The North Halifax Grammar School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Information 2026

Introduction

The North Halifax Grammar School, founded in 1985 and situated in Illingworth, Halifax, is a co-educational state grammar school with academy status.

The curriculum at North Halifax Grammar School is challenging and extensive, preparing students for academic excellence. It was designed to embody the school’s motto, “Living to learn, learning to live”. Students are engaged with up-to-date research and guidance in all subjects, including maths, science, and RPE (Religion, Philosophy & Ethics). Moreover, the curriculum is regularly re-evaluated to ensure the school nurtures the best scientists, linguists, and historians. 

In addition, The North Halifax Grammar School places great importance on activities beyond the classroom setting. It offers its pupils a broad range of extracurricular activities, the most famous being the choral group, boxing, book club, coding club, creative writing, etc.

Both staff and pupils describe NHGS as a place with a “family-like” atmosphere. It’s an inclusive and safe school where everyone feels welcomed and inspired to learn and give their best. It focuses on academic study and the development of each student’s character. The goal is to enable the flourishing of 21st-century citizens who navigate life with confidence. 

North Halifax Grammar School proves how successful its academic approach is each year with its students’ achieving exceptional results in GCSE and A-Level. Recently, an impressive 76% of pupils secured grades 7-9 in English, while 63% of them excelled in GCSE mathematics. They also earned over 100 A* grades in A-Levels. Ofsted also recognised the school’s quality and work ethic, giving it an “Outstanding” score in its last inspection. [1] [2]

The North Halifax Grammar School 11 Plus (11+) Admissions

Alongside Crossley Heath Grammar School, North Halifax Grammar School complies with Calderdale Council’s admissions process in Yorkshire. In order to be considered for one of the 180 places at NHGS in Year 7, pupils must pass the eleven plus exam.

Parents and prospective pupils are advised to attend the school’s open event ahead of applying. At this event, school staff will go into more detail about the admission process and parents will also have the opportunity to ask questions and take a tour of the school’s facilities.

If the school receives more applications than there are places available, it will apply the following oversubscription criteria, giving priority to:

1. Looked after, or previously looked after, children
2. Children entitled to Pupil Premium
3. Children with siblings attending the school at the time of admission
4. Proximity of the child’s home to the school, with those living closest given highest priority

Get more information about The North Halifax Grammar School’s admission criteria here.

You can view the school’s exact location on the map below:

How to Apply for 11 Plus (11+) Entry to The North Halifax Grammar School

To apply for a Year 7 place at The North Halifax Grammar School, parents must register their child via the Halifax Grammar Schools’ website. Students will take the school entrance test in September and parents will receive the results from the admissions test in October.

If a pupil has been offered a place at The North Halifax Grammar School, parents must submit the Online Common Application Form (CAF) to Calderdale Local Authority by late October and include the school as one of their preferences to be considered for a place.

The North Halifax Grammar School Catchment Area

Does The North Halifax Grammar School have a catchment area?

The school does not operate a catchment area.

How to Prepare for The North Halifax Grammar School 11 Plus (11+) Exam?

To succeed at the eleven plus stage, students need to be organised well ahead of the exam. Keep stress levels to a minimum by creating a thorough revision timetable. Our 11 Plus guide for parents provides an overview of the exam and what to expect of the process.

Encourage your child to start revising early to ensure that they have plenty of time to work on their weaker subject areas. Students should use practice test papers to familiarise themselves with the layout of the exam and to improve their time management skills.

The North Halifax Grammar School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Pass Marks and Target Scores

The North Halifax Grammar School has 180 available places in Year 7. There is no formal 11+ pass mark, as the scores are age-standardised to ensure fairness.

Pupils who are able to score 80%+ consistently in our 11+ practice tests should be on track to pass The North Halifax Grammar School 11+ test.

Whilst there are no guarantees, this has historically been a fairly strong indicator that your child should do well in The North Halifax Grammar School 11+ exam. Please click here to learn more.

The North Halifax Grammar School 11 Plus (11+) Practice Exam Papers

Full Practice Tests

The below resources will prove useful for children currently preparing for The North Halifax Grammar School entrance exams. These practice tests are specifically designed to replicate the format of the FSCE exam.

Practice Tests 1–5 have been updated to reflect the new familiarisation materials for the 2026 exam (for 2026) entry. These include a section of English multiple-choice questions that assess critical thinking and problem-solving skills and a creativity question that requires a written creative response.

Practice Tests 6–20 accurately reflect the format of North Halifax past papers and continue to provide excellent practice for the FSCE papers.

Full Practice Tests

20 Products

Practice Papers

11+ Halifax Grammar Schools FSCE Style Practice Test 1

11+ Halifax Grammar Schools FSCE Style Practice Test 2

11+ Halifax Grammar Schools FSCE Style Practice Test 3

11+ Halifax Grammar Schools FSCE Style Practice Test 4

11+ Halifax Grammar Schools FSCE Style Practice Test 5

11+ Halifax Grammar Schools FSCE Style Practice Test 6

11+ Halifax Grammar Schools FSCE Style Practice Test 7

11+ Halifax Grammar Schools FSCE Style Practice Test 8

11+ Halifax Grammar Schools FSCE Style Practice Test 9

11+ Halifax Grammar Schools FSCE Style Practice Test 10

11+ Halifax Grammar Schools FSCE Style Practice Test 11

11+ Halifax Grammar Schools FSCE Style Practice Test 12

11+ Halifax Grammar Schools FSCE Style Practice Test 13

11+ Halifax Grammar Schools FSCE Style Practice Test 14

11+ Halifax Grammar Schools FSCE Style Practice Test 15

11+ Halifax Grammar Schools FSCE Style Practice Test 16

11+ Halifax Grammar Schools FSCE Style Practice Test 17

11+ Halifax Grammar Schools FSCE Style Practice Test 18

11+ Halifax Grammar Schools FSCE Style Practice Test 19

11+ Halifax Grammar Schools FSCE Style Practice Test 20

The North Halifax Grammar School 11+ Full Practice Tests Bundle

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Skills-Based Practice

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

The packs below provide targeted practice for specific FSCE question types:

11+ FSCE: Missing Letters

11+ Reading School (FSCE Style): Creativity Questions Pack 1 (for the Discovery Paper)

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Our practice tests aim to show what sort of questions have been included in The North Halifax Grammar School 11+ past papers. The information provided about North Halifax Grammar School is believed to be correct at the time of publishing. However, please be aware of future changes. We advise you to contact the school directly if you are unsure of anything. School contact details are provided within the article.


Please note that Exam Papers Plus is an independent publisher of practice tests and resources, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by The North Halifax Grammar School.