The 11 plus
11 plus Application
1. What is the purpose of the Eleven Plus selection procedure?
2. When can I look round the school?
3. How can I obtain a prospectus?
4. How do I register my daughter for the Eleven Plus Test?
5. Does the Eleven Plus Procedure take account of Special Educational Needs?
6. What happens once I have registered for the Test?
7. What about the Local Authority Secondary Application Form?
2. When can I look round the school?
3. How can I obtain a prospectus?
4. How do I register my daughter for the Eleven Plus Test?
5. Does the Eleven Plus Procedure take account of Special Educational Needs?
6. What happens once I have registered for the Test?
7. What about the Local Authority Secondary Application Form?
11 plus Testing
8. What are the arrangements for testing?
9. What does the Test involve?
10. How are the tests scores calculated?
9. What does the Test involve?
10. How are the tests scores calculated?
11 plus Results
11. How will I be informed of my daughter’s results?
12. Will there be enough space for my daughter if she passes?
13. My daughter has passed – how do I now apply for a place?
14. How will the LA allocate places at SWGS?
12. Will there be enough space for my daughter if she passes?
13. My daughter has passed – how do I now apply for a place?
14. How will the LA allocate places at SWGS?
11 plus Summary Timetable and Key Downloads
Application – June 2013 until October 2013
(1) What is the purpose of the Eleven Plus selection procedure?
The eleven plus selection procedure is designed to determine whether or not children in the autumn term of their final year of primary education are suitable for admission to a grammar school. Parents should note that meeting the academic requirements for entry to the School is not, in itself, a guarantee of an offer of a place.
Grammar schools are required to run their selection tests and notify parents of the results before parents make an application to their Local Authority for a secondary school place for their child. Parents must, therefore, register their child for the Eleven Plus Test and following the release of the results, parents who wish to apply for a place at South Wilts Grammar School (SWGS) must name SWGS as one of their preferences on the LA Secondary Application Form.
(2) When can I look round the school?
Four Open Afternoons will take place at the end of June and beginning of July, when staff will be available to answer questions, and tours of the School by pupils will be organised. The Open Afternoons begin at 2pm with an introductory talk and finish at approximately 3.30pm. These afternoons are for girls as well as parents.
Although these afternoons are mainly dedicated to entry into Year 7, those interested in entry into Years 8, 9 and 10 are also welcome to attend. The Open Afternoons take place on:
PLEASE NOTE :
(3) How can I obtain a prospectus?
Prospectuses for 2014 entry will be available in June 2013. They will be delivered to local primary schools within the SWGS designated area. They can also be obtained at the Open Afternoons or online - Click Here.
(4) How do I register my daughter for the Eleven Plus Test?
A registration form must be sent to SWGS to register your daughter for the Eleven Plus Test. This is essential for the administration of the test and also gives evidence for the application of our oversubscription criteria. The deadline for the SWGS Registration Form to be returned is Friday 6th September 2013.
The Registration Form can be found in the prospectus. It will also be available to download from the bottom of this webpage from June 2013.
(5) Does the Eleven Plus Procedure take account of Special Educational Needs?
If a child has a current statement of educational needs, speaks English as a Second Language or faces any other barrier to learning, whether medical or educational (eg Specific learning difficulties), or parents feel their daughter’s circumstances may affect her performance in the test, they can request that special consideration be given to her.
Parents must complete the yellow Special Access arrangements form and return it with written evidence to the School by Wednesday 3rd July 2013. The School will then conduct a consultation process with appropriate medical or educational professionals (such as the girl’s Headteacher, SENCo and the LA Educational Psychologist). Parents will be advised of the outcome of that consultation in writing prior to the date of the test itself, and informed as to whether special measures will be allowed.
(6) What happens once I have registered for the Test?
Parents who have registered for the Eleven Plus Test using the Supplementary Registration Form will receive details of the test arrangements approximately one week before the exam. The test will be held on the morning of Saturday 21st September 2013.
(For further details regarding the format of the Test, please continue reading through to the section below regarding testing arrangements.)
(7) What about the Local Authority Secondary Application Form?
A letter with the Eleven Plus test scores will be posted out on Monday 14th October 2013 in time for parents to complete and return the Secondary Application Form for their Local Authority, the deadline for which is noon on 31st October 2013. (for Wiltshire, Hampshire and Dorset residents). This will give details of the test score and whether the student has met the required standard (and is “eligible” for admission). It is important to note that meeting the required standard does not guarantee that your daughter will be offered a place at South Wilts Grammar School if the school is oversubscribed.
Parents of girls living in Wiltshire should obtain the Wiltshire Council (WC) Secondary Application Form from their child’s primary school, or direct from WC County Hall at Trowbridge, or apply online at www.wiltshire.gov.uk where there is a link from the Home Page. Candidates from other counties should apply via their own County’s Secondary Application Form. Their County Council will then inform WC of a candidate's preference for SWGS.
Parents that wish to apply for a grammar school place following the release of the Eleven Plus results should include South Wilts Grammar School as one of their named preferences on the Secondary Application Form.
It is important that parents understand that the system of allocation of school places by the LA will mean that if, after applying the admissions criteria, a child appears on the eligible list of their first preference school, then this is the place that will be offered. A candidate with South Wilts Grammar School as a second or third preference, even if they are deemed suitable for a grammar school education, would not be offered a place at SWGS on Monday 3rd March 2014 if they are eligible for a school for which they have indicated a higher preference on the Secondary Application Form. Parents should contact their LA if they are unclear about the preference system.
Testing – Saturday 21st September 2013
(8) What are the arrangements for testing?
Girls sit the 11+ test on Saturday 21st September 2013.
The Eleven Plus test is taken under public exam conditions and clearly most girls will be affected by nerves at some point in the weeks and days before the test. Therefore, parents are strongly advised to monitor and limit any activities which might put undue additional pressure on their daughter and therefore induce poor exam performance.
NB. No child should sit the tests if she is unwell or affected by any personal circumstances that may influence her performance. Parents should telephone the School either before the test or on the morning of Saturday 21st September 2013.
A timetable, map and instructions for preparing for the day itself will be available for download from the bottom of this webpage in August 2013.
Parents who have registered for the Eleven Plus Test using the Supplementary Registration Form will receive details of the test arrangements approximately one week before the exam.
(9) What does the Test involve?
The test consists of three papers :
a. Maths (MA) - 50 minutes
b. English (EN) - 45 minutes
c. Verbal Reasoning (VR) - 50 minutes
a. Maths (MA) - 50 minutes
b. English (EN) - 45 minutes
c. Verbal Reasoning (VR) - 50 minutes
(For more information regarding preparation for the test, please download the Information Leaflet from the bottom of this page.)
11+ practice papers can be purchased from GL Assessment.
(10) How are the test scores calculated?
The scores attained in the MA, EN and VR tests are standardised to make allowances for the child’s age in relation to the ages of the other children and to give the three tests equal weighting. The standardisation and calibration are carried out by statisticians at GL Assessment. The three standardised scores are then added together to produce a final result.
All candidates whose combined score in the MA, EN and VR papers reaches the standardised pass mark will be regarded as having passed the entrance test. Girls whose combined score falls below the standardised pass mark will be deemed to be unsuited to a grammar school course of education. It must be noted that normally more girls will pass the entrance test than can be accommodated and in these circumstances the oversubscription criteria and waiting list procedures will apply.
Results – Monday 14th October 2013
(11) How will I be informed of my daughter’s results?
A letter with the Eleven Plus test scores will be posted out on Monday 14th October 2013 in time for parents to complete and return the Secondary Application Form for their Local Authority, the deadline for which is noon on 31st October 2013. (for Wiltshire, Hampshire and Dorset residents). This will give details of the test score and whether the student has met the required standard (and is “eligible” for admission). It is important to note that meeting the required standard does not guarantee that your daughter will be offered a place at South Wilts Grammar School if the school is oversubscribed.
(12) Will there be enough space for my daughter if she passes?
SWGS has a planned admission number for Year 7 of 128. If more than 128 girls achieve the standardised pass mark, then the school will rank every girl eligible for a place according to the published oversubscription criteria in the order shown below.
(a) Children in Care (Looked After Children). A 'looked after child' or a child who was previously looked after but immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, residence or special guardianship order. A looked after child is a child who is (a) in the care of a local authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions (see the definition in section 22 (1) of the Children Act 1989).
(b) Girls who live in the School’s designated area. The address is the place where the child is permanently resident with her parent or parents or legal guardians. Documentary evidence of residence not more than 6 months old may be required (eg the child’s NHS medical card and the parent’s/guardian’s recent utilities bill, bank statement or tenancy agreement, an Armed Forces posting order or a solicitor’s letter confirming the exchange of contracts on a property). Where a child lives with parents with shared responsibility each part of the week, the “home address” will be considered to be the address of the person whose name is on the child benefit statement (proof of this may be required).
(c) Girls who are from families entitled to claim free school meals at their current school at the time of the test. Documentary evidence that the parent is in receipt of the appropriate support payment entitling the child to free school meals will be required.
(d) Girls who live outside the designated area and have a sister (this refers to a sister, half sister, adopted sister, or the daughter of the parent / carer's partner, who, in every case, is living in the same family unit at the same address) attending the school and living at the same residence on the date of admission of the child. A map of the designated area can be obtained from the School.
(e) Other girls in order of nearness to school as the crow flies. This will be measured from the centre of the school to the front door of the applicant’s ordinary residence. (Distances supplied by the LA will be used and these will measure straight line distances using the Ordnance Survey eastings and northings of the home and the school address. Those with the least distance will be given priority. In the event of there being equal distances the priority will be decided by casting lots.)
Girls who have passed the entrance test, but whose name (under the oversubscription criteria) falls outside the 128 planned admission number, will be put onto a waiting list for the academic year in which they sat the test. The waiting list is also governed by the priorities listed above. Late applicants who have passed the entrance test will be placed on the waiting list in their relevant position, based on the oversubscription criteria, irrespective of the time of application. This means that a girl’s position on the waiting list will change if subsequent additions to the waiting list take higher priority. Parents should contact the School for up-to-date information regarding their daughter's position on the waiting list. Re-testing of waiting list candidates will occur after an interval of one calendar year through the 'Late Entry Test'.
(13) My daughter has passed – how do I now apply for a place?
All applications and offers of places for admission into Year 7 of the 2014-2015 academic year at SWGS will be co-ordinated by Wiltshire Council (WC) acting in their capacity as a Local (education) Authority (LA).
Parents of girls living in Wiltshire should obtain the Wiltshire Council (WC) Secondary Application Form from their child’s primary school, or direct from WC County Hall at Trowbridge, or apply online at www.wiltshire.gov.uk where there is a link from the Home Page. Candidates from other counties should apply via their own County’s Secondary Application Form. Their County Council will then inform WC of a candidate's preference for SWGS.
The LA allocates places using an equal preference system. This means that all school preferences expressed by parents must be given equal consideration although a child will receive only one offer of a school place. The child’s details are forwarded to each school on the list who then rank the applicants in order of priority using their admissions criteria. The ranked lists are then forwarded to the LA who allocate places in accordance with their published procedures.
Parents that wish to apply for a grammar school place following the release of the Eleven Plus results should include South Wilts Grammar School as one of their named preferences on the Secondary Application Form.
It is important that parents understand that the system of allocation of school places by the LA will mean that if, after applying the admissions criteria, a child appears on the eligible list of their first preference school, then this is the place that will be offered. A candidate with South Wilts Grammar School as a second or third preference, even if they are deemed suitable for a grammar school education, would not be offered a place at SWGS on Monday 3rd March 2014 if they are eligible for a school for which they have indicated a higher preference on the Secondary Application Form. Parents should contact their LA if they are unclear about the preference system.
(14) How will the LA allocate places at SWGS?
SWGS will rank all applicants that have expressed a preference for SWGS in order of priority using the oversubscription criteria and then forward the complete list to the LA.
The LA considers each expressed preference equally, regardless of whether the school was placed first, second, third etc. The LA matches the SWGS ranked list and:-
• Where the child, after application of the admissions criteria, is eligible for only one of the nominated schools, that school will be the allocated place.
• If the child is eligible for two or more schools, a place will be allocated at the school for which the parent has expressed the highest preference.
• If the child is not eligible for any of the nominated schools then the child will be allocated a place at their designated school unless an alternative place is available within the safe statutory walking distance from their home address.
The LA will post notification of allocations on Monday 3rd March 2014.
Summary Timetable
Key Downloads and Links
Map of designated area - Click Here.
11+ Information Leaflet No. 1 - Not Yet Available11+ Information Leaflet No. 2 (for late applications only) - Not Yet Available
11+ Supplementary Registration Form to SWGS - Not Yet Available
11+ Test arrangements letter - Not Yet Available
Here are links to Wiltshire, Hampshire and Dorset on-line application websites (not live until 1st September 2013) :
