Are you considering North Halifax 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 the grammar school admissions process in Calderdale and how to help your child excel in the 11 plus exam.
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About North Halifax Grammar School
North Halifax Grammar School is a mixed (boys and girls) grammar school in West Yorkshire. Consistently high-achieving, it's one of 190 secondary schools in the country to have been rated Outstanding in three Ofsted inspections in a row.
The school’s motto, ‘Living to learn, learning to live’, sums up its equal commitment to academic excellence and personal development. It aims to equip students with the knowledge, skills and understanding to navigate life with confidence and set courses of their own choosing.
Address: Moor Bottom Road, Illingworth, Halifax, HX2 9SU
Local authority: Calderdale Council
School type: mixed grammar
Headteacher: Andrew Fisher
Number of pupils: 1,247
National rank (Sunday Times Parent Power): 174
A level results: 72% A*–B
GCSE results: 57.2% 9/8/7
Key info for Year 7 admissions
Admissions contact: [email protected]
Number of places in Year 7: 180
11 plus registration opens: 31st March 2023
11 plus registration closes: 30th June 2023
Open day: 20th June 2023. (Virtual tour here)
Exam date: 23rd September 2023
Exam type: GL Assessment
Exam results: by 21st October 2023
Local authority application form deadline: 31st October 2023
National school offer day: 1st March 2024
North Halifax Grammar School term dates
The 2023–2024 term dates at North Halifax Grammar School are:
Autumn term: 5th September – 22nd December 2023
Half term: 27th October – 6th November 2023
Spring term: 8th January – 22nd March 2024
Half term: 12th–16th February 2024
Summer term: 8th April – 19th July 2024
Half term: 27th–31st May 2024
How to apply to North Halifax Grammar School
North Halifax Grammar School shares an entrance test with The Crossley Heath School. This means that your child only needs to take one exam to apply for these schools.
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.
While your child is in Year 5, register them for the 11 plus test on the website. Registration opens on 31st March and closes on 30th June 2023.
If you are considering grammar schools other than North Halifax or Crossley Heath, remember to register for their 11 plus exams too.
2. Apply for school places
Once your child has taken the exam, you will get their results by 21st October. You can use the results to decide which schools to include on your local authority application form.
Before listing North Halifax Grammar School as a preference on your form, check its admissions policy and make sure your child is eligible.
The application form must be submitted to your home local council by 31st October 2023.
What's on the North Halifax Grammar School 11 plus exam?
The 11 plus exam for North Halifax Grammar School takes place on Saturday 23rd September 2023.
The exam is provided by GL Assessment. It's in multiple-choice format and consists of two papers, each lasting about one hour. Children write their answers in a separate answer booklet which is marked electronically.
The two papers contain questions across four subjects:
Paper 1: English and verbal reasoning. Children are tested on their reading comprehension skills and accuracy in spelling, punctuation, grammar and vocabulary.
Paper 2: maths and non-verbal reasoning. Children are tested on their ability to analyse visual information and solve problems using shapes, diagrams and pictures, as well as content covered in the Key Stage 2 national curriculum for maths.
Learn about each subject in depth and get free preparation resources in our full guide to the 11 plus:
What is the pass mark for North Halifax Grammar School?
There is no specific pass mark for North Halifax Grammar School. On average, 1,200 children sit the exam each year, and there are 360 places available (180 at each school).
The 360 highest-scoring children are offered a place at one of the schools (dependent on the order of preference on your local authority application form).
The children with the 361st–500th highest scores are placed on a waiting list.
How is the exam scored?
After your child takes the exam, their scores are age-standardised and combined to give them a total score across both papers. The total scores are ranked in order. As a result, the qualifying score varies each year depending on the performance of the cohort, and can only be decided after the tests have been marked.
Achieving a particular score doesn't guarantee a place at the school, as it is likely to be oversubscribed with qualified candidates. We always recommend researching the admission policies for your target schools and looking at their oversubscription criteria.
North Halifax Grammar School admissions criteria
The planned admission number (PAN) for the school is 180. When there are more eligible applicants than there are places available, places are allocated in this order:
Looked-After or previously Looked-After Children.
Children who get free school meals and children whose parent/carer is currently serving UK Armed Forces personnel. (Proof must be provided by the end of September 2023).
Once these places have been allocated the remaining places are offered in order of test score. Where there is a tie for the last place, children with a sibling at the school will be prioritised, followed by children who live closest to the school in a straight line.
North Halifax Grammar School catchment area
North Halifax Grammar School does not have a catchment area. How close you live to the school is only considered as a tiebreaker for the last place when exam scores are equal.
How to help your child prepare for the 11 plus
Here are our top tips on how to best prepare your child for North Halifax 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 and beyond.
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 North Halifax Grammar School 11 plus at the right pace for them.
No surprises
Your child will 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.
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.
North Halifax Grammar School 11 plus practice papers
Atom Nucleus gives children access to online practice papers. Our online tests are designed to mirror the format and style of the real North Halifax 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.
Try Atom Nucleus free for 5 days
Begin your child's journey to North Halifax Grammar School today. Use the full features of Atom Nucleus free for 5 days – cancel anytime.
Personalised support for you
We understand how important this next step is for them, and for you. Please don't hesitate to get in touch with any questions you may have about the 11 plus or Yorkshire grammar schools.
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