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Newport Girls' High School 11 plus guide

By Atom | Jun 20, 2023, 4:20 PM

Newport Girls' High School 11 plus entry guide

Are you considering Newport Girls’ High School for your child? We've collated all the information you need to know about 2024 entry to Year 7. Keep reading to learn about the grammar school admissions process in Shropshire and how to help your daughter excel in the 11 plus exam.

About Newport Girls’ High School

Newport Girls’ High School is a small, high-performing selective school with academy status in Shropshire. Rated Outstanding in every category by Ofsted, the school is known for its exceptional academic results.

The school welcomes girls from the town of Newport as well as further afield from Telford, Stafford, Shrewsbury, Market Drayton and Wolverhampton. In 2020 it was named the West Midlands State Secondary School of the Year by the Sunday Times.

Newport Girls' is part of the Consortium of Grammar Schools in Shropshire, Walsall and Wolverhampton (SWW Consortium). Children only have to take one test to apply to any of these schools. From 2023, the testing process is also shared with all grammar schools in Birmingham and Warwickshire.

  • Address: Wellington Road, Newport, TF10 7HL

  • Local authority: Telford & Wrekin Council

  • School type: girls' grammar

  • Headteacher: Michael Scott

  • Number of pupils: 682

  • National rank (Sunday Times Parent Power): 43

  • A level results: 81.4% A*–B

  • GCSE results: 90.2% 9/8/7

Key info for Year 7 admissions

  • Admissions contact: [email protected]

  • Number of places in Year 7: 120

  • Open day: 25th April 2023

  • 11 plus registration opens: 9th May 2023

  • 11 plus registration closes: 30th June 2023

  • Exam date: 16th–18th September 2023

  • Exam type: GL Assessment (West Midlands 11 plus)

  • Exam results: mid-October 2023

  • Local authority application form deadline: 31st October 2023

  • National school offer day: 1st March 2024

Newport Girls’ High School term dates

The 2023–2024 term dates at Newport Girls’ High School are:

  • Autumn term: 6th September – 22nd December 2023

  • Half term: 30th October – 3rd November 2023

  • Spring term: 8th January – 22nd March 2024

  • Half term: 12th–16th February 2024

  • Summer term: 8th April – 21st July 2024

  • Half term: 27th–31st May 2024

How to apply to Newport Girls’ High School

1. Register for the 11 plus

Before registering, speak to your child’s teacher to see if the 11 plus and grammar school is right for them.

When your child is in Year 5, register them for the 11 plus on the West Midlands Grammar Schools portal. Registration opens at 9am on 9th May 2023 and closes at 4pm on 30th June 2023.

If your child receives Pupil Premium, you should state this on your registration form and provide evidence. Your child will be prioritised under the school's admissions criteria.

2. Apply for school places

Once your child has taken the exam, you will get their results in mid-October. The letter will tell you if your child has achieved the qualifying score. If this is the case, you can include grammar schools in your school preferences on your local authority application form.

Before listing Newport Girls’ High School as a preference on your form, check its admissions policy and make sure your child is eligible. The application form must be submitted to your home local council by 31st October 2023.

(Quick links for school applications: Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin, Walsall, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, Birmingham.)

What's on the Newport Girls’ High School 11 plus exam?

Newport Girls' High School now uses the West Midlands 11 plus test which is provided by GL Assessment. It consists of two papers, each lasting about 60 minutes. A few minutes are allocated at the start of each paper for children to listen to instructions and complete some unmarked practice questions.

Both papers are divided into smaller, individually-timed sections that assess:

  • English comprehension

  • Maths

  • Verbal reasoning

  • Non-verbal reasoning

The test is entirely multiple-choice format, with no writing sections. Children record their answers in a separate answer booklet which is marked electronically.

The maths and English questions assess your child's understanding of Key Stage 2 national curriculum content, including Year 6 objectives. It tests their ability to reason and apply knowledge accurately.

The reasoning questions assess your child’s logic and problem-solving ability. Verbal and non-verbal reasoning are not typically taught at school. They are intended to measure how well children can spot patterns with, connect and manipulate written and visual information.

Learn about 11+ topics in depth

What is the pass mark for Newport Girls' High School?

Newport Girls' High School does not name a specific pass mark. After your child takes the exam, their scores are age-standardised and combined to give them a total score across all papers. The total scores are ranked in order.

The school then sets a qualifying score, which is the lowest score required for girls on Pupil Premium and Looked After Children to get an offer of a place. All other places up to the school's planned admissions number (PAN) of 120 are awarded in order of test performance.

As a general guide, we recommend aiming for a standardised age score of 116–121 when your child is completing practice tests. However, achieving a particular score doesn't guarantee a place at the school, as it may be oversubscribed with qualified candidates. We always recommend researching the admission policies for your target schools and looking at their oversubscription criteria.

Newport Girls' High School oversubscription criteria

When more than 120 children apply to the school, places are allocated in this order:

  1. Looked After or previously Looked After Children who achieve 95% of the qualifying score or more.

  2. Up to 15 girls who receive Pupil Premium, attend a primary school within Telford & Wrekin (see below for list of schools), and achieve 95% of the qualifying score or more. If there are more than 15 girls meeting these criteria, they are prioritised in order of their test scores. If there is a tie for 15th place, all girls with the 15th highest tied score are admitted.

  3. All girls who live in the boundary area (see below) and achieve the qualifying score. If there are more girls in this category than there are places, they are prioritised in order of their test scores.

  4. Girls living outside the boundary area, in order of their test scores. If there is a tie for 120th place, the place is offered to the girl who lives closest to the school.

Newport Girls' High School catchment area

Newport Girls' High School prioritises applicants who live within its boundary area. A map is available here.

Children who attend primary schools in the Telford & Wrekin authority are prioritised under criteria 2. These primary schools are:

Apley Wood Primary School, Aqueduct Primary School, Captain Webb Primary School, Coalbrookdale and Ironbridge CofE Primary School, Crudgington Primary School, Dawley Church of England Primary Academy, Donnington Wood CofE VC Junior School, Dothill Primary School, Grange Park Primary School, Hadley Learning Community, Haughton School, High Ercall Primary School, Hollinswood Primary School, Holmer Lake Primary School, John Fletcher of Madeley Primary School, John Randall Primary School, Ladygrove Primary School, Lawley Primary School, Lawley Village Academy, Lightmoor Village Primary School, Lilleshall Primary School, Meadows Primary School and Nursery, Millbrook Primary School, Moorfield Primary School, Muxton Primary School, Newdale Primary School, Newport CofE Voluntary Controlled Junior School, Old Park Primary School, Priorslee Academy, Queensway, Queenswood Primary School and Nursery, Randlay Primary School, Redhill Primary Academy, Short Wood Primary School, Sir Alexander Fleming Primary School, St George's Church of England Primary School, St Lawrence CofE VC Primary School, St Luke's Catholic Primary School, St Mary's Catholic Primary School, St Matthew's CofE Primary School, St Patrick's Catholic Primary School, St Peter and St Paul Catholic Primary School, St Peter's CofE Controlled Primary School, St Peter's CofE Controlled Primary School, Bratton, Teagues Bridge Primary School, The Bridge at HLC, Tibberton Church of England Primary School, William Reynolds Primary School, Windmill Primary School, Wombridge Primary School, Woodlands Primary School, Wrekin View Primary School, Wrockwardine Wood CofE Junior School.

How to help your child prepare for the 11 plus

Here are our top tips on how to best prepare your child for Newport Girls’ High School 11 plus.

Cover all the content

The 11 plus assesses a large breadth and depth of learning objectives across the Key Stage 2 national curriculum and beyond.

We recommend that your child starts revising content at least one year before the test. Setting aside study periods using a 'little and often' approach will give them time to build the skills and knowledge they need. When preparing, avoid falling into the trap of over-focusing on either the topics your child enjoys or the topics they find hardest.

Atom Home is an 11 plus online course that tailors your child's personalised learning journey to cover all elements of the West Midlands 11 plus at the right pace for them.

No surprises

Your child will encounter lots of unfamiliar types of questions in the 11 plus exam. Building exam technique with 11 plus test papers will help your child to feel fully confident with the styles of questions they'll encounter in the exam, reducing the potential for stress on the day.

Celebrate their progress

Setting regular goals and celebrating achievements will help keep motivation high. Atom Home offers data-driven insights into your child’s progress towards mastering the 11 plus curriculum, making it easy to see where they need to focus next.

Test your knowledge

Try answering some 11+ questions

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Personalised 11 plus prep for your child

Wondering how to make sure your child covers the depth and breadth of the entire 11 plus curriculum, stays on track with their progress, and gets help when they're stuck? Online learning is a particularly efficient, cost-effective (and fun) way to do this!

Atom Home is the award-winning online 11 plus practice platform that gives your child everything they need to prepare for grammar school exams.

Children work independently through over 90,000 interactive practice questions in verbal reasoning, English and maths. Teacher-created helpsheets and videos help them discover new concepts and consolidate their learning.

Atom's algorithm keeps children on their ideal learning path, tailored to their unique learning style and pace to keep them challenged and motivated.

Newport Girls’ High School 11 plus practice papers

Atom Home gives children access to online practice papers. Our online tests are continually updated and designed to mirror the format and style of the real West Midlands 11 plus, so your child will go into the exam knowing exactly what to expect.

And what's more, everything is automatically marked for you.

Try Atom Home free for 5 days

Begin your child's journey to Newport Girls' High School today. Use the full features of Atom Home free for 5 days – cancel anytime.

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Personalised support for you

We understand how important this next step is for them, and for you. Please don't hesitate to get in touch with any questions you may have about the 11 plus or your local grammar schools.

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