For parents and guardians: Please verify all school data — cut-off scores, applicant numbers and competition ratios — against official sources (school websites, local authority admissions data) before making any decisions. The figures on this page are researched but not guaranteed and change each admissions cycle.
Complete 2025/26 11+ Guide to Grammar Schools in Devon (Torquay)
Devon (Torquay) is home to 2 fully selective grammar schools and 0 partially selective schools, served by the Torbay Selective Schools Consortium. This guide covers every school — admissions criteria, competition data, cut-off scores, GCSE results, and specific prep advice — so you can make an informed decision.
How the Devon (Torquay) 11+ works
Two multiple-choice papers: English (approx. 50 min) and Maths (approx. 50 min), sat on the same day in two sessions (morning or afternoon). No Verbal Reasoning or Non-Verbal Reasoning.
Both Torquay grammar schools are part of the Torbay Selective Schools consortium and use an identical shared GL Assessment test — candidates register once and sit the test once, regardless of how many Torbay grammar schools they apply to. Raw scores are age-standardised before ranking. The schools operate superselective admissions: there is no published pass mark; all eligible candidates are ranked by combined standardised score and places offered to those scoring highest. Results are reported as a pass/fail indicator (not the actual score) in mid-October. The test switched from CEM to GL Assessment from the 2024 entry cycle onwards.
Key dates
Who can apply?
Children in Year 6 (born 1 September 2013 – 31 August 2014 for September 2025 entry; born 1 September 2014 – 31 August 2015 for September 2026 entry).
Both schools are fully selective: all candidates must sit the 11+ entrance test.
No geographic restriction — families may apply from any area of England.
No sibling priority: admissions are determined solely by test score rank.
Special access arrangements (e.g. additional time up to 25%, large print) must be evidenced as support regularly received in school.
Children eligible for Pupil Premium / Free School Meals can access additional online GL familiarisation material through each school.
Registration for the test and the Common Application Form (CAF) to your home local authority are two separate steps — both are required.
Admissions process
Complete the online Test Registration Form on the school website (TBGS or TGGS — register with the school where your child will sit the test). Preferred deadline is mid-July; absolute deadline is early September. One registration covers all Torbay Selective Schools.
Children sit two multiple-choice papers — one English, one Maths — each approximately 50 minutes. Assigned to a morning (9am–11am) or afternoon (1pm–3pm) slot on the September test Saturday.
Parents receive a pass/fail indicator only — the actual standardised score is not disclosed at any stage, including on National Offer Day. "Pass" means the child's score meets the admissions panel's qualifying threshold.
Apply to your home local authority listing Torbay grammar school(s) as preferences by 31 October. A CAF must be submitted even if your child passed the test — failure to do so means no place can be offered.
Eligible candidates (those meeting the qualifying score) are ranked by standardised score and places offered in rank order. Tie-break for equal scores is straight-line distance from home to school.
School Directory
See all 2 schools — free to start
Create a free YearWise account to access full school profiles, competition ratios, cut-off scores and admissions history.
You also get Year 1–6 maths, reading and GPS practice for your child — free to start.
Create free accountDisclaimer: Data from official school websites (tbgs.co.uk, tggsacademy.org), Torbay Council admissions pages (torbay.gov.uk), Ofsted (reports.ofsted.gov.uk), DfE Compare School Performance, and school admissions policy PDFs. Exam format confirmed from TBGS Admissions Policy 2026-27 PDF and TGGS Selection Tests page. Sunday Times Parent Power rankings from press reports (December 2025). Verify all dates, PANs and policies at each school's website before relying on this data — particularly the TGGS Year 7 PAN, which the headteacher indicated will increase for 2027 entry. Always verify figures on the school or local authority website before making decisions — data changes each admissions cycle. Last updated: 2026-04-19. We aim to refresh this guide every year after new DfE data is published (typically June/July).