Caistor Grammar School 11+

How to get into Caistor Grammar School

Caistor Grammar School is a selective secondary school in Lincolnshire. To get into Caistor Grammar School children need to pass the school's 11+ entrance test. Here is the step-by-step guide to getting your child into Caistor Grammar School with all the important information you need to know.

About Caistor Grammar School

Caistor Grammar School is a co-educational 11 to 18 selective school nestled in the charming market town of Caistor, Lincolnshire. The school is a mixed grammar school with around 700 students. It dates back to 1630 and has a reputation as one of the highest-performing schools in the East Midlands, with the Sunday Times naming it 'East Midlands Secondary School of the Decade' in 2020 ^[1].

Admission Requirements

Applicants will take 11+ tests in the Autumn Term of Year 6, and only children who attain a total score of 220 or more in the tests will be eligible for entry. This scoring system is designed to select the upper 25% of the ability range and identify the top 25% of children based on ability living in the area ^[1].

The school follows the Lincolnshire County Co-ordinated Admission Scheme. Caistor Grammar is not a member of the Lincolnshire Consortium of Grammar Schools, so families considering other grammar schools in Lincolnshire will need to register their child for these tests separately ^[1].

Catchment Area

Caistor Grammar School does have a catchment area that covers an area of 6.5 miles from the school address, measured in a straight line distance. Children whose home postal address falls within 6.5 miles of the school are considered to be 'in catchment'. The catchment area covers Caistor and stretches to Kirmington in the north, Beelsby in the east, Walesby in the south, and North Kelsey in the west ^[1].

To apply for in-catchment status for September 2026, families must live within 6.5 miles 'as the crow flies' from the School on 1st September 2025 ^[1].

Application Process

Applications for entry into Year 7 in September 2026 will open at the beginning of March 2025, via a link at the top of the school website. The closing date for registration is in August ^[1].

After children are deemed eligible based on exam performance, families need to name the school as one of their preferred schools on the secondary school common application form. This will be available on the home council website from early September and must be submitted by 31st October 2025. Families will also be asked to submit a preference form to the Local Authority, naming Caistor Grammar as one of their child's preferred schools ^[1].

• Register children using the online application form on the school website in March 2025
• Complete registration by the August deadline
• Submit secondary school common application form by 31st October 2025
• Include Caistor Grammar School on the Local Authority preference form

The Caistor Grammar School 11+ Examination

The entrance exam for Caistor Grammar School is split into two papers, which are taken on consecutive Saturdays in September. Each paper takes one hour to complete, including an unmarked 15 minute practice test at the start. Both papers test verbal reasoning ^[1].

The first paper is a 'standard' written verbal reasoning paper where children need to write their answers in the spaces provided. They will not need to write long answers – the answer could be a single word or a string of numbers. Paper 2 consists of Multiple-choice Verbal Reasoning ^[1].

Verbal reasoning is not taught on the national curriculum, so the questions might be unfamiliar to children. It tests the ability to solve problems with written information including letters, symbols, words and numbers. Some of the skills it assesses include reading fluency, vocabulary, logic and attention to detail ^[1].

Exam Dates and Timeline

Families will receive an email with information about the exam in early September. The 11 plus entrance exam then takes place over two dates in late September, with children needing to attend the school to take the exam on both Saturdays. In mid-October, families will be informed of the outcome of the tests ^[1].

Open Evening for this cohort is Tuesday 6th May, 2025, 6pm-8pm. Registration for the Open Evening is not required ^[1].

Oversubscription Criteria

If more than 96 applying to Caistor Grammar School achieve a score of 220 or higher, the school applies oversubscription criteria. Children who have achieved this score and who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) which names the school are admitted first, and the number of remaining places are reduced accordingly ^[1].

The priority order for places includes children with Education, Health and Care Plans and Looked After Children (in public care) who have top priority, followed by in-catchment candidates prioritized based on a 6.5-mile radius from the school ^[1].

Preparation Guidance

It's important to build a good knowledge base before the 11 plus using a 'little and often' approach when learning, as brains encode new information more effectively when dealing with smaller 'chunks' of information. For children aged 10–11, child psychologists recommend regular study sessions of 20–30 minutes.

Families should commence revision at least a year before the test, avoiding over-focusing on preferred topics. Preparation should cover all content assessing skills such as reading fluency, comprehension, vocabulary, logic, problem-solving, and attention to detail.

For free preparation resources, families can access practice papers. For additional support, families may consider tutoring options.

Practical Exam Day Advice

Setting regular, achievable goals and celebrating children's progress – no matter how big or small – will help keep their motivation high. Families should encourage a growth mindset, celebrating effort as well as achievement.

When children make mistakes or struggle to understand a particular topic, families should help them understand that they'll improve through practice. Regular praise will help children improve their resilience when tackling new and challenging topics.

Please note there is no parking on site and a short walk is likely to reach the school ^[1].

Academic Performance and Results

The school is delighted with their A Level results, which are exceptional even by the high standards expected at Caistor Grammar School. Over 27% of grades were the very top A* grade, 53% of grades were at A* or A grade and over 73% were at A*-B ^[1].

The school's Progress 8 score for 2024 was +0.68, which was in the category 'well above average'. In 2024, 94% of students achieved a grade 5+ in English and Maths, compared to the national average of 45.9% ^[1].

Contact Information

For specific contact details, application forms, and the most current information about deadlines and procedures, families should visit the school information section. Applications for entry into Year 7 in September 2026 will open at the beginning of March 2025, via a link at the top of the school website ^[1].

Remember that passing the 11 plus doesn't guarantee that children will be allocated a place at their preferred school. Many grammar schools are often oversubscribed with qualified children, and schools and their admissions authorities work through admissions criteria to prioritise children for places.

^[1]Caistor Grammar School official website

Caistor Grammar School 11+ Information

In order to get into Caistor Grammar School, children need to pass the Caistor Grammar School 11+. This 11+ test is written internally for exclusive use by the school (rather than by an external company like GL Assessment, CSSE or CEM).

Caistor Grammar School 11+ Subjects & Structure

The Caistor Grammar School 11+ requires children to complete tests in the following subjects:

• Verbal Reasoning

The entrance exam for Caistor Grammar School consists of two papers, each an hour long and taken on separate Saturdays. The papers assess the candidate's verbal reasoning skills, which involve solving problems using written information such as letters, symbols, words, and numbers. These skills are not part of the national curriculum, so the questions may be unfamiliar to the test-taker.

The first paper is a standard written verbal reasoning test, requiring the candidate to write their answers, which could be a single word or a string of numbers, in the provided spaces. The second paper is a multiple-choice test, with each question having 4-5 potential answers. The candidate must indicate which answer(s) they believe to be correct for each question.

The exam aims to evaluate the candidate's reading fluency, vocabulary, logic, and attention to detail. Each paper includes an unmarked 15-minute practice test at the beginning, allowing the candidate to familiarize themselves with the question format before the main exam begins.

Caistor Grammar School 11+ Marking Process

The reality of 11+ tests, selective education and academic institutions such as Caistor Grammar School is that only children with particularly high marks are admitted. Hence why it is important that children perform well in their 11+ papers.

Different schools (and different 11+ tests) have different marking processes. Some tests are marked in person, some remotely, while others utilise computer-based optical recognition technologies for quickly marking multiple-choice answer sheets.

Many 11+ tests are age-standardised to ensure younger children are not disadvantaged (i.e. their marks may be moderated depending on the month in which they were born). While creative writing papers can be used as tie-breakers, multiple-choice tests in Maths, Comprehension, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning normally make up the bulk of a child's marks. The specific details and weightings can vary from year to year.

It's worth remembering that once children's 11+ tests are being marked, the admissions process is completely outside of the parents' control. Hence, parents should not worry themselves about whether their child has got a place!

Caistor Grammar School 11+ Pass Mark

The pass mark for the Caistor Grammar School 11+ changes every year and isn't generally made public knowledge. This is due to the academic strength of the children taking the test varying and how challenging the test ends up being (as well as plenty of other smaller variables).

Hence, as a vague rule-of-thumb, it's recommended that children aim for roughly 75-80% in their practice tests. Whilst this won't guarantee them a place at Caistor Grammar School, it's a ballpark exam result figure for successful candidates.

Key Dates for the Caistor Grammar School 11+ Entrance Tests

Here are all the important dates for the 11+ tests (to get into Caistor Grammar School) as well as other relevant dates.

Although the utmost care has been taken to gather these dates, parents should treat them as a guide and check with Caistor Grammar School as they may well change.

11+ Tutor for Caistor Grammar School

As the Caistor Grammar School 11+ entrance process is particularly gruelling, we would highly recommend using an 11+ private tutor.

Why use a private 11+ tutor?

Personal tutors have the experience and expertise to help children pass their 11+ exams. They know the requirements of the 11+ tests inside-out and can provide tailored support to give children the best possible chance of success. It's also important to bear in mind that plenty of other children will be using private tutors too.

11+ tutors don't need to be face-to-face, plenty of children use online 11+ tutors.

11+ tutors can also provide regular progress reports and feedback, helping parents to monitor their child's progress and make any necessary adjustments to their preparation.

Most importantly, using an 11+ tutor helps ensure that the preparation work gets done!

Private 11+ Tutors for the Caistor Grammar School 11+ Tests

We have a range of private tutors who specialise in preparing children for the Caistor Grammar School 11+ entrance tests. Please click here to be put in touch with a range of excellent 11+ private tutors from our friends at exams.courses.

11+ Past Papers for Caistor Grammar School

Unfortunately, Caistor Grammar School has not made any of their 11+ past papers publicly available. However, you can use However, you can use 11+ practice papers from other exam boards (such as GL Assessment, CEM and CSSE) to help your child prepare.

11+ Practice Papers for Caistor Grammar School

Unfortunately, there are no targeted 11+ practice papers for Caistor Grammar School available. However, you can use 11+ practice papers from other exam boards (such as GL Assessment, CEM and CSSE) to help your child prepare.

School Information

Below you will find further information about Caistor Grammar School together with their admissions contact details.

Caistor Grammar School is a mixed (i.e. both girls and boys) school. It is also an academy, meaning the school is run independently by a trust or sponsor and is directly funded by the central government (not the local authority).

In total 687 pupils attend Caistor Grammar School and it's led by the Headteacher, Mrs Shona Buck.

Caistor Grammar School Location

Below you will find a map showing the school's location:

Ofsted Information

Caistor Grammar School was last inspected by Ofsted on 24/05/2022 and the inspection only lasted one day. Ofsted published their report on 12/07/2022, declaring that the school was 'Good'. This information is summarised in the table below along with a link to the full report.

Last Ofsted Report Data

Ofsted Report Summary

Caistor Grammar School was inspected by Ofsted on 24 May 2022 and received an overall rating of Good. The school demonstrated a good quality of education, with pupils benefiting from effective teaching and a well-planned curriculum.

The behaviour and attitudes of students were also deemed good, with pupils showing respect for one another and displaying positive attitudes towards learning. The school's provision for personal development was good, offering a range of opportunities for pupils to develop their skills and interests beyond the classroom.

The leadership and management of the school were rated as good, with leaders demonstrating a clear vision for the school's development and a commitment to providing a high-quality education for all pupils. The sixth form provision was also judged to be good, with students receiving effective support and guidance to help them progress to their chosen destinations after school.

GCSE & A-Level Subjects

Below you will find a complete list of GCSE and A-Level subjects offered to pupils at Caistor Grammar School for the 2022-23 academic year.

GCSE & A-Level Performance

Below are the individual GCSE and A-Level performance tables for Caistor Grammar School per subject. Note that this may include children taking GCSEs early (e.g. taking a language GCSE in Year 10) or indeed a child in Year 12 retaking a GCSE.

GCSE Results Information (2022-23)

A-Level Results Information (2022-23)