Skipton Girls’ High School (SGHS) is a single sex school for girls 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 in the heart of Skipton and houses around 880 girls each year. With good road and rail links, the school is easily accessible from across West and North Yorkshire.
Admissions to Year Seven
Admission to Year 7 is via a selective test. There are 116 places available. The test is taken in September, with the results being sent out a couple of weeks later. The school will inform you if you have reached the pass mark. Reaching the pass mark does not mean that you will be given a place at the school. However, it does improve your chances. Priority is given to the children that have reached the pass mark and live within the catchment area. Once those places have been filled then children from outside the catchment area will be offered places.
The Tests
The entrance examinations are made up of three tests set by GL Assessment. They are comprised of:
- A mathematics paper
- An English paper
- A non-verbal reasoning paper
Each test is an hour long and in multiple choice format. The school website offers some free familiarisation resources.
What is the pass mark?
SGHS marks its own papers. It has not publicly shared how it decides the pass mark. When grading the test papers, it uses a standardised marking system. This means taking into account the age of the child relative to its year group; if Child A, who was born in September 2012, received the same test marks as Child B, who was born in July 2013, Child B would receive a higher standardised score, as they are younger.
Applying to Skipton Girls’ High School
Parent guardians must return application forms 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 child has been informed that they have reached the pass mark, parents must still fill in their Local Authority Forms and return them by the deadline. SGHS must be listed as the first choice on the form if you wish your daughter to be considered for a place. The Local Authority informs parents in early spring as to which school their child has been allocated. If SGHS has been offered, the place must be accepted immediately or it may be offered elsewhere.
Admissions to Sixth Form
The sixth form at Skipton Girls High School is considered to be a comprehensive as there is no selective test to gain entry. There are around 35 external places on offer each year. Potential students are invited to attend an opening evening and can then apply via an application form. There will be a personalised interview for all applicants, with offers sent out to successful candidates shortly after.