For parents and guardians: Please verify all school data — cut-off scores, applicant numbers and competition ratios — against official sources (school websites, local authority admissions data) before making any decisions. The figures on this page are researched but not guaranteed and change each admissions cycle.
Complete 2025/26 11+ Guide to Grammar Schools in Redbridge (Ilford & Woodford)
Redbridge (Ilford & Woodford) is home to 2 fully selective grammar schools and 0 partially selective schools, served by the London Borough of Redbridge (LBR) — joint admissions authority for both schools. This guide covers every school — admissions criteria, competition data, cut-off scores, GCSE results, and specific prep advice — so you can make an informed decision.
How the Redbridge (Ilford & Woodford) 11+ works
Two multiple-choice papers sat on the same day with a short break between them. Paper 1: English & Verbal Reasoning (~50–60 min). Paper 2: Mathematics & Non-Verbal Reasoning (~50–60 min). All questions are multiple-choice; answer sheets are electronically marked. Scores are standardised by age.
Both Redbridge grammar schools use a single shared selection test administered by the London Borough of Redbridge. A qualifying pass mark of 104 applies; no candidate scoring below this is placed on any waiting list. Passing the test does not guarantee a place — both schools are significantly oversubscribed among qualifying candidates within the Common Catchment Area. In practice, no child living outside the Common Catchment Area has ever been offered a place at either school. Parents must register separately with LBR for the test AND submit a Common Application Form (CAF) to their home local authority by 31 October.
Key dates
Who can apply?
Child must be in Year 5 at time of registration (sitting test in Year 6 the following September).
Child must live within the Redbridge Common Catchment Area — covering the London Borough of Redbridge, the London Borough of Waltham Forest, and designated parts of Barking & Dagenham, Newham, and Essex. Check via the interactive map at redbridge.gov.uk.
No child living outside the Common Catchment Area has ever been offered a place at either Redbridge grammar school, regardless of score.
Registration is through the London Borough of Redbridge website (not through the school directly).
Child must also be named on the Common Application Form (CAF) submitted to the home local authority by 31 October.
Ilford County High School admits boys only; Woodford County High School admits girls only.
Admissions process
Parents register online via the London Borough of Redbridge website during the May–June window (Year 5 summer term). Proof of address and date of birth required. Late registrations are not accepted under any circumstances.
Two GL Assessment multiple-choice papers sat on a single day in September of Year 6, at one of the Redbridge grammar school sites. Paper 1 covers English & Verbal Reasoning; Paper 2 covers Maths & Non-Verbal Reasoning. Each paper is approximately 50–60 minutes with a short break between them.
Results are emailed to parents in mid-October. The email confirms whether the child has achieved the pass mark of 104. The standardised score is also provided. Passing does not guarantee a place; both schools are heavily oversubscribed among qualifying catchment candidates.
Parents name preferred schools on the Common Application Form and submit it to their home local authority by 31 October. Both ICHS and Woodford may be listed as preferences. The LA will apply the admissions criteria for each school separately.
Places are allocated on 2 March (for September entry). The admissions criteria order for both schools is: (1) children with an EHCP naming the school; (2) LAC/previously-LAC children; (3) up to 45 Pupil Premium places, ranked by standardised score; (4) remaining in-catchment children, ranked by standardised score; (5) out-of-catchment children by score — though in practice no out-of-catchment offers have ever been made. Tie-break for equal scores is shortest walking distance from home to school.
School Directory
See all 2 schools — free to start
Create a free YearWise account to access full school profiles, competition ratios, cut-off scores and admissions history.
You also get Year 1–6 maths, reading and GPS practice for your child — free to start.
Create free accountComing soon — we'll update this page when it's ready.
Disclaimer: Data from official school and LA sources (ichs.org.uk, woodford.redbridge.sch.uk, redbridge.gov.uk, ofsted.gov.uk, compare.education.gov.uk), verified March–April 2026. Key dates for 2026/27 confirmed from redbridge.gov.uk and school websites. Ofsted report card for ICHS (January 2026) from reports.ofsted.gov.uk. DfE performance data from compare.education.gov.uk. Sunday Times Parent Power 2024 London regional rankings from publicly available league table data. Always verify before acting at redbridge.gov.uk/schools/school-admissions/redbridge-11-plus/ Always verify figures on the school or local authority website before making decisions — data changes each admissions cycle. Last updated: 2026-04-04. We aim to refresh this guide every year after new DfE data is published (typically June/July).