Ermysted's Grammar School 11+ guide

Atom Learning is partnered with Ermysted's Grammar School. You can read more about our partnership here.

Applying to Ermysted's Grammar School for September 2028? This guide covers the FSCE entrance test, the qualifying score, how the 128 Year 7 places are allocated and the key dates for September 2028 entry.

Ermysted's Grammar School 11+ at a glance

• School type: boys' grammar school
• Location: Skipton, North Yorkshire
• Admissions contact: admissions@ermysteds.uk
• Number of places in Year 7: 128 (2027-entry figure — Ermysted's 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. The Admissions Committee sets the required standard from how candidates perform in the main entrance test.
• 11+ test: FSCE entrance test (two papers, Adventure (multiple choice) and Beacon (short written answers), each typically 45–60 minutes)

Source: Ermysted's Grammar School 2027-28 Admissions Policy and Parents' Guide for September 2027 entry. Last checked October 2026.

Key dates for September 2028 entry

Ermysted's Grammar School confirms its exact dates in the spring before each cycle. The windows below follow the 2027-entry timetable: registration ran from Monday 13 April 2026 (12 noon) to Monday 31 August 2026 (12 noon), the test took place on Saturday 26 September 2026 and results were due in the week commencing 12 October 2026. We'll update this page as soon as the school publishes its 2028-entry dates.

Other areas that are moving to the FSCE test have set different dates, so these windows reflect this school's own timetable only.

How to apply to Ermysted's Grammar School

Ermysted's Grammar School is selective, so your child needs to sit the 11+ test to be considered for a place.

You register your son for the entrance test directly with Ermysted's, using the online registration form linked from the school's admissions page.

Once you have your child's result, you apply by naming Ermysted's 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?

Ermysted's uses the entrance test set by Future Stories Community Enterprise (FSCE). It assesses how boys apply their knowledge and skills in English and maths, up to and including the Year 5 programme of study.

There are two papers, each typically lasting 45 to 60 minutes, with a break between them. The school's familiarisation guide calls them the Adventure paper, with multiple-choice questions, and the Beacon paper, with short written answers. Both papers mix English and maths, and there is no creative writing paper.

The test is sat at the school on a Saturday morning in September. Each boy can sit it only once.

The table below shows what each paper covers.

How are places allocated at Ermysted's Grammar School?

If more children reach the qualifying standard than there are 128 Year 7 places, Ermysted's 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.

All boys must first reach the required standard in the entrance test. Places are then given in this order, not by test score.

Does Ermysted's Grammar School have a catchment area?

The catchment area is the area served by the primary schools in Beamsley, Bradley, Burnsall, Carleton, Cracoe, Embsay, Gargrave, Grassington, Kettlewell, Kirkby-in-Malhamdale, Skipton, Thornton-in-Craven and Threshfield.

Within categories 3 and 4, boys living closest to the school are offered places first. Where distances are equal, places are allocated at random, with a witness who is independent of the school.

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 FSCE test?

Atom Learning is not an official or authorised source of information about FSCE assessments. This guide is based on publicly available information. FSCE assessments are tailored to each school and can change from year to year. For definitive information, always use the familiarisation materials published by the school you are applying to.

There are no FSCE past papers, and question styles can change from year to year — so there is no pattern to learn. What the test does reward is a confident grasp of Key Stage 2 English and maths up to the end of Year 5, applied to unfamiliar questions.

Build solid KS2 knowledge

Because the FSCE test draws on the English and maths your child has already been taught, the strongest preparation is making sure those foundations are secure.

With Atom Home, your child gets:

• a personalised weekly learning plan tied to their target schools
• adaptive questions that meet them at the right level of difficulty
• coverage of KS2 English and maths topics

Enter your target schools on Atom Home and get started with a free trial today.

Encourage regular reading

Reading underpins much of the FSCE test, from comprehension to vocabulary. Aim for 10–15 minutes a day, with variety: fiction and non-fiction, different genres and authors.

Explore Atom's free reading and writing starter kit for age-appropriate suggestions.

Get comfortable with the format

The school publishes a free Familiarisation Guide showing the layout of the papers and answer sheets. Read it with your child so the test looks familiar on the day.

Beyond that, Atom's practice papers build the habit of working accurately under timed conditions and filling in an answer sheet correctly. Photograph the answer sheets and upload them for instant marking, a Standardised Age Score — the same age-standardised basis FSCE uses — and a clear view of which topics to work on next.

Celebrate progress, not just scores

Atom's progress tracking shows how your child is doing across topics and how that is developing over time, so you can keep motivation steady and focus on consistent improvement.