For parents and guardians: Please verify all school data — cut-off scores, applicant numbers and competition ratios — against official sources (school websites, local authority admissions data) before making any decisions. The figures on this page are researched but not guaranteed and change each admissions cycle.
Complete 2025/26 11+ Guide to Grammar Schools in Yorkshire
Yorkshire is home to 4 fully selective grammar schools and 0 partially selective schools. This guide covers every school — admissions criteria, competition data, cut-off scores, GCSE results, and specific prep advice — so you can make an informed decision.
How the Yorkshire 11+ works
Each school runs its own independent entrance test. Ripon Grammar (GL Assessment): VR + NVR, two papers, multiple-choice. Ermysted's & Skipton Girls' (FSCE from 2026): two papers, English & Maths (MC + short written answers). Crossley Heath (FSCE): English, Maths & Creative Writing (three papers). No shared consortium.
Yorkshire has no consortium — every school sets its own test on its own date. Ripon Grammar is administered by North Yorkshire Council; Ermysted's and Skipton Girls' run their own registration. The Crossley Heath School and North Halifax Grammar School share a joint admissions test. Ripon Grammar is changing its test format from September 2026: the VR paper is being replaced by a "Verbal Skills" paper combining KS2 reading comprehension, spelling and verbal reasoning; a new NVR-with-mathematics paper also replaces the pure NVR paper. Ermysted's similarly switched from GL Assessment to FSCE for testing from September 2026.
Key dates
Who can apply?
Children born between 1 September 2015 and 31 August 2016 sit the test in autumn 2026 for September 2027 entry.
All children resident in England may apply to Ripon Grammar and Crossley Heath regardless of local authority; both have open access policies with no geographic restriction to sit the test.
Ermysted's and Skipton Girls' have defined catchment / priority areas (Skipton and surrounding Craven area) but also welcome out-of-catchment applications; priority is given to those within the priority area who pass.
Looked-after and previously looked-after children are given first priority at all four schools.
Pupil Premium / Free School Meals pupils receive priority at Skipton Girls' and Crossley Heath; Crossley Heath also offers free Atom Learning preparation for eligible Pupil Premium candidates.
A child may only sit each school's test once per academic year.
Ripon Grammar also has a small number of boarding places (14 at Year 7); all boarders must meet the same academic standard as day pupils.
Admissions process
Register via the school's own website or (for Ripon Grammar) via North Yorkshire Council. Deadlines vary by school (typically June–August of Year 5/early Year 6). Crossley Heath and North Halifax Grammar share a joint registration — one form covers both schools.
Tests take place on Saturdays in September of Year 6 at each individual school. Ripon Grammar: GL Assessment VR + NVR (2026 entry); from 2027 entry, Verbal Skills + NVR-with-Maths. Ermysted's and Skipton Girls': FSCE two-paper test (English & Maths, MC and written). Crossley Heath: FSCE three-paper test (English, Maths, Creative Writing).
Parents are notified in mid-October whether their child has met the required standard. At Crossley Heath and North Halifax, parents are informed of their child's position in the order of merit. At Skipton Girls', parents are told pass/fail only — no numerical score is provided directly.
Name the school on your LA's CAF by 31 October. For North Yorkshire schools (Ripon, Ermysted's, Skipton Girls'), submit through your home LA by 31 October. Ermysted's parents wishing to claim priority under oversubscription criteria must also submit a Supplementary Information Form (SIF). For Crossley Heath, submit to Calderdale LA.
Places offered on 1 March. If oversubscribed, schools apply their oversubscription criteria (looked-after children first, then Pupil Premium, then catchment/proximity). Appeals may be lodged after receiving the offer.
School Directory
Disclaimer: Data from official school websites (ripongrammar.co.uk, ermysteds.uk, sghs.org.uk, crossleyheath.org.uk), North Yorkshire Council (northyorks.gov.uk/selective-schools), Calderdale Council admissions pages, Ofsted (reports.ofsted.gov.uk) and DfE Compare School Performance (compare.education.gov.uk). Progress 8 not published for 2024/25 or 2025/26 due to COVID-related KS2 data gap; figures quoted are 2023/24 or most recently published. Verify all key dates and test formats directly with each school before acting. Last verified April 2026. Always verify figures on the school or local authority website before making decisions — data changes each admissions cycle. Last updated: 2026-04-19. We aim to refresh this guide every year after new DfE data is published (typically June/July).