St Michael's Catholic Grammar School 11+ Guide

About St Michael's Catholic Grammar School

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

Nestled in the vibrant community of North Finchley, Barnet, St Michael's Catholic Grammar School has earned a distinguished reputation for delivering an exceptional educational experience to young women. With a rich history spanning over a century, this esteemed institution has remained steadfast in its commitment to providing a comprehensive curriculum that seamlessly blends academic excellence with spiritual growth.

At the heart of St Michael's lies a unwavering dedication to the Catholic faith, which permeates every aspect of school life. The school's ethos is deeply rooted in the Gospel message of love and compassion, fostering an atmosphere of mutual respect, kindness, and collaboration among students and staff alike. Through a carefully crafted curriculum that encompasses a wide array of subjects, including the humanities, sciences, languages, mathematics, and the arts, St Michael's equips its students with the knowledge and skills necessary to thrive in an ever-changing world.

Beyond the classroom, St Michael's offers a wealth of opportunities for personal growth and development. From engaging in thought-provoking debates and exploring their artistic talents to participating in competitive sports and giving back to the community through charitable initiatives, students are encouraged to discover and nurture their unique passions. The school's commitment to open communication and parental involvement ensures that each student's journey is supported by a strong network of educators and family members.

St Michael's takes immense pride in the remarkable achievements of its students, who consistently demonstrate academic excellence and secure places at top universities across the United Kingdom and beyond. These accomplishments stand as a testament to the school's unwavering dedication to empowering young women to become confident, compassionate, and successful leaders in their chosen fields.

School Information

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

St Michael's Catholic Grammar 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 849 pupils attend St Michael's Catholic Grammar School and it's led by the Headteacher, Mr Michael Stimpson.

St Michael's Catholic 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 St Michael's Catholic Grammar School for the 2022-23 academic year.

St Michael's Catholic Grammar School 11+ Information

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

St Michael's Catholic Grammar School 11+ Subjects & Structure

The St Michael's Catholic Grammar School 11+ requires children to complete tests in the following subjects:

• English
• Maths
• Verbal Reasoning
• Non-verbal Reasoning

The 11 plus entrance exam for St Michael's Catholic Grammar School is a multiple-choice assessment that covers a range of subjects. The exam is designed to evaluate the academic potential of girls seeking admission to the school.

The English section assesses the candidate's understanding of the national curriculum content, often including a reading comprehension task. The Maths portion covers Key Stage 2 content, focusing on aspects of number, measurement, geometry, and statistics. Both Verbal and Non-verbal Reasoning sections are not taught in the national curriculum but aim to test the candidate's ability to analyze and solve problems using written information and visual cues, respectively.

The 11 plus exam is a crucial step in the admissions process for St Michael's Catholic Grammar School, helping to identify students with the necessary academic skills and potential to thrive in the school's educational environment.

St Michael's Catholic Grammar School 11+ Marking Process

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

St Michael's Catholic Grammar School 11+ Pass Mark

The pass mark for the St Michael's Catholic Grammar 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 St Michael's Catholic Grammar School, it's a ballpark exam result figure for successful candidates.

St Michael's Catholic Grammar School 11+ Key Dates for your Diary

Here are all the important dates for the St Michael's Catholic Grammar School 11+ tests (to get into St Michael's Catholic 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 St Michael's Catholic Grammar School as they may well change.

Ofsted Information

St Michael's Catholic Grammar School was last inspected by Ofsted on 09/11/2022 and the inspection only lasted one day. Ofsted published their report on 29/12/2022, 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

St Michael's Catholic Grammar School was inspected by Ofsted on 9 November 2022 and received an Outstanding rating in all areas. The school demonstrated exceptional performance in the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth form provision.

The inspection report highlights the school's outstanding achievements across all key areas. St Michael's Catholic Grammar School has shown excellence in providing a high-quality education, fostering positive behaviour and attitudes among students, promoting personal development, and demonstrating effective leadership and management.

The sixth form provision at St Michael's Catholic Grammar School was also rated as Outstanding, indicating that the school provides an exceptional learning environment and support for students in their post-16 education.

GCSE & A-Level Performance

Below are the individual GCSE and A-Level performance tables for St Michael's Catholic 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, St Michael's Catholic 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 St Michael's Catholic Grammar School 11+ Ensure you double-check with St Michael's Catholic Grammar School which subjects and topics your child's 11+ tests are in to ensure you prepare for the right tests.