Wirral & Liverpool Grammar Schools 11 plus: a parents' guide for 2022
Region guides
Contents
Which grammar schools in Wirral & Liverpool use the 11 plus?
There are six grammar schools in Wirral and one in Liverpool that administer the 11 plus test to select their pupils:
Wirral
Liverpool
There are also three partially selective schools in Liverpool that have a smaller number of places available for pupils of music/academic ability. These are King David High School (musical aptitude for pupils of the Jewish faith), St. Hilda’s CofE High School and St. Margaret’s CofE High School (both have about 15% of their places available for pupils of academic ability).
Keep reading to learn about the specific 11 plus admissions process and 11 plus exam content for the grammar schools in Wirral and Liverpool.
Wirral grammar schools
Wirral grammar schools 11 plus at a glance
Schools: Calday Grange Grammar School, St Anselm’s College, Upton Hall School, West Kirby Grammar School, Wirral Grammar School for Girls, Wirral Grammar School for Boys
Registration opens: April 2022 – 1st May 2022 (check for specific school)
Registration closes: 31st May 2022 – 11th July 2022 (check for specific school)
Exam board: GL or school’s own (St Anselm’s College)
Exam date: 17th September – 23rd September 2022 (check for specific school)
Common Application Form (CAF) submission: 31st October 2022
Results: 14th – 21st October
National School Allocation Day: 1st March 2023
How do I register my child for the 11 plus exam in Wirral?
To register your child for the 11 plus exam at Calday Grange Grammar School, West Kirby Grammar School, Wirral Grammar School for Boys or Wirral Grammar School for Girls, you will need to complete the school’s assessment registration form before 31st May 2022. These schools all follow the same admissions procedure set by Wirral Local Authority.
St Anselm’s College and Upton Hall School manage their own admissions procedures. If you would like to register your child for the 11 plus exam at one of these schools, you will need to complete this by 11th July 2022.
You will also need to complete the Common Application Form (CAF) to apply for a place at one of these six schools. This can be done on the Wirral Council website and needs to be completed by 31st October 2022.
What is covered in the 11 plus exam in Wirral?
Applicants to Calday Grange Grammar School, West Kirby Grammar School, Wirral Grammar School for Boys and Wirral Grammar School for Girls will sit two 11 plus papers on 19th September 2022, which will be answered on optical mark reader sheets. These are administered by GL Assessments.
Both papers will cover verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and maths and are all multiple-choice questions. A guide to the Wirral Admissions Test is available on the Wirral Council website.
The tests will take place on Saturday 24th September and parents will receive the test results by Saturday 22nd October 2022.
Applicants to St Anselm’s College or Upton Hall School will take tests that are administered by the school. Candidates for Upton Hall School will take two verbal-reasoning tests on Saturday 17th September, while candidates for St Anselm’s College will take three written papers in English, maths and verbal reasoning on Friday 23rd September.
What is the pass mark for the 11 plus exam in Wirral?
Each school will have a slightly different pass mark, normally known as the ‘required standard’, for a child to be eligible for a place at the school. This can be determined by the number of places a school has available in Year 7 (known as the Planned Admission Number or PAN). This information will be available in each school’s admission policy.
Liverpool grammar schools
Liverpool grammar schools 11 plus at a glance
Schools: The Liverpool Blue Coat School
Registration opens: 1st July 2022
Registration closes: 2nd September 2022
Exam board: School’s own
Exam dates: 24th September 2022
Common Application Form (CAF) submission: 31st October 2022
Results: 21st October 2022
National School Allocation Day: 1st March 2023
How do I register my child for the 11 plus exam in Liverpool?
To register your child to sit the 11 plus exam at The Liverpool Blue Coat School, you will need to complete the school’s exam registration form. This will be available on the school website between 1st July and 2nd September 2022.
You will also need to apply for a school place on the Common Application Form (CAF) for your Local Authority before 31st October 2022. This will be available on the Liverpool City Council website from 1st September 2022 if you are a local resident.
What is covered in the 11 plus exam in Liverpool?
Applicants to The Liverpool Blue Coat School will sit an 11 plus exam that is set in-house. There will be one English test and one maths test – pupils are not assessed in verbal and non-verbal reasoning. Each paper will be timed and is expected to take about 50 minutes to complete.
What is the pass mark for the 11 plus exam in Liverpool?
The exam set by The Liverpool Blue Coat School is marked out of a total score of 213. Pupils’ scores will be ranked from highest to lowest and the 180 pupils who are at the top of the list will normally be deemed eligible for a place.
When should I begin preparing my child for the 11 plus exam in Wirral & Liverpool?
It’s best to start preparing for the 11 plus at the end of Year 4 or the beginning of Year 5. This will give your child plenty of time to develop and refine their exam technique, learn how to manage their time in the exam and practice rapid recall.
For 11 plus exams that include verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning (i.e. those on the Wirral), preparing well in advance is necessary for your child to familiarise themselves with the new question formats.
How Atom can help your child prepare for the 11 plus
The 11 plus assesses a huge amount of Key Stage 2 content. Atom Nucleus offers tailored exam practice, specific to your target school, with over 90,000 teacher-created questions for your child to work through.
Start your 5-day free trial today and see what Atom Nucleus can do for your child.
Free preparation resources and tips
Take a look at these free preparation resources. We've put these together to ensure your child has everything they need to excel in the 11 plus:
Here are some more of our top tips on how to help your child prepare for the 2022 exam:
Build strong foundational knowledge: A solid understanding of the Key Stage 2 curriculum in English and maths is vital, as this will be assessed regardless of which school you’re applying for. Make sure your child feels comfortable and confident with the curriculum content before moving on to exam prep.
Preparation is key: Once your child has mastered the curriculum content, make sure they familiarise themselves with the question formats and known styles ahead of the 11 plus exam.
Atom Nucleus gives your child access to unlimited mock exams that mirror the content, format and structure of the Wirral 11 plus exams.
Access to immediate support: Your child will need clarity while working through challenging topics to help them feel really confident. Atom Nucleus gives your child access to video tutorials, help sheets, question examples and over 400 recorded (fun) lessons, helping them to build confidence and competence in all the areas covered in the 11 plus exam.
Engage with their progress: celebrate your child's improvement in their areas of challenge together. An accurate and ongoing assessment of your child’s areas of strength and development is helpful. Atom's Parent Portal offers data-driven insights into your child's progress to help you prepare effectively.
A detailed breakdown of progress by subtopic, compared to the average student in their year:
Set Custom Practices to target your child's most challenging subtopics, with functions to personalise timings and question types:
We know how crucial this time is. If you have any questions about the 11 plus exams in Wirral & Liverpool, our education experts are on hand to support you and your family every step of the way:
If you’re looking for exclusive tips and resources to help your child master key subjects, excel in exams and build academic confidence, join Atom’s email list:
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