Best Yorkshire Grammar Schools 2026/27

There are three state grammar schools in North Yorkshire: Ripon Grammar School (co-educational, with boarding), Ermysted's Grammar School in Skipton (boys) and Skipton Girls' High School (girls). They are academically selective, and each largely runs its own entrance test rather than sharing a single county-wide 11+.

Each school runs its own test on its own date. North Yorkshire Council organises the entrance test for Ripon Grammar only; Ermysted's and Skipton Girls' arrange and run their own tests with separate registration. If you want your child considered for more than one school, you must register with each school (or the council, for Ripon) individually - sitting one test does not count for another.

Ripon Grammar uses GL Assessment. From September 2026 the test is two multiple-choice papers: a Verbal Skills paper (Key Stage 2 English comprehension, spelling and grammar plus verbal reasoning) and a Non-Verbal Reasoning with Mathematics paper. Scores are standardised for age and a cut-off mark is set to identify roughly the top 28% of the Year 6 cohort in the Ripon area. Recent cut-offs were 203 (2026), 196 (2025) and 195 (2024). Reaching the cut-off does not guarantee a place if the school is oversubscribed.

Both Ermysted's and Skipton Girls' now use the FSCE (Future Stories Community Enterprise) test, having moved away from GL Assessment for testing from September 2026. It is two papers in English and Maths - one with multiple-choice answers and one with short written (constrained-response) answers. There is no non-verbal reasoning and no creative writing. Marks are standardised and age-weighted, then added together; there is no fixed pass mark - a required standard is set each year based on how that year's candidates perform.

Ripon Grammar: register 30 April to 30 June 2026, test Saturday 12 September 2026, results by 16 October 2026. Ermysted's: register from 13 April until noon on 31 August 2026, test Saturday 26 September 2026, outcomes the week of 12 October 2026. Skipton Girls': registration deadline 19 August 2026 (confirm on the school's admissions booklet), test Saturday 26 September 2026, results by 19 October 2026. For all three you must also submit your local authority Common Application Form by 31 October 2026.

Yes. Ripon Grammar is the only North Yorkshire grammar with a boarding facility, for up to around 100 students. Of its 117 Year 7 places, 14 are reserved for boarders, with weekly or termly boarding available for a fee. Boarders must reach the same academic standard as day pupils, and day and boarding places are listed as separate preferences on the application form.

Yes. Each school has a defined catchment (priority) area, and where more children reach the required standard than there are places, oversubscription criteria apply - typically prioritising looked-after children, then catchment-area applicants, with home-to-school distance (and factors such as siblings or Pupil Premium) used to decide between equally-placed candidates. Children outside the catchment who meet the standard can still be offered any remaining places.

Ripon Grammar School is co-educational (mixed). Ermysted's Grammar School is a boys' school, and Skipton Girls' High School is a girls' school - the two Skipton schools sit close to each other and together provide single-sex selective options in the same town. All three take pupils from age 11 through to sixth form.

The best school depends on your child and location: Ripon Grammar is the only one with boarding and is co-educational; Skipton Girls' and Ermysted's offer strong single-sex options in Skipton. All three have excellent academic records and sixth forms. To prepare, build core English and Maths skills from Year 5, read widely, and practise under timed conditions - noting that Ripon tests GL-style verbal and non-verbal reasoning while Ermysted's and Skipton Girls' use the FSCE English and Maths format. Prep4All's practice papers help children get familiar with the question styles and exam timing for each test.