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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
Spalding Grammar School term dates
The term dates at Spalding Grammar 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: 16th April – 19th July 2024
Half term: 27th–31st May 2024
The term dates at Spalding Grammar School in 2024–2025 are:
Autumn term: 4th September – 19th December 2024
Half term: 21st–28th October 2024
Spring term: 6th January – 4th April 2025
Half term: 17th–21st February 2025
Summer term: 22nd April – 22nd July 2025
Half term: 26th May – 2nd June 2025
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.
The 11 plus at Spalding Grammar School
Spalding Grammar School 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.
If your child attends a Lincolnshire primary school, they will take the tests on the following dates:
Verbal reasoning: Saturday 16th September 2023
Non-verbal/spatial reasoning: Saturday 23rd September 2023
If your child does not attend a Lincolnshire primary school, they will take both tests a day early (Friday 15th and Friday 22nd September 2023 respectively).
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 get free resources to help your child prepare.
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:
Children who live in the school's designated transport area (catchment area)
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.
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 Home 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 Home 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 Home 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 Home 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 Home free for 5 days
Begin your child's journey to grammar school today. Use the full features of Atom Home 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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