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Are you considering Queen Elizabeth's High School in Gainsborough 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 Lincolnshire 11 plus exam.
About Queen Elizabeth's High School, Gainsborough
Queen Elizabeth's High School, Gainsborough (QEHS) is a co-educational grammar school dating back to 1589. It was originally based in All Saints Church and offered a boys-only education; after several relocations, the school settled at its present site in 1984 and merged with the local girls' school.
Students at Queen Elizabeth’s High School, Gainsborough learn a core body of knowledge through their ‘Knowledge Book’ programme in Year 6, which is further developed in Year 8 with projects including an Extended Project. The school also works in harmony with the Lincolnshire Music Service, with many of its students achieving high grades in their chosen musical instruments.
Address: Queen Elizabeth’s High School, Morton Terrace, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, DN21 2ST
Local authority: Lincolnshire County Council
School type: mixed grammar
Headteacher: Rick Eastham
Number of pupils: 1,200+
National rank (Sunday Times Parent Power): 260
A level results: 62.5% A*–B
GCSE results: 54% A*/A/9/8/7
Key info for Year 7 admissions
Admissions contact: Miss Radcliffe – [email protected], 01427 612354
Number of places in Year 7: 186
Open day date: Wednesday 12th July 2023. Weekly tours can also be booked online
11 plus registration opens: January 2023
11 plus registration closes: Friday 24th March 2023
Exam date: 16th and 23rd September 2023
Exam type: Lincolnshire Consortium of Grammar Schools: GL Assessment
Common application form (CAF) deadline: 31st October 2023
National school offer day: 1st March 2024
Queen Elizabeth's High School, Gainsborough term dates
The term dates at Queen Elizabeth's High School in 2023–2024 are:
Autumn term: 6th September – 20th December 2023
Half term: 23rd–27th October 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
How to apply to Queen Elizabeth's High School, Gainsborough
If you would like your child to be considered for a place at Queen Elizabeth's High School, Gainsborough 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
Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Gainsborough works with the Lincolnshire Consortium of Grammar Schools to carry out the 11 plus test procedure. You will need to register directly with the school if you would like your child to take the 11 plus exam and be considered for a place.
You can complete the 11 plus registration form on the school website. Note that the deadline for submitting this form is 24th March 2023 and this is a week earlier than most of the other grammar schools in Lincolnshire.
2. Apply for a school place
You must apply for a place at Queen Elizabeth's High School directly to 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 the 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 Queen Elizabeth's High School before the local authority deadline.
The 11 plus at Queen Elizabeth's High School, Gainsborough
Queen Elizabeth's High School, Gainsborough is a member of the Lincolnshire Consortium of Grammar Schools. 15 of the grammar schools in the county belong to the consortium, which means that your child will only need to take the 11 plus once if they're applying to more than one grammar school in the area.
Children applying to Queen Elizabeth's High School will take both exams on the school site on the following dates:
Verbal reasoning: Saturday 16th September 2023
Non-verbal/spatial reasoning: Saturday 23rd September 2023
Both papers are multiple-choice and each takes just under an hour to complete. If your child attends a Lincolnshire primary school, they will receive free 11 plus familiarisation materials in June 2023.
Find out more about the content of the exam in our guide to the Lincolnshire 11 plus and access free resources to help your child prepare.
What is the pass mark for Queen Elizabeth's High School, Gainsborough?
After your child takes the 11 plus exam, a team of independent professional markers at GL Assessment will double-mark and check the papers. Some scores will be age-standardised and then the results for the school will be ranked in order.
The qualifying level (pass mark) is a total standardised score of at least 220 on both papers. Children who meet and exceed this pass mark are normally working within the top 25% of their cohort.
The results of the exam will be emailed to you on Friday 13th 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.
Queen Elizabeth's High School oversubscription criteria
Every year, more children meet the qualifying score for entry to Queen Elizabeth's High School than there are available places. There are 186 places available for entry in 2024; if more children than this meet the qualifying score, then the school will use the following oversubscription criteria, in order, to allocate places:
Looked After and previously Looked After children
Children with a sibling currently on roll at Queen Elizabeth's High School at the time of application
Children who have a parent employed at the school
Children who live 9 miles or less from the school by driving distance*
Children who are registered as Ever6FSM (Free School Meals) at the time of application
Children who live more than 9 miles from the school by driving distance*
*Driving distance is calculated electronically by measuring the shortest route along public roads from the post office address point of your child's home to the post office address point of Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School.
How to help your child prepare for the 11 plus
Here are our top tips on how to best prepare your child for the Lincolnshire 11 plus.
Cover all the content
The Lincolnshire 11 plus assesses a variety of skills in verbal and non-verbal reasoning. Neither of these subjects is taught on the school 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 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 and non-verbal reasoning at the pace that's right for them.
No surprises
Your child will encounter lots of unfamiliar types of verbal and non-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.
Lincolnshire 11 plus practice papers
Atom Nucleus gives children access to online 11 plus practice papers. Our online tests are designed to mirror the format and style of the real Lincolnshire 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 grammar school today. Use the full features of Atom Nucleus free for 5 days – cancel anytime.
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:
Ask us anything
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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