Yorkshire grammar schools 11 plus guide

Please note: Heckmondwike Grammar School, North Halifax Grammar School, Skipton Girls' High School and The Crossley Heath School use an exam provider known as FSCE. The content and format of this exam may be changing from September 2025. The information on this page may not accurately reflect the changes for 2025.
Information about the new changes will be available on this page in May 2025. In the meantime, please visit each school's website for more information.

Are you considering a grammar school in Yorkshire for your child? We’ve collated everything you need to know about admissions in 2025–2026. Keep reading to:

• Find out more about grammar schools in North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire

• Learn about local 11+ exams

• Discover which subjects your child will be tested on

• Plus, get exclusive resources to help your child prepare!

Which schools in Yorkshire use the 11 plus?

There are three grammar schools in North Yorkshire and three grammar schools in West Yorkshire:

North Yorkshire

• Ermysted’s Grammar School (boys)
• Ripon Grammar School (boys and girls)
• Skipton Girls’ High School (girls)

West Yorkshire

• Heckmondwike Grammar School (boys and girls)
• North Halifax Grammar School (boys and girls)
• The Crossley Heath School (boys and girls)

Dates for your diary

North Yorkshire

• Tuesday 1st April 2025: Ripon Grammar School 11+ registration opens
• Tuesday 22nd April 2025: Ermysted’s Grammar School 11+ registration opens
• May 2025: Skipton Girls’ High School 11+ registration opens
• Monday 30th June 2025: Ripon Grammar School 11+ registration closes
• Wednesday 27th August 2025: Skipton Girls' High School 11+ registration closes
• Monday 1st September 2025: Ermysted’s Grammar School 11+ registration closes
• Saturday 13th September 2025: 11+ exam at Ripon Grammar School
• Saturday 27th September 2025: 11+ exam at Ermysted’s Grammar School and Skipton Girls' High School
• Mid-October 2025: parents receive exam results
• Friday 31st October 2025: secondary school common application deadline
• Monday 2nd March 2026: national school offers day

West Yorkshire

• Friday 21st March 2025: 11+ registration opens for North Halifax Grammar School & The Crossley Heath School
• Monday 12th May 2025: 11+ registration opens for Heckmondwike Grammar School
• Monday 23rd June 2025: 11+ registration closes for Heckmondwike Grammar School
• Friday 27th June 2025: 11+ registration closes for North Halifax Grammar School & The Crossley Heath School
• Monday 15th September 2025: Heckmondwike Grammar School 11+ exam
• Saturday 20th September 2025: North Halifax Grammar School & The Crossley Heath School 11+ exam
• Thursday 16th October 2025: parents receive Heckmondwike Grammar School 11+ results
• Saturday 18th October 2025: parents receive North Halifax Grammar School and The Crossley Heath School exam results
• Friday 31st October 2025: secondary school common application deadline
• Monday 2nd March 2026: national school offers day

Dates can vary, so always check with your target schools!

What is the 11 plus?

The 11 plus is an academic entrance test used by grammar schools. Children who pass the test or meet a qualifying standard are eligible for a place at a grammar school. Children who are working within the top 25% of their year group are normally well-suited for grammar school.

The 11 plus exam takes place in September, when your child is in Year 6. Children who were born between 1st September 2015 and 31st August 2016 will take the 11 plus in September 2025 for school places in 2026.

What's on the 11 plus in Yorkshire?

There is no set 11 plus exam in Yorkshire. The six grammar schools have their own 11 plus exams, or shared exams with other local grammar schools.

• Ermysted’s Grammar School: GL Assessment 11+ papers in English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning
• Heckmondwike Grammar School: FSCE 11+ papers in English, maths and creative writing
• North Halifax Grammar School: FSCE 11+ papers in English, maths and creative writing
• Ripon Grammar School: GL Assessment 11+ papers in verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning
• Skipton Girls’ High School: FSCE 11 plus papers in English, maths and creative writing
• The Crossley Heath School: FSCE 11 plus papers in English, maths and creative writing

How is the 11 plus scored?

After the test, your child’s answer sheets are marked using Optical Mark Recognition (OMR). This technology picks up the marks your child has made to indicate which answers they think are correct. Your child receives a mark for every correct answer.

These marks are then age-standardised. Age-standardisation is a common practice in 11 plus scoring and ensures younger children aren’t disadvantaged.

Standardised age scores for each paper normally range from 60 at the lowest end, to 142 at the highest end.

• A single standardised score of 80 or below represents the bottom 10% of the year group
• A single standardised score of 100 represents the average score for the child's year group
• A single standardised score of 120 or above represents the top 10% of children in that year group

The highest standardised age score a child can achieve for a single paper is usually 142. This score would place them within the top 1% of children taking the test.

You’ll receive your child’s results by mid-October 2026. If your child meets your target school’s qualifying standard, you can then apply for a place for that school on your common application form (CAF).

What's the pass mark for the 11 plus in Yorkshire?

There is no set pass mark for the 11 plus in Yorkshire. The number of children who will be eligible for entry to the school usually depends on the rank order of children’s scores and the number of places available.

Schools use oversubscription criteria to decide which children to offer places to. We’ve included this information in each of our school guides:

• Ermysted’s Grammar School
• Heckmondwike Grammar School
• North Halifax Grammar School
• Ripon Grammar School
• Skipton Girls’ High School
• The Crossley Heath School

How to apply to grammar schools in Yorkshire

If you're considering a grammar school in Yorkshire for your child, it's a good idea to speak to your child's teacher first.

Grammar schools are academically-selective and select children working towards the top of their year group. Children who are working above the expected standard in core subjects (English, maths and science) at primary school are normally well-suited for grammar school. Your child’s teacher will be able to indicate whether this applies to your child.

1. Register for the 11 plus

If you would like your child to be considered for a place at a grammar school in Yorkshire, you’ll need to register them to take the school’s 11 plus exam.

To register your child, visit the admissions page of your target school’s website and complete the registration form. Make sure to read the instructions carefully, as you may need to register your child for different exams depending on how many grammar schools you’re applying to.

2. Apply for school places

In October, you’ll find out if your child has achieved the minimum score necessary for admission to your target school(s).

You can use these results to decide which schools to name on your secondary school common application form. You should only name grammar schools for which your child has met the eligible score. Before listing a school on your form, check its admissions policy and make sure your child is eligible.

The application form must be submitted to your home local council by 31st October 2025.

3. National school offer day

On Monday 2nd March 2026, you will find out which school your child has been allocated a place at. They will be allocated a place at your highest-preferred school for which they meet the entry criteria and which has places available.

If no places are available at your preferred schools, they will be offered a place at another school in your area. You can appeal via an independent panel. Information about how to appeal will be sent to you by your local authority along with your school offer on National Offers Day.

How can I help my child prepare for the 11 plus?

The 11 plus exam is designed to be challenging. Here are our top tips to help your child prepare for the 11 plus in September 2025.

Bitesize learning

It’s important to build a good knowledge base before the exam. Using a ‘little and often’ approach when learning is key – our brains encode new information more effectively when dealing with smaller ‘chunks’ of information. For children aged 10–11, child psychologists recommend regular study sessions of 20–30 minutes.

Atom Home makes learning a more enjoyable process for your child. They'll explore exciting worlds full of interactive questions, earning coins to spend in the Atom shop. Atom adapts to your child, showing them questions at just the right level of difficulty to keep them motivated.

Read widely

11 plus exams test your child’s ability to analyse and interpret written information. Regular reading is a great way to help your child build these skills.

Encourage them to read books from different genres and by a diverse range of authors. Increasing the variety of your child’s reading will help them understand different styles, tones and purposes. Meanwhile, reading a little every day will help widen their vocabulary, sharpen their analytical thinking, and enhance their imagination.

Refine exam technique

When your child feels confident with the topics they’ve learnt in Year 5, they’ll be ready to put their knowledge to the test.

Practice tests can help your child develop problem-solving skills and build confidence working under test conditions. They’re also a great way to consolidate learning and highlight knowledge gaps for further improvement.

With Atom Home, you'll unlock online mock tests and printable practice papers for 11 plus exams in Yorkshire. Enjoy automatic marking and progress tracking with the online tests, and help your child get familiar with the real exam experience with printable practice papers.

Celebrate progress

Setting regular, achievable goals and celebrating your child’s progress – no matter how big or small – will help keep their motivation high.

Make sure to encourage a growth mindset. This means celebrating effort, as well as achievement! When your child makes mistakes or struggles to understand a particular topic, help them understand that they’ll improve through practice. Regular praise will help your child improve their resilience when tackling new and challenging topics.