Carre's Grammar School 11+ Guide

About Carre's Grammar School

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

Nestled in the charming market town of Sleaford, Lincolnshire, Carre's Grammar School is a distinguished selective academy that has been nurturing young minds for centuries. This esteemed institution caters to boys aged 11-18, while also offering a vibrant co-educational sixth form. As a founding partner of the Robert Carre Trust and maintaining a close partnership with Kesteven and Sleaford High School, Carre's Grammar School is committed to providing an exceptional educational experience.

The school takes immense pride in its comprehensive curriculum, which encompasses a wide array of subjects designed to prepare students for higher education and beyond. From the social sciences and economics to modern foreign languages and the natural sciences, boys at Carre's Grammar School benefit from engaging and interactive lessons that cultivate their intellectual curiosity and academic prowess. The school's dedicated faculty works tirelessly to ensure that each student reaches their full potential.

Beyond the classroom, Carre's Grammar School offers a wealth of extracurricular activities that contribute to the holistic development of its students. Whether it's through participation in sports teams, language clubs, music ensembles, or the renowned Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, pupils have ample opportunities to explore their passions, develop new skills, and grow as individuals. The school recognizes the importance of fostering adaptability, resourcefulness, and resilience, qualities that will serve students well throughout their lives.

At the heart of Carre's Grammar School lies a unwavering commitment to pastoral care. The school's support system is carefully tailored to address the unique needs and circumstances of each student, ensuring that every individual feels valued, understood, and supported. By working closely with parents and guardians, the school creates a nurturing environment that promotes personal growth and emotional well-being.

With its ethos rooted in the pursuit of excellence, Carre's Grammar School encourages students to critically engage with their educational experiences, fostering a love for learning that extends far beyond the confines of the classroom. As a result, pupils at Carre's develop into independent, flexible thinkers who consistently achieve impressive examination results and go on to thrive in their chosen paths. The school's growing reputation for delivering an outstanding all-around education is a testament to the dedication and expertise of its faculty and the boundless potential of its students.

School Information

Below you will find further information about Carre's Grammar School together with their admissions contact details.

Carre's Grammar School is a mixed (i.e. both girls and boys) 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 806 pupils attend Carre's Grammar School and it's led by the Executive Headteache, Nick Law.

Carre's 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 Carre's Grammar School for the 2022-23 academic year.

Lincolnshire 11+ Information

In order to get into Carre's Grammar School, 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 11 plus entrance exam for Carre's Grammar School is administered by the Lincolnshire Consortium of Grammar Schools. The assessment consists of two separate papers, each focusing on different cognitive abilities. The first paper evaluates the candidate's verbal reasoning skills, while the second paper assesses their proficiency in non-verbal and spatial reasoning.

The verbal reasoning paper comprises 80 questions divided into 15 sections, with a time limit of 50 minutes. The non-verbal and spatial reasoning paper, on the other hand, contains 70 questions split across 5 sections, with each section being individually timed by the invigilator. All questions in both papers are presented in a multiple-choice format.

Candidates are provided with separate answer sheets to mark their responses, which are then electronically evaluated. The 11 plus exam for Carre's Grammar School is designed to identify students with exceptional academic potential and aptitude, ensuring a challenging and rewarding educational experience for those who gain admission.

Other Schools using Lincolnshire 11+

As well as Carre's Grammar School, several other schools also use Lincolnshire 11+. These are:

• Boston High School
• Bourne 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
• The Queen Elizabeth's High School, Gainsborough

Lincolnshire 11+ Marking Process

The reality of 11+ tests, selective education and academic institutions such as Carre's 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!

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 Carre's Grammar School, 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 Carre's 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 Carre's Grammar School as they may well change.

Ofsted Information

Carre's Grammar School was last inspected by Ofsted on 05/12/2023 and the inspection only lasted one day. Ofsted published their report on 22/01/2024, 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 inspection of Carre's Grammar School on 5 December 2023 resulted in an overall outcome of Good. The school demonstrated a good quality of education, with effective teaching and learning practices in place. Pupils exhibited good behaviour and attitudes, creating a positive learning environment.

The school's personal development provision was also rated as good, indicating that pupils receive appropriate support for their well-being and growth. The leadership and management of the school were found to be good, with a clear vision and effective strategies in place to drive improvement.

Additionally, the sixth form provision at Carre's Grammar School was rated as good, demonstrating that the school provides a high-quality education for its older students, preparing them well for their future endeavours.

GCSE & A-Level Performance

Below are the individual GCSE and A-Level performance tables for Carre's 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

Unfortunately, Carre's Grammar School has not made any of their past 11+ papers publicly available.

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 Carre's Grammar School which subjects and topics your child's 11+ tests are in to ensure you prepare for the right tests.