GrammarPrep

Devon 11+ preparation: Plymouth grammars and Colyton

An answer-first guide to selective secondary entry in Devon — how Plymouth's three grammar schools and Colyton Grammar School test, and how to prepare from home.

Plymouth 11+ tests and the Colyton Grammar School entrance exam: key facts

Typical test date
Autumn term of Year 6 — most Devon selective tests sit in September or October; confirm each school's published date
Papers
Varies by school — typically 2-3 papers
Duration
Typically 45-60 minutes per paper — check each school's admissions guidance
Subjects
Core academic skills — English, Mathematics and reasoning; the exact mix varies by school
Indicative qualifying threshold
No single Devon-wide pass mark — each school sets its own qualifying standard, and oversubscribed schools admit in score or criteria order
Registration window
Usually late spring to early autumn of Year 5 — each school runs its own registration, so check every target school separately

Why Devon is different

Devon's selective landscape is easy to misread because it is really three separate systems. Plymouth has three grammar schools — Devonport High School for Boys, Devonport High School for Girls and Plymouth High School for Girls — each with its own admissions test arrangements. Colyton Grammar School in East Devon is a high-performing co-educational grammar that runs its own entrance exam and draws applicants from across Devon, Dorset and Somerset. And Torbay (Torquay, Paignton and Brixham) operates a separate co-ordinated system covered on our dedicated Torbay page.

Because each school or area tests separately, families in Devon often have more genuine choice than families in single-test counties — a child can realistically sit for a Plymouth grammar and Colyton in the same season. The trade-off is administrative: registration windows, test dates and formats are set per school, so the burden of tracking deadlines falls on parents rather than a single local-authority process.

Colyton in particular is heavily oversubscribed relative to its intake, and its reputation attracts strong applicants from a wide radius. Preparation aimed at Colyton should assume a competitive field; preparation aimed at the Plymouth grammars should be planned around each school's published format rather than a generic 11+ syllabus.

How the Plymouth 11+ tests and the Colyton Grammar School entrance exam is structured

  • Each Devon selective school publishes its own test arrangements — there is no county-wide Devon 11+ paper.
  • Plymouth's grammar schools test core academic skills — English, Mathematics and reasoning — with formats confirmed in each school's admissions pack for the year.
  • Colyton Grammar School runs its own entrance examination, typically sat in the autumn of Year 6, covering English, Mathematics and reasoning-style content.
  • Papers are age-standardised where standardised scoring is used, so younger children in the cohort are not disadvantaged.
  • Torbay's three grammar schools (Torquay Boys', Torquay Girls' and Churston) use a separate co-ordinated test — see our Torbay guide if you are south of the bay.

Notable grammar schools in Devon

4 grammar schools outside Torbay — 3 in Plymouth plus Colyton in East Devon.

  • Colyton Grammar School (East Devon)
  • Devonport High School for Boys (Plymouth)
  • Devonport High School for Girls (Plymouth)
  • Plymouth High School for Girls

How to prepare your child for the Devon 11+

Start by listing the specific schools your child will sit for, then work from each school's admissions page rather than a generic syllabus. Because Devon tests are school-run, the highest-value preparation hour is the one spent confirming exactly what each target school examines this year — subjects, paper count and timing — before choosing materials.

Build the core skills that every Devon selective test rewards: upper-Key-Stage-2 Mathematics fluency, strong reading comprehension and vocabulary, and familiarity with verbal and non-verbal reasoning question styles. A child secure in those four strands can adapt to any of the Plymouth or Colyton formats with a few weeks of format-specific practice papers.

If Colyton is on your list, plan for a competitive field: consistent practice from Year 5, regular timed mock papers in the summer before Year 6, and honest tracking of accuracy by topic. For Plymouth-only plans, the same routine applies with less intensity — steady daily practice beats late cramming in both cases.

Frequently asked questions about the Devon 11+

Which grammar schools are in Devon?

Outside Torbay, Devon has four: Colyton Grammar School in East Devon (co-educational), and three in Plymouth — Devonport High School for Boys, Devonport High School for Girls and Plymouth High School for Girls. Torbay has a further three grammar schools under its own separate admissions system.

Is there a single Devon 11+ test?

No. Each school (or area) runs its own arrangements: the Plymouth grammars test separately from Colyton, and Torbay runs its own co-ordinated test. If your child is applying to more than one, expect more than one registration and possibly more than one test sitting.

When is the Colyton Grammar School entrance exam?

Colyton's entrance exam is typically sat in the autumn term of Year 6, with registration in the months beforehand. The school publishes exact dates and the registration deadline on its admissions page each year — check there before planning, as arrangements can change.

How hard is it to get into Colyton Grammar School?

Colyton is consistently among the most oversubscribed selective schools in the South West, drawing applicants from across Devon and neighbouring counties. There is no published fixed pass mark — places go to the strongest performers in the applicant field, so preparation should assume a competitive cohort.

Can my child sit for both a Plymouth grammar and Colyton?

Usually yes, because the tests are run separately. Families commonly register for more than one Devon selective school in the same season. Check that test dates do not clash and that you meet each school's registration deadline — both are published per school.

What subjects should we prepare for the Devon 11+?

Prepare the common core first: Mathematics to upper Key Stage 2 depth, English comprehension and vocabulary, and verbal and non-verbal reasoning styles. Then check each target school's published format and add school-specific practice papers in the final months.

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