Calday Grange Grammar School 11+ Guide

About Calday Grange Grammar School

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

Calday Grange Grammar School is a prestigious selective grammar school for boys, situated in the picturesque surroundings of Caldy Hill in Grange, Wirral. As the oldest surviving grammar school in the region, Calday Grange has a rich history of educating notable alumni who have made significant contributions across various fields, including literature, sports, science, and military service.

At Calday Grange, students benefit from a well-rounded curriculum that encompasses a wide range of subjects, including humanities, science, technology, and languages. The school is committed to providing a comprehensive education that equips students with the essential skills needed to develop critical thinking abilities and flourish in diverse cultural and social contexts.

Beyond the classroom, Calday Grange offers an extensive enrichment programme designed to prepare students for the challenges of contemporary life. With a wide array of activities ranging from orchestra and drama to robotics and water sports, the school complements its unique educational experience by fostering the development of well-rounded individuals.

Central to Calday Grange's philosophy is the belief in nurturing students as active participants in their own learning journey. Rather than being passive recipients of knowledge, students are encouraged to engage actively in their education. This approach has yielded impressive examination results, with a significant proportion of students achieving top grades across various subjects.

With its rich heritage and forward-thinking approach, Calday Grange Grammar School remains committed to its primary mission of equipping students with the skills necessary to navigate the complexities of adult life successfully. By providing a supportive and stimulating learning environment, the school aims to enable its students to pursue higher education as confident, articulate, and well-rounded individuals.

School Information

Below you will find further information about Calday Grange Grammar School together with their admissions contact details.

Calday Grange Grammar School is a boys 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 1,530 pupils attend Calday Grange Grammar School and it's led by the Headteacher, Mr Stephen Gray.

Calday Grange Grammar School 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 Calday Grange Grammar School for the 2022-23 academic year.

Wirral 11+ Information

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

Wirral 11+ Subjects & Structure

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

• Verbal reasoning
• Non-verbal reasoning
• Maths

The Wirral Admissions Test is used by Calday Grange Grammar School to evaluate the aptitude of prospective students. This assessment comprises two papers that cover a range of subjects designed to gauge the child's abilities.

The exam features questions on verbal reasoning, which assesses the child's capacity to analyze and interpret written information. Non-verbal reasoning is also tested, focusing on the child's ability to recognize patterns, solve problems, and think logically using visual cues. Additionally, the test includes a maths section to evaluate the child's numerical skills and understanding of mathematical concepts.

All questions in the Wirral Admissions Test are presented in a multiple-choice format. Children will be provided with separate answer sheets on which they will indicate their responses. These answer sheets are then electronically marked to ensure accurate and efficient scoring.

Other Schools using Wirral 11+

As well as Calday Grange Grammar School, several other schools also use Wirral 11+. These are:

• West Kirby Grammar School
• Wirral Grammar School for Boys
• Wirral Grammar School for Girls

Wirral 11+ Marking Process

The reality of 11+ tests, selective education and academic institutions such as Calday Grange Grammar School 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!

Wirral 11+ Pass Mark

The pass mark for the Wirral 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 Calday Grange Grammar School, it's a ballpark exam result figure for successful candidates.

Wirral 11+ Key Dates for your Diary

Here are all the important dates for the Wirral 11+ tests (to get into Calday Grange Grammar School) 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 Calday Grange Grammar School as they may well change.

Ofsted Information

Calday Grange Grammar School was last inspected by Ofsted on 19/01/2016 and the inspection only lasted one day. Ofsted published their report on 08/02/2016, 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

GCSE & A-Level Performance

Below are the individual GCSE and A-Level performance tables for Calday Grange Grammar School 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

Here are all available past 11+ papers for Calday Grange Grammar School. Please note that this may include past 11+ papers, past familiarisation booklets, past practice materials published by third parties and past 11+ exam guides written by the school. These materials are provided 'as-is' and may no longer reflect the subjects, format, structure or exam board that Calday Grange Grammar School currently uses.

The exam board that Calday Grange Grammar School chooses to use for their 11+ entrance tests can change and we encourage you to check directly with the school.

Practice 11+ Paper Downloads

Here are some superb free 11+ practice papers that children can download and use to help prepare for the Wirral 11+ Ensure you double-check with Calday Grange Grammar School which subjects and topics your child's 11+ tests are in to ensure you prepare for the right tests.