About the school
Queen Elizabeth Grammar School (QEGS) is a co-educational selective grammar school for pupils aged 11 to 18, located in Penrith, Cumbria. It is the only grammar school in Cumbria and the northernmost grammar school in England, with around 1,040 pupils, and combines traditional values with modern teaching.
The school was founded by Royal Charter in 1564 and moved to its current site in 1917. The Queen Elizabeth Grammar School address is 154 Northgate, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF1 3QX. It holds academy status and promotes respect, honesty, responsibility and self-discipline, supported by an extensive extracurricular programme.
Queen Elizabeth Grammar School admissions are run independently by the school, which is not part of any consortium and sets its own entrance test. The school uses the Queen Elizabeth 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
Thursday 17 September 2026 (for September 2027 entry)
Exam board
Queen Elizabeth Grammar School own test (FSCE)
Address
154 Northgate, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF1 3QX
Age range
11–18 (Years 7–13)
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Admissions information
The Queen Elizabeth Grammar School entrance test is set independently by the school. Here is everything you need to know about Queen Elizabeth Grammar School admissions and the exam structure.
Queen Elizabeth Grammar School is not part of any consortium and sets its own entrance test. From 2026 entry onwards, the exam is provided by Future Stories Community Enterprise (FSCE) and covers a broad range of Key Stage 2 subjects rather than verbal and non-verbal reasoning alone. Entry is on the basis of academic ability.
The Queen Elizabeth Grammar School 11 plus exam consists of three papers, which may be sat in any order: an Adventure Paper and a Compass Paper in multiple-choice format, and a Beacon Paper in short written-response format. The papers may cover any of a range of subjects including English, maths, science, geography, history, languages, art, computing, design and technology, music and physical education. Scores are age-standardised, and for September 2027 entry the test takes place on Thursday 17 September 2026.
For Queen Elizabeth Grammar School 11 plus registration, families must register online through the school's website during the registration window, which for 2027 entry opens on 1 May 2026 and closes in mid-July 2026. Families must also submit their Local Authority Common Application Form (CAF), naming the school, by 31 October.
Entrance test results are emailed to parents in mid-October, ahead of the 31 October application deadline, with allocations made on National Offer Day on 1 March 2027. There is no fixed cut-off score; the cohort is selected from a ranked list of applicants, so reaching the standard does not guarantee a place.
Key admissions details
Queen Elizabeth Grammar School has a Published Admission Number of around 160 places for Year 7, with around 1,040 pupils on roll across the school. Around 20% of places are awarded purely on ranked test scores regardless of where a child lives, and the school is regularly oversubscribed, so performance in the test combined with the Queen Elizabeth Grammar School admissions criteria determines who is offered a place.
The Queen Elizabeth Grammar School catchment area covers Penrith and the surrounding area, with a list of feeder primary schools. Entry is based first on a qualifying test score; around 20% of places go to the highest-ranked candidates regardless of location, after which priority follows looked-after children, siblings, Pupil Premium and Service Premium, children of staff, and then children living in the catchment area ranked by test score.
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Queen Elizabeth Grammar School was founded by Royal Charter in 1564 and moved to its current Penrith site in 1917. It holds academy status and today educates around 1,040 pupils aged 11 to 18, including a sixth form, as the only grammar school in Cumbria.
Queen Elizabeth Grammar School has a Published Admission Number of around 160 places for Year 7, with around 20% awarded purely on ranked test scores. Demand is high and the school is regularly oversubscribed, making thorough Queen Elizabeth Grammar School exam preparation essential.
The Queen Elizabeth Grammar School 11 plus is a bespoke FSCE test of three papers (Adventure, Beacon and Compass) covering a broad range of Key Stage 2 subjects, through multiple-choice and short written-response formats. The test is sat in September of Year 6.
The Queen Elizabeth Grammar School catchment area covers Penrith and surrounding feeder schools, and children in catchment are prioritised. However, around 20% of places go to the highest-ranked candidates regardless of where they live, so anyone can sit the test and apply.
For Queen Elizabeth Grammar School 11 plus registration, families must register online through the school's website; for 2027 entry this opens on 1 May 2026 and closes in mid-July 2026. The Common Application Form, naming the school, must be submitted to your Local Authority by 31 October.
Yes. Queen Elizabeth Grammar School offers an extensive extracurricular programme, including sport, music and drama productions, athletic competitions and a wide range of educational visits and clubs.
Yes, all our Queen Elizabeth 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 Cumbria 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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