Queen Elizabeth's Grammar Alford - A Selective Academy 11+ Guide

About Queen Elizabeth's Grammar Alford - A Selective Academy

Queen Elizabeth's Grammar Alford - A Selective Academy is a selective secondary school in Lincolnshire. For children to get into Queen Elizabeth's Grammar Alford - A Selective Academy they need to pass the school's 11+ entrance test. Hence, Queen Elizabeth's Grammar Alford - A Selective Academy is a traditional grammar school, one of only 163 remaining in England.

Nestled in the heart of Lincolnshire, Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Alford (QEGS) is a beacon of academic excellence and holistic student development. This co-educational grammar school, which holds academy status, has been nurturing young minds since its inception, guided by the profound motto Cor Unum Via Una (One heart, one way). With a student body of approximately 550 pupils aged 11-18, QEGS fosters an environment that encourages intellectual growth, personal development, and a strong sense of community.

At QEGS, the National Curriculum forms the foundation of the educational journey, ensuring that students acquire essential skills across a wide array of disciplines, including technology, humanities, science, and mathematics. The school goes beyond traditional academics by empowering students to cultivate their entrepreneurial spirit, providing opportunities for them to establish and manage their own businesses while pursuing their studies. This unique approach instills valuable real-world skills and prepares students for the challenges and opportunities that await them beyond the classroom.

QEGS takes immense pride in its comprehensive extracurricular programme, which includes the prestigious Duke of Edinburgh award. This initiative enables students to develop and refine their leadership abilities while fostering a strong sense of teamwork and collaboration. The school also organizes regular trips to captivating destinations, such as Iceland and Italy, broadening students' horizons and deepening their appreciation for diverse cultures and perspectives.

Central to the QEGS ethos is the unwavering commitment to student well-being and support. The dedicated staff work tirelessly to create a nurturing environment where every student feels valued, encouraged, and empowered to reach their full potential. Whether through personalized guidance during breaks, after-school support, or prompt email communication, the staff at QEGS ensure that each student receives the attention and assistance they need to thrive academically and personally.

The school's outstanding academic performance is a testament to the effectiveness of its approach. In recent years, QEGS has consistently achieved remarkable results, particularly in Maths and English, with an impressive 93% of students attaining a grade of 5 or higher. Moreover, the school's A-Level results have solidified its position as a top-performing institution in Lincolnshire, making it a sought-after choice for both local parents and students who aspire to academic excellence and personal growth.

School Information

Below you will find further information about Queen Elizabeth's Grammar Alford - A Selective Academy together with their admissions contact details.

Queen Elizabeth's Grammar Alford - A Selective Academy 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 527 pupils attend Queen Elizabeth's Grammar Alford - A Selective Academy and it's led by the Headteacher, Mr Glen Thompson.

Queen Elizabeth's Grammar Alford - A Selective Academy 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 Queen Elizabeth's Grammar Alford - A Selective Academy for the 2022-23 academic year.

Lincolnshire 11+ Information

In order to get into Queen Elizabeth's Grammar Alford - A Selective Academy, 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 exam for entry into Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Alford is administered by the Lincolnshire Consortium of Grammar Schools. The assessment consists of two separate papers, each focusing on different aspects of reasoning ability.

The first paper evaluates verbal reasoning skills through a series of 80 questions divided into 15 sections. Students are allotted 50 minutes to complete this portion of the exam. The second paper assesses non-verbal and spatial reasoning abilities with 70 questions spread across 5 individually timed sections.

All questions in the Lincolnshire 11 plus are presented in a multiple-choice format, and students record their answers on separate sheets that are electronically marked. This rigorous selection process helps identify children with strong reasoning capabilities who would benefit from the challenging academic environment provided by Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Alford.

Other Schools using Lincolnshire 11+

As well as Queen Elizabeth's Grammar Alford - A Selective Academy, 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 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 Queen Elizabeth's Grammar Alford - A Selective Academy 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 Queen Elizabeth's Grammar Alford - A Selective Academy, 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 Queen Elizabeth's Grammar Alford - A Selective Academy) 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 Queen Elizabeth's Grammar Alford - A Selective Academy as they may well change.

Ofsted Information

Queen Elizabeth's Grammar Alford - A Selective Academy was last inspected by Ofsted on 23/11/2021 and the inspection only lasted one day. Ofsted published their report on 17/01/2022, 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

Queen Elizabeth's Grammar Alford - A Selective Academy was inspected by Ofsted on 17/01/2022. The overall outcome of the inspection on 23 November 2021 was Good. This rating applied to all areas assessed, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth form provision.

The consistent Good rating across all key areas suggests that Queen Elizabeth's Grammar Alford is providing a well-rounded and effective educational experience for its students. The school demonstrates strengths in its teaching and learning, student conduct, individual student development, organizational leadership, and post-secondary programs.

GCSE & A-Level Performance

Below are the individual GCSE and A-Level performance tables for Queen Elizabeth's Grammar Alford - A Selective Academy 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, Queen Elizabeth's Grammar Alford - A Selective Academy 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 Queen Elizabeth's Grammar Alford - A Selective Academy which subjects and topics your child's 11+ tests are in to ensure you prepare for the right tests.