Ermysted’s Grammar School: 11 Plus (11+) Entrance Exam Information

Introduction

Ermysted’s Grammar School, a selective school for boys aged 11 to 18, was founded in the 15th century. It moved to its current location in the 19th century and has undergone significant development over the last 20 years to accommodate a growing number of pupils.

Pupils make excellent academic progress at Ermysted’s, with consistently strong results in public exams. In 2025, 86.7% of pupils secured a grade 5 or above in English and maths, which is well above the national average.

The extra-curricular programme at the school is impressive. There are 59 activities available each week, including chess, badminton, debating and robotics. Ermysted’s even has its own newspaper and podcast, allowing students to write articles that get published and take on positions of responsibility, such as editor and managing director, as they get older.

A safe and caring environment enables boys to thrive at Ermysted’s. Tutors get to know their tutees well and are therefore able to offer appropriate support and guidance when needed. Counsellors are also available to provide tailored, one-to-one sessions.

If you are interested in your son joining Ermysted’s Grammar School in Year 7, please read on.

Admissions Process for 11 Plus Entry to Ermysted’s Grammar School

Attending the open evening in the summer term, when your son is in Year 5, is an ideal way to find out if the school is a good fit for your family. You will be able to look around the school, chat to staff, meet current pupils and ask any questions you have.

If you decide that you do want your son to attend Ermysted’s, you will need to register him for the entrance exam by filling out the school’s registration form. Registration opens in April of Year 6 and closes at the start of September.

The exam, produced by FSCE, will be held towards the end of September.

You will find out whether your son has reached the required standard in the exam around two weeks later. 

By the end of October, you must submit a Common Application Form (CAF) to your local authority, naming Ermysted’s if your son reached the required standard and you hope for him to secure a place there.

Please note that achieving an eligible score in the entrance exam doesn’t guarantee your son a place, unless he has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), as the number of candidates who reach the required standard may exceed the number of available places. If this is the case, the oversubscription criteria will be applied.

The oversubscription criteria give priority to the following:

• Looked-after or previously looked-after children.
• Those receiving Pupil Premium at the time they apply to the school.
• Those who have a sibling at the school in September of the year of entry.
• Those whose home address is in the catchment area (the areas served by the primary schools in Beamsley, Bradley, Burnsall, Carleton, Cracoe, Embsay, Gargrave, Grassington, Kettlewell, Kirkby-in-Malhamdale, Skipton, Thornton-in-Craven and Threshfield) when they apply to the school.

If your son has priority under one of the oversubscription criteria, you should complete a Supplementary Information Form (SIF) by the November deadline.

You will find out in early March whether your son has secured a place at Ermysted’s. For further information, please refer to the school’s Admissions Policy.

Ermysted’s Grammar School: Entrance Exam for Year 7 Entry

The 11+ entrance exam at Ermysted’s Grammar School is produced by FSCE. It comprises two papers:

Paper One: This paper will consist of English and maths multiple-choice questions and will last around 45-60 minutes.

Paper Two: This paper will consist of English and maths questions requiring short responses and will also last around 45-60 minutes. 

The English questions will assess your son’s ability to read and understand a given passage, including making inferences, and the breadth of his vocabulary.

The maths questions will evaluate his ability to apply his mathematical knowledge to solve problems. Topics could include number (e.g. place value, fractions, decimals and percentages), arithmetic (e.g. addition, subtraction, multiplication and division), measurement (e.g. perimeter and area), geometry (e.g. 2D and 3D shapes) and statistics (e.g. timetables and line graphs).  

Questions will cover what your son has been taught at school, not going beyond the Year 5 national curriculum, and there will be a break between the papers.

The papers will be scanned and then marked by a computer. Scores from both papers are age-standardised to ensure fairness and then added together to produce an overall score.   

Being prepared for the entrance exam will help your son perform to the best of his ability. Please read on for our top tips for a successful preparation process.perform to the best of his ability. Please read on for our top tips for a successful preparation process.

Our Top Tips for Preparing for Year 7 Entry to Ermysted’s Grammar School

We know that the thought of a competitive entrance exam can feel daunting, but there are plenty of steps you can take to ensure that your son is ready:

• Begin preparation early so that there is no last-minute panic.
• Keep study sessions short so that your son can maintain his focus from start to finish (research shows that the average ten-year-old can concentrate for 20-30 minutes at a time).
• Schedule plenty of breaks so that your son can recharge and his brain can process what he has learnt.
• Be encouraging and supportive so that the process is a positive experience. Praise your son for all his efforts and every achievement, no matter how small. Remember, mistakes are an opportunity to learn.
• Promote the benefits of reading because reading will broaden your son’s vocabulary and improve his reading comprehension. It is also a great way to relax. 
• Improve your son’s times table knowledge and mental arithmetic by testing him. You could, for example, ask him to recite his times tables when you are on a car journey or add up the cost of your shopping when you are buying a few items.
• Solve puzzles together and play logic-based games to develop your son’s reasoning abilities.
• Use our practice tests so that your son knows what to expect in the entrance exam, which will reduce any anxiety he has. Also, it will improve his ability to work through questions both quickly and accurately, learning from his mistakes along the way.  

Please look at the resources we recommend below. If your son can consistently score 80%+ in our Ermysted’s 11+ practice tests, he should be on track to reach the required standard. While there are no guarantees, this has historically been a fairly strong indicator of success.

Ermysted’s Grammar School: 11 Plus (11+)/Year 7 Entrance Exam Practice Materials

Our 11 Plus practice tests can help your child to prepare for Ermysted’s exam. We highly recommend the following packs:

English

✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended resources for the English section of the Ermysted’s Grammar School 11+ Exam at a large discount. Click the button below to learn more:

Mathematics

✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended resources for the Mathematics section of the Ermysted’s Grammar School 11+ Exam at a large discount. Click the button below to learn more:

Skills-Based Practice

If you would like to target specific subjects in preparation for the Ermysted’s Grammar School 11+ Exam, we’ve highlighted our recommendations below. 

Don’t forget to use the code eppdiscount at checkout to get 10% off orders over £70 and 20% off orders over £250 if you don’t buy a bundle.

Please do contact us if you have any questions about our resources. We will do our best to help you. We want to take this opportunity to wish your son all the best in his Ermysted’s entrance exam and at senior school.

The information provided about Ermysted’s Grammar School was believed to be correct at the time of publishing. However, please be aware that there may be future changes. We advise you to contact the school directly if you need clarification on anything. School contact details are provided within the post.

Please note that Exam Papers Plus is an independent publisher of practice tests and is not affiliated with or endorsed by FSCE or any other test publisher.