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The Manchester Grammar School

The Manchester Grammar School sets — in our opinion — the most intellectually demanding 11+ maths paper in the country. It doesn't test speed or breadth: it tests how deeply a boy can think. That is exactly the reasoning Singapore Maths Academy builds from the ground up.
Exam board
Bespoke-SET
Entry
Year 7
Founded
1515
Year 7 places
180
The Manchester Grammar School logo

The Manchester Grammar School

SMA Difficulty
Master
Location: Manchester, Greater Manchester
School type: Independent
Admissions test: Bespoke-SET
Free 11+ Baseline Assessment
LOCATION & GETTING THERE

Where The Manchester Grammar School sits — and how to reach it

● Schools● Trains● Buses● School coaches
LOCATION
The Manchester Grammar School
Old Hall Lane, Manchester, M13 0XT
Other selective schools nearby, closest first — useful if you are considering more than one.
Manchester High School for Girls
Manchester, North West · 0.4 km away
View guide →
Withington Girls' School
Manchester, North West · 0.9 km away
View guide →
Stretford Grammar School
Stretford, North West · 5.3 km away
View guide →
Sale Grammar School
Sale, North West · 7.2 km away
View guide →
Nearest railway and Underground stations, with the lines that serve them. Distances are straight-line from the school.
Mauldeth Road
1.5 km from the school — Northern: Manchester Piccadilly to Manchester Airport and Crewe
Levenshulme
1.6 km from the school — Northern: Manchester Piccadilly to Stockport, Hazel Grove and Buxton
Burton Road (Manchester Metrolink)
2.4 km from the school — Manchester Metrolink: South Manchester line to East Didsbury
Old Hall Lane (nr)
0.1 km from the school — routes 41, 42, 42A, 42B, 42C, 43, 142, 143, 147
Langley Road (nr)
0.1 km from the school — routes 41, 42, 42A, 42B, 42C, 43, 142, 143, 147
Cawdor Road (nr)
0.2 km from the school — routes 41, 42, 42A, 42B, 42C, 43, 142, 143, 147
Bus stops closest to the school, with the routes that serve them. Distances are straight-line from the school.
Mauldeth Road
1.5 km from the school — Northern: Manchester Piccadilly to Manchester Airport and Crewe
Levenshulme
1.6 km from the school — Northern: Manchester Piccadilly to Stockport, Hazel Grove and Buxton
Burton Road (Manchester Metrolink)
2.4 km from the school — Manchester Metrolink: South Manchester line to East Didsbury
Old Hall Lane (nr)
0.1 km from the school — routes 41, 42, 42A, 42B, 42C, 43, 142, 143, 147
Langley Road (nr)
0.1 km from the school — routes 41, 42, 42A, 42B, 42C, 43, 142, 143, 147
Cawdor Road (nr)
0.2 km from the school — routes 41, 42, 42A, 42B, 42C, 43, 142, 143, 147
Coach services run by the school itself, where they exist.
Mauldeth Road
1.5 km from the school — Northern: Manchester Piccadilly to Manchester Airport and Crewe
Levenshulme
1.6 km from the school — Northern: Manchester Piccadilly to Stockport, Hazel Grove and Buxton
Burton Road (Manchester Metrolink)
2.4 km from the school — Manchester Metrolink: South Manchester line to East Didsbury
Old Hall Lane (nr)
0.1 km from the school — routes 41, 42, 42A, 42B, 42C, 43, 142, 143, 147
Langley Road (nr)
0.1 km from the school — routes 41, 42, 42A, 42B, 42C, 43, 142, 143, 147
Cawdor Road (nr)
0.2 km from the school — routes 41, 42, 42A, 42B, 42C, 43, 142, 143, 147
Private coach services are run by local operators — confirm routes and seats directly each September.
ON THIS PAGE
OVERVIEW

How the test is structured

Entry to The Manchester Grammar School runs across two days. First comes an Assessment Day in the autumn term of Year 6: boys are taught a maths concept they have never met, take part in group problem-solving, produce a piece of writing and join a discussion. It is deliberately impossible to prepare for — the school levels the field with entirely new material.

Those who progress return for the Entrance Examination Day in January, sitting two English papers and two Arithmetic papers. Arithmetic A is short and fast; Arithmetic B is a longer paper of multi-step problems demanding sustained reasoning. No calculators are allowed.

HISTORY & ETHOS

The school's story

Founded in 1515 by Hugh Oldham, Bishop of Exeter, The Manchester Grammar School has educated the North's finest minds for over five centuries and remains the largest independent day school for boys in the UK — more than 1,600 pupils aged 7 to 18 on a single Manchester campus.But MGS is not coasting on history. It is, in our view, the most academically rigorous boys' day school in the country outside London, and its entrance exam is the clearest expression of that philosophy. Where other schools test what a boy knows, MGS tests how he thinks when the path is unclear.The child who thrives here is curious, persistent and genuinely excited by hard problems — not merely well-drilled. Our Singapore Maths programme, built on deep conceptual understanding, bar modelling and multi-step reasoning, is designed precisely to grow that kind of thinker. We don't just prepare boys for MGS; we prepare them to love the maths MGS demands.

Why the maths is genuinely hard

MGS writes its own papers, and they show. Arithmetic B demands extended logical reasoning across multi-step problems where the method isn't signposted — boys must decide how to attack a problem mid-question. It is the closest thing in the 11+ world to a junior olympiad. KS2 knowledge is enough; KS2 thinking is not.

SMA DIFFICULTY VERDICT

Our honest take on the difficulty

The SMA Verdict

5

/5

Master

In our opinion, The Manchester Grammar School entrance exam is the most demanding 11+ maths paper in the country — and we are not alone in that view. It sits in a different category from the major boards. GL tests speed; CSSE tests question difficulty; MGS tests the depth of a child's mathematical reasoning.Arithmetic B is hard not because the content is exotic, but because the questions are genuinely open-ended and reward mathematical creativity over recall. A boy who flies through GL papers may find it a completely different animal. The children who thrive here are the ones who keep thinking after they reach an answer.

CATCHMENT & TOWNS

Where families come from

Cheadle & Cheadle Hulme
Bramhall
Didsbury
Wilmslow
Altrincham
Sale & Timperley
Hale & Bowdon
Stockport
Chorlton
Prestwich & Salford
KEY DATES

The 11+ admissions calendar

June 2026Registration opens
October 2026Assessment Day
January 2027Entrance Examination
FAQ

Parents' most common questions

What is the Assessment Day, and should my son prepare for it?

It's unlike any other 11+ event. MGS teaches boys a maths topic they haven't studied, then uses group work and writing to see how they engage with new ideas. No preparation is possible by design — it tests intellectual character. A curious, confident child who is comfortable with uncertainty naturally does better, and that's exactly the disposition our Singapore Maths programme builds.

Is MGS really harder than other 11+ maths papers?

In our opinion, yes — specifically on mathematical depth. Arithmetic B is open-ended, multi-step reasoning with no given method. It isn't about speed (GL) or question quirks (CSSE) — it's sustained logical thinking. We prepare candidates with extended problem-solving that goes well beyond standard 11+ content.

Can my son get in from a state primary, without a prep school?

Absolutely. MGS draws from across Greater Manchester including state primaries, and the Assessment Day is designed to remove prep-school advantage. What matters is genuine ability and curiosity — and our understanding-first method suits exactly the reasoning MGS rewards.

When should we start preparing?

Ideally Year 4 or early Year 5. The depth of reasoning MGS rewards is built over time through mastery — it can't be crammed in the months before the exam.

Is online tuition effective for MGS preparation?

Yes. Our small-group and one-to-one online lessons focus on live, multi-step problem solving and the bar model method, with full progress tracking for parents — well suited to the open-ended reasoning MGS demands.
EXAM PAPERS

Past and sample papers

COMING SOON

We're gathering the sample and familiarisation papers The Manchester Grammar School publishes, so you can see the real thing before you prepare. If you'd like them sooner, just ask.

NEARBY SCHOOLS

Other selective schools in the area

Manchester High School for Girls
Manchester, North West · 0.4 km
View guide →
Withington Girls' School
Manchester, North West · 0.9 km
View guide →
Stretford Grammar School
Stretford, North West · 5.3 km
View guide →
Sale Grammar School
Sale, North West · 7.2 km
View guide →

Preparing for The Manchester Grammar School?

We teach the reasoning these papers actually reward — not test tricks. Small online groups, qualified teachers, and a Singapore Maths method built on genuine understanding.