St Bernard’s Catholic Grammar School is a unique institution: it is the only co-educational Catholic grammar school in the country. With a history stretching back to 1897, the school is celebrated for its strong academic results and its warm, inclusive community built on a foundation of faith.
Rated ‘Outstanding’ across all areas in its most recent Ofsted and Diocesan inspections (2023 & 2024), the school is praised as a “kind and inclusive community where everyone matters.” Inspectors noted that “pupils are proud to be members” and “respond enthusiastically to the school’s drive for excellence and high expectations,” which is reflected in its consistently high academic outcomes.
For parents seeking a high-achieving grammar school education within a supportive Catholic ethos, St Bernard’s is a top choice. Gaining a place, however, requires successfully navigating the Slough Consortium 11+ exam. This guide will provide you with a clear, accurate, and strategic roadmap to the entire process.
In this definitive guide, you will learn:
- Key dates for the 2025-2026 admissions cycle.
- A detailed breakdown of the Slough Consortium 11+ exam format.
- A clear explanation of the qualifying score and the school’s faith-based admissions criteria.
- An expert strategy to prepare your child for the specific demands of the test.
Key Information for 2026 Entry
- Address: 1 Langley Road, Slough, Berkshire, SL3 7AF
- Number of Places in Year 7: 150
- Exam Provider: GL Assessment
- School Type: Co-educational Catholic Grammar School
Key Dates for your Diary (2026 Entry)
- Registration Opens: Thursday 1st May 2025
- Registration Closes: Thursday 5th June 2025 (10am)
- 11+ Examination Date: Saturday 20th September 2025
- Results Released to Parents: Mid-October 2025
- Secondary School Application Deadline (CAF) & Supplementary Form: Friday 31st October 2025
- National Offer Day: Monday 2nd March 2026
Please note that dates can vary slightly, so it is always best to confirm with the Slough Consortium or St Bernard’s Catholic Grammar School’s website.
The St Bernard’s 11+ Exam Format
St Bernard’s Catholic Grammar School is part of the Slough Consortium, which means it uses the same shared 11+ entrance exam as Herschel, Langley, and Upton Court Grammar Schools. Your child only needs to sit one test to be considered for any of the four schools.
The exam is written and administered by GL Assessment. It consists of two papers, both taken on the same day with a short break in between. Each paper is approximately 60-65 minutes long.
Paper 1: Verbal Skills This paper focuses on language, logic, and comprehension. It includes:
- English Comprehension
- Verbal Reasoning (including topics like synonyms, antonyms, and codes)
Paper 2: Non-Verbal & Mathematical Skills This paper focuses on numerical and spatial reasoning. It includes:
- Mathematics
- Non-Verbal Reasoning (identifying patterns in abstract shapes)
- Spatial Reasoning (manipulating 2D and 3D shapes)
All questions across both papers are multiple-choice, and your child will mark their answers on a separate answer sheet.
The Admissions Process: Score and Faith-Based Criteria
Gaining a place at St Bernard’s is a two-stage process with specific faith-based criteria.
Stage 1: The Eligibility Score First, your child must achieve the minimum “eligibility score” in the exam to be considered for a place. This score is age-standardised to ensure fairness. The eligibility score for any Slough Consortium grammar school is 111 or above.
Stage 2: The Oversubscription Criteria Achieving a score of 111 does not guarantee a place. Because St Bernard’s is heavily oversubscribed, it then applies its specific admissions criteria to the pool of eligible children. Places are allocated in the following order of priority:
- Looked After and Previously Looked After Catholic children.
- Baptised Catholic children with a Certificate of Catholic Practice.
- Other Looked After and Previously Looked After children.
- Children of other Christian denominations.
- Children of other faiths.
- Any other children.
The Bottom Line: As a Catholic school, priority is given to baptised Catholic children. To be considered under the faith-based criteria, you must complete the school’s Supplementary Information Form (SIF) and return it directly to the school by the 31st October deadline.
[Image: A stylised graphic of a school crest, representing tradition and ethos.]
How to Prepare for the St Bernard’s Test
A structured and focused approach is the key to success.
- Focus on the GL Format: Ensure all practice materials are in the GL Assessment style. This means practising with multiple-choice questions and, crucially, using a separate answer sheet to perfect exam technique.
- Build a Broad Skillset: The test covers a wide range of skills. A balanced revision plan that gives equal weight to English/Verbal skills and Maths/Non-Verbal skills is essential.
- Develop Speed and Accuracy: The papers are tightly timed. Regular practice under timed conditions is vital to build the speed and accuracy needed to perform well under pressure.
- Don’t Forget the Foundations: The GL Assessment is strongly based on the Key Stage 2 curriculum. A deep and fluent understanding of core Maths and English topics is the best possible preparation.
By understanding the specific format of the exam and the importance of the faith-based admissions criteria, you can create a preparation plan that gives your child the best possible chance of success.
Ready to start your focused preparation?
➡️ Our GL Assessment Practice Packs are specifically designed to mirror the format and style of the Slough Consortium 11+ Test, providing the most authentic practice available.