Entrance Exam

Heckmondwike Grammar School is a state selective grammar school providing a free education appropriate to the needs of pupils in the top 25% of the ability range.

Entrance Examination

All pupils seeking entry into Year 7 must sit the school’s entrance examination.

The exam usually takes place early in September of the school year prior to entry.

What does the entrance exam entail?

Children take an entrance examination early in the Autumn term preceding the September of entry. Papers will test a range of reasoning skills in a variety of contexts and they are designed to be predictors of likely future performance. The results from each paper will be standardised, age-weighted and combined into a total standardised age score. The outcome of the test is communicated to parents in mid-October, prior to the deadline for submission of the common application form (CAF) to the local authority. This does not necessarily constitute the formal offer of a place since, in recent years, there have been more children reaching the required standard than there are places available. The formal offer of a place will be communicated via the Local Authority in early March.

Allocation of places

The school offers 180 places, via the local authority. All applicants will be notified as to whether or not they have achieved the required standard prior to the deadline for submission of the common application form to the local authority. This does not, however, constitute the offer of a place, as applications must be made via the local authority using the common application form. The deadline for submitting this to the LA is usually in October. Places will be offered by the LA in March.

Familiarisation Materials

We recommend parents help children familiarise themselves with the style and layout of the exam papers for the English, maths and non-verbal reasoning components of the exam before the Entrance Exam. This will include getting used to the format of the questions and how children may be required to approach these in the exams. In addition, these familiarisation question papers also show how children record their answers in the exam. Please note, that the English and maths elements of the exam are consistent with the level of input expected up to and including Year 5 content. It is in children’s interests to go into the exam knowing what kinds of things they will be asked so that their performance will them justice. We do not recommend that students are tutored to prepare them for the exam, as meeting the standard for entry in this exam does not necessarily mean that children are capable of coping with the demands and rigours of selective education. Parents can help their children by working with them on the familiarisation papers and ensuring that children are as up to date with their school work as possible.

English

Maths

Non-Verbal Reasoning