Grammar Schools in Gloucestershire

Registration for the test is normally open for just over a month, between the end of May and the end of June when children are in Year 5. Parents must register on the school’s own websites rather than on a country council website. The registration window is fairly small, so it is important to note the dates carefully and ensure all research has been undertaken in a timely manner.

The Gloucestershire Grammar Schools’ Entrance Test is used by seven schools: Denmark Road High School, Marling School, Pate’s Grammar School, Ribston Hall High School, Sir Thomas Rich’s School, Stroud High School and The Crypt School.

There are seven schools which use the test. There are also many other schools in the county which do not use the entrance test and are non-selective. Parents should look carefully at the admissions criteria when considering which school to apply for, and also speak to their child’s teachers to see if they feel they are suitable for a grammar school environment.

The results of the Gloucestershire Grammar Schools’ Entrance Test come out in mid-October. As the tests are marked by computer, they are processed quickly and parents receive the results as soon as possible to enable them to make decisions around school applications before the deadline at the end of October.

The Gloucestershire Grammar Schools’ Entrance Test is in the middle of September. It is held on a Saturday so children do not miss any school to sit it, and can have the rest of the weekend to relax.

The Gloucestershire Grammar Schools’ Entrance Test lasts around two hours, with two papers each lasting one hour. The papers include practice questions and the test time also includes information from the invigilator which is communicated to children. The test takes place on one morning in early September, when children are in Year 6.

The Gloucestershire Grammar Schools’ Entrance Test includes two papers, one which focuses on verbal skills and one which focuses on non-verbal and maths skills. This means that whilst English is not named as a specific subject, it is likely to be covered in the verbal paper, which will include questions on comprehension and understanding.

The Gloucestershire Grammar Schools’ Entrance Test is written and marked by GL Assessment, a nationwide provider of 11 Plus assessments in the United Kingdom. Because the test is marked by computer, the results are quickly made available to parents. The origins of the test stem from a desire to have one standardised assessment for grammar schools in the area and to avoid children having to sit multiple assessments for entry into Year 7.

Because the test lasts two hours, with one hour for each paper, children are likely to have between 30 seconds and 1 minute to complete each question. This means that the number of questions will vary from year to year but is likely to be between 50 and 80 questions in each paper. It is important to practise timings and undertake questions in controlled conditions.

Once offers have been made on Secondary Schools National Offer Day, it is possible to appeal the offer which has been made. As long as a child has been assessed as grammar school standard they can appeal their place in a grammar school. This will take place in front of an independent panel.

The pass mark for the Gloucestershire Grammar Schools’ Entrance Test varies between schools. Each of the seven schools in the consortium publish their own admissions criteria, which are available on the school website. Parents should check the pass mark for the specific school to which they are applying, and should note that achieving this mark does not guarantee a space as there will be additional admissions criteria applied if the school is over-subscribed.

It will depend on the aptitude of the child and which areas of study they need extra help with to achieve their best. As one paper focuses on verbal skills and one on non-verbal skills and maths, it is important to understand which sections will be more challenging. Speak to your child’s teacher to gain an understanding of their ability in English comprehension and Maths, and then perhaps use some familiarisation papers to assess verbal and non-verbal reasoning initially.

A good score will depend to which school you are applying, and what their baseline score is for offering a place. Check the admissions criteria carefully.

Marks do differ between different schools which use the Gloucestershire Grammar Schools’ Entrance Test. Due to published admissions numbers, each grammar school sets a minimum score requirement beyond which they may offer a place subject to the child meeting further admissions criteria. For example, Denmark Road High School has a baseline score, historically, of around 210 to 220. The school is oversubscribed, rated ‘good’ by Ofsted, and admits 150 students to Year 7 every year. In contrast, Pate’s Grammar School, which is rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted, admits the top 150 students and they are likely to have achieved a higher baseline score.

Those schools rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted are likely to have a higher baseline score from which children will be considered for a place. These schools, whilst they may not have specific catchment areas, will most likely have an admissions system whereby the distance from the child’s home to the school will form part of the criteria.

Those schools rated ‘good’ by Ofsted are likely to have a slightly lower baseline score from which children will be considered for a place. However, there are differing factors to take into account here and it is worth keeping an eye on Ofsted ratings as these can change dramatically from one inspection to the next.