Spalding Grammar School 11 plus: 2024 entry guide

Are you considering Spalding Grammar School for your son? 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 Spalding Grammar School

Spalding Grammar School is a selective school for boys aged 11-18, with a mixed sixth form, in Lincolnshire. It was initially founded in 1588, situated on the upper floor of St. Thomas’s Chapel in the Paris Church, before moving to the current conservation area in 1881.

Spalding Grammar School provides a high-quality education within a stimulating environment and values the strong relationship between its staff and students, enhanced by an innovative vertical form tutor system.

• Address: Spalding Grammar School, Priory Road, Spalding, Lincolnshire, PE11 2XH

• Local authority: Lincolnshire County Council

• School type: boys' grammar with a mixed sixth form

• Headteacher: Steven Wilkinson

• Number of pupils: 900+

• National rank (Sunday Times Parent Power): 251

• A level results: 68.3% A*–B

• GCSE results: 45% A*/A/9/8/7

Key info for Year 7 admissions

• Admissions contact: Mrs Haslam – [email protected], 01775 765800

• Number of places in Year 7: 150

• Open day date: TBC. An open evening presentation is available online

• 11 plus registration opens: January 2023

• 11 plus registration closes: Friday 24th February 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

How to apply to Spalding Grammar School

If you would like your child to be considered for a place at Spalding Grammar School, 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

Spalding Grammar School 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 register for the 11 plus online. Note that the deadline for this is Friday 24th February 2023 – this is a month earlier than most of the other grammar schools in the consortium.

2. Apply for a school place

All state secondary school places – including grammar schools – must be applied for via 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 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 Spalding Grammar School before the local authority deadline.

What is the pass mark for Spalding Grammar School?

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.

Spalding Grammar School oversubscription criteria

There are 150 places available in Year 7 at Spalding Grammar School, spread over five forms at entry. If more than 150 children who have listed Spalding Grammar School as their preferred school on the common application form meet the qualifying score in the 11 plus exam, then the school will apply oversubscription criteria.

Priority will always be given to children who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) which names the school, followed by children who are 'Looked After' or 'Previously Looked After'. Once children who fit these criteria have been accepted, the planned admission number will be reduced and the remaining places allocated in the following order:

1. Children who live in the school's designated transport area (catchment area)

2. Children who live beyond the school's designated transport area, ranked from highest to lowest score

Spalding Grammar School catchment area

The catchment area for Spalding Grammar School is defined as the designated area for free transport. This covers the areas of Spalding, Pinchbeck, Weston, Crowland, Whaplode Drove, Holbeach, Long Sutton, Sutton Bridge and Sutterton.

A map is available on the Lincolnshire Consortium of Grammar Schools website.

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.