Key Facts
| School type | State grammar (academy), mixed, ages 11 to 18 |
|---|---|
| Location | Waterfoot, Rossendale, Lancashire |
| Entry points | 11+ (Year 7) as the main entry point; sixth form places are also offered at 16+ (Year 12) |
| Assessment | Three GL Assessment papers (verbal reasoning, maths, English) sat on site at the school; a required standard, then ranking by oversubscription criteria |
| Test provider | GL Assessment |
| Registration deadline | 12 noon, 14 September 2026 (for the entrance exam held later that month) |
| Assessment date | Saturday 26 September 2026 (for Year 7 entry the following September) |
Figures correct at the time of writing — always confirm current fees and deadlines with the school directly.
Entry to Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School at 11+ depends on sitting the school's own entrance examination, set and marked by GL Assessment, and then, if more children reach the required standard than there are places, being ranked against the school's published oversubscription criteria. Part of Star Academies and based in Waterfoot, Rossendale, the school admits up to 180 pupils into Year 7 each year, drawing most of its intake from a defined list of Area 1 and Area 2 primary schools across Rossendale and the neighbouring Lancashire towns.
Passing the exam alone does not secure a place: the required standard sets a threshold, and where the school is oversubscribed, places go first to children with an education, health and care plan naming the school, then looked after children, then children from Area 1 primary schools ranked by exam mark, then Area 2, before staff children, siblings and finally all remaining applicants are ranked by mark. Parents whose child narrowly misses the required standard can ask for a review before the local authority's application deadline closes.
How 11+ entry works
BRGS is a mixed 11 to 18 selective academy that admits its entire Year 7 intake, up to 180 pupils, on the basis of an entrance examination held on site at the school. As a designated grammar school it can select its whole intake by academic ability, and the published admission arrangements state that the school does not have to fill every place if applicants have not reached the required standard in a given year.
There is no non-selective route into Year 7; every applicant, regardless of where they live, must sit and meet the required standard in the entrance exam before being considered under the oversubscription criteria. The school also takes pupils into its sixth form at 16+, alongside its own Year 11 leavers, through a separate application and interview process.
How the 11+ assessment works
The entrance exam at BRGS consists of three papers, in verbal reasoning, maths and English, set and marked by GL Assessment and sat on site at the school. Children register for the exam in advance using the school's own online form; the local authority plays no part in this process.
GL Assessment makes familiarisation materials available free of charge on its website, which the school points families towards as the guide to the general style of question. The published admission arrangements describe no separate interview and no report from the child's primary school; eligibility rests on reaching the required standard in the exam itself, which is set and standardised by GL Assessment as the school's test provider.
Families who think their child may need access arrangements on the day are advised to register as early as possible, ideally well before the standard deadline, since GL Assessment needs time to prepare modified papers and may not be able to do so for late requests.
How registration and the admissions process run
The process runs in a fixed sequence each year, coordinated with Lancashire County Council's scheme for secondary transfer.
- Register in advance for the entrance exam directly with the school, via its online registration form
- Sit the entrance exam on site at the school, in the autumn term before the September of entry
- Receive notification of whether the required standard has been met
- List the school as a preference on the home local authority's Common Application Form by the national closing date, whether or not the required standard has been met
- Receive the outcome of the application from the local authority the following spring, alongside offers for other preferences
Catchment and oversubscription criteria
BRGS does not use a conventional catchment area; instead its oversubscription criteria rank qualifying applicants by whether they attended an Area 1 or Area 2 primary school for at least the whole of Year 6. Area 1 covers primary schools across Bacup, Rawtenstall, Waterfoot, Newchurch, Stacksteads and Crawshawbooth; Area 2 covers schools further out, including Haslingden, Edenfield, Whitworth and Stonefold.
Children with an education, health and care plan naming the school are admitted before the oversubscription criteria are applied. After that, places go in order to looked after and previously looked after children; then Area 1 children ranked by overall exam mark, with priority for those who already have a sibling at the school; then Area 2 children on the same basis; then children of staff employed at the school for two years or more; then children with a sibling at the school outside the Area 1 or 2 groups; and finally all other children ranked by exam mark.
Where two children are tied after these criteria, priority goes to whichever lives nearer to the school by straight-line distance from home to the school's postal address; if that distance is identical, Lancashire County Council carries out random allocation in the presence of a school representative.
How to prepare for the entrance exam
Preparation for the BRGS entrance exam works best when it targets the three tested areas directly, verbal reasoning, maths and English, since these are the only elements the school's published arrangements describe. GL Assessment's free familiarisation materials are the only officially endorsed guide to the test's general style, and families should work through them calmly well ahead of the exam.
Because the required standard sets a threshold, steady practice across all three papers is the more valuable strategy; concentrating heavily on a single subject offers little advantage. Families anticipating access arrangements should register well ahead of the standard deadline, since any request for modified papers needs processing time.
If the required standard isn't met, and appeals
Parents whose child narrowly misses the required standard can ask the school to review the result before the Common Application Form deadline closes. The review considers the standardised test score, the report completed by the invigilator during testing, and any supporting evidence the family submits; if successful, the child is then ranked alongside other qualifying applicants under the normal oversubscription criteria.
Children who meet the required standard but are not offered a place can be added to a waiting list, held in strict order of the oversubscription criteria until the end of December of the admission year. Parents also have a legal right of appeal to an independent panel administered by Lancashire County Council, with at least 20 school days to prepare a written case before the hearing.
Related guides
Preparing for the Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School 11+ with Taylor Tuition
Preparation for the Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School 11+ tends to go best when it starts early and stays steady, and most families who work with us begin between twelve and eighteen months out. Our tutors, who have prepared pupils for entry to leading independent and grammar schools including Westminster, St Paul's, Wycombe Abbey and Eton, plan the work backwards from the school's own assessment format and registration deadline.
The tutors we match to 11+ preparation are drawn from a pool in which more than half hold Qualified Teacher Status, around three in five hold a master's degree or doctorate, and which includes former heads of department, exam-board examiners and teachers from independent and boarding schools. Every tutor who works with children holds an enhanced DBS check.
Families work with us online from anywhere in the UK or abroad, and in person in central London. Fees start from £50 per 50-minute session and depend on tutor level and subject, with no registration fee and a free initial consultation to talk through your child's current level and the timeline to the 11+. Families receive progress reports after sessions and have a dedicated point of contact, and we reply to enquiries within one working day with tutor recommendations.
Read more about our 11+ entrance exam tutors, or send an enquiry and we will come back with tutor recommendations.
Frequently asked questions
- How many places does BRGS offer in Year 7?
- BRGS has a published admission number of 180 for Year 7, all offered on the basis of the entrance examination. As a designated grammar school it can select its entire intake on academic ability, and it does not have to fill every place if applicants haven't reached the required standard.
- What does the BRGS 11+ exam cover?
- The entrance exam is made up of three papers, in verbal reasoning, maths and English, set and marked by GL Assessment and sat on site at the school. GL Assessment publishes free familiarisation materials online so families can see the general style of question beforehand.
- Is there a catchment area for BRGS?
- BRGS doesn't use a formal catchment area, but its oversubscription criteria rank applicants by whether they attended an Area 1 or Area 2 primary school for at least the whole of Year 6. Area 1 schools, across Rossendale, are given priority over Area 2 schools, which include Haslingden and Whitworth.
- What happens if my child doesn't meet the required standard?
- Parents can ask the school to review the result before the Common Application Form deadline, and the review considers the standardised score, the invigilator's report and any supporting evidence. A successful review means the child is then ranked alongside other qualifying applicants under the usual oversubscription criteria.
- Can parents appeal if a child is not offered a place?
- Yes. Parents have a legal right of appeal to an independent panel, administered on the school's behalf by Lancashire County Council, and are given at least 20 school days to prepare their written case. Children who meet the required standard but aren't offered a place can also join the waiting list.
- Does BRGS give priority to siblings?
- A sibling already attending BRGS in Years 7 to 11 gives priority within the Area 1 and Area 2 categories, and again as a lower-priority criterion for children outside those areas. The definition covers full, half, step, adopted and foster siblings living at the same address.
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