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Thousands of practice questions and up to 6 mock papers, all in the exact Watford Grammar School for Boys 11+ format, on one simple plan. It starts with a free diagnostic.

Watford Grammar School for Boys

School type
Grammar
Also known as
WGS Boys, Watford Boys
Address
Rickmansworth Road
,
Watford
,
Hertfordshire
,
England
,
WD18 7JF
Watford Grammar School for Boys is a partially selective grammar school for boys. Its 11+ entrance exam uses the GL assessment board, and there is no interview stage as part of the admissions process. The school operates a catchment area, prioritising based on location and distance.

If your son is the sort who is just as happy in a rehearsal room as on a sports pitch, Watford Grammar School for Boys gives him room for both. It is a popular, partially selective boys' school with a Church of England character and a long charitable history, descended from a free school founded in 1704 by Elizabeth Fuller, a local philanthropist, to teach Watford children to read, write and 'cast accounts'. That founding is still marked each year with a Founder's Day service, and the school keeps Watford Grammar School for Girls as part of the same family.

Music runs deep here. The Good Schools Guide reports parents describing it as 'dazzling', with real breadth rather than a narrow classical focus, and the school shares the Clarendon Muse, a purpose-built concert hall, with the Watford School of Music. Sport sits alongside it on equal footing, with boys regularly representing county, regional and national teams, and debating and chess have earned a national name too. The Guide describes boys who are talkative and courteous and serious about their studies, though not without a twinkle in their eye. Among those who passed through is Gerald Moore, who became one of the great piano accompanists of the last century, a fitting alumnus for a school this musical.

Watford Grammar School for Boys suits a capable, well-rounded boy who will make the most of both the classroom and the music and sport on offer, and who will take to the academic stretch rather than feel pushed by it. Under headmaster Ian Cooksey, it is a school that lets a boy be good at more than one thing.

Key facts

Gender
Boys
Year 7 places
224
Annual fees
None
Pass mark
Selectivity ratio

Admissions

Open day
Oct
Registration opens
Apr
Registration closes
June
CAF deadline
Oct
Admissions contact
office@watfordboys.org
Admissions phone
0192 320 8900

Registration form

Sibling policy

Yes

What this school tests

Academic Ability Test

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

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

Catchment area

Yes, Watford Grammar School for Boys has a catchment area with priority based on location and distance from the school.

Selection review and safety net

Previous exam results

GCSE results

In 2025 students achieved an average Attainment 8 score of 68.9 across their GCSEs. 83.3% gained a grade 5 or better in both English and Maths. 72.5% 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. 26.5% gained AAB or better including two facilitating subjects. Reference: https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/

Frequently asked questions

What exam board does Watford Grammar School for Boys use for the 11+?

Watford Grammar School for Boys uses the GL assessment board for its 11+ entrance exam.

Does Watford Grammar School for Boys interview as part of the 11+?

No, there is no interview stage as part of the 11+ admissions process for Watford Grammar School for Boys.

Is Watford Grammar School for Boys co-educational or single-sex?

Watford Grammar School for Boys is a single-sex school for boys.

What is the official website for Watford Grammar School for Boys?

The official website for Watford Grammar School for Boys is https://www.watfordboys.org/.

Does Watford Grammar School for Boys have a catchment area?

Yes, Watford Grammar School for Boys has a catchment area with priority based on location and distance from the school.

What type of school is Watford Grammar School for Boys?

Watford Grammar School for Boys is a grammar school.

Location

https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d2475.269103753629!2d-0.41420949999999995!3d51.6549092!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x48766aee661d55fd%3A0x502dcb62e84fb474!2sWatford%20Grammar%20School%20for%20Boys!5e0!3m2!1sen!2suk!4v1780593722147!5m2!1sen!2suk

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