Click here for information on Casual Admissions (Transfer to NHGS)

For entry into Year 7 in September 2008, parents have to include the school as one of their three preferences on the Common Preference Form (CPF). If you want your child to be considered for a place at both the Halifax Grammar Schools, The North Halifax Grammar School and The Crossley Heath School, then BOTH must be included in your 3 preferences on the CPF. All students who have included the school on the CPF will be eligible to sit the admission test. The published admission number for the school for September 2008 is 155.

The admission test will consist of:

(a) A verbal reasoning test

(b) A test in Mathematics

(c) A test in continuous writing in English

After the tests are completed pupils will be placed in a single list based on their performance in terms of aggregated scores in tests (a) and (b). Those with the highest score will be at the top of the list, which will therefore be an order of merit. Some 75% of places available (i.e. at least 116) will be offered to that same number of pupils who achieved the highest aggregate scores in tests (a) and (b). The final 25% of places (i.e. at least 39) will be offered on the basis of aggregate scores in all three tests. The test in continuous writing will be completed by all pupils, but will only be taken into consideration in the case of the final 25% of places to be offered.

If several pupils satisfy the first order criteria equally, then a range of supplementary criteria will be invoked, in this order:

a) pupils whose special educational needs will be met by attending the school, subject to referral and support by a qualified professional;

b) children in public care;

c) pupils with siblings (to include step-siblings resident in the same household) presently attending the school;

d) proximity of the child’s home to the school, with those living nearer accorded the highest priority (as measured by a straight line distance from home to the school’s main entrance).

The pupils identified in the order of merit, assessed as suitable for a Grammar School place and being capable of gaining full advantage from the type of education provided, will be notified to the Local Authority (LA). The LA will then allocate places according to the coordinated scheme and parents will be informed by letter on March 1 st 2008.

The coordinated scheme in Calderdale, following the determination by the Office to the School’s Adjudicator on July 7 th 2005, will be administered as an equal preference scheme. This means that parents express a preference for up to three schools on the CPF and although they are ranked in order, they are given equal preference. The LA will operate the scheme and coordinate admissions by sending every preference to the admission authorities without reference to the rating on the CPF. Therefore, schools will offer places based on their oversubscription criteria which cannot include ‘first preference first’. The ranking is used to discriminate between preferences if two or more schools are able to offer a place, then the highest preference is offered. Parents wishing their daughter or son to be considered for a place at The North Halifax Grammar School are advised to place it first. The child is then eligible to sit the admissions test however, if they do not perform well enough in the test to qualify for a place at The North Halifax Grammar School, they may meet the criteria for another school. The scheme does not allow for the publication of the results until March 1 st. On March 1 st 2007 the school was full and therefore parents who are considering The North Halifax Grammar School are strongly urged to place it as their first preference.

Kirklees and Bradford also operate an equal preference scheme and so parents can follow the advice given above for Calderdale residents.

Casual Admissions into Years 7 to 11

Applicants wishing to transfer to NHGS, either from another school in Calderdale or from a school in another LEA, need to complete a ‘Request for transfer between/into Calderdale schools’, available from the LEA.

If the application is from a student at a school in Calderdale the LEA will request reports from the Education Welfare Office and the Headteacher of the pupil’s present school and forward these to NHGS.

If the application is from a pupil attending a school in another LEA or who has recently moved into the area the application will be sent to the school.

If there is a vacancy in the appropriate year the applicant will be invited into the school to sit tests in English, Mathematics, Modern Language and Science. If the applicant meets the criteria of ability and attainment then a place will be offered.

The LEA or the school may inform the parent(s) of the outcome of the application.