Royal Grammar School Newcastle 11 Plus (11+) Exam Information
Table of Contents
Introduction
Newcastle upon Tyne Royal Grammar School (RGS) is an independent day school for boys and girls aged 7–18 years. The school is located in the residential suburb of Jesmond, just north of the city centre.
RGS is the oldest institution of learning in Newcastle, having received its Royal Charter from Queen Elizabeth I and being founded in 1545. It moved to its current site at the beginning of the twentieth century. At the moment, a multi-million pound development project is underway with many new facilities being added, including a state-of-the art library, an IT hub, laboratories and sports halls.
RGS became fully coeducational in 2008 and 43% of the students are girls. The school is proud of its academic achievement, extra-curricular activities and student experience. In 2018, 93.4% of GCSE exam entries achieved grades A*–B, with 90 out of 145 students achieving all A*/A grades. Its extra-curricular programme offers opportunities in a wide range of sport, music, drama, clubs and societies.
11 Plus Information for Royal Grammar School Newcastle
Address: Royal Grammar School. Eskdale Terrace, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4DX
County: Tyne and Wear
Admissions info: 0191 212 8968 or admissions@rgs.newcastle.sch.uk
School Type: Coeducational independent day school
Number of Students: 1300 (approx.)
Number of Places in Year 7: 72 (external)
Open Day Date: November
Exam Date: January of Year 6
Exam Type / Board: School’s own
Royal Grammar School Newcastle 11 Plus Admissions
RGS describes its curriculum as ‘fast-paced and challenging’. The school’s examination and selection process is designed to identify students who will cope and thrive under these conditions.
All applicants for entry into Year 7 (11+) must sit papers in English, maths and reasoning. A number of candidates are invited back for a short informal interview to help with the selection process.
The school sends out offers of places at the end of February and holds taster days for successful candidates in early March.
A copy of the RGS Admissions Policy can be downloaded from the school’s website.
For further information about admissions procedures, please contact the admissions office at RGS directly: 0191 212 8968 or admissions@rgs.newcastle.sch.uk.
How to Apply for 11 Plus Entry to Royal Grammar School Newcastle
To apply for a place at Royal Grammar School Newcastle, you must complete an online registration form. The deadline for registering your child is in mid-December of the year preceding entry. If you are applying for a bursary, the deadline is earlier (at the end of November). There is no registration fee or charge for sitting the entrance exam at RGS.
The school does not award any scholarships, however a small number of means-tested bursaries are available.
The school holds an annual open day in mid-November, just ahead of the registration deadline. Booking is not required. Individual visits can also be arranged through the Head of Admissions, Ali Perry, on: 0191 212 8968 or admissions@rgs.newcastle.sch.uk.
All registered applicants will be invited to sit the 11+ entrance exam and receive information about the procedures for exam day in due course.
Royal Grammar School Newcastle 11 Plus Exam Format
The 11+ entry tests for RGS consist of three papers:
- English (50 minutes) – reading comprehension and composition
- Maths (45 minutes) – arithmetic and problem solving
- Reasoning (30 minutes)
On the English paper, there is an emphasis on writing skills – this section of the paper is worth 70% of the total marks. There is a choice of composition tasks, but there may not always be an opportunity to write a piece of fiction.
No calculators are allowed for the maths paper.
The reasoning papers are likely to contain questions that test verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and logic.
How to Prepare for the Royal Grammar School Newcastle 11 Plus Exam
One of the best ways of preparing for competitive entrance exams is to use practice papers. These help students to familiarise themselves with the format and question types they will encounter in the actual test in an efficient and effective manner. They also provide an excellent opportunity for students to practise working under time pressure.
Our practice papers, which are available for immediate download, print and use after purchase, offer excellent practice and preparation for the Royal Grammar School Newcastle 11+ entrance exam. They cover all the key skills and can be used to identify any weaker areas that require additional work ahead of the exam and to help build confidence.
Our 11+ practice papers are thoroughly researched and up to date. Every year, they are used successfully by tens of thousands of students targeting schools with a competitive entrance exam. They are designed to be age appropriate but challenging, to reflect the demands of such an exam.
English
To prepare for the RGS English paper, we would highly recommend using the following practice papers, which will help to improve comprehension and writing skills, including spelling and vocabulary:
Comprehension
11+ Complete Comprehension Guide
Writing
Mathematics
To prepare for the maths paper, we would highly recommend using the following practice papers:
Reasoning
To prepare for the reasoning paper, we would highly recommend using the following practice papers:
Non-Verbal Reasoning: Practice tests
11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning Pack 1
Verbal Reasoning: Practice tests
Verbal Reasoning: Skill specific practice
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Anagrams
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Analogies
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Compound Words
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Embedded Words
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Form a Word
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Insert a Letter
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Letter Calculations
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Letter Sequences
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Move a Letter
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Number Calculations
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Number Sequences
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Shuffled Sentences
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Synonyms
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Word Completion
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Word Match
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Word Opposites
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Word Puzzles
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Word Relationships
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Our practice tests aim to show what sort of questions were included in Royal Grammar School Newcastle 11+ past papers. The information provided about Royal Grammar School Newcastle 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.
