Wiltshire
Bishop Wordsworth's Church of England Grammar School
GCSE results 2026: every Wiltshire school ranked · how England did
Exceptional results, but a place depends on the entrance test rather than where you live — worth a look only if you are planning to sit it.
What the data says
Published data, read plainly. It tells you what to check next; it does not guarantee a place or replace your local authority’s admissions guidance.
Attainment 8 of 73.5 is well above the national average of around 46. This reflects strong GCSE outcomes across the standard subject basket.
- 73.5
- Attainment 8
- 98%
- 5+ Eng & Maths
- 2025/2026
- Academic year
Pupils made above-average progress compared with similar pupils nationally. The confidence interval is entirely above zero, which is strong evidence of added value.
- +0.55
- Progress 8
- [0.30, 0.79]
- Confidence interval
Admissions realism depends on your home postcode and the school's published allocation data. Enter your postcode on this page to get a more specific assessment, and always verify the latest policy on the school's official admissions page.
This is a selective school. Admission usually requires passing an entrance test. Check the school's admissions policy for test registration deadlines.
This school has a Church of England religious character. Admissions may prioritise pupils who meet faith criteria. A Supplementary Information Form (SIF) may be required.
Watch-outs
- Selective admissions: an entrance test (usually the 11+ or equivalent) is required. Check registration and test dates well in advance.
- Faith admissions criteria apply (Church of England). A Supplementary Information Form may be required. Evidence of faith practice may be needed.
What to do next
- Verify the school's official admissions policy
- Check entrance test registration dates
- Download and review the Supplementary Information Form
- Book an open day or school visit
- Add this school to your shortlist and compare with backup options
Starting school in September 2027
- Secondary (Year 7): apply by 31 October 2026; offers on 1 March 2027.
National dates for England. You apply through the council where you live, even for a school in another council.
Applications and offers
National offer day figures that councils report to the Department for Education. These are counts only: they do not show how far away the last child offered a place lived.
Year 7 entry
| Year of entry | Places offered | Put it first | First choices offered | Applications (any preference) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | 157 | 213 | 157 (74%) | 249 |
| September 2025 | 157 | 214 | 157 (73%) | 235 |
| September 2024 | 157 | 213 | 155 (73%) | 249 |
| September 2023 | 159 | 212 | 156 (74%) | 246 |
| September 2022 | 158 | 203 | 154 (76%) | 236 |
Source: Department for Education: Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, school-level data, published 18 June 2026. “–” means the figure was not published. The council’s own allocation figures are the official record: check Wiltshire’s admissions page for cut-off distances, the admission rules and this year’s dates.
Performance over time
Attainment 8 over time
Progress 8 over time(not available 2024/25 or 2025/26)
University destinations
Share of this school's sixth-form leavers who went on to Oxford or Cambridge, a Russell Group university, or a university in the top third by entry grades. Department for Education data for state-funded schools and colleges.
| Left sixth form | Students | Oxford or Cambridge | Russell Group | Top-third universities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 2024-2025 tables | 164 | Not published | Not published | 60% England 19% |
| 2020/21 2023-2024 tables | 126 | Not published | Not published | 69% England 24% |
| 2019/20 2022-2023 tables | 121 | 5% England 1% | 55% England 18% | 66% England 20% |
| 2018/19 2021-2022 tables | 134 | 13% England 1% | 52% England 15% | 57% England 17% |
| 2017/18 2020-2021 tables | 143 | 6% England 1% | 52% England 16% | 58% England 18% |
| 2015/16 2018-2019 tables | 145 | 3% England 1% | 39% England 14% | 57% England 19% |
- The DfE stopped publishing Oxbridge and Russell Group shares for individual schools after the 2022-23 performance tables (students who left in 2019/20). Top-third figures continue.
- Figures are percentages of all students who finished 16 to 18 study at the school, counting those who sustained a university place in the two years after leaving.
- Rankings use the average across years weighted by the number of students; a school needs at least 2 years and 50 students to be ranked. The top-third ranking uses the latest 3 years. Ranks are among state-funded schools and colleges.
- '<0.5%' means above zero but under half a percent. 'Suppressed' means 5 or fewer students.
- Source: Department for Education, 16 to 18 progression to higher education or training (Compare school and college performance, Explore education statistics).
Entry, tests and fees
Entrance test
Tuesday 6 October 2026 | 11+ result letters will be available.
Source · checked 27 October 2026
Saturday 26 September 2026 | Bishop Wordsworth's School 11+ test date
Source · checked 27 October 2026
Saturday 25th September 2027 | Bishop Wordsworth's School 11+ test date
Source · checked 27 October 2026
Atom Learning are the leading online Key Stage 2 learning and 11+ preparation platform and their resources are designed to help children get familiar with 11+ q…
Source · checked 27 October 2026
Admissions
Entry into Year 7 for each September is determined by achieving the qualifying standard in the 11+ examination.
Source · checked 27 October 2026
Sixth form
Wednesday 18th November 2.15 - 3.15pm Link to book here
Source · checked 26 October 2026
Thursday 14th January 9.15 - 10.30am Link to book here
Source · checked 26 October 2026
Copied from the school's and test organisers' own pages; check them before registering or applying.
Questions parents ask about Bishop Wordsworth's Church of England Grammar School
- How good are Bishop Wordsworth's Church of England Grammar School's GCSE results?
- In 2025/26 (provisional) pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 73.5, against 47.6 across England, ranking #82 in England. 58.2% got grade 7 or above in both English and maths.
- How good are Bishop Wordsworth's Church of England Grammar School's A-level results?
- In 2024/25 students averaged 43.6 points per A-level entry (an average grade of B+). An A* is worth 60 points and an A 50.
- How hard is it to get into Bishop Wordsworth's Church of England Grammar School?
- For September 2026, 213 families put it first for 157 Year 7 places: 1.4 first choices per place. It is a grammar school, so children must reach the pass mark in its 11-plus test; its admission policy sets how passing children are ranked.
- How many Bishop Wordsworth's Church of England Grammar School students go to Oxford or Cambridge?
- 6.7% of its sixth-form leavers went to Oxford or Cambridge, and 49.2% to Russell Group universities (2015/16–2019/20), from Department for Education destination data.
Historical results
| Year | Pupils | Att8 | P8 | 5+ E&M | 7+ E&M | EBacc % | EBacc APS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/2026 (provisional) | 158 | 73.5 | — | 98.1% | 58.2% | — | — |
| 2024/2025 | 157 | 73.1 | — | 96.8% | — | 57.3% | 6.8 |
| 2023/2024 | 155 | 72.3 | +0.55 | 95.5% | — | 37.4% | 6.4 |
| 2022/2023 | 155 | 71.9 | +0.55 | 93.5% | — | 51.6% | 6.6 |
| 2021/2022 | 160 | 76.0 | +0.58 | — | — | 44.0% | 6.9 |
EBacc figures stop at 2024/2025: the DfE no longer publishes them from 2025/2026.
Nearby and similar schools
Other secondary schools in Wiltshire for local comparison.
School information
| URN | 136500 |
| Local authority | Wiltshire |
| Region | South West |
| Phase | Secondary |
| Type | Academy converter |
| Gender of entry | Boys |
| Age range | 11-18 |
| Headteacher | Headmaster Michael Thorne |
| Trust | BISHOP WORDSWORTH'S CHURCH OF ENGLAND GRAMMAR SCHOOL |
| Admissions | Selective |
| Religious character | Church of England |
| Postcode | SP1 2ED |
| Pupils | 1,188 |
| FSM eligible | 4.1% |
Contact and identifiers
Exeter Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 2ED
http://www.bishopwordsworths.org.uk/1722333851| DfE number | 5413 |
| UKPRN | 10033023 |
| Opened | 1 Mar 2011 |
| GIAS updated | 23 Feb 2026 |
Data sources and freshness
| Official record updated | 23 Feb 2026 |
| Latest KS4 year | 2025/2026 |
| Latest KS2 year | — |
| Ofsted published | 23 Jan 2023 |
Latest Ofsted inspection
| Quality of education | Outstanding |
| Behaviour and attitudes | Outstanding |
| Personal development | Outstanding |
| Leadership and management | Outstanding |
| Safeguarding | Effective |
| Inspection type | S5 Inspection |
| Category of concern | — |
| Inspection date | 15 Nov 2022 |
| Publication date | 23 Jan 2023 |