Table of contents
- About Devon Grammar Schools
- Key information for 2027 entry to Devon Grammar Schools at 11 Plus (11+)
- Exam format for the Devon Grammar Schools 11 plus (11+) entrance exam
- Colyton Grammar School
- Devonport High School for Boys
- Devonport High School for Girls
- Plymouth High School for Girls
- Churston Ferrers Grammar School
- Torquay Boys’ Grammar School
- Torquay Girls’ Grammar School
- Examberry Papers
About Devon Grammar Schools
Making the right choice between different grammar schools can be an overwhelming decision for parents. With so many great grammar schools all offering amazing opportunities for your child it is often difficult to find comprehensive information concerning all the different options in your area.
There are seven grammar schools in Devon, which all use the 11+ as their entrance exam: Colyton Grammar School, Devonport High School for Boys (DHSB), Devonport High School for Girls (DHSG), Plymouth High School for Girls (PHSG), Churston Ferrers Grammar School, Torquay Boys’ Grammar School (TBGS), and Torquay Girls’ Grammar School (TGGS).
This guide aims to provide you with clear and useful information regarding these grammar schools. This will include general information, exam format details, and key information about each school, including statistics, facilities, results, and Ofsted reviews.
In the coming sections of this article, the below listed key terms mean the following:
- CAF: Common Application Form, the form you must submit to your local authority listing the schools of your choice in order of preference
- PAN: Published Admission Number, the number of places available for year 7 entry in 2027 at 11 plus (11+) level
- EHCP: Education, Health and Care Plan, a legal document that describes a person’s special educational needs
- Pupil Premium: a grant that improves educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils
- PLAC: (previously) looked after children
Key information for 2027 entry to Devon Grammar Schools at 11 Plus (11+)
The grammar schools in Devon are in three separate local authorities and, therefore, admissions dates vary between the schools.
Important dates:
Registration deadlines:
- Colyton: September 2026
- DHSG and PHSG: August 2026
- DHSB: end of August 2026
- Churston Ferrers and TBGS, and TGGS: early September 2026
Exam dates:
- Colyton: September 2026
- DHSG, DHSB, and PHSG: two dates in September 2026
- Churston Ferrers, TBGS, and TGGS: September 2026
Exam suppliers:
- Colyton Grammar School: Future Stories Community Enterprise (FSCE)
- DHSG, DHSB, and PHSG: GL Assessment
- Churston Ferrers, TBGS, and TGGS – GL Assessment
Results: mid-October 2026
CAF deadline & local authority: 31 October 2026
National School Offer Day: 1 March 2027
Admissions information:
Scoring: Age-standardised and ranked
Eligibility criteria: Year 6, within the catchment area
Priority criteria: (dependent on the school)
Admission Contact details:
- Colyton Grammar School: 0345 155 1019, www.devon.gov.uk
- DHSG, DHSB, and PHSG: 01752 668000, [email protected], www.plymouth.gov.uk
- Churston Ferrers, TBGS, and TGGS: 01803 208908, [email protected], www.torbay.gov.uk
Exam format for the Devon Grammar Schools 11 plus (11+) entrance exam
As previously mentioned, the grammar schools in Devon are divided across three local authorities and, therefore, have different 11+ entrance exams.
Colyton Grammar School
- Children applying to this school will take their exam in September 2026
- The exam is written by FSCE
- There are three papers in this exam:
- Maths: a combination of multiple-choice and free-response questions based on the Key Stage 2 (KS2) National Curriculum
- English: a multiple-choice reading comprehension paper with questions based primarily on the KS2 National Curriculum
- Creative writing: a writing assessment based on a prompt- it is advised that children spend 5 minutes of the test planning their answer and 15 minutes writing
The Devonport and Plymouth High Schools
- Children applying to these schools will take their exams across two dates (one for maths, one for comprehension) in September 2026
- These papers are set by GL Assessment
- Both papers are multiple-choice and will last 1 hour
- Questions are based on the KS2 National Curriculum
- DHSB also sets an English creative writing assessment, which will also be taken on one of these days
Churston Ferrers and the Torquay grammar schools
- Children applying to these schools will take their exams in September 2026
- These papers are also set by GL Assessment
- There are two multiple-choice papers- one in English and one in maths- both lasting approximately 1 hour
- Both of these papers are based on the KS2 National Curriculum
Colyton Grammar School
School type: Co-educational grammar
Number of pupils: 1,043
Ages: 11-18
PAN: 155
The Sunday Times Parent Power National Rank: 9
Headteacher: Tim Harris
Address: Whitwell Lane, Colyford, Colton, EX24 6HN
Open event: www.colytongrammar.com/1044/key-dates
Catchment area: this school does not have a catchment area
Priority criteria: looked after or previously looked after children, children eligible for Pupil Premium, all other children with the rank order based on test scores
2022 Results: GCSE: 90.1% of students achieved grades 9-7, A Level: 94.1% students achieved grades A*-B
Ofsted ranking: Outstanding
School’s Contact details: 01297 552 327, [email protected] www.colytongrammar.com/
Devonport High School for Boys
School type: Boys’ grammar (co-educational sixth form)
Number of pupils: 1,250
Ages: 11-18
PAN: 180
The Sunday Times Parent Power National Rank: 173
Headteacher: Dan Roberts
Address: Paradise Road, Stoke, Plymouth, PL1 5QP
Open event: www.dhsb.org/open-days
Catchment area: this school does not have a catchment area
Priority criteria: looked after, or previously looked after, children, children eligible for Pupil Premium, the children of staff members, children who scored highly in the English paper, remaining spaces are allocated based on distance from the school
2022 Results: GCSE: 57.5% of students achieved grades 9-7, A Level: 71.9% students achieved grades A*-B
Ofsted ranking: Outstanding
School’s Contact details: 01752 208 787, [email protected], www.dhsb.org
Devonport High School for Girls
School type: Girls’ grammar (co-educational sixth form)
Number of pupils: 825
Ages: 11-18
PAN: 120
The Sunday Times Parent Power National Rank: 98
Headteacher: Lee Sargeant
Address: Lyndhurst Road, Peverell, Plymouth, PL2 3DL
Open event: www.dhsg.co.uk/page/?title=OPEN+EVENTS&pid=168
Catchment area: this school does not have a catchment area
Priority criteria: looked after, or previously looked after, children who achieve a test score equal to or higher than the cut-off score, children eligible for free school meals or Pupil Premium who achieve a test score equal to or higher than the cut-off score, all other children will be ranked by order of highest test scores
2022 Results: GCSE: 78.7% of students achieved grades 9-7, A Level: 73.1% students achieved grades A*-B
Ofsted ranking: Good
School’s Contact details: 01752 705 024, www.dhsg.co.uk/page/?title=Contact+Us&pid=2, www.dhsg.co.uk/
Plymouth High School for Girls
School type: Girls’ grammar
Number of pupils: 786
Ages: 11-18
PAN: 120
The Sunday Times Parent Power National Rank: 226
Headteacher: Simon Underdown
Address: St Lawrence Road, Plymouth, PL4 6HT
Open event: www.phsg.org/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=313
Catchment area: this school does not have a catchment area
Priority criteria: looked after, or previously looked after, children who achieve the qualifying score;, children eligible for Pupil Premium who achieve the qualifying score (max 12 places), all other children who achieve the qualifying score
2022 Results: GCSE: 59% of students achieved grades 9-7, A Level: 64% students achieved grades A*-B
Ofsted ranking: Good
School’s Contact details: 03 333 602 230, [email protected], www.phsg.org
Churston Ferrers Grammar School
School type: Co-educational grammar
Number of pupils: 931
Ages: 11-18
PAN: 150
Headteacher: Kieran Earley
Address: Greenway Road, Brixham, TQ5 OLN
Open event: https://churstongrammar.com/11-tours/
Catchment area: this school does not have a catchment area
Priority criteria: children who have scored the highest marks in the entrance test up to the 130th ranked candidate, the 131-180th ranked candidates, any remaining spaces will be allocated by rank order from 181st candidate
2022 Results: GCSE: 65% of students achieved grades 9-7, A Level: 70% students achieved grades A*-B
Ofsted ranking: Good
School’s Contact details: 01803 842289, [email protected], https://churstongrammar.com
Torquay Boys’ Grammar School
School type: Boys’ grammar (co-educational sixth form)
Number of pupils: 1,096
Ages: 11-18
PAN: 156
The Sunday Times Parent Power National Rank: 188
Headteacher: Peter Lawrence
Address: Shipay Manor Drive, Torquay, TQ2 7EL
Open event: https://www.tbgs.co.uk/open-evening/
Catchment area: this school does not have a catchment area
Priority criteria: looked after, or previously looked after, children, children eligible for Pupil Premium, all other children
2022 Results: GCSE: 58.6% of students achieved grades 9-7, A Level: 69.7% students achieved grades A*-B
Ofsted ranking: Good
School’s Contact details: 01803 615 501, [email protected], www.tbgs.co.uk
Torquay Girls’ Grammar School
School type: Girls’ grammar
Number of pupils: 984
Ages: 11-18
PAN: 160
The Sunday Times Parent Power National Rank: 90
Headteacher: Sarah Forster
Address: 30 Shiphay Lane, Shipay, Torquay, TQ2 7DY
Open event: information available here
Catchment area: this school does not have a catchment area
Priority criteria: looked after, or previously looked after, children, children eligible for Pupil Premium, children of staff members, children who have siblings at the school, children who live the closest to the school
2022 Results: GCSE: 69.9% of students achieved grades 9-7, A Level: 78.7% students achieved grades A*-B
Ofsted ranking: Outstanding
School’s Contact details: 01803 613 215, [email protected], http://tggsacademy.org/
Examberry Papers
The most effective way to prepare for the Devon 11+ entrance exam is to use practice tests written by experts.
Each of our practice tests:
- is written for the current Medway Test: multiple choice, with answers on separate answer sheets and no writing paper.
- is available in PDF download and physical format.
- familiarises your child with the types of questions they will face in the real exam.
- includes answers to every question and also detailed, step-by-step explanations for all maths questions.
- boosts your child’s confidence before the actual exam.
For Devon 11+ preparation, we recommend the following packs:
Free GL Assessment style Maths paper
Get a full free Maths paper, written in the GL style by our in-house team, with answers included. We'll email it straight to you.
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