Partially selective state school · Hertfordshire
Watford Grammar School for Boys 11+ admissions
September 2027 entryEvidence reviewed 21 October 2026Current entrance requirements, dates and school facts with links to the official evidence used. Unknown information is labelled rather than estimated.
At a glance
- Address
- Rickmansworth Road, Watford, East of England, WD18 7JF
- Year 7 admission
- Boys for Year 7 admission
- School type
- Partially selective state school
- Funding
- State-funded
- Day or boarding
- Day school
- Religion or denomination
- Church of England
- Published admission number
- 224September 2027 entry
- Academically selected places
- 56September 2027 entry
- Preferences per offer
- The current DfE applications and offers release has not yet been joined to this record.
- Assessment provider
- GL Assessment (academic papers)The consortium administers music aptitude separately.
Selection route
- South West Hertfordshire Secondary Transfer Test
Formal consortium · GL Assessment supplies the academic papers · Academic and music pathways are separate
Academic raw scores are age-standardised; music aptitude scores are not. The school's admission criteria still decide which children receive an offer.
Check the official test registration page
- Eligibility
- Families must submit their home council's secondary application and should complete the school's School Information Form by 31 October 2026. Applicants seeking an academic place take the consortium verbal reasoning and mathematics tests; music applicants take the consortium music test. A child applying only for a community or music place need not take the academic test. Specialist places prioritise the published Watford and rest-of-admission-area postcode sectors.
- Score policy
- Academic places are offered in descending order of standardised verbal reasoning and mathematics test scores, with no minimum score. Music aptitude uses an aural first round and a performance second round; places are offered by test merit. The published postcode-area allocation and policy tie-breaks apply.
- Registration
- GIAS does not publish the current test registration URL.
Who gets priority
Published area: Watford-area postcode sectors, Rest-of-admission-area postcode sectors.
Section 2.3 lists the exact postcode sectors; a whole postcode district is not enough. Community places treat both areas as one. Specialist music and academic places have separate Watford-area and rest-of-area allocations. The normal home address is where the child stays for most Sunday-to-Thursday school nights at the application closing date. The policy sets exceptions and address-evidence rules.
Open the official boundary informationAfter children with an education, health and care plan, the 2027 policy reserves 146 community places. It orders looked-after and previously looked-after children, up to 22 nearest-home places, qualifying staff children, brothers at this school, sisters at Watford Grammar School for Girls, then remaining community places by straight-line distance. It separately offers up to 22 music-aptitude places and up to 56 academic-ability places in score order. The specialist places are split between the two admission areas. Looked-after, staff and same-school sibling criteria do not require residence in the admission area; the policy explains how any remaining places are offered to children outside it.
Loading the Watford 2027 postcode-sector checker.
For September 2027 entry. Policy checked 2026-10-21. A priority category does not guarantee an offer.
Read the admissions policyWhat the assessment covers
These are the shared consortium assessments relevant to this school.
- Mathematics
- Verbal reasoning
- Music aptitude
These are separate consortium test pathways relevant to this school, not steps every child takes.
Academic ability
Mathematics and verbal-reasoning tests used by the six academic-selection member schools.
Music aptitude
Aural first round followed by a performance assessment for invited candidates; Croxley Danes uses this route without academic selection.
Key dates
- Registration opens
- GIAS does not publish the current registration opening date.
- Registration deadline
- GIAS does not publish the current registration deadline.
- Test date
- GIAS does not publish the current test dates.
- Published CAF date
- GIAS does not publish the current CAF deadline.
- National Offer Day
- GIAS does not publish the current offer date.
Shared assessment-route dates
| Date | Route | When |
|---|---|---|
| Registration opens | RouteSouth West Hertfordshire Secondary Transfer Test | When1 April 2026 |
| Registration closes | RouteSouth West Hertfordshire Secondary Transfer Test | When5 June 2026 |
| Academic test | RouteSouth West Hertfordshire Secondary Transfer Test | When5 September 2026 |
| Music first round | RouteSouth West Hertfordshire Secondary Transfer Test | When7 September 2026 |
| Music first-round scores notified | RouteSouth West Hertfordshire Secondary Transfer Test | When17 September 2026 |
| Music second round starts | RouteSouth West Hertfordshire Secondary Transfer Test | When21 September 2026 |
| Music second round ends | RouteSouth West Hertfordshire Secondary Transfer Test | When25 September 2026 |
| Secondary application deadline for Hertfordshire residents | RouteSouth West Hertfordshire Secondary Transfer Test | When31 October 2026 |
Shared assessment dates are in the 11+ dates calendar. To decide where this school goes on the application form, use the school application order planner.
Fees
Watford Grammar School for Boys is a state-funded school, so there is no tuition fee for a Year 7 place. Uniform and optional activities can have separate costs. Check the Department for Education school record and the GOV.UK guide to state schools for the funding rule. The school can confirm current uniform and activity costs.
Inspection context
Inspection outcomes are maintained separately and are not present in current GIAS downloads.
Practise for this school's test
Start with the subjects confirmed in the admissions sources. Topic quizzes build skills; they are not replicas of this school's entrance test.
Three topic quizzes to try
- Try the solve a multi-step problem quiz
Free scored topic practice with an explanation after each answer.
- Try the select closest meaning quiz
Free scored topic practice with an explanation after each answer.
- Try the calculate a whole-number operation quiz
Free scored topic practice with an explanation after each answer.
We do not currently offer a reviewed timed mock matching this school's confirmed subject mix.
Official paper directory records
No school-specific paper records are listed here yet. Check the school's official admissions page for its latest familiarisation material.
Try the free diagnostic to choose what to practise next.
Relevant skills and exercises
- Build maths and numerical reasoning skills
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- Try Step Builder
Free interactive practice relevant to maths and numerical reasoning.
- Build verbal reasoning skills
Choose the option closest in meaning to a target word.
- Try Synonym Spectrum
Free interactive practice relevant to verbal reasoning.
Questions families ask
Which 11+ test does Watford Grammar School for Boys use?
Watford Grammar School for Boys uses South West Hertfordshire Secondary Transfer Test for September 2027 entry. GL Assessment supplies the academic mathematics and verbal-reasoning papers. Music aptitude is assessed separately.
How many Year 7 places does Watford Grammar School for Boys have?
Watford Grammar School for Boys's published admission number is 224 for September 2027 entry.
Who is eligible to apply to Watford Grammar School for Boys?
Families must submit their home council's secondary application and should complete the school's School Information Form by 31 October 2026. Applicants seeking an academic place take the consortium verbal reasoning and mathematics tests; music applicants take the consortium music test. A child applying only for a community or music place need not take the academic test. Specialist places prioritise the published Watford and rest-of-admission-area postcode sectors.
Are Watford Grammar School for Boys's 2027/28 oversubscription criteria published?
After children with an education, health and care plan, the 2027 policy reserves 146 community places. It orders looked-after and previously looked-after children, up to 22 nearest-home places, qualifying staff children, brothers at this school, sisters at Watford Grammar School for Girls, then remaining community places by straight-line distance. It separately offers up to 22 music-aptitude places and up to 56 academic-ability places in score order. The specialist places are split between the two admission areas. Looked-after, staff and same-school sibling criteria do not require residence in the admission area; the policy explains how any remaining places are offered to children outside it.
What subjects should a child prepare for Watford Grammar School for Boys?
The verified school or linked route evidence covers Mathematics, Verbal reasoning, and Music aptitude.
How current is the information for Watford Grammar School for Boys?
Smart Cub Learning reviewed 7 attached evidence sources by 2026-10-21. Unknown facts stay labelled and should be checked again before applying.
Sources and review record
- Open state-funded school fields CSV
Department for Education. Accessed 21 October 2026. GIAS register snapshot on 20 October 2026.
- ONS Postcode Directory May 2026 school-postcode centroid extract
Office for National Statistics. Accessed 21 October 2026. ONS Postcode Directory, May 2026; candidate-school postcodes queried 21 October 2026.
- Key testing dates 2026 for secondary transfer 2027
South West Herts Schools Consortium. Accessed 21 October 2026. September 2027 entry.
- South West Herts Schools Consortium general FAQs
South West Herts Schools Consortium. Accessed 21 October 2026. September 2027 entry.
- South West Herts Schools Consortium 2027 registration page
South West Herts Schools Consortium. Accessed 21 October 2026. September 2027 entry.
- South West Herts Schools Consortium member schools
South West Herts Schools Consortium. Accessed 21 October 2026. September 2027 entry.
- Watford Grammar School for Boys determined admissions policy 2027
Watford Grammar School for Boys. Accessed 21 October 2026. September 2027 entry.
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