Bournemouth School for Girls 11 plus guide

About Bournemouth School for Girls

Bournemouth School for Girls (BSG) is a grammar school, founded in 1918, serving girls aged 11–18 in Bournemouth and the surrounding area. The school is committed to providing a well-rounded and balanced education, helping students develop the confidence, skills and desire to make a positive difference in the world.

Pupils at BSG are encouraged to work hard, be kind and be ambitious. Exam results are consistently high; in 2022, girls' results at A level and GCSE ranked the school as the highest-performing in Dorset, fourth in the southwest and 65 out of all state secondary schools in the UK.

Bournemouth School for Girls is a member of the South West Academic Trust. This includes the University of Exeter and grammar schools in Devon, Dorset and Wiltshire. This membership provides exciting opportunities for pupils and staff, and enables the school to develop innovative approaches to teaching and learning.

• Address: Bournemouth School for Girls, Castle Gate Close, Castle Lane West, Bournemouth, BH8 9UJ

• Local authority: Dorset Council

• School type: girls' grammar

• Headteacher: David Sims

• Number of pupils: 1,150+

• National rank (Sunday Times Parent Power): 65

• A level results: 85.9% A*–B

• GCSE results: 71.8% A*/A/9/8/7

Key info for Year 7 admissions

• Admissions contact: [email protected], 01202 526289

• Number of places in Year 7: 180

• Open event: Thursday 6th July 2023, 1.45–3.15pm and 4–6pm

• 11 plus registration opens: 17th April 2023

• 11 plus registration closes: 8th September 2023

• Exam date: 23rd September 2023

• Exam type: Dorset Consortium – GL Assessment

• Common application form (CAF) deadline: 31st October 2023

• National school offer day: 1st March 2024

How to apply to Bournemouth School for Girls

1. Register for the 11 plus

Before registering, speak to your child’s teacher to see if the 11 plus and grammar school is right for them. The 11 plus exam is a challenging exam, designed to select the children working within the top 25% of their year group.

You will need to complete a test registration form to register your daughter for the 11 plus test. This will be available to complete on the school website from 9am on 17th April, and will close on 8th September 2023.

2. Apply for school places

You will receive your daughter's results in the 11 plus in a letter posted by the school on 13th October 2023. You can use the results to decide which schools to include on your local authority secondary application form. You must complete the form for your home local authority:

• Dorset residents: Dorset Council

• Hampshire residents: Hampshire County Council

• Wiltshire residents: Wiltshire Council

If your daughter has met the score necessary to be eligible for a place at Bournemouth School for Girls, you will be able to name the school as a preference on the form. However, make sure to check the school's oversubscription criteria first; in the likely event that more children achieve the qualifying score than there are places available, the school will need to apply oversubscription criteria to prioritise places.

The application form must be submitted to your home local council by 31st October 2023.

What is the pass mark for Bournemouth School for Girls?

Your daughter's raw scores for the three papers will be standardised according to her age in years and months. This is to ensure that children born later in the school year aren't disadvantaged by being younger. The scores will then be shared with the other three schools in the Dorset Consortium.

All candidates' marks will then be ranked in order of success. There is no set pass mark, as the qualifying standard will be determined by the number of children who have taken the test, and how well the particular cohort has performed.

Achieving the qualifying score doesn't guarantee a place at the school of your choice, as schools are oversubscribed with qualified candidates. We always recommend researching the admission policies for your target schools, looking at their oversubscription criteria and their catchment area.

Bournemouth School for Girls oversubscription criteria

The planned admission number (PAN) for Year 7 is 180. If more children reach the standardised pass mark than there are places available, places are allocated in this order:

1. Looked After Children, Previously Looked After Children and Internationally Adopted Previously Looked After Children

2. Girls who are eligible for the Pupil Premium Grant, ranked in order of test scores

3. 130 places are assigned for girls who scored highest in the 11 plus, ranked in order of their scores from highest to lowest

4. Remaining eligible girls who live within the school's catchment area

5. Remaining eligible girls who live outside of the school's catchment area

Bournemouth School for Girls catchment area

The priority area for Bournemouth School for Girls covers the following postcodes:

• BH1, BH2, BH3, BH4, BH5, BH6, BH7, BH8, BH9, BH10, BH11, BH12 5

• BH23 1, BH23 2, BH23 3

Personalised 11 plus prep for your child

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