The Warwickshire grammar schools
Stratford-upon-Avon Grammar School for Girls has a strong reputation and selective entry. Alcester Grammar School is co-educational, serving the Alcester area. King Edward VI School Stratford-upon-Avon is a historic foundation (boys, admitting girls into sixth form). Lawrence Sheriff School is a boys' grammar in Rugby, and Rugby High School is the girls' grammar there.
All five use the Warwickshire 11+ as the primary entry criterion, supplemented by their own oversubscription policies (typically distance, sibling status, or pupil-premium priority).
The Warwickshire 11+
GL Assessment provides the test format. Four sections (English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning, and Non-Verbal Reasoning) sat in late September of Year 6. Registration deadlines fall in the summer term of Year 5; details are published annually on Warwickshire County Council's admissions site.
How tutoring usually focuses
Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning
Not taught in school. Tutors drill the recurring GL question types systematically: coded language, analogy, sequence patterns, matrix recognition. Most students need 4-6 months of consistent practice for fluency.
Maths fluency
KS2-level content but under tight time pressure. Tutors drill arithmetic, fractions, percentages, ratio, and multi-step word problems until students can answer reliably within the time per question.
English comprehension
Reading-comprehension passages with varied question types. Wider reading consistently helps; tutors supplement with explicit comprehension-skill drilling on inference, retrieval, and language analysis.
Past-paper density
Commercial publishers (Bond, CGP, Letts) provide GL-style practice papers that match the Warwickshire format closely. Past-paper density rises in the final 2-3 months before the September test.
Choosing a Warwickshire 11+ tutor
Strong tutors know the GL question patterns. Both in-person and online tutors work well; in-person clusters around Stratford, Warwick, Leamington, and Rugby, while online opens up specialists outside Warwickshire. Ask candidate tutors about previous students placed at the specific grammar you're targeting. Most Warwickshire families want generalist 11+ tutors comfortable with all four sections (English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning) rather than narrow specialists.