Looking for information about the 11 plus in Slough for September 2024 entry? We've got you covered with everything you need to know about the application process, the 11 plus exam and how to help your child prepare.
Contents
Slough Consortium 11 plus: key information
Registration opens: Thursday 27th April 2023
Reasonable adjustment deadline: June 2023
Registration closes: Monday 12th June 2023 at 10am
Exam date: Saturday 16th September 2023
Exam board type: GL Assessment
Results: October 2023
Apply for schools: via your local authority (e.g. Slough Borough Council)
Local authority application deadline: 31st October 2023
National school offer day: 1st March 2024
Admissions information: Slough Borough Council and Slough Consortium
Appeals: Slough Consortium
What is the Slough Consortium 11 plus test?
The 11 plus is an entrance exam used by UK grammar schools. It's used to estimate children's academic potential and decide whether a grammar school environment will suit them. Children can take the test in September while they are in Year 6.
The four grammar schools in Slough use the same 11 plus test and have the same registration process. This means that if you're applying to more than one grammar school in Slough, your child only needs to take the test once. The group of schools is known as the Slough Consortium.
Which schools use the Slough Consortium 11 plus test?
There are four grammar schools in the Slough Consortium. All four schools are co-educational (they teach boys and girls together).
Test your knowledge
Try answering some 11+ questions
How to apply to grammar schools in Slough
1. Register for the 11 plus test
The 11 plus exam is designed to be academically challenging and to select the children working at the very top academic range of their year group. Before you register your child to take the exam, it's a good idea to talk to their teacher first to see if the 11 plus is right for them. The Slough Consortium will also hold an online information event on the evening of Tuesday 25th April 2023, which will include more details about the 11 plus process in the area.
You will need to register your child to take the 11 plus exam via your target school's website, or on the Slough Consortium website. Registration will be open from Thursday 27th April 2023 to 10am on Monday 12th June 2023.
2. Take the 11 plus exam
You will receive more details about the procedures for the exam day after you have registered your child. The 11 plus exam will take place on a Saturday in mid-September, on the same date at all four schools. Your child will take the exam on-site at one of the schools.
3. Apply for school places
Once your child has taken the exam, you will get their results in mid-October. You can use the results to decide which schools to include on your local authority application form. The application form must be submitted to your home local council by 31st October 2023.
Before listing a school on your form, check its admissions policy and make sure your child is eligible. The schools operate different priority criteria when more children achieve the 11 plus pass mark than the school has places available. For example, Langley Grammar School operates a catchment area and St Bernard's Catholic Grammar School prioritises Baptised Catholic children.
4. National school offer day
On 1st March 2024, you will find out which school your child has been allocated a place at. They will be allocated a place at your highest-preferred school for which they meet the entry criteria and which has places available.
If no places are available at your preferred schools, they will be offered a place at another school in your area. If this applies to you, you can choose to appeal this decision. The school will publish and establish the arrangements for appeals, which will then be carried out by an independent body.
What's on the Slough 11 plus test?
The Slough Consortium 11 plus test is provided by GL Assessment. It consists of two papers, each lasting around one hour. Both papers will consist of a combination of questions in:
English comprehension
Maths
Verbal reasoning
Non-verbal reasoning
The English and maths questions are based on the Key Stage 2 national curriculum. They are designed to assess your child's understanding of the main topics they will have learnt at school in Year 5 and early Year 6. Questions test their ability to reason and apply knowledge accurately.
Verbal and non-verbal reasoning are not typically taught at school. These questions will assess your child's logic and problem-solving ability and measure how well your child can spot patterns with, connect, and manipulate written and visual information. This includes solving problems with letters, words, numbers, symbols, shapes, and pictures.
Both papers are multiple-choice, with no writing sections. Children record their answers in a separate answer booklet which is marked electronically.
How is the Slough 11 plus test scored?
Your child's answer booklets will be marked by computer and their 'raw' scores will be provided. These raw scores are then standardised to even out any age disadvantage for children born later in the year. A total score is calculated for each child, and these are ranked in order. All marking and standardisation are carried out by GL Assessment.
The Slough Consortium does not share 11 plus marks with any other schools; the Consortium has its own independent contract with GL Assessment.
What's the pass mark for the Slough 11 plus?
The eligibility score for the Slough 11 plus is 111 (based on standardised scores). Pupils whose standardised marks are 111 or above will be in the top 35% of the cohort sitting the exam and will be considered eligible for a place at a grammar school.
However, achieving this score does not guarantee your child a place at the school of your choice – grammar schools are usually oversubscribed with children who meet the pass mark. We always recommend reading the admissions policies for your target schools and looking closely at the oversubscription criteria.
If more children reach the eligibility score than there are places at the school, then other criteria will be applied to decide between candidates. For example, children may be prioritised if they:
Are currently, or were previously, a Looked After Child
Receive Pupil Premium
Have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
Live within a defined catchment or priority area (a geographical area surrounding the school)
Are of a particular religious affiliation (e.g. Catholic, if applying to a Catholic school)
Have a sibling at the school
Have a parent currently employed by the school
How can I help my child prepare for the Slough 11 plus test?
Here are our top tips on how to help your child prepare for the 2023–24 exam:
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 Slough 11 plus test 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.
Slough 11 plus practice papers
Atom Nucleus gives children access to unlimited online practice papers. Our online tests are designed to mirror the format and style of the real Slough 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
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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 Slough grammar schools.
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