Know exactly where your child stands for Bishop Wordsworth's School
Thousands of practice questions and up to 6 mock papers, all in the exact Bishop Wordsworth's School 11+ format, on one simple plan. It starts with a free diagnostic.
Thousands of practice questions and up to 6 mock papers, all in the exact Bishop Wordsworth's School 11+ format, on one simple plan. It starts with a free diagnostic.
Bishop Wordsworth's School
Bishop Wordsworth's School is a boys' grammar school in Salisbury. It uses the GL exam board for its 11+ entry. There is no interview stage, and it has a designated catchment area giving priority to local boys.
If you are weighing up whether to pay for an independent school, one Bishop Wordsworth's parent put the case memorably: even if I had had the money, I would still have sent my son here. It is a boys' grammar in the heart of Salisbury, its buildings set within the cathedral grounds — a backdrop that no amount of school fees could replicate. It teaches boys from 11 to 18, with girls admitted directly into the sixth form since 2020.
Founded in 1889 by John Wordsworth, then Bishop of Salisbury, with the explicit ambition of matching the greatest public schools of the day, it became a grammar in 1905 and its Church of England foundation still shapes it in ways that feel genuine rather than ceremonial. The motto, Veritas in Caritate — truth in love — comes from Ephesians, and boys are expected to work hard in a generous, community-minded spirit. Teaching is strong across the board, and the school occupies interesting territory between the state and independent sectors: the rigour and breadth of a good independent, without the fees.
It suits an academically able, grounded boy who wants a school that takes scholarship and character equally seriously — in one of the most quietly magnificent settings any school in England can offer.
Key facts
Admissions
Admissions contact
admissions@bishopwordsworths.org.uk
Admissions phone
0172 233 3851
Registration form
https://bws.applicaa.com/01995aad-78aa-7997-b6f5-ea8ac69c6570
Sibling policy
What this school tests
11+ Examination
English
- Punctuation
- Reading Comprehension - Comparison
- Reading Comprehension - Evaluation
- Reading Comprehension - Grammar and punctuation
- Reading Comprehension - Inference and Deduction
- Reading Comprehension - Information Retrieval
- Reading Comprehension - Language Techniques and Imagery
- Reading Comprehension - Sentence-level Comprehension
- Reading Comprehension - Sequencing
- Reading Comprehension - Structure, Form, Voice and Tone
- Reading Comprehension - Summarising
- Reading Comprehension - Text Classification and Purpose
- Reading Comprehension - Types of Words and Phrases
- Reading Comprehension - Word Meaning / Choice
- Sentence Completion
- Spelling
Maths
- Algebra
- Angles and Degrees
- BIDMAS
- Coordinate Grids
- Estimation and Rounding
- Factors and Multiples
- Fractions, Decimals and Percentages
- Magic squares
- Measurement
- Money
- Number and Place Value
- Number Walls
- Operations
- Perimeter, Area and Volume
- Position and Direction
- Properties of Shapes
- Ratio and Proportion
- Reflection, Rotation and Symmetry
- Sequences
- Special Numbers
- Speed, Distance and Time
- Statistics
- Time
Non-verbal Reasoning
- Extended Figure Series
- Figure Analogies
- Figure Matrices
- Figure Operations
- Figure Series
- Grid Matrices
- Horizontal Codes
- Most Like Three Figures
- Most Like Two Figures
- Odd Figure Out
- Star Matrices
- Triangle Matrices
- Triangle Series
- Vertical Codes
Verbal Reasoning
- Anagrams
- Compound Words
- Embedded Words
- Form a Word
- Insert a Letter
- Letter Analogies
- Letter Calculations
- Letter Codes
- Letter Grids
- Letter Sequences
- Move 1 / 2 Letters
- Number Analogies
- Number Calculations
- Number Sequences
- Related Words
- Rhyming Synonyms
- Shuffled Sentences
- Synonyms
- Word / Logic Puzzles
- Word Analogies
- Word Completion
- Word Match
- Word Opposites
- Word Pairs
- Word Relationships
- Words and Codes
Spatial Reasoning
- 2D Rotations
- Block Counting
- Combining Shapes
- Fold and Punch
- Folding Cubes
- Hidden Shapes
- Missing Face of Cube
- Shape Completion
Catchment area
Does Bishop Wordsworth's School have a catchment area?
Yes, it has a designated area, and boys living within it are given priority if the school is oversubscribed. Boys from outside the area can still apply and attend if they reach the qualifying standard.
Selection review and safety net
Previous exam results
GCSE results
In 2025 students achieved an average Attainment 8 score of 73.1 across their GCSEs. 96.8% gained a grade 5 or better in both English and Maths. 52.2% achieved the English Baccalaureate at grade 5 or above.
Reference: https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/
A-level results
In 2025 students achieved a B+ average grade per A-Level entry. 32.8% gained AAB or better including two facilitating subjects.
Reference: https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/
Frequently asked questions
What exam board does Bishop Wordsworth's School use for the 11+?
Bishop Wordsworth's School uses the GL exam board for its 11+ entry.
Does Bishop Wordsworth's School interview as part of the 11+ process?
No, Bishop Wordsworth's School does not include an interview stage in its 11+ admissions process.
Is Bishop Wordsworth's School a single-sex or co-educational school for 11+ entry?
Bishop Wordsworth's School is a single-sex school for boys from 11 to 18. Girls are admitted directly into the sixth form.
Does Bishop Wordsworth's School have a catchment area for 11+ admissions?
Yes, Bishop Wordsworth's School has a designated catchment area, and boys living within it are given priority if the school is oversubscribed.
What is the official website for Bishop Wordsworth's School?
The official website for Bishop Wordsworth's School is https://www.bishopwordsworths.org.uk/.
How do you get a place at Bishop Wordsworth's School?
Your son first needs to reach the required standard in the Wiltshire 11+ entrance test. Passing alone does not guarantee a place. If more boys pass than there are places, the school ranks them: looked-after and previously looked-after children first, then up to ten reserved places for boys eligible for the Pupil Premium, then boys within the designated catchment area, then siblings of current pupils, then children of staff. If a tie-break is needed, the boy living closest to the school is offered the place.
What happens if my child is ill on 11+ test day at Bishop Wordsworth's School?
Tell the school as early as you can by emailing admissions@bishopwordsworths.org.uk. There is a reserve test date for boys who miss the main day for a valid reason such as illness, so a one-off illness need not end the application. If your son has a medical or learning need that affects him on the day, you apply for access arrangements in the Access Arrangements section of the 11+ form, uploading recent supporting evidence. The school follows JCQ rules and can grant extra time where the evidence supports it.
Location
https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d2507.393382527491!2d-1.7933846999999998!3d51.0642879!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x4873ebf3e8a64b29%3A0xd54f64c438af6669!2sBishop%20Wordsworth%27s%20School!5e0!3m2!1sen!2suk!4v1780590269537!5m2!1sen!2suk
