The Queen Elizabeth's High School, Gainsborough 11+ Guide

About The Queen Elizabeth's High School, Gainsborough

The Queen Elizabeth's High School, Gainsborough is a selective secondary school in Lincolnshire. For children to get into The Queen Elizabeth's High School, Gainsborough they need to pass the school's 11+ entrance test. Hence, The Queen Elizabeth's High School, Gainsborough is a traditional grammar school, one of only 163 remaining in England.

Nestled in the heart of Lincolnshire, Queen Elizabeth's High School (QEHS) is a beacon of academic excellence and holistic student development. This co-educational grammar school has a rich history, having evolved from its humble beginnings as a boys-only institution to its current inclusive format. With a student body of nearly 1,200, QEHS fosters a vibrant and supportive learning environment across its six houses, which engage in friendly competition through various interschool events spanning academics, sports, and the arts.

At QEHS, the focus is not merely on academic achievement but also on nurturing well-rounded, confident, and happy individuals. The school's dedicated faculty employs personalised and interactive teaching methods to ensure students reach their full potential across a comprehensive curriculum, with particular emphasis on mathematics, science, technology, and humanities. Beyond the classroom, QEHS offers a wealth of opportunities for personal growth, including work experience placements and access to a caring counselling service.

The school's commitment to broadening students' horizons is exemplified by its extensive extracurricular programme, which includes captivating international trips to diverse destinations such as Tanzania, Cambodia, and Costa Rica. These experiences aim to cultivate cultural understanding and global awareness among the student body. QEHS takes great pride in its students' academic successes, with a significant proportion achieving top grades in English and Mathematics. This success is a testament to the students' diligence and the expertise of the school's teaching staff.

Underpinning the school's ethos is a culture of mutual respect and diversity, which prepares students to navigate the complexities of the modern world with confidence and compassion. Queen Elizabeth's High School, Gainsborough is not just an institution of learning; it is a community that nurtures the minds and hearts of its students, equipping them with the skills and values necessary to become responsible, successful, and caring citizens.

School Information

Below you will find further information about The Queen Elizabeth's High School, Gainsborough together with their admissions contact details.

The Queen Elizabeth's High School, Gainsborough is a mixed (i.e. both girls and boys) school. It is also a local authority maintained school, meaning the local authority oversee the funding, admissions, and overall performance of the school.

In total 1,220 pupils attend The Queen Elizabeth's High School, Gainsborough and it's led by the Headteacher, Mr Richard Eastham.

The Queen Elizabeth's High School, Gainsborough Location

Below you will find a map showing the school's location:

GCSE & A-Level Subjects

Below you will find a complete list of GCSE and A-Level subjects offered to pupils at The Queen Elizabeth's High School, Gainsborough for the 2022-23 academic year.

Lincolnshire 11+ Information

In order to get into The Queen Elizabeth's High School, Gainsborough, children need to pass the Lincolnshire 11+. This 11+ test is written by GL Assessment for use by the school's admissions process.

Lincolnshire 11+ Subjects & Structure

The Lincolnshire 11+ requires children to complete tests in the following subjects:

• Verbal Reasoning
• Non-Verbal Reasoning
• Spatial Reasoning

The Queen Elizabeth's High School in Gainsborough utilizes the Lincolnshire Consortium of Grammar Schools 11 plus exam for their admissions process. This assessment comprises two papers that are administered on successive Saturdays.

The first paper focuses on verbal reasoning and includes 80 questions distributed across 15 sections, with a time limit of 50 minutes. The second paper evaluates non-verbal and spatial reasoning skills through 70 questions divided into 5 sections, each of which is individually timed by the invigilator.

All questions in the Lincolnshire 11 plus exam are presented in a multiple-choice format. Students are provided with separate answer sheets to mark their responses, which are then electronically assessed.

Other Schools using Lincolnshire 11+

As well as The Queen Elizabeth's High School, Gainsborough, several other schools also use Lincolnshire 11+. These are:

• Boston High School
• Bourne Grammar School
• Carre's Grammar School
• Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School
• Kesteven and Sleaford High School Selective Academy
• King Edward VI Grammar School
• Queen Elizabeth's Grammar Alford - A Selective Academy
• Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Horncastle
• Skegness Grammar School
• Spalding Grammar School
• Spalding High School
• The Boston Grammar School
• The King's School, Grantham

Lincolnshire 11+ Marking Process

The reality of 11+ tests, selective education and academic institutions such as The Queen Elizabeth's High School, Gainsborough is that only children with particularly high marks are admitted. Hence why it is important that children perform well in their 11+ papers.

Different schools (and different 11+ tests) have different marking processes. Some tests are marked in person, some remotely, while others utilise computer-based optical recognition technologies for quickly marking multiple-choice answer sheets.

Many 11+ tests are age-standardised to ensure younger children are not disadvantaged (i.e. their marks may be moderated depending on the month in which they were born). While creative writing papers can be used as tie-breakers, multiple-choice tests in Maths, Comprehension, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning normally make up the bulk of a child's marks. The specific details and weightings can vary from year to year.

It's worth remembering that once children's 11+ tests are being marked, the admissions process is completely outside of the parents' control. Hence, parents should not worry themselves about whether their child has got a place!

Lincolnshire 11+ Pass Mark

The pass mark for the Lincolnshire 11+ changes every year and isn't generally made public knowledge. This is due to the academic strength of the children taking the test varying and how challenging the test ends up being (as well as plenty of other smaller variables).

Hence, as a vague rule-of-thumb, it's recommended that children aim for roughly 75-80% in their practice tests. Whilst this won't guarantee them a place at The Queen Elizabeth's High School, Gainsborough, it's a ballpark exam result figure for successful candidates.

Lincolnshire 11+ Key Dates for your Diary

Here are all the important dates for the Lincolnshire 11+ tests (to get into The Queen Elizabeth's High School, Gainsborough) as well as other relevant dates.

Although the utmost care has been taken to gather these dates, parents should treat them as a guide and check with The Queen Elizabeth's High School, Gainsborough as they may well change.

Ofsted Information

The Queen Elizabeth's High School, Gainsborough was last inspected by Ofsted on 13/12/2023 and the inspection only lasted one day. Ofsted published their report on 29/01/2024, declaring that the school was 'Good'. This information is summarised in the table below along with a link to the full report.

Last Ofsted Report Data

Ofsted Report Summary

The Queen Elizabeth's High School, Gainsborough, was inspected by Ofsted on 29/01/2024. The overall outcome of the inspection was Good. The school received a Good rating in all areas, including Quality of education, Behaviour and attitudes, Personal development, Leadership and management, and Sixth form provision.

This inspection result highlights the school's commitment to providing a well-rounded education for its students. The Good rating in Quality of education indicates that the school offers a strong curriculum and effective teaching practices. The Good rating in Behaviour and attitudes suggests that students at The Queen Elizabeth's High School demonstrate positive conduct and engage well with their learning.

Furthermore, the Good ratings in Personal development and Leadership and management underscore the school's dedication to supporting students' growth beyond academics and the effective leadership in place to drive continuous improvement. The Good rating in Sixth form provision also showcases the school's success in preparing students for their future beyond secondary education.

GCSE & A-Level Performance

Below are the individual GCSE and A-Level performance tables for The Queen Elizabeth's High School, Gainsborough per subject. Note that this may include children taking GCSEs early (e.g. taking a language GCSE in Year 10) or indeed a child in Year 12 retaking a GCSE.

GCSE Results Information (2022-23)

A-Level Results Information (2022-23)

Past 11+ Paper Downloads

Unfortunately, The Queen Elizabeth's High School, Gainsborough has not made any of their 11+ past papers publicly available. However, you can use our 11+ practice papers to help your child prepare.

Practice 11+ Paper Downloads

Here are some superb free 11+ practice papers that children can download and use to help prepare for the Lincolnshire 11+ Ensure you double-check with The Queen Elizabeth's High School, Gainsborough which subjects and topics your child's 11+ tests are in to ensure you prepare for the right tests.