The Halifax 11+

The Crossley Heath School and North Halifax Grammar School share an admissions test set by FSCE: two papers of English and maths questions, multiple choice and written, then a creative writing task judged only for children who meet the standard in English and maths.

At a glance

The test: The Halifax Grammar Schools admissions test
Set by: FSCE
Subjects: English, maths, creative writing
Answers: Some multiple choice, some written, depending on the paper
Who sits it: About 1,300 children a year on average (The Crossley Heath School's admissions FAQ for 2027 entry).

The papers

Three papers on one day, for 2027 entry: Paper 1 and Paper 2 each test maths and English, with multiple-choice and written-response questions, marked by computer and age-standardised; Paper 3 is a creative writing task, judged by a trained panel of staff from the two schools only for children who meet the qualifying standard in English and maths. No non-verbal reasoning, and nothing beyond the Year 5 curriculum. (For 2026 entry the three papers were English, maths and creative writing.) Paper timings are not published.

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Dates, results and scores

When is the 11+ in Calderdale (Halifax)?

The 2027 test: not published yet. The 2026 test: Saturday 19 September 2026 at the two schools; supplementary test on Friday 25 September 2026 at The Crossley Heath School.

How do you register for the 11+ in Calderdale (Halifax)?

For the 2027 test (2028 entry): not published yet. For the 2026 test (2027 entry): 10am on Friday 20 March to 11pm on Friday 26 June 2026, one joint registration on the Halifax Grammar Schools' Applicaa site (via either school's website).

When do 11+ results come out in Calderdale (Halifax)?

For the 2026 test: Uploaded to parents' accounts by Friday 16 October 2026, showing whether the child met the standard and a banding; this is not an offer of a place.

What score qualifies in Calderdale (Halifax)?

No fixed pass mark. The two schools agree a qualifying standard on the standardised English and maths papers; children who meet it then need to meet the creative writing standard too. North Halifax Grammar School's admissions page says a candidate must be in the top 510 places in order of merit to reach the required standard. Places (180 at each school) go first to looked-after children, then to children with Pupil Premium or Service Premium, then up to 10% of North Halifax places to its Priority Admissions Area, then by order of merit in English and maths.

Not confirmed yet

The top-510 figure comes from North Halifax Grammar School's current admissions criteria page; the 2027 admissions policies themselves only say the schools agree a qualifying standard.
The length of each paper is not published.
Dates for the test to be sat in September 2027 (2028 entry) are not yet published.

Check these on the official page: nhgs.co.uk/index.php/admissions/school-admissions

Good to know

Late testing and moving to the area

Late registrations are considered only with extenuating circumstances (such as an immediate family bereavement), with evidence within 5 days of the closing date. The supplementary test is for children who were ill (evidence within 5 days of the test), who moved into the area after the test, or with other extenuating circumstances.

Who runs admissions

The two schools are each their own admission authority (North Halifax Grammar School Academy Trust; The Crossley Heath School's governance board, an academy) and run one joint registration and test. Calderdale Council coordinates applications: the Common Application Form deadline was Saturday 31 October 2026, with up to five preferences.

Grammar schools in Calderdale (Halifax)

Schools with a page of their own have their places, qualifying scores and priority areas, from their admissions policies.

School	Town	Takes
The Crossley Heath School	Halifax	Mixed
North Halifax Grammar School website	Halifax	Mixed

Sources

Every fact here comes from the official pages below. Dates and scores change from year to year, so check them there before you rely on them.

Checked 2 November 2026.

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