Grammar Schools in Stoke-on-Trent
St Joseph's College is a selective Catholic academy and the only school of its kind in Stoke-on-Trent. Its test is unlike any other in this directory - no maths paper, no English comprehension - and reaching the standard is only the beginning of the process, not the end of it.
Test
St Joseph's College entrance test
Provider (2027 entry)
Not publicly disclosed
Test date
15, 16 and 17 September 2026 - three consecutive sitting days
Registration
Closed 2 September 2026 for 2027 entry
What families in Stoke-on-Trent need to know
- The test is verbal reasoning of 50 minutes and non-verbal reasoning of 40 minutes. There is no maths paper and no English comprehension paper.
- Reaching the standard is a gateway, not a ranking. An age-adjusted score of 105 qualifies a child to complete the application form; places are then allocated on faith-based criteria rather than by test score. This is the most misunderstood thing about the school.
- The oversubscription cascade is denominational. Baptised Catholic children come first and take up to 125 of the 150 places, other Christian denominations follow with normally no more than 18, and other children rank last. Catholic applicants need a baptismal certificate and a Certificate of Practice from the Archdiocese of Birmingham.
- The school does not publish who writes its papers. It suggests GL Assessment familiarisation material as revision, which is a study tip rather than a statement of who supplies the test - do not read it as one.
- The test runs across three consecutive days rather than a single sitting, so families should not assume a fixed date when booking time off.
The 1 grammar school in Stoke-on-Trent
Admissions details change year to year. Always confirm dates and criteria on the school's own admissions page before applying.
St Joseph's College
Stoke-on-Trent, Stoke-on-Trent
Checked against council and school admissions sources on 1 September 2026
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