Spalding High School 11+ Guide

About Spalding High School

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

Nestled in the heart of Lincolnshire, Spalding High School is a beacon of academic excellence for girls, with a co-educational sixth form. This selective grammar school has garnered a stellar reputation for its unwavering commitment to nurturing the intellectual, athletic, and personal growth of its students. With a student body of approximately 1,000, the school fosters a tight-knit community atmosphere, ensuring that each pupil feels valued and supported throughout their educational journey.

At Spalding High, the curriculum is designed to unlock the full potential of every student. The school's dedicated teaching staff employs a diverse range of instructional methods to cultivate a love for learning and to help pupils excel across a wide spectrum of subjects, including science, humanities, technology, and languages. The school's status as a Sports College since 2003 is a testament to its commitment to physical education and its impressive track record of sporting achievements.

Beyond the classroom, Spalding High offers an extensive array of extracurricular activities, catering to the diverse interests of its students. From the melodic harmonies of the choir and orchestra to the intellectual curiosity of the Crime Club and Medical Society, there is no shortage of opportunities for pupils to explore their passions and develop new skills. The school's ethos is firmly rooted in fostering an environment where students feel secure, respected, and encouraged to grow in all aspects of their lives. This commitment to pastoral care is evident in the school's excellent attendance records and the positive attitudes displayed by its pupils.

Spalding High School consistently outperforms both local and national averages in all areas assessed by the Department for Education. The school's primary liaison project demonstrates its dedication to engaging with the wider community and nurturing the academic potential of younger students. With an 'Outstanding' Ofsted rating and the prestigious title of 'Secondary School of the Year,' Spalding High School continues to set the standard for excellence in education, empowering its students to become confident, well-rounded individuals prepared to make their mark on the world.

School Information

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

Spalding High School is a girls only school. It is also a local authority maintained school, meaning the local authority oversee the funding, admissions, and overall performance of the school.

In total 965 pupils attend Spalding High School and it's led by the Headteacher, Mrs Michele Anderson.

Spalding 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 Spalding High School for the 2022-23 academic year.

Lincolnshire 11+ Information

In order to get into Spalding High 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 exam for Spalding High School is administered by the Lincolnshire Consortium of Grammar Schools. The assessment consists of two separate papers that evaluate a student's abilities in verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, and spatial reasoning.

The first paper focuses on verbal reasoning and includes 80 multiple-choice questions divided into 15 sections. Students are allotted 50 minutes to complete this paper. The second paper assesses non-verbal and spatial reasoning through 70 multiple-choice questions split across 5 sections. Each section of this paper is individually timed by the invigilator.

Students record their answers for both papers on separate answer sheets, which are then electronically marked. The 11 plus exam aims to identify students with strong reasoning abilities who are well-suited for the academic rigors of Spalding High School.

Other Schools using Lincolnshire 11+

As well as Spalding High School, 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 Alford - A Selective Academy
• Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Horncastle
• Skegness Grammar School
• Spalding Grammar 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 Spalding 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!

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 Spalding High 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 Spalding 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 Spalding High School as they may well change.

Ofsted Information

Spalding High School was last inspected by Ofsted on 29/11/2023 and the inspection only lasted one day. Ofsted published their report on 01/01/2024, 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

Spalding High School was inspected by Ofsted on 29 November 2023 and received an outstanding overall rating. The school demonstrated exceptional performance across multiple areas, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management, all of which were rated as outstanding.

The sixth form provision at Spalding High School was rated as good, indicating a high standard of education and support for students in this age group.

The inspection results highlight the school's commitment to providing an excellent learning environment, fostering positive student behaviour and attitudes, promoting personal development, and maintaining strong leadership and management practices. Spalding High School's outstanding rating reflects its dedication to delivering high-quality education and ensuring the well-being and success of its students.

GCSE & A-Level Performance

Below are the individual GCSE and A-Level performance tables for Spalding 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

Unfortunately, Spalding High 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 Spalding High School which subjects and topics your child's 11+ tests are in to ensure you prepare for the right tests.