Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Guide

About Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School

Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School, known as BRGS, is a co-educational grammar school in Waterfoot, Rossendale, Lancashire, part of Star Academies.

It runs its own entrance examination, set by GL Assessment, separate from the other Lancashire selective schools.

Key information for 2027 entry to Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School at 11 Plus (11+)

• School type: co-educational grammar school (academy)
• Published admission number: 180 places in Year 7
• Entrance exam: set by GL Assessment. Three papers: verbal reasoning, mathematics and English
• The school does not publish paper timings or the exact answer format
• Registration: closes at 12 noon on Monday 14 September 2026
• Test date: Saturday 26 September 2026
• Results: parents told before 31 October 2026 whether the standard was met. Offer day: Monday 1 March 2027
• A review of a narrowly missed score can be requested within 5 days of notification
• Contact details: brgs.org.uk, [email protected], 01706 234500

Admissions information for 2027 entry to Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School at 11 Plus (11+)

BRGS offers 180 places, and its priority system is unusual: instead of a catchment area it names two bands of primary schools. Area 1 covers 18 named primaries around Bacup, Rawtenstall, Stacksteads and Waterfoot; Area 2 covers 13 named primaries around Haslingden, Whitworth and Helmshore. Even within each band, places go by overall exam mark, so attending a priority primary helps but does not outrank a stronger mark from the same band.

Two practical points are worth knowing. A formal review of a narrowly missed score can be requested within five days of notification, which is rare and worth using if your child is close. And a child who misses the September sitting is not retested until after 1 March 2027, so the main date really is the one that counts.

You learn whether your child met the standard before the 31 October application deadline, but the actual place decision comes on National Offer Day, 1 March 2027.

How can I register my child for the 11 Plus (11+) exams at Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School?

1. Register with the school by 12 noon on Monday 14 September 2026.
2. Your child sits the three papers on Saturday 26 September 2026.
3. You are told before 31 October 2026 whether the required standard was met. A review of a narrowly missed score can be requested within 5 days.
4. Apply to Lancashire County Council (or your home authority) by Saturday 31 October 2026, naming BRGS.
5. Offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.

What is the 11 Plus (11+) entrance exam format for Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School?

The entrance examination is provided by GL Assessment and covers three subjects:

• Verbal reasoning.
• Mathematics.
• English.

There is no non-verbal reasoning paper and no creative writing element is mentioned. The school does not publish paper timings or the exact answer format, so prepare against GL Assessment’s standard multiple-choice style, which is the format GL’s own familiarisation materials use, and work all three subjects to time.

Scores are standardised, and a qualifying standard is set by GL Assessment rather than published as a fixed number.

Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School 11 Plus (11+) top tips for your child

• Cover all three subjects: verbal reasoning, maths and English carry the exam between them.
• Practise in GL’s standard multiple-choice style, since the school names GL as its provider and publishes no format detail of its own.
• Skip non-verbal reasoning for this test.
• If your child narrowly misses, use the five-day review window. It exists for exactly that case.
• Treat the September date as the only date: a missed sitting is not retested until after offer day.

How to prepare your child for the 11 Plus (11+) Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School exam

Preparation for BRGS is GL-style practice in verbal reasoning, maths and English, worked to time. A test on the last Saturday of September makes the summer the working window, with registration due by noon on 14 September.

For Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School 11+ preparation, we recommend the following packs: