Skipton Girls' High School 11+ Guide

About Skipton Girls' High School

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

Nestled in the picturesque county of North Yorkshire, Skipton Girls' High School is a beacon of academic excellence and innovation. As a selective grammar school, it provides an unparalleled educational experience tailored specifically for young women. The school's commitment to fostering a dynamic and stimulating learning environment is evident in its state-of-the-art facilities, including a recently constructed £1.8 million STEM centre that complements the charming traditional buildings.

At Skipton Girls', students are divided into four distinct houses, each bearing the name of a remarkable and influential woman: Brontë, Curie, Franklin, and Johnson. This unique system not only fosters a sense of belonging and camaraderie among the students but also encourages healthy competition throughout the academic year, as the houses vie for the prestigious annual cup.

The school's dedication to academic excellence is matched by its unwavering focus on character development. Ofsted, the UK's education watchdog, has recognized Skipton Girls' outstanding achievements, rating the school as "good" overall and bestowing an "outstanding" rating for the behaviour and attitudes of its students. The inspectors praised the girls' exemplary conduct and their enthusiastic approach to tackling challenging work, highlighting the school's success in nurturing confident, resilient, and ambitious young women.

As a trailblazer in the education sector, Skipton Girls' High School made history by becoming the first all-girls school to be awarded specialist status as an engineering college. This groundbreaking achievement underscores the school's commitment to empowering young women to pursue careers in STEM fields and breaking down gender stereotypes. The school's forward-thinking approach to education is further exemplified by its role as a founding member of the Northern Star Academies Trust, a collaborative network of schools dedicated to sharing best practices and driving educational excellence.

School Information

Below you will find further information about Skipton Girls' High School together with their admissions contact details.

Skipton Girls' High School 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 889 pupils attend Skipton Girls' High School and it's led by the Headteacher, Ms Martha Featherstone.

Skipton Girls' High 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 Skipton Girls' High School for the 2022-23 academic year.

Skipton Girls' High School 11+ Information

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

Skipton Girls' High School 11+ Subjects & Structure

The Skipton Girls' High School 11+ requires children to complete tests in the following subjects:

• Maths
• English
• Verbal Reasoning

The 11 plus exam at Skipton Girls' High School is a competitive assessment designed to evaluate the academic abilities of prospective students. The exam is administered by GL Assessment, a well-established provider of 11 plus tests in England. The assessment consists of three separate papers, each focusing on a specific subject area.

The maths paper evaluates the child's understanding of Key Stage 2 mathematical concepts, covering topics such as number, measurement, geometry, and statistics. The English paper comprises two reading comprehension extracts and may also assess the child's proficiency in spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Lastly, the verbal reasoning test measures the child's ability to apply logic and reasoning skills to solve problems involving written information, such as letters, words, symbols, or numbers.

It is important to note that verbal reasoning is not part of the national curriculum, so children may be less familiar with this type of assessment. All the questions in the 11 plus exam at Skipton Girls' High School are multiple-choice, and answers are marked electronically using separate answer sheets.

Skipton Girls' High School 11+ Marking Process

The reality of 11+ tests, selective education and academic institutions such as Skipton Girls' High 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!

Skipton Girls' High School 11+ Pass Mark

The pass mark for the Skipton Girls' High 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 Skipton Girls' High School, it's a ballpark exam result figure for successful candidates.

Skipton Girls' High School 11+ Key Dates for your Diary

Here are all the important dates for the Skipton Girls' High School 11+ tests (to get into Skipton Girls' High 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 Skipton Girls' High School as they may well change.

Ofsted Information

Skipton Girls' High School was last inspected by Ofsted on 21/09/2022 and the inspection only lasted one day. Ofsted published their report on 20/11/2022, 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

Skipton Girls' High School was inspected by Ofsted on 21 September 2022, and the overall outcome was Good. The school received a Good rating for the quality of education, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth form provision. The behaviour and attitudes of students were deemed Outstanding.

The inspection results highlight the school's commitment to providing a high-quality education and fostering a positive learning environment. The Good rating in most areas demonstrates that the school is effectively meeting the needs of its students and preparing them for future success. The Outstanding rating for behaviour and attitudes is a testament to the school's ability to create a respectful and inclusive atmosphere where students are engaged and motivated to learn.

Skipton Girls' High School should be proud of its achievements and continue to build upon its strengths to ensure that all students receive the best possible education. The school's leadership and staff are clearly dedicated to the well-being and academic growth of their students, as evidenced by the positive inspection results across multiple areas of assessment.

GCSE & A-Level Performance

Below are the individual GCSE and A-Level performance tables for Skipton Girls' High 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 Skipton Girls' High 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 Skipton Girls' High School currently uses.

The exam board that Skipton Girls' High 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 Skipton Girls' High School 11+ Ensure you double-check with Skipton Girls' High School which subjects and topics your child's 11+ tests are in to ensure you prepare for the right tests.