The 11+ in Barkingside, explained honestly
Most providers keep you guessing on dates, formats and catchment. We don't. Here is exactly what your child faces, the deadline that really matters, and the routes open to your family — whether or not you live inside catchment.
Taught in genuinely small groups (max 6) at Fullwell Cross Library, Barkingside High Street, Ilford IG6 2LL.
The effective deadline is the end of Year 5.
The Redbridge test is sat in early September of Year 6 — on Friday 18 September 2026 for for Year 7 entry in September 2027. Children walk into the exam hall in the first days of Year 6, so there is no autumn term to prepare in. Whatever a child can do at the end of Year 5 is, in practice, what they bring to the test. Families who start in Year 6 have already missed it.
What the Redbridge GL test actually is
The two super-selective grammars in our area are Ilford County High (boys) and Woodford County High (girls). Both use the GL Assessment format — and the detail matters.
Two timed papers
The whole test is two papers covering four strands. There is no interview and no portfolio — it lives or dies on the day.
Entirely multiple-choice
Every question is multiple-choice, answered on a separate sheet. Accurate, fast answer-transfer is a skill in itself — and one we drill.
Age-standardised
Raw marks are adjusted for each child's exact age, so younger-in-year children are not penalised. Scores are reported on a standardised scale.
English + Verbal Reasoning
Comprehension, vocabulary, spelling/grammar and verbal-reasoning puzzles. Entirely multiple-choice — answers are marked on a separate answer sheet.
Maths + Non-Verbal / Spatial Reasoning
Arithmetic and problem-solving under time pressure, plus non-verbal and spatial reasoning. Also entirely multiple-choice.
The pass mark is only the floor
The qualifying standardised mark is 104. But reaching 104 only makes a child eligible — it does not win a place. These schools are super-selective: places are offered top-down to the highest scorers who meet catchment. A realistic in-catchment offer typically sits in the 115–125 range. We benchmark every child against both lines.
Strict catchment
Redbridge grammar places are tightly tied to home address. A strong score outside catchment will usually not result in an offer — which is why honest catchment guidance, not false hope, is part of how we work. More on that below.
Three dates that decide everything
The 11+ runs to a fixed annual calendar. Plot your child against it now — the registration window and the September test date are immovable.
- 1During Year 5
Registration window
Parents register with Redbridge from 1 May – 15 June (during Year 5). Miss it and there is no late entry — this is the first hard deadline.
- 2Summer of Year 5 → start of Year 6
Preparation must already be done
Because the test sits within days of children starting Year 6, the real preparation window closes at the end of Year 5. There is no meaningful Year-6 catch-up.
- 3Early September, Year 6
The test — Friday 18 September 2026
Two timed, all-multiple-choice papers, sat for Year 7 entry in September 2027.
- 41 March, Year 6
National Offer Day
Results feed your secondary application. Offers are confirmed on 1 March — roughly six months after the test.
Dates follow the Redbridge admissions calendar. Always confirm the exact registration window and test date on the council's site for your child's entry year — but the shape never changes: register in Year 5, test at the start of Year 6, offers on 1 March.
The four strands, mapped to our teaching
Every GL question falls into one of four strands. We assess each one at diagnostic, teach against it explicitly, and track it separately on your live progress dashboard.
English
EngEnglish questions, marked on the standardised scale.
Reading age and comprehension technique, inference, a working vocabulary, and the spelling/grammar that GL tests reward.
Verbal Reasoning
VRVerbal Reasoning questions, marked on the standardised scale.
Every GL verbal-reasoning question type, drilled to instinct — codes, sequences, letter/number logic and word relationships.
Maths
MathsMaths questions, marked on the standardised scale.
Curriculum mastery to a year ahead, mental-maths fluency, and timed problem-solving so accuracy holds under pressure.
Non-Verbal / Spatial
NVRNon-Verbal / Spatial questions, marked on the standardised scale.
Pattern, rotation, reflection and spatial logic — the strand most children meet for the first time at the 11+.
You can actually see the progress
Parents watch per-strand benchmark bands move over time against the 104 qualifying floor and the 115–125 offer zone — alongside attendance, homework and our Progress Guarantee. No black box, no "trust us."
In catchment? Out of catchment? Here's the truth
We would rather lose a sign-up than set a family up for disappointment. Catchment is the first question we help you answer — and we redirect openly when the grammar route is not realistic.
Go for the grammars
If you live inside the Redbridge catchment for Ilford County or Woodford County, the grammar route is the prize — and our flagship Intensive 11+ track is built for it.
- Full GL coverage across all four strands
- Aiming for the 115–125 offer zone
- Timed mocks in the real format
Essex CSSE grammars
For families near the Essex border, the CSSE grammars (Chelmsford, Colchester, Southend) are a strong alternative — but a different exam entirely: written, with a creative-writing element that GL multiple-choice prep does not cover.
- Extended written maths and English
- Dedicated creative-writing coaching
- Available as a focused add-on
Independents & scholarships
Chigwell, Forest and Bancroft's admit on their own assessments, with scholarship routes for the strongest candidates — and no catchment at all. Our premium track is fronted by our Habs founder, who knows the independent process from the inside.
- School-specific exam preparation
- Scholarship and interview practice
- No catchment restriction
Not sure which column you're in? That is exactly what our mock day and diagnostic are for. We will tell you, plainly, whether the grammars are realistic from your address — and if they are not, we'll point you to the route that is. This honesty is the whole reason we publish our prices, class sizes and the exam date in the first place; the same applies to where we think your child should aim.
Bloom Academy was founded by a Haberdashers' Aske's School for Girls alumna and a Chigwell School 90% academic-scholarship winner, who went on to careers in City and Mayfair finance. They have lived the selective process — and built the kind of small-group, fully transparent preparation they wish had existed.
Meet the foundersFind out where your child really stands
Book a GL mock and diagnostic. You'll leave knowing your child's benchmark against the 104 floor and the 115–125 offer zone, an honest read on catchment, and a clear plan for the time that's left before the end of Year 5.
Questions first? Read the FAQ or email hello@bloomacademy.org.uk.