Plymouth High School for Girls 11+ Guide

About Plymouth High School for Girls

Plymouth High School for Girls is a selective secondary school in Devon. For children to get into Plymouth High School for Girls they need to pass the school's 11+ entrance test. Hence, Plymouth High School for Girls is a traditional grammar school, one of only 163 remaining in England.

Plymouth High School for Girls (PHSG) is a renowned grammar school that has been nurturing the minds of young women for well over a century. As a girls' only institution, PHSG fosters an environment where students can thrive academically and personally, free from the distractions and pressures often associated with co-educational settings. The school's unwavering commitment to excellence is reflected in its specialist subjects, which include Mathematics, Science, Design Technology, and Information Technology.

At PHSG, students are encouraged to embrace their individuality while working collaboratively within a supportive community. The school's house system, comprising Anthony, Kendall, Latimer, and Temple, plays a crucial role in promoting a sense of belonging and healthy competition. Students proudly represent their houses in various events, developing valuable skills such as teamwork, leadership, and resilience.

Beyond the classroom, PHSG offers a wealth of opportunities for personal growth and development. With a wide array of clubs and activities, students can explore their passions and discover new interests. From the pupil-led climate awareness group to the hands-on engineering experience with the school's Formula 24 racing car, Hummingbird, PHSG encourages its students to think critically, take initiative, and make a positive impact on the world around them.

At the heart of PHSG's ethos lies a deep-rooted belief in the power of education to transform lives. The school's dedicated staff work tirelessly to provide a high-quality learning experience, equipping students with the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to succeed in an ever-changing world. By embracing achievement, personal development, and happiness, PHSG empowers its students to become the leaders, innovators, and change-makers of tomorrow.

School Information

Below you will find further information about Plymouth High School for Girls together with their admissions contact details.

Plymouth High School for Girls is a girls only 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 826 pupils attend Plymouth High School for Girls and it's led by the Headteacher, Mr Simon Underdown.

Plymouth High School for Girls Location

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

GCSE & A-Level Subjects

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

Plymouth & Devonport Girls 11+ Information

In order to get into Plymouth High School for Girls, children need to pass the Plymouth & Devonport Girls 11+. This 11+ test is written by GL Assessment for use by the school's admissions process.

Plymouth & Devonport Girls 11+ Subjects & Structure

The Plymouth & Devonport Girls 11+ requires children to complete tests in the following subjects:

• English
• Maths

The 11+ exam for Plymouth High School for Girls and Devonport High School for Girls consists of two multiple-choice papers supplied by GL Assessment, a leading provider of 11+ exams in England. The papers, each lasting approximately 45 minutes to one hour, are taken on separate dates and cover the subjects of English and Maths.

The English paper assesses the child's understanding of the national curriculum, including reading comprehension, spelling, vocabulary, grammar, and punctuation. Children are required to read a passage and answer questions to demonstrate their understanding, as well as complete additional questions testing their English skills.

The Maths paper, based on Year 5 content, evaluates the child's knowledge of essential mathematical concepts such as times tables, mental maths, shapes, space and measures, the four basic operations, and interpreting graphs. Some questions may be more challenging than what the child is accustomed to, requiring them to apply their skills to solve novel problems.

Other Schools using Plymouth & Devonport Girls 11+

As well as Plymouth High School for Girls, several other schools also use Plymouth & Devonport Girls 11+. These are:

• Devonport High School for Girls

Plymouth & Devonport Girls 11+ Marking Process

The reality of 11+ tests, selective education and academic institutions such as Plymouth High School for Girls 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!

Plymouth & Devonport Girls 11+ Pass Mark

The pass mark for the Plymouth & Devonport Girls 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 Plymouth High School for Girls, it's a ballpark exam result figure for successful candidates.

Plymouth & Devonport Girls 11+ Key Dates for your Diary

Here are all the important dates for the Plymouth & Devonport Girls 11+ tests (to get into Plymouth High School for Girls) 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 Plymouth High School for Girls as they may well change.

Ofsted Information

Plymouth High School for Girls was last inspected by Ofsted on 28/09/2011 and the inspection only lasted one day. Ofsted published their report on 20/10/2011, declaring that the school was ''. This information is summarised in the table below along with a link to the full report.

Last Ofsted Report Data

GCSE & A-Level Performance

Below are the individual GCSE and A-Level performance tables for Plymouth High School for Girls 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)

Past 11+ Paper Downloads

Unfortunately, Plymouth High School for Girls has not made any of their past 11+ papers publicly available.

Practice 11+ Paper Downloads

Here are some superb free 11+ practice papers that children can download and use to help prepare for the Plymouth & Devonport Girls 11+ Ensure you double-check with Plymouth High School for Girls which subjects and topics your child's 11+ tests are in to ensure you prepare for the right tests.