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Are you considering Caistor Grammar School for your child? We've collated all the information you need to know about 2024 entry to Year 7. Keep reading to learn about key dates, the admissions process, and how to prepare for the school's 11 plus exam.
About Caistor Grammar School
Caistor Grammar School is a selective academy in Lincolnshire for boys and girls aged 11 to 18. It was founded in 1630 and has grown to become one of the highest-performing schools in the East Midlands; the Sunday Times named it 'The East Midlands Secondary School of the Year' in 2017 and later 'East Midlands Secondary School of the Decade' in 2020.
Caistor Grammar School is committed to giving its students an 'enviable academic education' within the framework of a caring community. Beyond the classroom, students have access to a varied extracurricular programme of activities, including the Duke of Edinburgh Award, musical choirs and orchestras, sports and opportunities in the creative arts.
Address: Caistor Grammar School, Church Street, Caistor, LN7 6QJ
Local authority: Lincolnshire County Council
School type: mixed grammar
Headteacher: Shona Buck
Number of pupils: approx. 700
National rank (Sunday Times Parent Power): 137
A level results: 72.6% A*–B
GCSE results: 68.7% A*/A/9/8/7
Key info for Year 7 admissions
Admissions contact: [email protected], 01472 851250
Number of places in Year 7: 96
Open day date: 10th May 2023. A virtual tour is also available online
11 plus registration opens: March 2023
11 plus registration closes: 11th August 2023
Exam date: 23rd and 30th September 2023
Exam type: school's own
Common application form (CAF) deadline: 31st October 2023
National school offer day: 1st March 2024
Caistor Grammar School term dates
The term dates at Caistor Grammar School in 2023–2024 are:
Autumn term: 4th September – 21st December 2023
Half term: 23rd October – 3rd November 2023
Spring term: 3rd January – 28th March 2024
Half term: 12th–16th February 2024
Summer term: 15th April – 19th July 2024
Half term: 27th–31st May 2024
The term dates at Caistor Grammar School in 2024–2025 are:
Autumn term: 3rd September – 20th December 2024
Half term: 21st October – 1st November 2024
Spring term: 6th January – 4th April 2025
Half term: 17th–21st February 2025
Summer term: 22nd April – 23rd July 2025
Half term: 26th–30th May 2025
How to apply to Caistor Grammar School
If you would like your child to be considered for a place at Caistor Grammar School, you will need to register for them to take the 11 plus exam and apply for a school place separately.
1. Register for the 11 plus
Caistor Grammar School administers its own 11 plus tests, and you will need to register directly with the school for your child to take the exam. Registration will open on the school website in early March 2023 and will close on 11th August 2023 – although registering in advance of the deadline (preferably by early July) is recommended.
2. Apply for a school place
All state secondary school places – including grammar schools – must be applied for via your local authority (LA). If you live in Lincolnshire, you will be able to apply via the Lincolnshire County Council website between 1st September and 31st October 2023. If your child lives in a different local authority, you will need to apply using the application form provided by your home LA. This will then be forwarded to Lincolnshire LA.
You will know whether your child has met the qualifying mark in the Lincolnshire 11 plus to be eligible for a place at Caistor Grammar School before the local authority deadline.
The 11 plus at Caistor Grammar School
Children applying to Caistor Grammar School will take two 11 plus verbal reasoning papers in September on the school site. Both papers will last for one hour, including 15 minutes of practice questions.
23rd September 2023: standard verbal reasoning (children will need to write their answers freely)
30th September 2023: multiple-choice verbal reasoning (children will need to select their answer from a list of options)
Caistor Grammar School is the only selective state school in Lincolnshire which produces its own 11 plus test. Example questions are available on the school website.
Free 11+ verbal reasoning resources
What is the pass mark for Caistor Grammar School?
The pass mark for Caistor Grammar School is 220 (the total score across both papers). This corresponds to the same standard required in the Lincolnshire 11 plus and is designed to select children working in the upper 25% of their year group's ability range.
The results of the exam will be emailed to you on 17th October 2023. However, passing the 11 plus does not guarantee that your child will receive a place at the school, as more children normally qualify for a place than there are places available. See more information about this below.
Caistor Grammar School oversubscription criteria
There are 96 places available in Year 7 at Caistor Grammar School. If more than 96 children who have listed Caistor Grammar School as their preferred school on the common application form achieve a mark of more than 220, then the school will apply oversubscription criteria.
Children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) which specifically names the school will be allocated places first. The remaining places will then be allocated as follows:
Qualified children who are in public care (Looked After Children), including children previously in public care
Children who have met the pass mark and live within 6.5 miles from the school (measured in a straight line)
Up to 12 places are then reserved for children who are in receipt of Pupil Premium (Ever 6)
Children who do not fall into the above categories, ranked by their verbal reasoning scores from highest to lowest
Caistor Grammar School catchment area
The catchment area for Caistor Grammar School covers a distance of up to 6.5 miles from the school address. This is defined as the crow files (a straight line distance) from the post office address point of the school to your child's home post office address point.
If you're not sure whether your child's home is in the catchment area, you can check on the Lincolnshire County Council website.
How to help your child prepare for the 11 plus
Here are our top tips on how to best prepare your child for the Caistor Grammar School 11 plus.
Cover all the content
The Caistor Grammar School 11 plus assesses a variety of skills in verbal reasoning, which is not taught on the school curriculum. Your child will be assessed on skills such as reading fluency and comprehension, vocabulary knowledge, phonological awareness, logic and problem-solving, attention to detail, and their ability to discover and apply rules.
We recommend that your child starts revising content at least one year before the test. Setting aside study periods using a 'little and often' approach will give them time to build the skills and knowledge they need. When preparing, avoid falling into the trap of over-focusing on either the topics your child enjoys or the topics they find hardest.
Atom Nucleus is an adaptive 11 plus online course that tailors your child's personalised learning journey. They'll be able to cover all elements of 11 plus verbal reasoning at the pace that's right for them.
No surprises
Your child will encounter lots of unfamiliar types of verbal reasoning questions in the 11 plus exam. Building exam technique with 11 plus test papers will help your child to feel fully confident with the styles of questions they'll encounter in the exam, reducing the potential for stress on the day.
Celebrate their progress
Setting regular goals and celebrating achievements will help keep motivation high. Atom Nucleus offers data-driven insights into your child’s progress towards mastering the 11 plus curriculum, making it easy to see where they need to focus next.
Personalised 11 plus prep for your child
Wondering how to make sure your child covers the depth and breadth of the entire 11 plus curriculum, stays on track with their progress, and gets help when they're stuck? Online learning is a particularly efficient, cost-effective (and fun) way to do this!
Atom Nucleus is the award-winning online 11 plus practice platform that gives your child everything they need to prepare for grammar school exams.
Children work independently through over 90,000 interactive practice questions in English, maths and reasoning. Teacher-created helpsheets and videos help them discover new concepts and consolidate their learning.
Atom's algorithm keeps children on their ideal learning path, tailored to their unique learning style and pace to keep them challenged and motivated.
Caistor Grammar School 11 plus practice papers
Atom Nucleus gives children access to online 11 plus practice papers. We have online tests that are designed to mirror the format and style of the real Caistor Grammar School 11 plus, so your child will go into the exam knowing exactly what to expect.
And what's more, everything is automatically marked for you.
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Personalised 11 plus support for you
We know how keen you are for your child to do well in the 11 plus, to give them every chance of securing a place at their school of choice. Our dedicated team of Education Experts are on hand to support you and your family every step of the way:
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We're happy to help with any questions you may have about admissions processes and helping your child prepare for entry to Lincolnshire grammar schools.
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