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Are you considering Torquay Girls' Grammar School for your daughter? 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 11 plus exam.
About Torquay Girls' Grammar School
Torquay Girls’ Grammar School was founded in 1915 and provides an academically-selective education to girls aged 11 to 18. The school aims for its pupils to leave as rounded, balanced individuals who are committed to making a positive contribution to their community. It's rated 'outstanding' by Ofsted and is currently ranked within the top 100 grammar schools in the country.
The Sunday Times named Torquay Girls’ Grammar School as the South West state secondary school of the year in 2019 and The Real Schools Guide awarded it the top school in Devon and Cornwall in 2020. It became one of the first schools in the UK to achieve Humanities Specialist School status and uniquely offers the AQA Baccalaureate.
Address: Torquay Girls' Grammar School, 30 Shiphay Lane, Torquay, Devon, TQ2 7DY
Local authority: Torbay Council
School type: girls' grammar with mixed sixth form
Headteacher: Sarah Forster
Number of pupils: 950+
National rank (Sunday Times Parent Power): 90
A level results: 78.7% A*–B
GCSE results: 69.9% A*/A/9/8/7
Key info for Year 7 admissions
Admissions contact: Mrs L Rumbelow – [email protected], 01803 615501
Number of places in Year 7: 160
Open day date: 20th June 2023
11 plus registration opens: mid-March 2023
11 plus registration closes: 7th September 2023
Exam date: 16th September 2023
Exam type: South Devon Consortium – GL Assessment
Common application form (CAF) deadline: 31st October 2023
National school offer day: 1st March 2024
Torquay Girls' Grammar School term dates
The 2023–2024 term dates at Torquay Girls' Grammar School are:
Autumn term: 5th September – 19th December 2023
Half term: 20th–27th October 2023
Spring term: 2nd 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 Torquay Girls' Grammar School
If you would like your daughter to be considered for a place in Year 7 at Torquay Girls Grammar School, you will need to apply for them to take the 11 plus exam and apply for a school place separately. There are two forms and two different processes to complete.
1. Register for the 11 plus
Before registering, speak to your child’s teacher to see if the 11 plus and grammar school is right for them. The 11 plus exam is a challenging exam, designed to select the children working within the top 25% of their year group.
The registration form for the 11 plus at Torquay Girls' Grammar School is available to complete on the school website. You will need to complete this by Wednesday 19th July 2023 if possible, or by midday on Thursday 7th September 2023 at the latest.
2. Apply for a school place
Torquay Girls' Grammar School will post you a letter indicating your child's 11 plus results on, or as soon as possible after, the 17th October 2023. This letter will not include your child's actual scores, but will outline whether your child is eligible for a place at the school.
If you would then like to apply for a place at the school, you will need to name Torquay Girls' Grammar School on your common application form. You must complete the form for your home local authority:
Torbay residents: Torbay Council
Plymouth residents: Plymouth City Council
Rest of Devon: Devon County Council
Before completing your common application form, make sure to check the school's oversubscription criteria first. In the likely event that more children achieve the qualifying score than there are places available, the school will need to apply oversubscription criteria to prioritise places.
The application form must be submitted to your home local council by 31st October 2023.
What's on the Torquay Girls' Grammar School 11 plus exam?
Torquay Girls' Grammar School is a member of the South Devon Consortium, which also includes Churston Ferrers Grammar School and Torquay Boys' Grammar School. All three schools use the same 11 plus test and administer it on the same dates, so your child will only need to take the test once if they're applying to another school in the consortium.
Children will take two multiple-choice papers set by GL Assessment on Saturday 16th September 2023, during either a morning or an afternoon session. The subjects tested are:
English: 50 minutes
Maths: 50 minutes
You can choose for your child to take the test at any of the three schools, but it's recommended that your child sits the exam at the school you expect to be your first choice so they can get some experience of the school site and staff.
Learn more about the Torquay Girls' Grammar School 11 plus and get free preparation resources in our local guide:
What's the pass mark for Torquay Girls' Grammar School?
Your child's raw scores in the exams will be age-standardised by statisticians at GL Assessment. This is to ensure that children born later in the school year aren't disadvantaged by being younger. An average of the two papers will then give your child's rank.
There is no set pass mark for the 11 plus at Torquay Girls' Grammar School. Each child's overall standardised mark will be put in rank order, from highest to lowest, to determine the qualifying score for the year group.
Achieving the qualifying score doesn't guarantee a place at the school of your choice, as grammar schools are usually oversubscribed with qualified candidates. We always recommend researching the admissions policies for your target schools, looking at their oversubscription criteria and their catchment area.
Torquay Girls' Grammar School admissions criteria
Torquay Girls' Grammar School has a planned admission number (PAN) of 160. Girls who have achieved the qualifying mark for entry to the school, and who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) which names the school, will automatically be allocated a place. All other children will then be ranked using the following criteria:
Category A: children who have a qualifying mark equal to or higher than that of the 140th ranked candidate
Category B: children who have a qualifying mark which places them in the range between the 141st and 190th candidate. Children in this category who are classed as 'looked after', 'previously looked after' and/or in receipt of free school meals, the pupil premium or service premium will be prioritised.
Category C: children who have a qualifying mark which is lower than that of the 180th candidate
There is no catchment area at Torquay Girls' Grammar School – all candidates will be considered equally based on their performance in the entrance exam, and not on the location of their home address. However, if there is a tie for the 160th place, the school will use the following oversubscription criteria to prioritise the place:
A child in care or an adopted child
Children eligible for the pupil premium
Children of staff working at the school
A girl with a sister at the school
Children who live closest to the school, measured by a straight line between the school and their home
How to help your child prepare for the 11 plus
Here are our top tips on how to best prepare your child for the Torquay Girls' Grammar School 11 plus.
Cover all the content
The 11 plus assesses a large breadth and depth of learning objectives across the Key Stage 2 national 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 11 plus online course that tailors your child's personalised learning journey to cover all elements of the Torquay Girls' Grammar School 11 plus at the right pace for them.
No surprises
Your child may 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 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.
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 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 Torquay Girls' 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 Devon grammar schools.
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