UK Grammar School Open Events
July 2026
Your complete directory of confirmed open evening dates for July 2026 — covering 19 schools across 6 regions, with booking details and direct admissions links. Plus: why August is quiet this year, and what's coming in September.
July is the second wave
Many of London's biggest-name grammar schools — QE Boys, Nonsuch, Wallington — hold their main open events in early July rather than June. If you missed a June date, July is very much still in play.
Why so many schools in July?
Several of the biggest names — QE Barnet, Nonsuch, Wallington, Dr Challoner's — cluster their open events around the first week of July, often on the same one or two days. Plan your calendar carefully if you're considering more than one.
Booking fills up fast
Ticketed events like Nonsuch's Open Day and Wallington High School for Girls' Open Evening have already reported tickets selling out weeks in advance. Book the moment registration opens where you can.
Confirmed vs. needs verification
Confirmed dates have been cross-referenced against official school admissions pages. A handful of dates only appear on third-party directories — these are flagged separately so you can double-check before travelling.
Regional coverage
This guide covers grammar school open events across London, Surrey, Kent, Buckinghamshire, Birmingham, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Dorset and Wiltshire.
London & Surrey
Six confirmed events across Barnet, Sutton, Bromley and North West London — including three schools all opening their doors on Thursday 2 July.
Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet (QE Boys)
BARNETWallington County Grammar School
SUTTONNewstead Wood School
BROMLEYWallington High School for Girls
SUTTONNonsuch High School for Girls
SUTTON / SURREYSt Michael's Catholic Grammar School
BARNETKent
Three schools, five dates, all clustered around Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells in the first two weeks of July.
Maidstone Grammar School for Girls
MAIDSTONEThe Skinners' School
TUNBRIDGE WELLSTunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys
TUNBRIDGE WELLSBuckinghamshire
Four confirmed events across Amersham, Chesham, Aylesbury and High Wycombe.
Dr Challoner's Grammar School
AMERSHAMChesham Grammar School
CHESHAMAylesbury Grammar School
AYLESBURYJohn Hampden Grammar School
HIGH WYCOMBEMidlands
One confirmed Birmingham event this month — the King Edward VI Foundation's other schools mostly held their main events in June.
King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls
BIRMINGHAMNorth & Lincolnshire
Three confirmed events spanning Greater Manchester, Lancashire and the Lincolnshire grammar consortium.
Sale Grammar School
TRAFFORDClitheroe Royal Grammar School
LANCASHIREKesteven & Grantham Girls' School
LINCOLNSHIRESouth & South West
Two Dorset Consortium schools both open their doors on the same evening — Thursday 9 July.
Bournemouth School
DORSETParkstone Grammar School
POOLEFull July 2026 date calendar
All 19 confirmed schools sorted chronologically, cross-referenced against official school pages.
| Date | School | Region | Time | Booking | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 — 1–3 July | |||||
| Wed 1 Jul | Clitheroe Royal Grammar School | Lancashire | 5:30pm–7:30pm | Walk-in | Confirmed |
| Wed 1 Jul | Maidstone Grammar School for Girls | Kent | 13:35–15:25 | Booking required | Confirmed |
| Thu 2 Jul | Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet | Barnet | Ticketed sessions | Priority booking | Confirmed |
| Thu 2 Jul | Wallington County Grammar School | Sutton | 4:30pm–8:00pm | No booking | Confirmed |
| Thu 2 Jul | Dr Challoner's Grammar School | Bucks | 9:15am start | Booking opened 18 Jun | Confirmed |
| Thu 2 Jul | Chesham Grammar School | Bucks | 4:00pm–8:00pm | Ticketed | Confirmed |
| Thu 2 Jul | King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls | Birmingham | 4:00pm–6:00pm | Check page | Confirmed |
| Thu 2 Jul | Sale Grammar School | Trafford | 4:30pm–7:30pm | Check page | Confirmed |
| Fri 3 Jul | Maidstone Grammar School for Girls | Kent | 9:05–11:05 | Booking required | Confirmed |
| Week 2 — 6–10 July | |||||
| Mon 6 Jul | Aylesbury Grammar School | Bucks | Evening — TBC | Booking required | Confirmed |
| Mon 6 Jul | The Skinners' School | Kent | Open morning | Booking required | Confirmed |
| Tue 7 Jul | The Skinners' School | Kent | Open morning | Booking required | Confirmed |
| Tue 7 Jul | Wallington High School for Girls | Sutton | 4:00pm–8:30pm | Ticketed — selling fast | Confirmed |
| Wed 8 Jul | Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys | Kent | 8:50am start | Check page | Confirmed |
| Thu 9 Jul | Nonsuch High School for Girls | Sutton/Surrey | Open Day | Ticketed — sold out | Confirmed |
| Thu 9 Jul | Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys | Kent | 4:00pm–7:00pm | Check page | Confirmed |
| Thu 9 Jul | Kesteven & Grantham Girls' School | Lincolnshire | 5:00pm & 6:00pm talks | No booking | Confirmed |
| Thu 9 Jul | Bournemouth School | Dorset | 5:30pm–7:30pm | No booking | Confirmed |
| Thu 9 Jul | Parkstone Grammar School | Dorset | 6:00pm–8:00pm | Check page | Confirmed |
| Week 3 — 13–17 July | |||||
| Mon 13 Jul | St Michael's Catholic Grammar School | Barnet | 5:00pm–7:00pm | Walk-in | Confirmed |
| Fri 17 Jul | John Hampden Grammar School | Bucks | Timed slots | Ticketed, opens mid-June | Confirmed |
Making the most of your open evening visit
Six practical things every family should do before, during, and after each school visit this month.
Watch for the 2 & 9 July clusters
Six of this month's schools hold events on 2 July, and another five on 9 July. If you're comparing schools in those clusters, plan your route and timings carefully — you may only manage two in one evening.
Book the moment tickets open
Nonsuch and Wallington High School for Girls have both reported high demand this year. Set a reminder for the exact moment booking opens rather than checking back "sometime that week".
Bring your child
Most open evenings are designed for children too — not just parents. Your child's gut feeling about the atmosphere, teachers, and students they meet can be the deciding factor.
Check the journey time
A school 30 minutes away in July may be 60 minutes in the September rush hour. Do a test run before committing — especially for grammar schools outside your immediate local authority.
Verify the date before travelling
Always click the official school link and confirm the event is still on. Schools do reschedule — St Michael's postponed its June date to 13 July this year because of forecast high temperatures.
Note the registration deadlines
Several July open events fall right before entrance test registration closes — QE Barnet's deadline is 8 July at noon, for example. Attending the open event first gives you time to register with confidence.
Why August is quiet
We checked official admissions pages across all the regions in this guide and found no confirmed Year 7 grammar school open events scheduled for August 2026 — and that's normal, not a gap in our research.
Dates that need verification
These schools appear to have July 2026 events based on third-party listings, but we couldn't independently confirm the date, time or Year 7 relevance on the school's own site. Check directly before making plans.
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