Applying to Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School for September 2028? This guide covers the BRGS entrance examination, the qualifying score, how the 180 Year 7 places are allocated and the key dates for September 2028 entry.
Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School 11+ at a glance
Number of places in Year 7: 180 (2027-entry figure — Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School confirms each year's admission number in its determined arrangements, published the spring before entry.)
Qualifying score: No fixed pass mark is published. Your child needs to reach the qualifying score, which the test provider sets and standardises.
11+ test: BRGS entrance examination (three GL Assessment papers in verbal reasoning, maths and English)
Catchment or priority area: priority primary schools (see below)
Source: Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School Determined Admission Arrangements 2027/28. Last checked October 2026.
Key dates for September 2028 entry
BRGS hasn't published its timetable for 2028 entry yet. For 2027 entry, registration closed at 12 noon on Monday 14 September 2026, the entrance examination took place on Saturday 26 September 2026, and parents were told before the 31 October application deadline whether their child had reached the required standard. The windows below follow that pattern. We'll update this page as soon as the school publishes its 2028-entry dates.
Key dates for Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School 11+ entry in September 2028, with expected windows where the school has not yet confirmed exact dates.
Date
What happens
Mid-September 2027
Test registration expected to close (12 noon)
Late September 2027
Entrance examination
October 2027
Results expected, before the 31 October application deadline
Sunday 31 October 2027
Deadline to apply for secondary school places through your home local authority. This date falls on a Sunday.
Wednesday 1 March 2028
National offer day for secondary school places
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How to apply to Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School
Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School is selective, so your child needs to sit the 11+ test to be considered for a place.
You register your child for the entrance examination directly with BRGS, using the online application form linked from the school's admissions page.
Once you have your child's result, you apply by naming Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School on your common application form, which goes to your home local authority. For September 2028 entry the deadline is Sunday 31 October 2027. As it falls on a Sunday, you may find it easier to submit your form in the days before.
Reaching the qualifying score makes your child eligible, but it doesn't guarantee a place. If more qualifying children apply than there are places, the school uses its oversubscription criteria, set out further down this page.
What will my child be tested on?
The BRGS entrance examination is provided by GL Assessment. It is made up of three papers: verbal reasoning, maths and English.
The test is set and standardised by the provider, and your child needs to reach the qualifying score to be considered. GL Assessment publishes free familiarisation materials on its website, which show the layout of the papers and answer sheets.
If your child may need access arrangements, the school asks you to register as early as possible. For 2027 entry, requests had to be in by the registration deadline.
How are places allocated at Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School?
If more children reach the qualifying standard than there are 180 Year 7 places, Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School offers places in the order below. This order comes from the school's admissions policy for 2027/28. The school sets its 2028-entry policy separately, and we'll update this table if anything changes.
Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School oversubscription criteria in priority order, from the 2027/28 admissions policy.
Priority
Who it covers
First
Children with an education, health and care plan (EHCP) naming the school
1
Looked after and previously looked after children, including children who were in state care outside England
2
Children attending an Area 1 primary school, in order of entrance examination mark, with priority for those with a brother or sister in Years 7 to 11
3
Children attending an Area 2 primary school, in order of entrance examination mark, with priority for those with a brother or sister in Years 7 to 11
4
Children of staff employed at the school for two years or more, or recruited to fill a skills shortage
5
Children with a brother or sister in Years 7 to 11 at the school
6
All other children, in order of overall entrance examination mark
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Only children who reach the qualifying score are considered. If 180 or fewer qualifying children apply, all are admitted.
Does Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School have a catchment area?
BRGS doesn't use a map-based catchment. Instead, priority goes to children who attend named local primary schools. Area 1: Balladen, Britannia Community, St. Paul's CE, Crawshawbooth, Holy Trinity CE, Newchurch CE, Northern, Sharneyford, St. Anne's Edgeside CE, St. James the Less RC, St. Joseph's RC, St. Mary's CE, St. Mary's RC, St. Peter's RC, St. Saviour's Community, Thorn, Water, Waterfoot. Area 2: Broadway, Edenfield CE, Haslingden, Helmshore, Our Lady & St Anselm's RC, St. Bartholomew's CE, St. James CE, St. John's Stonefold CE, St. John with St. Michael CE, St. Mary's RC, St. Veronica's RC, Stubbins, Tonacliffe.
Where children can't otherwise be separated, the one living nearer the school, measured in a straight line from the home address, has priority. If distances are the same, random allocation decides.
If you don't live close to the school, it's worth thinking about how your child will get there every day. How long will the journey take? What transport options are available? Will they be travelling independently or with support?
A longer or more complex journey can affect your child's daily routine, including how much time they have for homework, rest and after-school activities. It's a good idea to think about how manageable the school run will be and whether it will work for your family day to day.
How can I help my child prepare for the test?
The BRGS entrance exam can feel like a big milestone, but preparation doesn't have to be overwhelming. Here's how you can help your child prepare for test day.
Stay on track with a clear plan
One of the hardest parts of 11+ preparation is knowing what to focus on, when, and how to make steady progress without it taking over family life.
A clear, structured plan helps your child feel less overwhelmed and more in control. It ensures they build skills in the right order, cover everything they need, and avoid last-minute cramming.
Atom's exam plan makes this easier. Enter your child's target schools and exam dates, and we'll create a personalised weekly plan tailored to the topics they'll be tested on. It shows them what to work on and when, adapts as they improve, and helps them build progress in a calm, manageable way — little and often.
That means less guesswork for you, less stress for them, and a clearer path all the way to exam day.
Build smart exam technique
As your child's knowledge grows, practice tests can help them feel more comfortable with the real exam format.
Atom's 11+ practice papers are built to match the format, timing and question styles of real 11+ exams. They're also unlimited — you can download the same paper again and again, and your child will get new questions each time. This helps them practise without repeating the same content.
We've made marking easy for you, too. Simply photograph your child's answer sheets and upload them to Atom. The papers are marked instantly, showing your child's standardised age score, where they're doing well, and what they should focus on next. You'll also learn how they compare to other children applying to the same school.
Encourage regular reading
Strong reading skills play a big role in 11+ preparation.
Encourage your child to read every day, even for just 10–15 minutes. The key is variety. Mix fiction and non-fiction, different genres, and a range of authors. This helps them become more confident in understanding tone, purpose and meaning across different texts.
Over time, regular reading will broaden their vocabulary, improve comprehension and inference, and build confidence in tackling unseen texts. And just as importantly, it can help them enjoy reading — not just see it as exam preparation.
When you're supporting your child through 11+ preparation, what really matters is knowing they're moving in the right direction — not just how they scored on a single test.
Atom's progress tracking gives you a clear, simple picture of how your child is doing in each topic and the direction they're moving in. You can see where they're on track, where they might need more practice, and spot progress as it happens.
That makes it easier to give meaningful encouragement, keep motivation steady, and focus on what matters most: consistent improvement, not just one-off results.
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Take control of your child’s 11+ preparation.
Not sure if your child is on track for the grammar school 11+? You don’t need to guess what to cover or whether they’re ready. Atom shows you exactly what to practise each week and how they’re performing, so you can stay ahead of the process without the stress.
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