About the school
Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School (BRGS) is a co-educational selective grammar school for pupils aged 11 to 18, located in Waterfoot, Rossendale, Lancashire. With around 1,300 pupils, it is one of only four grammar schools in Lancashire and is a highly popular, competitive school that attracts pupils from across the north of England.
The school was founded in the early 18th century as Newchurch Grammar School, opening in 1703 on land bequeathed by John Kershaw, and moved to its current Waterfoot site, where the buildings opened in 1913 under the name Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School. The Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School address is Glen Road, Waterfoot, Rossendale, Lancashire, BB4 7BG. It converted to academy status in 2012 and joined the Star Academies trust in 2023.
Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School admissions are run independently by the school, which administers its own entrance examination rather than a consortium test. The school uses the Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School 11 plus exam to select pupils for Year 7, and is consistently oversubscribed, which makes early, well-structured exam preparation valuable.
School type
Co-educational Grammar (Selective)
Exam date
Saturday 26 September 2026 (for September 2027 entry)
Exam board
Bacup and Rawtenstall own entrance test
Address
Glen Road, Waterfoot, Rossendale, Lancashire, BB4 7BG
Age range
11–18 (Years 7–13)
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Admissions information
The Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School entrance test is set independently by the school. Here is everything you need to know about Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School admissions and the exam structure.
Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School administers its own entrance examination and is not part of a consortium, so a child sits the school's own test rather than a shared 11 plus. The assessment is designed to identify high academic ability and covers core skills in English, mathematics and reasoning. Entry is on the basis of academic ability.
The Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School 11 plus exam consists of timed papers assessing English, mathematics and reasoning skills, sat at the school. Scores are age-standardised so that younger children are not disadvantaged. The test is sat in the autumn term of Year 6, with the exact date confirmed by the school each year.
For Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School 11 plus registration, families must register their child directly with the school during the registration window, which typically runs over the summer term. Families must also submit their Local Authority Common Application Form (CAF), naming the school, by 31 October.
Entrance test results are shared with parents in the autumn, ahead of the 31 October application deadline, with allocations made on National Offer Day on 1 March 2027. Reaching the qualifying standard does not guarantee a place, as the school applies its admissions criteria where demand exceeds places.
Key admissions details
Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School admits up to 180 pupils into Year 7 each year, with around 1,300 students on roll across the school. The school is highly popular and regularly oversubscribed, so performance in the entrance test combined with the Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School admissions criteria determines who is offered a place.
The Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School catchment area gives priority to children who attend primary schools in Bacup, Rawtenstall and the surrounding Rossendale area. Entry is based first on a qualifying test score; where qualifying applicants exceed places, the school applies its published oversubscription criteria, including priority for the Rossendale area, with distance used as a tie-breaker, although pupils also travel from further afield across the north of England.
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Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School was founded in the early 18th century as Newchurch Grammar School, opening in 1703, and moved to its current Waterfoot site in 1913 under its present name. It converted to academy status in 2012 and joined the Star Academies trust in 2023, today educating around 1,300 pupils aged 11 to 18.
Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School admits up to 180 pupils into Year 7 each year. Demand is high and the school is regularly oversubscribed, making thorough Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School exam preparation essential.
The Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School 11 plus is the school's own entrance examination, assessing English, mathematics and reasoning through timed papers sat at the school. Scores are age-standardised, and the test is sat in the autumn term of Year 6.
The Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School catchment area gives priority to children attending primary schools in Bacup, Rawtenstall and the surrounding Rossendale area. Entry is based first on the qualifying test score, but Rossendale priority and distance are deciding factors where the school is oversubscribed, so location matters.
For Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School 11 plus registration, families must register directly with the school, usually over the summer term. The Common Application Form, naming the school, must be submitted to your Local Authority by 31 October.
Yes. Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School offers a wide range of extracurricular activities including sport, music, drama and academic clubs, set within its distinctive Edwardian buildings high in the Pennines.
Yes, all our Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School 11 plus tuition is available both in-person at our Edgbaston, Birmingham centre and online via live video sessions. Online tuition gives families across Lancashire and beyond access to our expert tutors without the need to travel. The quality and personalisation of sessions is identical in both formats.
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