Is your child taking the 11 plus for entry to a Yorkshire grammar school in September 2024? Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about the application process, the content of the 11 plus exam in your area, and how to help your child prepare.
Contents
Which schools in Yorkshire use the 11 plus?
There are six grammar schools in Yorkshire and the Humber. There are six grammar schools that span the counties of Yorkshire. These are under the remit of three Local Authorities: Calderdale (West Yorkshire), Kirklees (West Yorkshire) and North Yorkshire:
Calderdale (West Yorkshire)
The Crossley Heath School (boys and girls)
North Halifax Grammar School (boys and girls)
Kirklees (West Yorkshire)
Heckmondwike Grammar School (boys and girls)
North Yorkshire
Ermysted’s Grammar School (boys)
Ripon Grammar School (boys and girls)
Skipton Girls’ High School (girls)
Key dates for the 11 plus in Yorkshire
Exam registration opens: April–May 2023
Exam registration closes: June–September 2023
Exam date: September 2023
Exam board: GL Assessment
Results: October 2023
Local authority application form deadline: 31st October 2023
National school offer day: 1st March 2024
Appeals deadline: March–April 2024. Appeals are processed through the local authority
Dates vary between schools and local authorities, so always check with your target schools!
What is the Yorkshire 11 plus test?
The 11 plus is an academic exam used by grammar schools in the UK. Grammar schools are selective, which means that they only give places to pupils who meet certain academic criteria. Children take the test in September when they are in Year 6 to apply for a place in Year 7.
All six schools will test their candidates with 11 plus papers set by GL Assessment.
GL Assessment papers in English, verbal reasoning, maths and non-verbal reasoning.
Test your knowledge
Try answering some 11+ questions
How do I apply to a Yorkshire grammar school?
1. Register for the 11 plus exam
If you would like your child to be considered for a place in Year 7 at any of the grammar schools in Yorkshire, you will need to register by the published deadline:
Heckmondwike Grammar School: apply via the online portal on Heckmondwike Grammar School's website. Registration opens on 15th May 2023 and close on 26th June 2023.
Ermysted's Grammar School: apply through the school website. Registration opens on 24th April 2023 and closes on 4th September 2023.
Ripon Grammar School: apply on the North Yorkshire County Council website between 3rd April and 30th June 2023.
Skipton Girls' High School: apply through the school website. Online registration will open on 1st May 2023 and will close on 23rd August 2023.
The Crossley Heath School and North Halifax Grammar School: apply via the Halifax Grammar Schools website. Registration will open on 1st April 2023 and close on 1st July 2023.
2. Apply for a school place
In addition to registering your child for the 11 plus exam, you will need to list your preferred school on the secondary school common application form (CAF) issued by your home local authority (e.g. North Yorkshire, Calderdale or Kirklees).
You should only list your preferred grammar schools if your child has met the qualifying score in the 11 plus test. Schools usually publish a qualifying score, or a guidance, in their admissions policies.
You will receive the results of your child's score in mid-October. The common application form must be submitted to your local council by 31st October 2023.
3. National school offer day
You will find out which school your child has been allocated a place at on 1st March 2024. This date is the same for all state secondary school places in the country. Your child will be allocated a place at your highest-preferred school for which they meet the entry criteria, as long as places are available.
If your child's target school is oversubscribed and you do not meet the oversubscription criteria, they will be offered a place at another school in your area. You can choose to appeal this decision via an independent appeal, but bear in mind that only a small proportion of appeals are likely to be successful.
What's covered on the Yorkshire 11 plus?
Ermysted's Grammar School 11 plus
Children applying for a place at Ermysted's Grammar School will take two 11 plus papers on Saturday 23rd September 2023. For each paper, children will be given a question book and a separate answer sheet, which is marked electronically.
Paper 1: (50 minutes) English and verbal reasoning. Children will be tested on their reading comprehension skills and accuracy in spelling, punctuation, grammar and vocabulary.
Paper 2: (50 minutes) maths and non-verbal reasoning. Children will be tested on their ability to analyse visual information and solve problems using shapes, diagrams and pictures, and content covered in the Key Stage 2 national curriculum for maths.
All questions in both papers are multiple-choice.
Heckmondwike Grammar School 11 plus
The 11 plus exam at Heckmondwike Grammar School consists of three papers, all containing multiple-choice questions. Children will mark their answers on a separate answer sheet, which is marked by computer.
Paper 1: (50 minutes) English. Children will be tested on their reading comprehension skills, as well as their accuracy with spelling, punctuation and grammar.
Paper 2: (50 minutes) maths. Children will be tested on areas of the curriculum including number, measurement, geometry and statistics.
Paper 3: non-verbal reasoning. Your child will need to look at the relationships between shapes and sequences, identify common features, and solve codes. This test is split into four individually-timed 10-minute sections.
The test date for the 11 plus at Heckmondwike Grammar School is 18th September 2023.
Ripon Grammar School 11 plus
The Ripon Grammar School 11 plus exam will take place on Saturday 9th September 2023. Children will take two multiple-choice papers, which are produced for the North Yorkshire local authority by GL Assessment.
Paper 1: (50 minutes) verbal reasoning. Questions will require children to manipulate words, letters and numbers and the relationships between symbols and the meanings of words.
Paper 2: (40 minutes) non-verbal reasoning. Questions will involve the manipulation of shapes and images. This test is split into four individually-timed 10-minute sections.
You can access 11 plus familiarisation materials for Ripon Grammar School on the North Yorkshire council website.
Skipton Girls' High School 11 plus
Girls applying to Skipton Girls' High School take three test papers. All are multiple-choice and produced by GL Assessment.
English: (45-50 minutes) the paper consists of two extracts with comprehension questions, plus further questions which may assess spelling, punctuation and grammar.
Maths: (50 minutes) questions will assess the content covered in Key Stage 2 maths. There will be approximately 50 questions in total.
Verbal reasoning: questions will tests candidates' ability to reason and solve problems with written information. There will be approximately 80 questions to work through.
The 11 plus exam at Skipton Girls' High School will take place on Saturday 23rd September 2023.
The Crossley Heath School and North Halifax Grammar School 11 plus
Pupils applying for either (or both) The Crossley Heath School and North Halifax Grammar School will take one 11 plus test, as the schools operate a joint registration and admissions process. This test consists of two papers, each of approximately one hour:
Paper 1: English and verbal reasoning. Children will be tested on their reading comprehension skills and accuracy in spelling, punctuation, grammar and vocabulary.
Paper 2: maths and non-verbal reasoning. Children will be tested on their ability to analyse visual information and solve problems using shapes, diagrams and pictures, and content covered in the Key Stage 2 national curriculum for maths.
The 11 plus exam for The Crossley Heath School and North Halifax Grammar School will take place in mid-September 2023.
What is the pass mark for the 11 plus in Yorkshire?
As the six schools in Yorkshire take different 11 plus tests, the pass marks/qualifying scores vary depending on the school. Pass marks are also subject to the performance of the year group – if the average mark across a year group is high, the pass mark will be higher, and vice versa.
As a guide, UK grammar schools tend to offer places to children whose scores place them in the top 25% of their cohort. Children's 11 plus scores are standardised to ensure that children born later in the academic year aren't disadvantaged by their age.
Scoring criteria
There is no formal 11 plus pass mark for Ermysted's Grammar School. The school has a planned admission number (PAN) of 124; after all scores have been standardised and ranked, the 124 children with the highest scores will be eligible for a place.
How can I help my child prepare for the 11 plus?
Here are our top tips on how to help your child prepare for the 2023 exam:
Cover all the content
The 11 plus assesses a large breadth and depth of learning objectives. Starting at least one year before the test, using a little-and-often approach, will give your child time to securely build the skills and knowledge they need.
Atom Nucleus is an 11 plus online course which tailors your child's personalised learning journey to cover all elements of the 11 plus tests in Yorkshire. This will help you to avoid the common mistake of over-focusing on the topics your child enjoys, or conversely, the topics they find the most difficult.
No surprises
Make sure your child is familiar with all styles of questions they will experience in the test. This reduces the potential for stress on the day and will give them confidence to answer the questions to the best of their ability. Access to unlimited 11 plus test papers that match those set by your child's target schools will allow them to build exam technique and feel fully prepared on the day.
Engage with their progress
Setting regular goals and celebrating achievements will help keep motivation high. Atom offers data-driven insights into your child’s progress towards mastering the 11 plus content, 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, verbal and non-verbal 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.
Yorkshire 11 plus practice papers
Atom Nucleus gives children access to unlimited online practice papers tailored to the 11 plus tests in Yorkshire. Our online tests are designed to mirror the format and style of real 11 plus questions, so your child will go into the exam knowing exactly what to expect.
And what's more, everything is automatically marked for you.
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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:
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