11+ Entrance Assessment
Notes for Parents
Aims of the Assessment
In making assessments of candidates for entry to the school at 11+ our main aim is to ensure
that every child we admit has the ability, potential and approach that means they will be
able to cope with the level and pace of work here, so we can be confident they will be happy
and thrive. Of course, as a school, we provide so much more than just teaching, but
academically we cater for pupils roughly in the top quarter of the national ability range.
In the Entrance Assessment we want all pupils to have the best chance to show us what they
can do. Therefore we try hard to put them at their ease and to make the day as enjoyable as
possible. There are no hidden traps in the assessments! They are designed to be accessible
to Year 6 pupils whatever school they come from. Quite rightly, some questions will assess a
child’s current level of performance in English and Maths, but others are designed to evaluate
reasoning and thinking skills, thus testing potential and aptitude rather than taught
knowledge. There may be some hard questions designed to challenge the very brightest
applicants, and everyone will find some unfamiliar tasks that are designed to test flexibility of
thinking.
References
Because we want to make offers of places with as much relevant information as possible, we
write to all applicants’ primary schools to request a full reference. This is most useful
background information and is especially helpful in cases where a child might be
particularly anxious on the assessment day.
Explore! Days
Explore! Days are being held on the 7th, 8th, 11th and 19th January 2016. These days allow
prospective pupils the opportunity to experience ‘a day in the life of a Grange pupil’. If you
would like your son or daughter to attend one of these days, please complete an Explore!
Day Form and return it to The Admissions Department Grange Senior School. We will then
contact you to confirm on which date we would like your child to visit. If you haven’t signed
up yet, do so quickly, as places are very quickly running out!
Format of the day
The Entrance Assessment will be held for external candidates this year on Saturday,
6th February 2016. We are very mindful that pupils (and their parents!) are anxious on the
day and we are very experienced at trying to put them at ease.
Time
The assessment will commence promptly at 9.00 am and registration of candidates will take
place between 8.20 am and 8.40 am in the school Theatre. Children should be collected
from the school Theatre between 12.30 pm and 12.45 pm.
Parking
Parents are asked to park on the main school site or on the British Legion car park opposite
the school. We ask that you do not park in the playground car park adjacent to the school or
on Bradburns Lane, as this causes unnecessary congestion in the area.
Format of the assessments
There are five main parts to the assessment. The first one is taken using a computer, the
final four using pen and paper:
Computer Based Assessment
 Mathematics I, Comprehension, Problem Solving and Thinking Skills
The assessment is supplied for us by the CEM (Centre for Evaluation & Monitoring) at
Durham University. They are based on thorough and well-respected research which is
referenced against national norms. The Grange (along with all other major independent
schools) has been using the CEM centre’s benchmarking and performance data internally for
many years.
Written Assessments
 Creative Writing
 Mathematics II
 Verbal Reasoning
 Personal Questionnaire
The Creative Writing test will involve three discrete tasks, designed to test a candidate’s
ease in using words for a variety of purposes.
The Mathematics test will consist of questions similar in style to those in the Key Stage 2
Mathematics SATs papers. Familiarity with the content of the National Curriculum in
Mathematics Levels 3-5 will be assumed. Questions will not require any knowledge beyond
this, but some may require candidates to use their knowledge in non-standard ways.
The Verbal Reasoning test will be similar to those which are widely available commercially.
These tests yield very useful information about pupils’ abilities that may not be evident from
their usual classroom work. They can indicate the likely ease with which a pupil will be able
to acquire new concepts and understand new ideas across a range of school subjects.
Personal Questionnaire - because we are also interested in the personality and all-round
abilities of all our pupils, the final task of the morning will be a somewhat lighter one. All
candidates will be asked to complete a brief questionnaire that will delve a little into their
interests and what makes them tick. Spelling and grammar will not be assessed, and there
are no right and wrong answers!
At mid-morning break, light refreshments will be provided by the School.
Candidates are not required to wear school uniform.
Preparation advice
It is not necessary to undertake extensive preparation for these assessments. They are
designed to be accessible to Year 6 pupils preparing for their SATs. The best preparation
consists in working hard in their normal schoolwork, although familiarisation with both
verbal and non-verbal reasoning tests might be helpful W H Smith stock books of generic
examples.
There is a sample paper for the Creative Writing test (http://www.grange.org.uk/wpcontent/uploads/2014/07/English_Entrance_Exam_2011_Sample_Paper-3.pdf) on our
website. It would be helpful to talk it through with your son or daughter and give him/her a
chance to try it.
To prepare for the Mathematics test, practice Key Stage 2 SATs papers are readily available
online or from W H Smith. The Level 3-5 papers show what is expected in terms of
knowledge; some questions may be similar to those on the Level 6 papers in that they may
ask your child to use their knowledge in an unusual way, but no content beyond that
specified for Level 5 will be tested.
There is no sample paper for the computer-based test, though there is a sample site
(http://www.intuproject.org/demos/entrance) that will familiarise your child with how the
test looks and the types of answers they may be asked to give.
Nonetheless, it would be helpful to talk them through the following points.
1. They do not need any special computer skills or knowledge beyond being able to move a
mouse and left-click on objects, and very basic keyboard skills. However there will be
plenty of opportunity to ask for help if they are unsure.
2. There will be tasks set that all candidates will be unfamiliar with. This is the same for
everyone and they should not worry about it. The idea is to see how well they deal with
new things.
3. In the Maths part of the computerised assessment we will be emphasising that pupils
need to use pencil and paper to help work out their answers; please reinforce this for us.
For difficult questions this means they will need to spend time working out before giving
their answer and moving on. However, they cannot come back to questions later so they
have to do their best first time.
Further general information about the background to the computer-based assessment
(called GetIntu) can be found on the CEM Centre’s website at www.cemcentre.org under
CEM Extra then Entrance Tests. The key advice is that there is no specific preparation
for these assessments.
Pupils with special educational needs
Where there are concerns about a pupil’s ability to show his/her cognitive ability because of
a known learning difficulty (eg dyslexia) or physical disability (eg broken arm) we can make
special arrangements to help, including provision of extra time where possible.
Parents are asked to contact Sharon Dickens, Admissions Manager, to discuss what would be
appropriate well in advance of the assessments and to provide an up-to-date Educational
Psychologists report.
Scholarships
The Open Scholarship awards are offered following the Entrance Assessment and are
dependent upon outstanding results being achieved in all components taken. The number
offered and their value will be decided following the marking of the assessment papers. It is
assumed that all candidates are competing for the Open Scholarships therefore no special
forms need be completed for these awards.
The Music Scholarship auditions will take place on Friday, 15th January 2016. The Music
Scholarship is offered for children with musical talent hoping to enter Year I. Any parent
considering an application for this Scholarship should note that the minimum requirement
is Grade 4 standard in either two instruments or one instrument and voice with a recognised
Examining Board. A leaflet and an Application Form are enclosed.
Bursaries
The school is able to award a number of bursaries - up to 100% of fees (plus grants
towards uniform) - to able children whose parents are not able to afford full fees, the
calculation of which will be based on criteria introduced by the school in October
2008. This should mean that a Grange education is not, in principle, out of reach for
anyone who might wish to apply.
The number of bursaries is limited and preference will be given to those candidates who
show in the view of the school, and through the evidence gathered through the entrance
process, that they are best equipped to make the most of the opportunities available at The
Grange. Candidates applying for a bursary (and their parents) may be interviewed as part of
the admissions process.
Please contact the Financial Administrator, Mrs Taylor on 01606 74007 for further details of
the bursary scheme, how to apply for it, application forms or assistance with any aspect of
the application process. Bursary Applications must be received at the school by Friday,
11th December 2015, at the latest.
On the Day
Your son or daughter will need to bring a pencil case, containing a pen, pencil, ruler and
rubber. They will not need a calculator. They might also like to bring a book to read, just in
case they finish one or two of the tests early.
Offers of places
Results will be posted first class on Friday, 12th February 2016 and offers will need to be
accepted, at the latest by Friday, 4th March 2016. If the offer includes a Bursary award, a
reply is needed by Thursday, 3rd March 2016 (12 noon).