Upton Hall School FCJ 11+ Guide

About Upton Hall School FCJ

Upton Hall School FCJ is a selective secondary school in Wirral. For children to get into Upton Hall School FCJ they need to pass the school's 11+ entrance test. Hence, Upton Hall School FCJ is a traditional grammar school, one of only 163 remaining in England.

Nestled in the heart of Wirral, Merseyside, Upton Hall School FCJ is a renowned girls-only Roman Catholic grammar school that has been nurturing young minds and shaping futures since its establishment. As an academy with International School status and a designated training school, Upton Hall is committed to providing an exceptional educational experience that extends beyond the classroom walls.

At Upton Hall, students are immersed in a comprehensive and well-rounded curriculum that not only focuses on academic excellence but also encourages active participation in the wider community. The school takes pride in offering a diverse range of sporting activities and musical ensembles, allowing girls to explore and develop their talents while fostering a sense of camaraderie and teamwork.

The school's ethos is deeply rooted in the vision of its founder, Marie Madeleine, who passionately believed in providing equal educational opportunities for girls. This commitment to empowering young women continues to be at the core of Upton Hall's mission. With an 'outstanding' Ofsted rating across all areas, the school has been recognized for its exemplary learning environment, where students thrive under the guidance of dedicated and highly skilled educators.

Upton Hall School FCJ takes great pride in its international school status, which reflects the institution's dedication to fostering global awareness and cultural understanding. Through a carefully crafted curriculum and a range of enriching events, such as culture week and feast day, students are encouraged to appreciate the diverse world we live in and develop a keen sense of cultural sensitivity.

As a beacon of academic excellence and holistic development, Upton Hall School FCJ continues to inspire and empower young women, equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to become confident, compassionate, and successful individuals in an ever-changing world.

School Information

Below you will find further information about Upton Hall School FCJ together with their admissions contact details.

Upton Hall School FCJ is a girls only school. It is also an academy, meaning the school is run independently by a trust or sponsor and is directly funded by the central government (not the local authority).

In total 1,016 pupils attend Upton Hall School FCJ and it's led by the Headteacher, Mrs Andrea Gaunt.

Upton Hall School FCJ 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 Upton Hall School FCJ for the 2022-23 academic year.

Upton Hall School 11+ Information

In order to get into Upton Hall School FCJ, children need to pass the Upton Hall School 11+. This 11+ test is written by GL Assessment for use by the school's admissions process.

Upton Hall School 11+ Subjects & Structure

The Upton Hall School 11+ requires children to complete tests in the following subjects:

• English
• Verbal Reasoning

The Upton Hall School entrance exam is designed to assess the academic abilities of prospective students. The exam consists of two papers, both provided by GL Assessment, a well-known provider of 11 plus exams for many grammar schools in England. Each paper has a time limit of 50 minutes and features a multiple-choice format, with separate question booklets and answer sheets.

The English paper evaluates the child's understanding of the subject based on the national curriculum. It includes reading comprehension questions, which require the child to read a passage and demonstrate their understanding by answering related questions. Additionally, the paper assesses other essential English skills, such as spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

The Verbal Reasoning paper is designed to analyze the child's academic potential rather than their acquired knowledge, as it is not taught in the national curriculum. This paper focuses on the child's ability to reason with written information, including words, letters, numbers, and symbols. It tests their understanding of word production, usage, and relationships between words. The paper may also include logic-based questions, such as solving codes and determining the next item in a sequence.

Upton Hall School 11+ Marking Process

The reality of 11+ tests, selective education and academic institutions such as Upton Hall School FCJ 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!

Upton Hall School 11+ Pass Mark

The pass mark for the Upton Hall School 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 Upton Hall School FCJ, it's a ballpark exam result figure for successful candidates.

Upton Hall School 11+ Key Dates for your Diary

Here are all the important dates for the Upton Hall School 11+ tests (to get into Upton Hall School FCJ) 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 Upton Hall School FCJ as they may well change.

Ofsted Information

Upton Hall School FCJ was last inspected by Ofsted on 28/06/2022 and the inspection only lasted one day. Ofsted published their report on 21/09/2022, declaring that the school was 'Outstanding'. This information is summarised in the table below along with a link to the full report.

Last Ofsted Report Data

Ofsted Report Summary

Upton Hall School FCJ was inspected by Ofsted on 21/09/2022 and received an Outstanding rating in all areas. The school demonstrated exceptional performance in the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth form provision.

The inspection, which took place on 28 June 2022, revealed that Upton Hall School FCJ excels in providing its students with an outstanding educational experience. The school's commitment to academic excellence, fostering positive behaviour, and nurturing personal growth was evident throughout the inspection.

The Outstanding rating across all categories is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the school's staff, students, and leadership team. Upton Hall School FCJ sets a high standard for educational institutions, ensuring that its students receive the best possible support and opportunities to succeed.

GCSE & A-Level Performance

Below are the individual GCSE and A-Level performance tables for Upton Hall School FCJ 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, Upton Hall School FCJ 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 Upton Hall School 11+ Ensure you double-check with Upton Hall School FCJ which subjects and topics your child's 11+ tests are in to ensure you prepare for the right tests.