Bristol Grammar School 8 Plus (8+) Entrance Exam Information – Key Details
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Table of Contents
Introduction
Basic information: Bristol Grammar School (BGS) is a co-ed independent day school in Bristol. Established in 1532, it has educated a vast number of notable alumni, including the founder of Penguin Books, a Nobel laureate and a former British ambassador to the US. [1]
Curriculum: Building firm academic foundations ahead of their senior years, pupils in the Junior School make the most out of the school’s extensive curricular and cross-curricular provision. The school’s syllabus covers a broad range of core and specialist subject areas, such as RS, DT, science, ICT and mathematics, maximising the breadth and depth of children’s knowledge and prowess.
Co-curricular: Through a varied enrichment programme, BGS helps pupils discover new hobbies and interests, maximising the quality of their interactions and friendships along the way. Club activities include yoga, Business Club, coding and Russian, allowing children to identify their strengths and explore their talents for the benefit of their all-round growth. [2]
ISI Inspection report: Rated as ‘excellent’ across all assessed areas by the ISI, Bristol Grammar provides a safe learning environment and effectively addresses pupils’ needs through a comprehensive pastoral care programme. In return, children develop into able and responsible individuals who respect differences and give back to those who are less fortunate. [3]
The BGS ethos has kindness, integrity and rigour at its heart, making it its mission to educate children at the highest standard, regardless of their cultural or financial background. Maintaining an admirable reputation since its conception, the school recognises efforts and celebrates both academic and personal achievements equally, building children’s character along with their cognitive capacity.
Bristol Grammar School 8 Plus (8+) Exam Information
Address: University Road BS8 1SR
County: Bristol
Admissions info: admissions@bgs.bristol.sch.uk or 0117 933 9631
School type: Independent, co-ed day school
Open days: Each term
8+ Exam date: November of Year 3
Open Events for Bristol Grammar School 8 Plus (8+) Entry
Open Mornings are held each term, while the annual Open Evening is held in October. The events boast a rich programme of activities, comprising guided tours of campus and a presentation from the Head and other staff members. Booking of spots is made using an online portal.
Bristol Grammar School 8 Plus (8+) Admissions
Offers of places in BGS Juniors are made following your child’s successful performance in formal assessments and a quality report from their current school.
The first assessment is held in November. If there are places available, there will be a second assessment, held in January.
If your child is offered a place, you will be asked to secure it with a £250 deposit, refunded shortly after your child leaves the school.
Bristol Grammar School 8 Plus (8+) Scholarships and Bursaries
Scholarships are not available to 8+ candidates. However, you can apply for a bursary. Applications should be submitted at least ten days prior to the assessment in November/January.
The bursary may cover 10–100% of fees. The value will depend on your financial circumstances, assessed through a means-tested procedure. For more details, please reach out to the school.
Bristol Grammar School 8 Plus (8+) Exam Format
The Bristol Grammar School 8 Plus (8+) exam consists of the following assessments:
- English
- Mathematics
- Verbal Reasoning
The English paper examines writing skills, including punctuation and spelling. Marks will be awarded for good use of imagination, creativity, form, purpose, organisation, cohesion and sentence structure.
The Maths exam assesses problem-solving abilities and arithmetic skills, including your child’s knowledge of times tables.
The Verbal Reasoning section of the exam is designed to test and assess logical thinking, use of English language and vocabulary.
Please see below for further details and recommendations on how to prepare for the Bristol Grammar School 8 Plus entrance examination.
How to Prepare for the Bristol Grammar School 8 Plus (8+) Entrance Assessment
To successfully prepare your child for the Bristol Grammar School 8+ entrance exam, we suggest that you make use of our targeted resources. Our practice tests enable familiarisation with the types of questions and the format of the actual exam, which will help your child gain confidence in the lead up to the big day.
With the use of our practice tests, you will be able to precisely identify your child’s strengths and weaknesses, which will guide you in devising a carefully thought-out revision plan that focuses on studying ‘little and often’.
Moreover, our practice tests will help your child get used to answering questions quickly and under time pressure.
The majority of our 8+ resources are accompanied by detailed step-by-step video tutorials for every question. These are available for free with all purchases. It’s like having a world-class tutor explain each question to your child at no extra cost!
Our practice tests are used successfully every year by tens of thousands of students targeting schools with a competitive entrance exam. They are age-appropriate, reflecting the demands of the actual exam.
Our recommendations to help your child prepare for the Bristol Grammar School 8 Plus entrance exam can be found below.
Bristol Grammar School 8 Plus (8+) Exam Practice Papers
Recommendations for each section of the Bristol Grammar School 8 Plus exam can be found below:
English
We highly recommend the following packs to prepare successfully for the Bristol Grammar School 8 Plus English assessment. They will help improve your child’s writing skills:
The Complete Guide to 8+ Writing
If you’d like to have your child’s writing assessed and marked, you may be interested in our Writing Marking Service. Please click here to learn more.
Mathematics
We highly recommend the use of the following packs to help develop your child’s arithmetic and problem-solving skills within the examination context of the Bristol Grammar School 8 Plus maths test:
Full Practice Tests
Targeted Skill Development
8+ Mathematics: Mental Arithmetic
8+ Mathematics: Problem Solving
Reasoning (VR)
The following packs will significantly boost your child’s Verbal Reasoning abilities ahead of the Bristol Grammar School 8 Plus exam:
8+ Reasoning Pack 1 (VR sections only)
8+ Reasoning Pack 2 (VR sections only)
8+ Reasoning Pack 3 (VR sections only)
8+ Reasoning Pack 4 (VR sections only)
8+ Reasoning Pack 5 (VR sections only)
Listening
The following pack is ideal for developing listening skills ahead of the Bristol Grammar School 8 Plus entrance exam, helping your child learn how to follow instructions carefully:
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Our practice tests aim to show what sort of questions were included in Bristol Grammar School 8+ past papers. The information provided about Bristol Grammar School was 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 post.
Other entry points for Bristol Grammar School:
Click here to learn about Year 3 entry via the 7 Plus (7+) Exam
Click here to learn about Year 7 entry via the 11 Plus (11+) Exam
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