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Important update from TheSchoolRun

For the past 13 years, TheSchoolRun has been run by a small team of mums working from home, dedicated to providing quality educational resources to primary school parents. Unfortunately, rising supplier costs and falling revenue have made it impossible for us to continue operating, and we’ve had to make the difficult decision to close. The good news: We’ve arranged for another educational provider to take over many of our resources. These will be hosted on a new portal, where the content will be updated and expanded to support your child’s learning.

What this means for subscribers:

  • Your subscription is still active, and for now, you can keep using the website as normal — just log in with your usual details to access all our articles and resources*.
  • In a few months, all resources will move to the new portal. You’ll continue to have access there until your subscription ends. We’ll send you full details nearer the time.
  • As a thank you for your support, we’ll also be sending you 16 primary school eBooks (worth £108.84) to download and keep.

A few changes to be aware of:

  • The Learning Journey weekly email has ended, but your child’s plan will still be updated on your dashboard each Monday. Just log in to see the recommended worksheets.
  • The 11+ weekly emails have now ended. We sent you all the remaining emails in the series at the end of March — please check your inbox (and spam folder) if you haven’t seen them. You can also follow the full programme here: 11+ Learning Journey.

If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected]. Thank you for being part of our journey it’s been a privilege to support your family’s learning.

*If you need to reset your password, it will still work as usual. Please check your spam folder if the reset email doesn’t appear in your inbox.

The Lincolnshire 11+ test explained

Lincolnshire 11+ guide for parents
With a massive 15 selective schools to choose from, what do you need to know about registering your child for the Lincolnshire 11+?

Which schools require an 11+ pass?

Lincolnshire is divided between areas of selective education and areas of comprehensive schooling. There are currently 16 grammar schools in the county, and all but one of these use standard testing arrangements, co-ordinated by the Lincolnshire Consortium of Grammar Schools.

These are:
 

There is one further grammar school in Lincolnshire, Caistor Grammar School (mixed), which is not part of the Consortium and sets its own entrance tests.

What do the tests involve?

Children who want to apply for one or more of the Consortium schools are required to take both verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning tests. The verbal reasoning test is preceded by a short 10-minute preliminary practice test. The non-verbal reasoning test is divided into sections, each of which includes a few practice questions.

Caistor Grammar requires children to take verbal reasoning tests only.

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What version of the test is used?

The Consortium uses GL Assessment tests. Caistor Grammar administers its own tests.

How do you arrange for your child to take the test?

Information about the registration process and 11+ testing arrangements is given to parents of Year 5 children in early June through the primary schools. For those children who attend schools outside Lincolnshire, or in non-selective areas of the county, parents can download the necessary form from the Consortium website or can directly apply to the appropriate grammar school. Completed registration forms should be returned through primary schools or by post direct to the grammar school.

Where are the tests held?

Children will either take the tests in their own primary schools or in the grammar school with which they have registered, according to the area. Most parents will register for 11+ testing with their closest grammar school, where free home-school transport may be available. A map showing the grammar school areas where free transport is provided is shown in the Schools section of the Consortium website. In some Lincolnshire grammar schools, a significant proportion of pupils come from ‘out of area’.

What is the pass mark?

All the marks from the Consortium tests are standardised, which means adjustments are made for age difference. The qualifying standard, which means a child is suitable for grammar school education, is 220 for all of the Lincolnshire selective schools, including Caistor Grammar. This represents the ability of the most able 25 per cent of pupils. Some of the grammar schools are oversubscribed, so achieving the qualifying standard is not a guarantee of a grammar school place. It’s important to consult each school’s admission policy to find out the criteria that are used if there are more applicants than places. 

How can I help prepare my child?

The Consortium strongly advises parents that special preparation is not needed, and believes that too much puts children under pressure and may be counterproductive. Prior to testing day, children sit two mock tests at their primary schools, which give them the experience of answering questions in a similar environment in a timed situation. GL practice papers and preparation materials are also available to buy online and in bookshops.

Please note that while every effort has been made to provide accurate information about individual schools, admissions arrangements for Year 7 entry change regularly and it is important to check for the most up-to-date advice on schools' own websites.

NB: TheSchoolRun receives a small commission from sales made through Exam Paper Plus.