North Yorkshire 11+: preparing for Skipton Girls' and Ripon Grammar

North Yorkshire has just two state grammars — and they don't run a shared test. Here's how Skipton Girls' High School and Ripon Grammar School each set their own entrance assessments and what that means for preparation.

Skipton Girls' and Ripon Grammar entrance tests (run separately): key facts

Typical test date: September-October of Year 6, with each school setting its own test date
Papers: Each school's entrance test typically comprises 2 papers (multiple choice)
Duration: Around 50 minutes per paper, with short breaks between them
Subjects: Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, Mathematics and English (the exact mix varies by school)
Indicative qualifying threshold: Each school sets its own qualifying score and admission criteria; both schools publish a standardised score breakdown after the test rather than a single fixed pass mark
Registration window: Direct school registration via each school's admissions portal — typically opens in May/June and closes in July of Year 5

Why North Yorkshire is different

North Yorkshire is unusual: it is one of the largest counties in England by area, but it has only two state grammar schools — Skipton Girls' High School and Ripon Grammar School. Unlike Kent or Buckinghamshire, there is no county-wide grammar system and no shared 11+ test. Each school runs its own admissions process, its own test date, and its own qualifying criteria. Families considering both have to navigate two separate registrations.

Both schools' tests sit within the GL Assessment family of formats — multiple-choice papers covering Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, Mathematics and English — which makes preparation tractable using widely available GL practice materials. But the exact paper mix, test date, and qualifying score differ between the two schools, so families need to study each school's published admissions arrangements year by year.

Geographically, Ripon Grammar in particular admits from a wide cross-Yorkshire catchment that extends well beyond Ripon itself, while Skipton Girls' draws strongly from Craven, the Yorkshire Dales and parts of Lancashire. Both schools are well-regarded and oversubscribed — a qualifying score gives a child consideration but, as with most selective regions, the most competitive applications come from candidates well above the qualifying floor.

How the Skipton Girls' and Ripon Grammar entrance tests (run separately) is structured

Skipton Girls' High School runs its own entrance test in autumn of Year 6 — GL Assessment-style papers covering English, Mathematics, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning. Registration is direct with the school.
Ripon Grammar School runs its own separate entrance test (with the date set independently of Skipton). The Ripon papers also follow a GL-style multi-subject format.
Both schools use multiple-choice papers with separate answer sheets; results are age-standardised.
Each school publishes its qualifying score breakdown after the test — there is no shared regional cut-off.
Families applying to both schools sit two separate tests on two separate dates and submit separate registrations to each school.

Notable grammar schools in North Yorkshire

2 fully selective state grammar schools across the county.

Skipton Girls' High School (state grammar, Skipton)
Ripon Grammar School (state grammar, Ripon)
Queen Margaret's School (independent girls', Escrick near York)
Bootham School (independent, York)
Giggleswick School (independent boarding, near Settle)

How to prepare your child for the North Yorkshire 11+

Use GL Assessment practice materials as the spine of preparation. Both Skipton Girls' and Ripon Grammar sit within the GL-style family, so practising GL verbal reasoning question types, GL non-verbal reasoning, English comprehension and primary-extension Maths problem-solving covers most of the ground for both tests.

Confirm each school's current arrangements before committing to a single set of practice books. Both schools publish their entrance-test arrangements on their admissions pages and update them annually — paper count, subject weighting and test timing have all shifted historically. A 30-minute review of each school's admissions page in spring of Year 5 saves money on the wrong workbooks.

If applying to both, plan the two test dates in your family calendar carefully — they can fall within a few weeks of each other in September-October. Children sitting both will benefit from a clean rest day between them, particularly if any travel is involved (Skipton and Ripon are an hour and a half apart). Pair this with a wider comparison of GL, CEM and CSSE formats so the differences are clear.

Frequently asked questions about the North Yorkshire 11+

How many state grammar schools are there in North Yorkshire?

Two: Skipton Girls' High School and Ripon Grammar School. These are the only fully selective state secondary schools in the county. Both are well-regarded, oversubscribed, and run their own admissions tests independently of each other.

Do Skipton Girls' and Ripon Grammar share a test?

No. Each school runs its own entrance test on its own date, with its own qualifying criteria. Families applying to both submit two separate registrations and sit two separate tests in the autumn of Year 6.

How do I register my child for the Skipton Girls' entrance test?

Direct registration with the school, typically via the Skipton Girls' admissions portal, with the registration window usually open through May-July of Year 5. Check the school's admissions page in spring of Year 5 for the current year's dates and any updates to the registration process.

How do I register my child for the Ripon Grammar entrance test?

Direct registration with Ripon Grammar School via its admissions portal. Like Skipton, the window is typically open in May-July of Year 5 with the test sat in autumn of Year 6. Confirm the current year's deadlines on the school's website.

Which exam board do North Yorkshire grammars use?

Both schools' entrance tests sit within the GL Assessment-style family — multiple choice, age-standardised, covering English, Mathematics, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning. Use GL-aligned practice materials. As always, check each school's admissions page year by year for any format changes before purchasing materials.

Is there a catchment area for Ripon Grammar?

Ripon Grammar admits from a wide cross-Yorkshire area, with priority given to applicants meeting the qualifying score; distance is typically used as a tiebreaker for oversubscribed places. Families travel from across North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and parts of the Dales to attend. Always read the current school admissions policy alongside the test arrangements.