Churston Ferrers Grammar School 11 plus: 2024 entry guide

Are you considering Churston Ferrers 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 11 plus exam.

About Churston Ferrers Grammar School

Churston Ferrers Grammar School is a selective school for boys and girls aged 11–18 located near the coast in Brixham, South Devon. Founded in 1957, the school is relatively young and values its relaxed and supportive atmosphere.

The school is dedicated to providing an inclusive culture and welcoming students from all backgrounds and aims for all pupils to leave the school with a strong sense of social justice. In 2007, Churston Ferrers was named a leading school in the southwest for sustainability.

Churston Ferrers Grammar School is rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted.

• Address: Churston Ferrers Grammar School, Greenway Road, Brixham, Devon, TQ5 0LN

• Local authority: Torbay Council

• School type: mixed grammar

• Headteacher: Kieran Earley

• Number of pupils: 1,000+

Key info for Year 7 admissions

• Admissions contact: [email protected], 01803 842289

• Number of places in Year 7: 150

• Open day date: 29th June 2023

• 11 plus registration opens: mid-March 2023

• 11 plus registration closes: 7th September 2023

• Exam date: 16th September 2023

• Exam type: South Devon Consortium – GL Assessment

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

• National school offer day: 1st March 2024

How to apply to Churston Ferrers Grammar School

If you would like your child to be considered for a place in Year 7 at Churston Ferrers Grammar School, you will need to apply for them to take the 11 plus exam and apply for a school place separately. There are two forms and two different processes to complete.

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.

The registration form for the 11 plus at Churston Ferrers Grammar School will be available to complete on the school website from mid-March 2023. It's preferable that you submit this by midday on Wednesday 19th July 2023, but the final deadline is midday on Thursday 7th September 2023.

2. Apply for a school place

Churston Ferrers Grammar School will post you a letter indicating your child's 11 plus results on, or as soon as possible after, the 17th October 2023. This letter will outline whether your child is eligible for a place at the school.

If you would then like to apply for a place at the school, you will need to name Churston Ferrers Grammar School on your common application form. You must complete the form for your home local authority:

• Torbay residents: Torbay Council

• Plymouth residents: Plymouth City Council

• Rest of Devon: Devon County Council

Before completing your common application form, 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's the pass mark for Churston Ferrers Grammar School?

Your child's raw scores in the exams will be age-standardised by statisticians at GL Assessment. This is to ensure that children born later in the school year aren't disadvantaged by being younger. An average of the two papers will then give your child's rank.

There is no set pass mark for the 11 plus at Churston Ferrers Grammar School. Each child's overall standardised mark will be put in rank order, from highest to lowest, to determine the qualifying score for the year group.

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

How to help your child prepare for the 11 plus

Here are our top tips on how to best prepare your child for the Churston Ferrers Grammar School 11 plus.

Cover all the content

The 11 plus assesses a large breadth and depth of learning objectives across the Key Stage 2 national curriculum.

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 11 plus online course that tailors your child's personalised learning journey to cover all elements of the Churston Ferrers Grammar School 11 plus at the right pace for them.

No surprises

Your child may encounter lots of unfamiliar types of 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.