North Halifax Grammar School is a co-educational school for pupils aged 11-18. It is a state funded selective high school with standard admission points for entry in to Year 7 and Sixth Form. The school is located in Halifax and houses around 1,080 students.
Admissions to Year Seven
Admission to Year 7 is via a selective test. There are 180 places available. The test is taken in September with results being sent out a couple of weeks later. The school will inform you if you have scored within the top 500 students and your overall position within this 500.
The Tests
North Halifax Grammar School shares its entrance examinations with Crossley Heath School. You can apply to both schools and will only need to sit one set of tests.
The entrance examinations are made up of two tests set by GL Assessment. They are comprised of:
- A mathematics and non-verbal reasoning paper
- An English and verbal reasoning paper
Each test is approximately 50 minutes long and in multiple choice format. The school website offers some free familiarisation resources.
What is the pass mark?
NHGS marks its own papers and informs parent/guardians quickly of their child’s result within a couple of weeks. There is no pass mark as such, but the school ranks the highest scoring papers from 1 down to 500. If the student scores within the top 500, they will receive a notification from the school with their ranking number.
Scoring within the top 500 does not mean that you will be offered a place at the school. However, it does give you a good chance. Priority is given to the children that have scored the highest on the tests. There is no catchment area for this school, with children across the local counties sitting the entrance exam.
Applying to North Halifax Grammar School
Parent guardians must return application forms to the school before the deadline if they wish their child to sit the tests. The tests will be taken in September and the results will be received in October. If the parent guardian has been informed that their child has scored within the top 500, they must still fill in their Local Authority Forms and return them by the deadline. NHGS must be listed on the form as the first choice if you wish your child to be considered for a place.
You can list Crossley Heath School if you would also like to be considered for a place there. The Local Authority informs parents in early spring as to which school they have been allocated. If North Halifax Grammar School offers your child a place it must be accepted immediately – or it may be offered elsewhere.
Admissions to Sixth Form
North Halifax Grammar School welcomes admissions to the sixth form via an application form in the January of Year 11. Potential candidates will be invited in for an interview in the following months. Admission to Sixth Form is contingent on the student reaching the entry grades for their desired subjects.