Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith 11 Plus (11+) Exam Information 2026

Introduction

Founded in 1564 by Royal Charter, Queen Elizabeth Grammar School is a co-educational grammar school in Penrith, Cumbria. Providing exceptional education for over 450 years, the school currently has 1040 pupils enrolled. Despite the size of the school, QEGS keeps groups sufficiently small to nurture each individual’s talent and provide excellent support.

The curriculum is well-structured and comprehensive, designed according to the latest findings in education and pedagogy to ensure the best possible experience for students. Pupils receive a strong foundation in all key subjects such as computer science, English, mathematics and art.

Queen Elizabeth Grammar School encourages students to learn joyfully and pursue their hobbies and interests. It provides an extensive extracurricular programme, with musical and drama productions and many athletic competitions. Pupils achieve impressive results in sports.

Mutual respect, democracy, individual liberty, and tolerance are at the foundation of the school’s ethos and are promoted not only through the curriculum but also through every aspect of pupils’ educational journey at QEGS. The official ethos statement is “Preparing our students to succeed in tomorrow’s world”.
In addition, the school promotes mental health and well-being by providing pastoral care to each student.

The academic achievements of QEGS’s students at both GCSE and A Level are excellent and surpass national averages each year. Recent GCSE results reflect a commendable performance, with a Progress 8 score of +0.35 and an Attainment 8 score of 64.86. Additionally, 93% of students achieved Grade 5 or above in both English and maths, while 99% secured Grade 4 or above. Similarly, the A Level results demonstrate strong performance, with students attaining an average grade between B minus and B plus, and 73% progressing to university. Ofsted awarded the school a “Good” rating in its most recent inspection. [1] [2]

Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith 11 Plus (11+) Admissions

With 120 places available in Year 7, admission to QEGS is determined by pupil performance in the 11 Plus exam. Before parents apply for a place at the school, it is advised that they attend either the school’s open day in July or one of its school tours in September. Parents will receive information about the admissions process at these events.

In cases where there are more applicants than available places in Year 7, or when two or more applicants achieve the same test score, priority will be determined as follows:

1. Children who are, or have previously been in, looked-after care
2. Children eligible for the Pupil Premium or Service Premium
3. Children resident within or attending state schools within the catchment area
4. Scores in the verbal reasoning parts of the entrance test
5. Scores in the non-verbal reasoning parts of the entrance test

For more information about the QEGS admissions policy, visit their website or call 01768 864621. You can view the school’s exact location on the map below:

How to Apply for 11 Plus (11+) Entry to Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith

To register your child to sit the QEGS entrance test, parents and guardians must complete the school’s application form, which can be downloaded from the website. To make a valid application, parents must also complete the Local Authority’s SA3 form, which can be done online. If this second form isn’t completed in time for the test date, children will be unable to sit the entrance exam.

Any late applications will be considered after an initial round of waiting list places have been allocated.

Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith Catchment Area

Does Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith have a catchment area?

Yes, Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith does have a catchment area, with priority based on location and distance from the school.

How to Prepare for the Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith 11 Plus (11+) Exam?

With QEGS being the only grammar school in the entire county of Cumbria, it’s inevitable that there will be some competition for Year 7 places. Improve your child’s chances of success in the QEGS 11 Plus exam by being organised from the start. Read our 11 Plus guide for parents to get a helpful overview of the exam.

If your child has already started their 11 Plus revision and you’ve noticed some regular mistakes or specific knowledge gaps, add practice test papers into their learning sessions. Not only will practice papers familiarise your child with the layout of the exam but will also help to improve their time management.

Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith 11 Plus (11+) Exam Pass Marks and Target Scores

QEGS Penrith does not have a cut-off score – entry is based on the strength of 11+ candidates sitting the test. The cohort is thus selected from the ranked list of applicants.

Pupils who are able to score 75-85%+ consistently in our 11+ practice tests should be on track to pass the 11+ test. Whilst there are no guarantees, this has historically been a fairly strong indicator that your child should do well in the QEGS Penrith 11+ exam. Please click here to learn more.

Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith 11 Plus (11+) Practice Exam Papers

Our new 11+ Multiple Choice and Short Written Answer Packs 1 & 2, for the Adventure, Beacon and Compass Papers, comprise FSCE-style multiple-choice and short-answer questions for all the subjects that could be tested, with a strong emphasis on critical thinking and problem solving, to help students develop the skills and confidence needed to excel in this unique exam. This year the test may include questions on any of the following KS2 subjects: Art & Design, Languages, Computing, Mathematics, Design & Technology, Music, English, Physical Education, Geography, Science and History and we have included all of these subjects within our packs.

Our practice tests aim to show what sort of questions have been included in Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith 11+ past papers. The information provided about Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith 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 Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith.