Sir Thomas Rich’s School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Guide

About Sir Thomas Rich’s School

Sir Thomas Rich’s School is a boys’ state grammar school for 11 to 18-year-olds in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, with a co-educational sixth form open to applicants from any school. It has 155 places for Year 7 (its Published Admission Number) and, unusually among Gloucestershire’s grammar schools, no catchment area at all, so boys living anywhere in the county, or beyond, can apply on equal terms.

Entry to Year 7 is through the Gloucestershire Grammar Schools’ Admission Test, the shared 11+ test run jointly by the county’s seven grammar schools rather than by any one school or the local authority. You register once, name which of the seven schools you would like to share your son’s result with, and he sits the test only once, wherever he is allocated a test centre.

Sir Thomas Rich’s is transparent about where its guaranteed line falls: boys ranking in the top 155 are guaranteed a place if the school is their first preference. Because it has no catchment to soften competition, well over 155 boys typically meet the qualifying standard each year, so in recent years offers made against lower preferences have gone out as far as the 330s to 390s in the rank order.

Key information for 2027: Sir Thomas Rich’s School at 11 Plus (11+)

• School type: State grammar school (boys), co-educational sixth form
• Consortium: Gloucestershire Grammar Schools’ Admission Test (shared with six other county grammar schools)
• Registration deadline: noon, Monday 18 May 2026 to noon, Friday 26 June 2026
• Exam date: Saturday 12 September 2026
• CAF deadline: 31 October 2026
• National school offer day: Monday 1 March 2027
• Contact details: strschool.co.uk/admissions/year7, gloucestershire.gov.uk/schooladmissions/grammar-schools

Admissions information for 2027 entry: Sir Thomas Rich’s School at 11 Plus (11+)

Registration for Year 7 entry into Sir Thomas Rich’s School opens at noon on 18 May 2026 and closes at noon on 26 June 2026. The shared Gloucestershire test is sat in mid-September, and results are sent to families in mid-October, ahead of the Common Application Form deadline of 31 October.

The school’s Published Admission Number is 155, and there is no catchment area, so boys from anywhere in Gloucestershire or beyond can apply. There is no fixed pass mark: the school sets its own qualifying standard from the standardised total score each year, then ranks every boy who has shared his result with the school. Boys ranked in the top 155 are guaranteed a place if Sir Thomas Rich’s is their first preference; a waiting list, prioritised by the same rank order rather than application date, is held until 31 December 2027.

After the guaranteed top 155, places are allocated in this order: looked after and previously looked after children, boys registered for Pupil Premium, children of staff meeting the school’s length-of-service or skills-shortage criteria, and finally other qualifying boys strictly in rank order. Where scores are tied, straight-line distance from home to school is used, then random allocation if still tied.

How can I register my child for the 11 Plus (11+) exam at Sir Thomas Rich’s School?

To register your son for the Gloucestershire Grammar Schools’ Admission Test, complete the registration form during the window that runs from noon on 18 May 2026 to noon on 26 June 2026. When registering, you name which of the seven Gloucestershire grammar schools, including Sir Thomas Rich’s, you would like to share his result with; he then sits the test once, at whichever test centre he is allocated.

You must also submit your Common Application Form (CAF) to your home local authority by 31 October 2026, listing Sir Thomas Rich’s School if you would like it considered, in your genuine order of preference.

What is the 11 Plus (11+) entrance exam format for Sir Thomas Rich’s School?

The Gloucestershire Grammar Schools’ Admission Test is sat over two multiple-choice papers on the same day, each taking roughly an hour including instructions. Paper 1 covers verbal ability: reading comprehension, vocabulary and verbal reasoning. Paper 2 combines numerical reasoning with non-verbal reasoning. Each paper is marked by an independent testing company and age-standardised, and the two scores are combined into one total used to rank every boy who has shared his result with Sir Thomas Rich’s.

The provider changes for September 2028 entry

This matters if your child is currently in Year 4 rather than Year 5. The Gloucestershire consortium is moving to a new provider, Future Stories Community Enterprise, for the test sat in July 2027 for September 2028 entry. Note the change of season as well as the change of provider: that test is sat in July rather than September. September 2027 entry is unaffected and still uses GL Assessment. If you are preparing for the 2028 cycle, our FSCE guide explains how that format differs.

The biggest change for the 2028 cycle is that non-verbal reasoning goes. FSCE tests only what is on the Key Stage 2 National Curriculum, and non-verbal reasoning is not part of it. The headteacher of Denmark Road High School confirmed the removal in the seven schools’ joint announcement of April 2026. FSCE papers are built around Key Stage 2 English and maths, with a creative writing response at some FSCE schools, so a child in Year 4 now can put their preparation into English and maths. The consortium has said it will publish the full paper details later in 2026, and we will update this page when it does.

How to prepare your child for the 11 Plus (11+) Sir Thomas Rich’s School exam

With around four months between registration opening in May and the test in September, the aim for Sir Thomas Rich’s is not just to meet the qualifying standard but, since places are strictly ranked with no catchment to soften the competition, to help your son’s score go as high as it comfortably can.

Short, regular practice on verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning through the spring and early summer builds familiarity with question types rarely met in primary school, while wide reading and mental maths under gentle time pressure support the comprehension, vocabulary and numerical reasoning elements. Moving to full, timed practice papers over the summer holidays, then easing off in the final week before the test, helps your son go in confident and rested.

For Sir Thomas Rich’s School (Gloucestershire 11+) preparation, we recommend the following packs: