Year 7 Admissions

Sir Thomas Rich’s has a five-form intake, admitting 150 boys into Year 7 every year. We are an academically selective school, which means that in order to be offered a place, prospective pupils must sit the Gloucestershire Grammer School Admission Test.

Sitting the Test and achieving the qualifying standard is not a guarantee of a place, however, as an offer will depend on a number of factors, including how many prospective pupils qualify, rankings, and how many place Rich's first on the Local Authority Common Application Form.

Full admissions information for Sir Thomas Rich’s School – including answers to frequently asked questions regarding the test, special educational needs, disabilities, Pupil Premium, test rankings and formal appeals – is available in the latest edition of our Lower School Prospectus.

Please see our Widening Access section for Opportunities for Pupil Premium Pupils.

See below for further information on preparing for the Test.

If you would like to appeal for a place in Year 7 2026 please click here

  • 18 May 2026 – test registration opens at noon (online, via homepage)
  • 26 June 2026 – test registration closes at noon
  • 12 September 2026 – test day at STRS
  • Mid-October 2026 – results emailed to parents
  • 31 October 2026 – deadline to complete the LA Common Application Form
  • 1 March 2027 – national allocation day / appeals process opens

GL Assessment provide free familiarisation materials which can be found here: Free Familiarisation Materials from GL Assessment. Beyond this, the best preparation for the test is to read a wide range of books and practise mathematics on a regular basis.

Rich's is part of the G7 group, seven grammar schools in the county who work together to administrate the Gloucestershire Grammar Schools Admission Test for entry to Year 7. Each of the seven grammar schools publishes a link to the portal on its website when registration opens.

You only need to register once, regardless of whether you are interested in your son attending one or several of the Gloucestershire grammar schools. When you register, you can choose which of the schools you would like to share the test result with, and where you would like your son to sit the Admissions Test. If you do not choose to share your results with a school, they will not be able to provide your child with a rank and you will not be able to apply to that school.

Late applications are not accepted so it’s important to complete the registration form – which is also available as a paper copy on request – before the June deadline.

After registration, parents receive an automated confirmation email, and in early September will receive further information about arrangements for the test day direct from the school where their child is sitting the test. This will be by email to the address which was used when you registered your son for the test.

The seven Gloucestershire Grammar Schools (G7) have appointed Future Stories Community Enterprise (FSCE) as their new admissions test provider for entry to Year 7 from 2028 onwards, following a comprehensive competitive tender process.

The procurement sought an organisation with proven technical expertise, robust security, strong capacity for large‑scale assessment, and a commitment to fair and accessible selective testing. FSCE was selected from a field of qualified national providers.

A New Chapter for Grammar School Admissions in Gloucestershire

Each year, around 3,000 children register to sit the Gloucestershire Grammar Schools Admissions Test, with approximately 2,500 taking part. The G7 schools operate a shared testing process, enabling families to sit one test for entry to all seven schools.

As part of the new arrangements, the Gloucestershire Grammar Schools have also taken the decision to move the test date from September of Year 6 to the latter part of the summer term of Year 5. This will reduce pressure on pupils beginning Year 6, and provide families with earlier results. These arrangements will take effect from summer 2027 for first entry into Year 7 in September 2028.

Under the new arrangements, FSCE will design, develop, and deliver the test papers – including scoring, analysis, age‑standardisation, and secure reporting of results – and will provide specialist guidance and support to admissions teams across all seven schools.

Why FSCE?

FSCE, a not‑for‑profit subsidiary of Reading School, develops bespoke admissions assessments designed specifically for selective state grammar schools. Their tests are currently used by 12 grammar schools and consortia nationally, with more than 8,000 pupils sitting FSCE papers each year.

The G7’s decision reflects FSCE’s strong technical expertise in designing valid, curriculum‑aligned assessments; its commitment to fairness and accessibility through inclusive design and its shared focus on widening access for disadvantaged pupils.

A Focus on Fairness and Opportunity

A key objective of the G7 tender was to identify an assessment provider whose tests support fair access for all pupils, regardless of background. FSCE’s approach draws heavily on Key Stage 2 curriculum content, ensuring accessibility for children from a wide range of primary schools and reducing reliance on specialist 11+ tutoring. FSCE also provides adapted formats – including Braille, large print and modified papers – and expert support for schools making reasonable adjustments for candidates with additional needs.

Next Steps

Over the coming months, FSCE and G7 admissions teams will work closely together on: • finalising test specifications • agreeing timelines for any change to the test date • preparing familiarisation materials for families • ensuring a secure and smooth transition from the current provider.

Further details will be available on each school’s website at the start of the next academic year (September 2026).

The Grammar Schools of Gloucestershire are committed to widening access through an extensive programme of outreach and support.

For the 11+ test, there are several providers offering familiarisation materials; accessing resources of this kind is a good way to familiarise children with the style of questions they may be asked in the 11+ and help build confidence ahead of their test.

We work with Atom Learning, an online 11+ preparation and Key Stage 2 learning platform, to provide children who are eligible for Pupil Premium with free familiarisation materials, including learning resources and practice questions covering English, Maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning, along with mock tests.

If your child has been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years, please fill in the request form by clicking the button below; you will be given free access to Atom Home when your child’s Pupil Premium status has been verified by their primary school.

On results day, we will let you know if your son has achieved the qualifying standard for Sir Thomas Rich’s. If your son has achieved the qualifying standard, you will be able to put Sir Thomas Rich’s as a preference on the LA Common Application Form.

Pupils who rank in the top 155 for Sir Thomas Rich’s (the number of pupils we admit into Year 7) are guaranteed to be offered a place if we are listed as first preference on the Common Application Form. Pupils who qualify and rank at 156 or lower may still be offered a place, dependent on factors such as the number of students sitting the test who choose to share their results with us, academic ability and how many eligible pupils put Rich’s as their highest preference on the LA Common Application Form.

In previous years, offers of a place at Sir Thomas Rich’s have been made on 1 March, down to a rank of:

  • September 2026 only - Rank 332
  • September 2025 entry - Rank 346
  • September 2024 entry - Rank 327
  • September 2023 entry - Rank 363
  • September 2022 entry - Rank 397
  • September 2021 entry - Rank 371

Secondary school places are offered to all Year 6 pupils by Local Authorities on the same day across the country, usually on 1 March or the next working day if this falls over a weekend.

If you are offered a place at Sir Thomas Rich’s, the LA will let you know how to accept it.

If you are not offered a place at Sir Thomas Rich’s you may be able to go onto our waiting list and / or appeal. Full details are available here: Lower School Prospectus

You are welcome to contact us at any time about the admissions process: admissions@strs.org.uk

The G7 group of schools also jointly issues the following information about the test: Gloucestershire Grammar Schools Admissions Information

Information about transfer to secondary school in Gloucestershire is available from Gloucestershire County Council online at: GCC Transfer to Secondary School