Plymouth High School for Girls
Plymouth High School for Girls at a glance
Plymouth High School for Girls is a girls’ grammar school in Plymouth for students aged 11 to 18, with about 780 pupils. It is part of The Thinking Schools Academy Trust. Year 7 places are given through its 11+ entrance test, and the school has a sixth form.
For September 2026 entry it offered 119 places and was the first choice of 104 families — fewer than one for every place. 32% of all applications came from families in other council areas.
In 2024/25, 90% of its GCSE students achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths, against 45% across England’s state schools. Its A-level students averaged B- per entry, and 15% achieved AAB or better including at least two facilitating subjects. 56% of sixth-form leavers went on to university (destinations measured in 2022/23).
Getting in: the 11+ and how places are given
- Test
- Separate tests in Torbay, Plymouth and Colyton
- Set by
- Torbay: GL Assessment. Plymouth: Quest Assessments from 2026. Colyton: its own test
- What it covers
- Torbay: English and maths. Colyton: English, maths and creative writing. Plymouth: see the schools' admissions pages
At this school: Plymouth grammar schools test, set by Quest Assessments from 2026.
How places are given
The Torbay schools rank children by standardised score with no fixed pass mark, offering places in order until they are full. Plymouth and Colyton publish their own criteria.
How to register and apply
Register with the schools in each system (Torbay and Plymouth schools share a registration within their group), and name them on your secondary application by 31 October.
Admissions rules change each year. Check the school’s current admissions policy — area details last checked October 2026.
Scores needed for a place
We have not yet added published entry scores for this school. Many schools publish the lowest score offered a place each year in their admissions pages — check the school’s website, and see how places are given above.
How many families apply
| Entry | Places | 1st choices | 1st choices per place | All applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 2026 | 119 | 104 | 0.9 | 317 |
| Sept 2025 | 120 | 133 | 1.1 | 362 |
| Sept 2024 | 120 | 138 | 1.1 | 362 |
| Sept 2023 | 120 | 110 | 0.9 | 296 |
| Sept 2022 | 119 | 118 | 1.0 | 310 |
| Sept 2021 | 119 | 128 | 1.1 | 390 |
Source: DfE, secondary school applications and offers. Places offered on National Offer Day; first preferences are families who put the school first on their council application.
Exam results
GCSE, 2024/25 · 103 pupils
Grade 5 or above in English and maths
Grade 4 or above in English and maths
Attainment 8 (average across 8 subjects)
| Year | Grade 5+ Eng & maths | Attainment 8 | Progress 8 | EBacc points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024/25 | 90.3% | 65.5 | — | 5.93 |
| 2023/24 | 90.5% | 65.3 | +0.24 | 5.82 |
| 2022/23 | 89.0% | 65.6 | +0.19 | 6.03 |
A level, 2024/25 · 109 students
- Average grade
- B-
- England: B-
- AAB or better*
- 15%
- England: 18%
- Value added
- -0.33
*AAB or better, with at least two in facilitating subjects. Value added compares students’ results with others who started from similar GCSEs; above 0 is better than expected.
Source: DfE school and college performance tables. England figures are for all state-funded schools. Progress 8 was not published for 2024/25.
Where students go next
- University
- 56%
- Apprenticeship
- 10%
- Employment
- 18%
- Any sustained destination
- 87%
Source: DfE 16–18 destination measures, students who left after A levels or equivalent, destinations measured in 2022/23 (111 students). Categories overlap slightly and do not sum to 100%.
Key facts
- Admits at 11
- Girls
- Ages
- 11–18
- Sixth form
- Yes
- Pupils
- 782 (capacity 804)
- Free school meals
- 13.7% of pupils eligible
- School type
- Academy converter
- Trust
- The Thinking Schools Academy Trust
- Local authority
- Plymouth
- Constituency
- Plymouth Sutton and Devonport
From the Department for Education’s register (URN 148369), October 2026.
Thinking about Plymouth High School for Girls?
See where your child stands with our free 15-minute 11+ readiness check — a score for Maths, English, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning, judged against their year.