Ilford County High vs Woodford County High: a parent's guide

Parents in Barking, Ilford and nearby areas often talk about "the Redbridge grammars" as if they were one school. They are two separate schools with a lot in common. This guide compares them using official information only, so you can see what is the same, what is different and what it means for your child.

What is the main difference between the two schools?

Ilford County High School is for boys and Woodford County High School is for girls. That is the deciding factor for most families, because your child can only apply to one of them.

Both are selective state schools, so there are no fees. Both are run as community schools maintained by Redbridge Council, according to the Department for Education's Get Information about Schools service.

How do the two schools compare?

Here are the key facts side by side.

Sources: GIAS – Ilford County High, GIAS – Woodford County High, Redbridge Admissions Arrangements 2027-28 and Redbridge allocations report, March 2026.

Do they use the same 11+ test?

Yes. Both schools take Year 7 pupils through one test run by Redbridge Council. Your child sits two papers on one day: English and Verbal Reasoning, and Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning. The council says the test is provided by GL Assessment (Redbridge 11 plus page).

For September 2027 entry, registration ran from 1 May to 15 June 2026 and the test was on Friday 18 September 2026. Our guide to Redbridge 11+ dates and registration covers every step.

How are places given out?

Both schools use exactly the same rules. The Redbridge Admissions Arrangements 2027-28 say every child must score at least 104 to be ranked. Then places go in this order:

1. Looked after and previously looked after children.
2. 45 places (25%) for children entitled to the pupil premium, ranked by score.
3. Other children in the Common Catchment Area, ranked by score.
4. Children outside the Common Catchment Area, ranked by score.

Ties are broken by the shortest safe walking distance from home to the school. Redbridge also says that only children living in the Common Catchment Area have been admitted to the grammar schools in the last 10 years. Barking families should check their postcode first using our catchment guide.

Is one school harder to get into?

On recent figures, Woodford County High has needed a higher score. Redbridge publishes the score of the last on-time catchment child offered a place at each school.

Source: Redbridge allocations and cut-offs, March 2026. These are scores as of national offer day. Some children are offered places later from the waiting list.

Two cautions. First, the cut-off moves every year, sometimes by several points. Second, a past cut-off is not a target. Aim for your child to be comfortably secure in Maths, English and reasoning, not to scrape a number.

What about the sixth forms?

Both schools have sixth forms that also admit students from other schools. For September 2027, Redbridge lists 40 external Year 12 places at Ilford County High and 23 at Woodford County High.

Woodford's sixth form entry criteria ask for a 6.5 GCSE grade point average across a student's best 8 subjects, with at least a 6 in English and a 6 in Maths, plus subject-specific grades. Check Ilford County High's own website for its current sixth form requirements.

This matters because a child who does not get in at 11 can still aim for a selective sixth form at 16. Our guide to selective sixth forms in East London covers more options.

How do we choose between them?

For most families there is no choice to make, because the school is decided by whether your child is a boy or a girl. The more useful questions are:

• Is the journey realistic? Barkingside and Woodford Green are both a trip from Barking. Try the route at school times before you apply.
• Will your child be happy in a highly academic setting? Visit the open evening. Both schools held open evenings for Year 5 families on 30 April 2026, according to Fairlop Primary's 11+ page.
• What are your other preferences? You can list up to six schools on your application. Always include strong non-selective options too.

How LCB can help

We prepare children from Barking, Ilford and Dagenham for the Redbridge 11+ in small groups of 3 to 5. Our 11+ tutoring covers Maths, English, verbal and non-verbal reasoning, in person at our Barking centre or online. Female tutors are available on request.

We cannot promise a place, and nobody honestly can. What we can do is show you exactly where your child stands. Book a free assessment and we will give you a clear, honest picture and a plan.