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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.

Taking the 11+ test in Lancashire

Lancashire 11+ guide for parents
What's involved in the entrance assessment for Lancashire's grammar schools? We have the details.

Which schools require an 11+ pass?

There are four grammar schools in Lancashire:
 

What do the tests involve?

The Lancashire schools all administer the same test, which comprises three papers in verbal reasoning, mathematics and English.
 

  • The verbal reasoning test consists of 80 multiple-choice questions and lasts 50 minutes.
  • The English test involves 56 multiple choice questions in 45 minutes. The paper tests children’s ability in comprehension, spelling, punctuation and grammar.
  • The mathematics test comprises 50 multiple-choice questions in 50 minutes, based on the Key Stage 2 syllabus.

What version of the test is used?

The Lancashire grammar schools and Bacup and Rawtenstall use 11 Plus tests developed by GL Assessment.

Exam Papers Plus & TheSchoolRun.com

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

Parents considering any of the Lancashire grammar schools must complete the application form to take the entrance exam; you can find this on each of the schools' websites. It’s important to remember that although the schools use the same test, each has different admissions criteria so it’s crucial that you check this before registering your child for the entrance test. The schools' admissions policies are available on their website.

Where are the tests held?

All four grammar schools in Lancashire hold their entrance test on the same day in each of the individual schools.

What is the pass mark?

The range of successful scores varies from year to year, depending on the ability and number of children sitting the tests. Most of the websites include information on the test scores of children who were allocated places at the various schools during the past few years, which can help you to gauge what sort of mark would qualify your child for a place. Bear in mind that attaining the pass mark doesn't guarantee your child a place; if a school is oversubscribed, they will apply their own procedures for allocating places to qualifying candidates.

How can I help prepare my child?

Both the Lancaster Girls' Grammar School and the Lancaster Royal Grammar School have details on their websites about available practice material and where parents can buy it. GL Assessment also sells a range of practice papers and preparation materials in bookshops and online. 

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

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