Applying to Ripon Grammar School for September 2028? This guide covers the Ripon Grammar School entrance test, the qualifying score, how the 117 Year 7 places are allocated and the key dates for September 2028 entry.
Ripon Grammar School 11+ at a glance
School type: co-educational grammar school with boarding
Number of places in Year 7: 117 (2027-entry figure — Ripon Grammar School confirms each year's admission number in its determined arrangements, published the spring before entry.)
Qualifying score: No fixed pass mark. The pass mark is set each year to select the highest-scoring 28% (or as close as possible) of Year 6 children living in the Ripon area. It was 203 for 2026 entry, 196 for 2025 entry and 195 for 2024 entry.
11+ test: Ripon Grammar School entrance test (two multiple-choice GL Assessment papers of about 45 minutes each)
Catchment or priority area: yes — set by North Yorkshire Council
Source: North Yorkshire Council selective schools information for Ripon Grammar School, September 2027 entry. Last checked October 2026.
Key dates for September 2028 entry
Ripon Grammar School confirms its exact dates in the spring before each cycle. The windows below follow the 2027-entry timetable: registration ran from Thursday 30 April 2026 to Tuesday 30 June 2026, the test took place on Saturday 12 September 2026 and results were due no later than Friday 16 October 2026. We'll update this page as soon as the school publishes its 2028-entry dates.
Key dates for Ripon Grammar School 11+ entry in September 2028, with expected windows where the school has not yet confirmed exact dates.
Date
What happens
Late April 2027
Test registration expected to open
End of June 2027
Test registration expected to close
Early to mid-September 2027
Entrance test at Ripon Grammar School
Mid-October 2027
Test results expected
Sunday 31 October 2027
Deadline to apply for secondary school places through your home local authority. This date falls on a Sunday.
Wednesday 1 March 2028
National offer day for secondary school places
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Ripon Grammar School is selective, so your child needs to sit the 11+ test to be considered for a place.
North Yorkshire Council manages Year 7 admissions for Ripon Grammar School. You register your child for the entrance test using the council's online registration form.
Once you have your child's result, you apply by naming Ripon 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?
The entrance test papers are produced, marked and standardised by GL Assessment. North Yorkshire Council runs registration, and the test is held at Ripon Grammar School on a Saturday in September of Year 6.
There are two papers, and all questions are multiple choice. Content goes up to the end of Year 5 of the national curriculum.
Your child's standardised scores are used to find the highest-scoring 28% (or as close as possible) of Year 6 children living in the Ripon area, which sets that year's pass mark.
The table below shows what each paper covers.
The Ripon Grammar School entrance test papers for September 2028 entry: length and content of each paper.
Paper
Length
What it covers
Paper 1: Verbal skills
About 45 minutes (25 minutes English, 20 minutes verbal reasoning)
Comprehension, spelling and grammar (about 26 questions), then verbal reasoning (about 32 questions)
Paper 2: Non-verbal reasoning with maths
About 45 minutes (two 10-minute NVR sections, 25 minutes maths)
Two non-verbal reasoning sections of 20 questions each, then about 25 maths questions
How are places allocated at Ripon Grammar School?
If more children reach the qualifying standard than there are 117 Year 7 places, Ripon Grammar School offers places in the order below. This order comes from the school's admissions policy for 2027 entry. The school sets its 2028-entry policy separately, and we'll update this table if anything changes.
Ripon Grammar School oversubscription criteria in priority order, from the 2027 entry admissions policy.
Priority
Who it covers
1
Looked after and previously looked after children
2
Children North Yorkshire Council considers to have special social or medical reasons for admission
3
Children living in the school's catchment area
4
Children of staff at the school
5
Children living outside the catchment area
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The 117 places include 14 boarding places. Only children who reach the pass mark are considered.
Does Ripon Grammar School have a catchment area?
Ripon Grammar School has a catchment area, set by North Yorkshire Council. The council's selective schools page doesn't list the areas it covers, so check your address with North Yorkshire Council's admissions team.
Within each group, priority goes first to children with a brother or sister at the school, then to those living nearest, measured by the nearest route on the council's electronic mapping system.
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 test?
The Ripon Grammar School entrance test can feel like a big milestone, but preparation doesn't have to be overwhelming. Here's how you can help your child get ready for test day.
Stay on track with a clear plan
One of the hardest parts of 11+ preparation is knowing what to focus on, when, and how to make steady progress without it taking over family life.
A clear, structured plan helps your child feel less overwhelmed and more in control. It ensures they build skills in the right order, cover everything they need, and avoid last-minute cramming.
Atom's exam plan makes this easier. Enter your child's exam date and target schools, and we'll create a personalised weekly plan tailored to the topics they'll be tested on. It shows them what to work on and when, adapts as they improve, and helps them build progress in a calm, manageable way — little and often.
That means less guesswork for you, less stress for them, and a clearer path all the way to exam day.
Build smart exam technique
As your child's knowledge grows, practice tests can help them feel more comfortable with the real exam format.
Atom's 11+ practice papers are built to match the format, timing and question styles of real 11+ exams. They're also unlimited — you can download the same paper again and again, and your child will get new questions each time. This helps them practise without repeating the same content.
We've made marking easy for you, too. Simply photograph your child's answer sheets and upload them to Atom. The papers are marked instantly, showing your child's standardised age score (SAS), where they're doing well, and what they should focus on next. You'll also see how they compare to other children applying to the same school.
Encourage regular reading
Strong reading skills play a big role in 11+ preparation.
Encourage your child to read every day, even for just 10–15 minutes. The key is variety. Mix fiction and non-fiction, different genres, and a range of authors. This helps them become more confident in understanding tone, purpose, and meaning across different texts.
Over time, regular reading will:
broaden their vocabulary
improve comprehension and inference
build confidence in tackling unseen texts
And just as importantly, it can help them enjoy reading — not just see it as exam preparation.
When you're supporting your child through 11+ preparation, what really matters is knowing they're moving in the right direction — not just how they scored on a single test.
Atom's progress tracking gives you a clear, simple picture of how your child is doing in each topic and the direction they're moving in. You can see where they're on track, where they might need more practice, and spot progress as it happens.
That makes it easier to give meaningful encouragement, keep motivation steady, and focus on what matters most: consistent improvement, not just one-off results.
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Take control of your child’s 11+ preparation.
Not sure if your child is on track for the grammar school 11+? You don’t need to guess what to cover or whether they’re ready. Atom shows you exactly what to practise each week and how they’re performing, so you can stay ahead of the process without the stress.
