About the school
Bishop Wordsworth's School, known locally as “Bishop's,” is a selective Church of England grammar school for boys aged 11 to 18, with girls admitted to the sixth form, located within the grounds of Salisbury Cathedral in Wiltshire. It is consistently one of the top-performing schools in England, with especially strong results in the English Baccalaureate, and holds strong links with the Church of England and Salisbury Cathedral.
The school was founded in 1889 by John Wordsworth, the Bishop of Salisbury, and became a grammar school in 1905. The Bishop Wordsworth's School address is Exeter Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 2ED. It was granted academy status in 2011 and has specialisms in science and languages, supported by modern facilities including a drama studio, sports hall and sixth form block.
Bishop Wordsworth's School admissions are run by the school, which sets its own entrance test using GL Assessment, sharing its 11 plus process with South Wilts Grammar School for Girls. The school is consistently oversubscribed, which makes early, well-structured exam preparation valuable.
School type
Boys' Church of England Grammar (Mixed Sixth Form)
Exam date
Saturday 26 September 2026 (for September 2027 entry)
Exam board
Bishop Wordsworth's own test (GL Assessment)
Address
Exeter Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 2ED
Age range
11–18 (Years 7–13)
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Admissions information
The Bishop Wordsworth's School entrance test is set by the school using GL Assessment. Here is everything you need to know about Bishop Wordsworth's School admissions and the exam structure.
Bishop Wordsworth's School sets its own entrance test using GL Assessment and shares its 11 plus process with South Wilts Grammar School for Girls. The assessment covers English, verbal reasoning, mathematics and non-verbal reasoning, including spatial reasoning. Entry is on the basis of academic ability.
The Bishop Wordsworth's School 11 plus exam consists of two multiple-choice papers, each taking around 45 minutes. One paper assesses verbal skills, including reading comprehension, the technical skills of spelling, punctuation and grammar, and verbal reasoning; the other assesses mathematics and non-verbal reasoning. Scores are age-standardised, and for September 2027 entry the test takes place on Saturday 26 September 2026.
For Bishop Wordsworth's School 11 plus registration, families must complete the school's own registration form, available on the school website during the registration window, which usually closes in July. Families must also submit their Local Authority Common Application Form (CAF), naming the school, by 31 October.
Entrance test results are emailed to parents in mid-October, ahead of the 31 October application deadline, with allocations made on National Offer Day on 1 March 2027. Reaching the qualifying standard does not guarantee a place, as the school applies its admissions criteria where demand exceeds places.
Key admissions details
Bishop Wordsworth's School has a Published Admission Number of around 160 places for Year 7. A number of places are reserved for Pupil Premium pupils who reach a slightly lower qualifying standard, and the school is regularly oversubscribed, so a qualifying score combined with the Bishop Wordsworth's School admissions criteria determines who is offered a place.
Bishop Wordsworth's School has a designated catchment area covering the city of Salisbury and surrounding villages, stretching to Winterbourne Stoke, Whiteparish, Downton and Bowerchalke. Boys living outside the designated area are still considered if they reach the qualifying standard. The Bishop Wordsworth's School catchment area uses the straight-line distance from the home to the Exeter Street gate as a tie-breaker when places are oversubscribed.
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Bishop Wordsworth's School was founded in 1889 by John Wordsworth, the Bishop of Salisbury, and became a grammar school in 1905. It gained academy status in 2011 and today educates boys aged 11 to 18, with girls admitted to the sixth form.
Bishop Wordsworth's School has a Published Admission Number of around 160 places for Year 7. Demand is high and the school is regularly oversubscribed, making thorough Bishop Wordsworth's School exam preparation essential.
The Bishop Wordsworth's School 11 plus consists of two multiple-choice GL Assessment papers, each around 45 minutes. One covers verbal skills (comprehension, spelling, punctuation, grammar and verbal reasoning) and the other covers mathematics and non-verbal reasoning. The test is sat in September of Year 6.
Bishop Wordsworth's School has a designated catchment area covering Salisbury and surrounding villages, but boys living outside it are still considered if they reach the qualifying standard. Distance from the school is used as a tie-breaker when places are oversubscribed, so proximity matters.
For Bishop Wordsworth's School 11 plus registration, families must complete the school's own registration form, available on the school website, usually before July. The Common Application Form, naming the school, must be submitted to your Local Authority by 31 October.
Yes. Bishop Wordsworth's School offers a wide range of extracurricular activities including sport, music, drama and the Combined Cadet Force, alongside its science and languages specialisms and strong links with Salisbury Cathedral.
Yes, all our Bishop Wordsworth's School 11 plus tuition is available both in-person at our Edgbaston, Birmingham centre and online via live video sessions. Online tuition gives families across Wiltshire and beyond access to our expert tutors without the need to travel. The quality and personalisation of sessions is identical in both formats.
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