering 174 Year 7 places to boys who achieve the qualifying score in the consortium 11+ entrance test.

The school was judged Good by Ofsted at its inspection on 13 December 2022, with Good in every area, including quality of education, leadership and management, and sixth form provision. In its 2026 GCSE results the school reported that nearly two thirds of all grades were 9, 8 or 7, and that 97 per cent of students achieved five or more strong passes including English and mathematics.

The King’s School is a grammar school for boys aged 11 to 18, and its sixth form has close working relationships with its sister grammar school, Kesteven and Grantham Girls’ School.

What Is the Connection Between King’s School and Isaac Newton?

The King’s School, Grantham’s best-known former pupil is Sir Isaac Newton, who attended the school from 1655 to 1660.

The school says it was here at King’s that Newton’s remarkable journey began. The school has launched Newton 300, marking the tricentenary of Sir Isaac Newton’s passing.

The school’s history page says its registration records only go back to 1838, so the only record it has of pupils from before then is in the signatures carved on the window sills and walls of the Old School; however, it says it knows from other records of some very significant past pupils from those early years, including Isaac Newton, who attended the School from 1655 to 1660.

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Is King’s School Part of the Lincolnshire 11+ Consortium?

Yes. The King’s School, Grantham is a member of the Lincolnshire Consortium of Grammar Schools, whose website lists 15 selective schools in Lincolnshire and which uses GL Assessment to provide its 11+ testing. This means that a boy applying to The King’s School sits the same two papers as applicants to Bourne Grammar School, Boston Grammar School, Kesteven and Grantham Girls’ School, Skegness Grammar School and the other consortium members.

Registration is completed once — through the school’s website — and the resulting qualifying score (if 220 or more) is valid for all consortium applications. Parents can then list The King’s School and other consortium schools on the Common Application Form submitted to Lincolnshire County Council by the 31 October 2026 deadline. There is no requirement to register separately for each consortium school.

An important note for Grantham families: both The King’s School (boys) and Kesteven and Grantham Girls’ School use the same consortium test, but they are separate schools with separate applications. If you have a son and a daughter both entering Year 7, they would each apply to their respective school while sitting the same consortium papers.

What Does the 11+ Test Cover at King’s School?

The consortium’s GL Assessment 11+ has two papers, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning and Spatial Awareness; at The King’s School they were held on Saturday 12 September and Saturday 19 September 2026. The test focuses on reasoning ability rather than curriculum knowledge.

Paper 1 — Verbal Reasoning: One continuous paper, usually around 50 minutes. The ability to process language patterns quickly and accurately is key.

Paper 2 — Non-Verbal and Spatial Reasoning: Usually slightly shorter than the Verbal Reasoning paper and divided into distinct sections, though the number of sections can vary each year. It also includes some types of spatial awareness questions.

All scores are age-standardised. Both papers are answered on OMR (multiple choice) answer sheets. The combined standardised total from both papers must reach 220 for a boy to be considered for a grammar school place; reaching it does not of itself guarantee admission to any individual school.

What Are the 2026 Key Dates for King’s School Grantham Admissions?

Main registration deadline: Midnight, Tuesday 31 March 2026 (the online late-registration form closed on 17 July 2026; after that date the school asks families to email it) Familiarisation materials due at primary schools: Friday 26 June 2026
• Verbal Reasoning paper: Saturday 12 September 2026
• NVR/Spatial Reasoning paper: Saturday 19 September 2026
Results emailed to parents: Friday 9 October 2026 (12:00, midday)
• CAF deadline: 31 October 2026
• National Offer Day: 1 March 2027

Boys born between 1 September 2015 and 31 August 2016 are eligible for Year 7 entry in September 2027. Registration is completed through The King’s School website. Families in Lincolnshire must also submit a CAF to Lincolnshire County Council. Families from outside Lincolnshire submit their CAF to their home local authority.

How Are Oversubscribed Places Allocated at King’s School?

The King’s School, Grantham has a 30-mile priority area. When more qualifying boys apply than there are 174 places, after any pupils whose Education, Health and Care Plan names the school, who are allocated first, places are allocated using the following priority order:

1. Looked-after children and previously looked-after children
Boys eligible for the full Pupil Premium who live within 30 miles of the school, ranked by standardised score (limited to 20 places) Boys living within 30 miles of the school (straight-line distance), ranked by standardised score Any remaining places go to other qualifying boys, ranked by standardised score

Within each criterion, places are ranked by standardised score rather than by distance. Boys who live within 30 miles of the school are considered before other qualifying boys, whichever town or village they live in; qualifying boys who live further away are considered for any places that remain. Within each criterion, distance is used only as a tie-break between boys with the same score, measured in a straight line; if it cannot separate them for the last place, an independent person draws a lottery. Distance is also how the 30-mile test in the second and third criteria is measured.

What Is the Sixth Form at The King’s School Like?

The sixth form at The King’s School, Grantham is an academically focused environment in which students study A-Level qualifications across a range of subjects. In its 2026 A-level results the school reported that eight students were heading to Oxford and Cambridge and seven to study medicine.

The school says its sixth form has close working relationships with its sister grammar school, Kesteven and Grantham Girls’ School, as well as other providers. Families should consult the school directly for current sixth-form arrangements.

How Should My Son Prepare for the King’s School Grantham 11+?

Preparation for The King’s School’s 11+ follows the same structure as for all Lincolnshire Consortium schools. The two areas to develop are Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal and Spatial Reasoning.

Begin by ensuring your son is familiar with the style of GL Assessment questions: the consortium says its familiarisation tests are there to make candidates familiar with the style of questions. The consortium also says that “No special preparation is needed”, that too much preparation puts children under pressure and “may be counter-productive”, and it asks families to help boys approach the tests calmly. Work on speed as well as accuracy: the consortium says the tests are constructed with an element of time pressure, and not all candidates complete all the answers.

For NVR/SR, work through each type of question systematically before practising them together in timed sections, as in Paper 2.

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Reviewed September 2026: dates, figures and rules checked against The King's School's 2027-2028 admission policy, Year 7 entry, 11+ FAQ, history and sixth-form pages, the Lincolnshire Consortium of Grammar Schools' key dates, testing and FAQ pages, Lincolnshire County Council's admissions pages, Get Information about Schools and Ofsted.

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