Selective schools

Find out how to apply for schools with an entrance or selection test.

Within North Yorkshire there are three selective grammar schools:

  • Ripon Grammar School
  • Ermysted's Grammar School
  • Skipton Girls' High School

These schools require children to sit an entrance test which is designed to identify academic potential. Children who reach the cut-off mark or required standard can then be considered for a place at the school. Registering for and sitting an entrance test is not an application for a place at the school.

Testing for Ripon Grammar School

We are only responsible for organising entrance tests for Ripon Grammar School.

Testing for Ermysted's Grammar School and Skipton Girls' High School

These schools arrange and run their own selection tests. Their application processes, timescales and deadlines differ to those of Ripon Grammar School. You can find out more on the schools' websites: 

If you wish to apply for testing at either of these schools, please contact the schools directly.

Applying to sit the entrance test for year 7 entry into Ripon Grammar School

You can check your catchment area on our find a school page.

If you live in catchment for Ripon Grammar School

If you live in catchment for Ripon Grammar School and your child attends a Ripon primary school, you do not need to apply online. You will receive correspondence from us early in the summer term, before the end of year 5. 

If you live in catchment for Ripon Grammar School and your child does not attend a Ripon primary school, you need to make an application to sit the entrance test.

If you live outside the catchment for Ripon Grammar School

If you live outside the catchment for Ripon Grammar School, and your child attends a Ripon primary school, you need to make an application to sit the entrance test. 

If you live outside the catchment for Ripon Grammar School, and your child does not attend a Ripon primary school, you need to make an application to sit the entrance test. 

If you move into the Ripon Grammar School catchment

If you move into the Ripon Grammar School catchment area at any point and you want your child to sit the entrance test, please contact the school admissions team.

Ripon primary schools

The primary schools in Ripon are:

  • Bishop Monkton Church of England Primary School
  • Burton Leonard Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
  • Fountains Church of England Primary School
  • Grewelthorpe Church of England Primary School
  • Holy Trinity Church of England Junior School
  • Kirkby Malzeard Church of England Primary School
  • Markington Church of England Primary School
  • Moorside Primary School and Nursery
  • North Stainley Church of England Primary School
  • Outwood Primary Academy Greystone
  • Ripon Cathedral School
  • Sharow Church of England Primary School
  • St Wilfrid’s Catholic Primary School

Key dates

Key date What happens
April/May 2024 Online selection test registration form opens
30 June 2024 Deadline to register for the selection test
This is the last date for requests to be made for children to be entered for the selection test in September 2024.
26 August 2024 Invitations will be sent during this week confirming the test day arrangements.
7 September 2024 Selection test day
The selection test day for Year 6 children that will be held at Ripon Grammar School.
9 October 2024 Selection test results issued
Written confirmation of your child’s selection test result will be sent out. Please do not contact the admissions team, we will not be able to advise the result by telephone or email.
April, June and August 2025  Late tests will take place on designated dates during the year. There will be a date set in January for any children moving into the Ripon area or for any children where there is a genuine reason that is agreed by the Local Authority. Any other late tests will take place on a specific date in April, June or August.
Register to sit the selection test for entry into Ripon Grammar School only

September 2025 Entry into Year 7

The selection test registration deadline for September 2025 has passed. You can find out about late applications from our advice section.

Contact us about sitting the Ripon Grammar School selection test for all other year groups.

About the Ripon Grammar School entrance test

If your child is transferring from primary to secondary school in September 2025, the entrance test will be held on Saturday 7 September 2024 at Ripon Grammar School.

On the test day, your child will take two tests:

  1. A Verbal Reasoning - VR - test, lasting 50 minutes. This is a continuous 50 minute paper, of 80 multiple choice questions, followed by a short rest break
  2. A Non-Verbal Reasoning - NVR - test, that consists of four sections. There are 20 multiple choice questions per section, with ten minutes to complete each section. At the beginning of each section, children are provided with brief instructions before continuing straight onto the following section. When a section has been completed and the time allowed has elapsed, your child cannot go back to answer questions on previous sections.

It is essential that your child attempts to complete all the questions within the time allowed to give them the best possible chance of success. The time element is part of the test.

The entrance tests are designed to identify whether your child can think a problem through, and to assess their academic potential. The test papers are produced, marked and standardised by GL Assessment. Tests are not related to the national curriculum or key stage standard tests - SATS - which assess your child's current level of achievement in national curriculum work and take place much later in the academic year.

Appropriately recruited and trained invigilators supervise and administer the tests.

Details, such as when your child should arrive and what they should bring with them, will be included in an information letter which will be posted to you in the last week of August.

Preparing for the test: practice questions

GL Assessment have produced familiarisation booklets which include examples to indicate the range of skills required to complete the assessment and the manner in which questions are answered. The booklets are not definitive and the inclusion of any question types does not guarantee that they will be found in the actual test that will be taken. GL Assessment also offer free practice material on their website.

You can also use these familiarisation booklets to help you prepare:

These booklets are subject to copyright and must not be reproduced, photocopied, sold or distributed in any form or by any means.

Special arrangements to access the entrance tests at Ripon Grammar School

You may request special arrangements for your child to complete the entrance test if they have a disability or require special resources, such as those that are put in place by the primary school. This request will be considered by the access arrangements panel.

You will be asked to outline your child’s disability and/or describe the special resources needed to enable them to sit the test.

You should discuss the need for any possible special arrangements with your child’s current headteacher as a report is requested from them. You will be required to supply detailed medical evidence to support your request, which, together with the headteacher’s report, will allow the access arrangements panel to consider the matter in full.

All requests for special arrangements must be received before the closing date for entrance test applications. Failure to notify us and provide the required evidence by midnight on that date will result in the tests taking place in April the following year.

Where all the required evidence is received and the panel are able to make a decision you will be informed whether the request has been agreed, in writing, by the end of July. You will also be notified of the date of the test. Testing under access arrangements may not take place on the test day in September.

If no special arrangements are agreed your child will be invited to sit the test on the test day in September.

Our test procedures are compliant with the requirements of the Equality Act 2010.

Applying for year 9 entry into Ripon Grammar School

Ripon Grammar School offer a small number of additional places - usually 9 day places and 4 reserved boarding places - for entry into Year 9, following the successful completion of the three 13+ entrance tests in mathematics, English and science. Selection tests take place on the first Saturday in February each year, for entry the following September. Find more information on the Ripon Grammar School website.

Boarding provision at Ripon Grammar School

Ripon Grammar School has a boarding facility for up to 100 students. You can find more information on the boarding section of the Ripon Grammar School website.

Boarding is either weekly or termly and there is a required boarding fee. You can see the current fees on the boarding fees page of the Ripon Grammar School website.

How can I apply for a boarding place?

You should name the school on your application form and submit this to your home local authority by the closing date for applying for a secondary school place.

It is your responsibility to make sure you are also familiar with the wider applications process and deadlines involved

Each year, there are up to 14 boarding places available in year 7 at Ripon Grammar School. Allocation of boarding places depends on your child reaching the cut-off mark and being deemed suitable for boarding using the information on the 'suitability for boarding' form.

It is possible to apply for both a day place and boarding places, however, these are considered as separate preferences. For example, you could list:

  • a Ripon Grammar School day place as your first preference
  • a Ripon Grammar School weekly boarding place as your second preference
  • a Ripon Grammar School termly boarding place as your third preference

If you live outside North Yorkshire, please email the school admissions team at schooladmissions@northyorks.gov.uk to confirm the type of place you would like to apply for. If you would prefer a boarding place, please confirm if this is weekly, termly or both.

Please note: if you are offered a boarding, place, you cannot convert this into a day place.

Suitability for boarding

Visit the Ripon Grammar School website boarding admissions page for the suitability for boarding form. You must complete this form and return it to the school.

The suitability for boarding form is used to make sure that the school can meet your child’s boarding needs. This does not secure the offer of a place - this is done through the entrance test and admissions process.

If you are considering a boarding place for your child and need more information about boarding at Ripon Grammar School, please contact Mrs C Day, Assistant Head and Head of Boarding, who will organise a visit to view the boarding facilities and to meet boarding staff prior to applying.

Email: dayc@ripongrammar.com

Oversubscription criteria for boarding

If there are more applications than boarding places available, priority is given as follows:

  1. Looked after children previously looked after children and children who appear to have been in state care outside of England.
  2. Children of members of the UK Armed Forces who qualify for Ministry of Defence financial assistance with the cost of boarding school fees.
  3. Children with a 'boarding need'. Children with a boarding needs include:
    • children at risk or with an unstable home environment and children of service personnel who have died while serving or who have been discharged as a result of attributable injury
    • children of key workers and Crown Servants working abroad, for example, the children of charity workers, people working for voluntary service organisations, the diplomatic service or the European Union, teachers, law enforcement officers and medical staff working abroad whose work dictates that they spend much of the year overseas
  4. Applications for termly boarding.
  5. Applications for weekly boarding.

Tie break

If there are not enough places for all the children in one of these priority groups, we will give priority first to those with a sibling at the school in the September of year of entry, who live the furthest from the school.

In all cases, sibling refers to brother or sister and includes children who live as brother or sister in the same house including adopted brother or sister, where the child for whom the school place is sought is living in the same family unit at the same address as that sibling then to those living furthest from the school.

If all boarding places are not allocated on National Offer Day

The published admission number for Ripon Grammar School is 117, this includes 14 boarding places. If the total number of boarding applications does not reach 14, the remaining places are allocated as day places. For any subsequent boarding applications priority would be given to these over a day application, until 14 boarding places have been allocated.

Where the number of boarding applications for pupils who have reached the prescribed academic standard exceeds the number of places available then a boarding waiting list will be created.

Waiting lists

We hold separate waiting lists for boarding and day places. If your child is refused a place on National Offer Day, they will be placed on the relevant waiting list. You can find out more about starting secondary school here.

 

Changing schools

Changing schools to Ermysted's Grammar School

To apply for an in-year transfer to Ermysted’s Grammar School, you should contact the school directly to apply for testing and make an application for a school place to us. For more information on how to make an in-year application, please see our changing schools page.

In-year applications will be considered for any vacancies in Year 8 to 11 from September, and for any vacancies in Year 7 from January.

Assessment for entry into the school will be arranged using in-house tests in English, science and mathematics. For children moving into the catchment area, the school will arrange resting as soon as possible. For all other applications testing will only take place in:

  • November for admission in January
  • February for admission in April
  • June for admission in September

Please visit the Ermysted's Grammar School website for more information.

Where a year group is full, reaching the required standard in the tests does not guarantee a place at the school. Where there are more applications than places available, priority will be given using the oversubscription criteria.

The tests can only be taken once in any academic year.

Changing schools to Skipton Girls' High School

To apply for an in-year transfer to Skipton Girls’ High School, you should contact the school directly to apply for testing and make an application for a school place to us. For more information on how to make an in-year application, please see our changing schools page.

Assessment of suitability for the school for children who wish to start after the beginning of Year 7 is arranged using tests produced by the school in English and mathematics. These tests are based on national curriculum content appropriate to the age group.

Dates for testing are published on the Skipton Girls' High School website.

Where a year group is full, reaching the required standard in the tests does not guarantee a place at the school. Where there are more applications than places available, priority will be given using the oversubscription criteria.

The tests can only be taken once in any academic year.

Changing schools to Ripon Grammar School

To apply for an in-year transfer to Ripon Grammar School, you should contact the school admissions team for a test request form and make an application for a school place. For more information on how to make an in-year application, please see our changing schools page.

Children will be required to take curriculum-based tests in English, maths, science and proficiency of a modern foreign language. These tests are arranged by the school and normally take place at the school.

Your child can be tested only once for a particular year of entry and normally this will be within their chronological age group. We do not recommend that children transfer schools beyond year 10 due to potential differences in the exam boards and the curriculum.

Where a year group is full, reaching the required standard in the tests does not guarantee a place at the school. Where there are more applications than places available, priority will be given using the oversubscription criteria.

There are a number of boarding places reserved for each year group. In year 7 and 8, 14 boarding places are available and in year 9 an additional 4 boarding places are made available. If all of the boarding places are not filled, the remaining places are allocated as day places. For any subsequent applications priority would be given to boarding applications if boarding is undersubscribed.

Frequently asked questions

What if my application to sit the test is late?

If you submit a late application for the entrance test, your child will be unable to sit the test before National Offer Day. Late testing will take place in April the summer term before September admission.

The exceptions to this are:

  • where a late application is made because of a serious illness that can be supported by medical evidence,
  • where a family have moved into the catchment area for Ripon Grammar School

What if my child is ill or has a problem on the day of the test?

If you feel it would be inappropriate for your child to take the test due to illness, family bereavement or other serious issue which may affect your child's performance, you must:

  • before the test day - contact the admissions team and confirm in writing the reason why your child will not be attending
  • on the test day - contact the emergency number provided on your letter immediately - you will also be required to confirm the reason for their absence in writing by 5pm on the Monday after the test day

Following receipt of written confirmation, we will then arrange an alternative test day. This may delay your child's results being provided to you.

If your child is absent on the day of the test without notifying the admissions team or calling the emergency number, they will be withdrawn from testing and alternative arrangements will not be made.

By bringing your child to the test, you are confirming that they are fit and well and there are no serious issues which could prevent them achieving their full potential. If you are unsure whether your individual circumstances fall into this category, please seek advice from the school admissions team.

How are the tests marked and what is the cut-off mark for a pass?

After the marks have been standardised to take into account your child's age, your child's verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning scores are added together to give a total score which is used to determine whether they have reached the cut-off mark.

The results of the Ripon Grammar selection tests are used to find the highest scoring 28% or as close as possible of the year 6 cohort who live in the Ripon area. The number of children this percentage figure identifies sets the cut-off mark and the standard which children must reach to be considered as suitable for entry into Ripon Grammar School.

This table shows what the cut-off marks for Ripon Grammar School have been in the last three years.

Year of entry Ripon Grammar School cut-off mark
2024 195
2023 196
2022 201

Is my child guaranteed a place if they pass the entrance test?

No. If your child reaches the cut-off mark, it does not guarantee they will be allocated a place if the school is oversubscribed. The normal oversubscription criteria will apply.

Should I pay for coaching or 'off the shelf' sample tests?

Coaching for the tests is not required. However, we cannot prevent this.

The standardised marks for 'off the shelf' test available in some shops are not comparable with the marks achieved in the tests designed for North Yorkshire.

What happens is all the boarding places are not allocated on National Offer Day?

The published admission number for Ripon Grammar School is 117, this includes 14 boarding places. If the total number of boarding applications does not reach 14, the remaining places are allocated as day places. For any subsequent boarding applications priority would be given to these over a day application, until 14 boarding places have been allocated.

Where the number of boarding applications for pupils who have reached the prescribed academic standard exceeds the number of places available then a boarding waiting list will be created.