The Blue Coat School (Liverpool): Entry Procedure for 11 Plus/Year 7

Introduction

The Blue Coat School is a grammar school in Liverpool, England. Dating back to 1708, it caters for a mixed cohort of ambitious pupils in line with the motto Not for oneself, but for all. Blue Coat’s examination results are consistently strong, securing its place among top-achieving educational institutions in the area. [1]

 

The school’s curriculum is designed to cultivate independent, flexible thinkers who are well-prepared for the demands of modern life. Covering a broad spectrum of subjects, including mathematics, sciences, social studies and humanities, the educational programme empowers students to build a varied skill set that enables them to make well-informed choices for their futures.

 

The selection of extracurricular activities is rich and varied, offering ample opportunities to explore interests. From artistic endeavours to STEM opportunities, the range of options caters to diverse talents and preferences, providing pupils with meaningful ways to engage with their peers. 

 

At Blue Coat, the values of inclusion, tolerance and equality are always upheld. Pastoral efforts are focused on promoting respect for differences alongside a culture of openness, making it a collective responsibility for both students and staff to intervene when witnessing actions or behaviours that are inconsistent with these values. [2]

 

Blue Coat’s heritage is successfully combined with modern educational practices. The school produces intellectually curious, inventive and imaginative young people who not only display a commendable sense of self-discipline but also navigate the challenges of higher education with unwavering resilience.

 

 

 

The Blue Coat School 11 Plus (11+) Admissions Process

If you are interested in securing a place at The Blue Coat School for your child, you must fill out an application form. Applications will open in late April, when your child is in Year 5, and close just over a month later, at the beginning of June. 

 

Once your application form has been submitted, you can book Phase 1 of the entrance exam. Phase 1 will take place in June/July of Year 5 at The Blue Coat School. 

 

In August, you will find out if your child’s performance in Phase 1 was strong enough for them to progress to Phase 2, which will take place in September of Year 6 at The Blue Coat School.   

 

As well as applying to The Blue Coat School for your child to sit their entrance exam, you will also need to fill out your local authority’s admission application form, naming The Blue Coat School as one of your preferences. This form must be submitted to your local authority by the end of October of Year 6. The Blue Coat School will do its best to ensure you know whether your child has met its required standard before your local authority’s deadline. 

 

In early March of Year 6, you will find out whether your child has been offered a place at The Blue Coat School.

 

Please note that up to 27 places will be available to the highest-scoring candidates who receive free school meals and have an eligible score.

 

The Blue Coat School Open Day

 

The Blue Coat School’s Open Day is held towards the end of June of Year 5. You can book a place for one of the three sessions from early June. Sessions include a talk from the headteacher and a tour of the school. Please be aware that you won’t be able to gain entry if you have not pre-booked. 

 

 

Tips to Help Your Child Prepare for The Blue Coat School Year 7 Entrance Exam  

We recommend the following:

• Start preparation early.

Starting preparation early will mean you can take a measured approach that involves regular but short study sessions. Most children in Year 5 can focus for around 30 minutes at a time, so long study sessions are not advisable. 

• Encourage your child to read regularly.

Reading is a fantastic way to improve your child’s spelling, punctuation and grammar. It will also help spark their imagination and develop their critical thinking skills.

• Promote a growth mindset.

Encourage your child to have a growth mindset. This is the belief that they can improve their abilities if they put in time and effort. Making mistakes provides opportunities to learn and grow, and all successes should be celebrated, no matter how small. 

• Go over Year 5 maths and English work.

Revising their Year 5 maths and English work will give your child a strong foundation of knowledge that will prove invaluable in the entrance exam. If there are any topics they are unsure of, you can allocate additional study time for those areas. 

• Use practice tests.

We have produced practice InCAS tests that your child can work through so that they know what to expect in Phase 1 of the entrance exam and can improve their skills. Familiarity with the format, timings, modules and question types of the InCAS test is crucial for success, as it will remove any fear of the unknown and allow your child to enter the exam feeling confident. Working through our practice InCAS tests will enable them to learn from their mistakes, leading to a polished performance when it matters. 

 

We also have Cambridge Select Insight practice tests your child can use to enhance their skills in preparation for Phase 2. Verbal and non-verbal reasoning are not taught in school, so practice tests play a vital role in preparing your child for Phase 2. Also, your child can get used to drag-and-drop and auto-complete questions, which they might not have come across before.   

 

 

The Blue Coat School: 11 Plus (11+)/Year 7 Entrance Exam Practice Tests

Recommendations for The Blue Coat School 11 Plus exam can be found below:

 

Phase 1: Primary Insight (INCAS)

 

The following full practice online tests are specifically designed to help your child become familiar with the demands of The Blue Coat School Primary Insight (INCAS) assessment:

 

Primary Insight (INCAS) – Year 6 – Practice Test 1

Primary Insight (INCAS) – Year 6 – Practice Test 2

Primary Insight (INCAS) – Year 6 – Practice Test 3

Primary Insight (INCAS) – Year 6 – Practice Test 4

Primary Insight (INCAS) – Year 6 – Practice Test 5

 

✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended full practice resources for The Blue Coat School Primary Insight (INCAS) assessment at a large discount. These are available on our other site, Pretest Plus. Click the button below to learn more:

 

Primary Insight (INCAS) Practice Tests 1-5 Bundle - Save 25%

 

Skill Practice Tests

Blue Coat School 11+ Phase 1: Developed Ability – Non-Verbal Reasoning

Blue Coat School 11+ Phase 1: Developed Ability – Picture Vocabulary

Blue Coat School 11+ Phase 1: General Mathematics

Blue Coat School 11+ Phase 1: Mental Arithmetic

Blue Coat School 11+ Phase 1: Reading – Comprehension

Blue Coat School 11+ Phase 1: Reading – Word Decoding

Blue Coat School 11+ Phase 1: Reading – Word Recognition

Blue Coat School 11+ Phase 1: Spelling

 

✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended full practice resources for The Blue Coat School 11+ Phase 1 at a large discount. These are available on our other site, Pretest Plus. Click the button below to learn more:

 

Blue Coat School 11+ Phase 1 Bundle - Save 30%

 

Phase 2: Cambridge Select Insight

 

The following full practice online tests are specifically designed to help your child become familiar with the demands of The Blue Coat School Cambridge Select Insight assessment:

 

Cambridge Select Insight Practice Test 1

Cambridge Select Insight Practice Test 2

Cambridge Select Insight Practice Test 3

Cambridge Select Insight Practice Test 4

Cambridge Select Insight Practice Test 5

Cambridge Select Insight Practice Test 6

Cambridge Select Insight Practice Test 7

Cambridge Select Insight Practice Test 8

Cambridge Select Insight Practice Test 9

Cambridge Select Insight Practice Test 10

 

✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended full practice resources for The Blue Coat School Cambridge Select Insight exam at a large discount. These are available on our other site, Pretest Plus. Click the button below to learn more:

 

Cambridge Select Insight Practice Tests 1-10 Bundle - Save 30%

 

✅ Alternatively, you can choose a bundle of five of our recommended full practice tests for The Blue Coat School Cambridge Select Insight exam and still save 25%. Select the relevant bundle below to learn more:

 

Cambridge Select Insight Practice Tests 1-5 Bundle - Save 25%

 

Cambridge Select Insight Practice Tests 6-10 Bundle - Save 25%

 

The following resources consist of focused tests that allow students to target specific question formats that appear in Cambridge Select Insight:

 

Skill Practice: Verbal Ability

Cambridge Select Insight – Comprehension Pack 1

Cambridge Select Insight – Comprehension Pack 2

Cambridge Select Insight – Missing Words Pack 1

Cambridge Select Insight – Missing Words Pack 2

Cambridge Select Insight – Related Words

Cambridge Select Insight – Anagrams

Cambridge Select Insight – Shuffled Sentences

Cambridge Select Insight – Letter Connections

Cambridge Select Insight – Multiple Meanings 

Cambridge Select Insight – Selected Letters

 

Skill Practice: Non-Verbal Ability

Cambridge Select Insight – Pictures

 

Skill Practice: Numerical Ability

Cambridge Select Insight – Arithmetic

Cambridge Select Insight – Data Problems

 

✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended skill practice resources for The Blue Coat School Cambridge Select Insight exam at a large discount. These are available on our other site, Pretest Plus. Click the button below to learn more:

 

Cambridge Select Insight Skill Practice Bundle - Save 30%

 

 

Don’t forget to use the code ppdiscount at checkout to get 10% off orders over £80 and 20% off orders over £200 if you don’t buy a bundle.

 

 

The information provided about The Blue Coat 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 not affiliated with or endorsed by the publishers of the InCAS test or any other test publisher.