Updated on: July 1, 2023

Penistone Grammar School 2024 - 11 Plus Exam Guide

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Penistone Grammar School 11 plus Exam Information

Address: Penistone Grammar School, Huddersfield Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S36 7BX
Penistone Website: Click here for more information
Admissions Contact:
- Telephone: +44 1226 762114
- Email: [email protected]
School Type: Co-education
Total Number of Students in School: 1,696
Number of Places Available for Year 7 Entry: 320.
Penistone Grammar School Open Days: Parents need to check the latest updated information on the school website.
PGS School Closing date For Registration: 31st October 2021
Exam Provider: Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
Ofsted Report: Ofsted Report | Penistone Grammar School, London

Penistone Grammar School 11+ Exam Dates and Exam Provider:

31 October 2021: Closing date for applications
5 December 2021: Barnsley Authority sends applications for schools in other LAs to those LAs and forwards applications to academies
19 December 2021: Academies and other LAs send the lists of pupils in eligibility order to the Authority.
17 January 2022: Barnsley Authority applies its admission to school oversubscription criteria and the scheme for own schools and informs other LAs of a potential offer for their residents.
30 January 2022: Barnsley Authority applies the scheme for the second time to take account of offers from neighbouring LAs
13 February 2022: Barnsley and neighbouring LAs exchange information on the confirmation of offers to be made.
20 February 2022: Allocation to vacancies where reasonable and practicable and identification of the single offer to be made to Barnsley residents where no preferences can be met.
1 March 2022: Offers made to parents by Barnsley Authority

Penistone Grammar School 11+ Exam Pattern:

Parents need to check the latest updated information on the school website.

Access 11+ Past Papers with Detailed Mark Schemes and Answers.

School Catchment Area Criteria: Parents need to check the latest updated information on the school website.

Finding a Comprehensive School for your Child in Sheffield

When it comes to secondary schools, the UK education system can be difficult to wrap your head around; families face many options when selecting the right high school for their child in Sheffield and South Yorkshire.
The independent school system is sometimes seen as the preferable alternative to state schools in England, and many parents assume this will be better for their child’s educational needs than the comprehensive system. However, independent schools charge annual fees, and this can make them prohibitively expensive for many families.
Many parents are also interested in the grammar school system, which is comprised of state-funded and academically selective schools. To gain entry to a grammar school, pupils need to pass an exam known as the 11 Plus, which assesses their skill and aptitudes across a variety of problem-solving and verbal and non-verbal reasoning tasks. However, with only 163 grammar schools in England, places at this type of selective school are in extremely high demand, and inevitably many applications from bright and promising young pupils will be rejected through oversubscription.
Due in part to these factors, the majority of parents in England and Wales place their children in the state school sector, choosing from one of the thousands of non-selective state schools which make up the comprehensive system. Within this wide spectrum, it can be difficult to choose a school which will best fit your child’s learning needs.
If you’re based in Sheffield, this article will take a closer look at the Penistone Grammar School, which- despite its name- is a non-selective co-educational comprehensive school in Penistone, South Yorkshire.

Penistone Grammar School’s Exam Results

PGS’ A-Level and GCSE results in 2018/2019 are summarised below. A full summary and links can be found on Penistone’s website, here.

A-Levels: Statistically well-above local and national averages. Provisional data shows that between 2017 and 2019, Penistone pupils’ average achievement at A-Level rose from C to B.
GCSEs: Statistically well-above local and national averages, 55% of Penistone pupils in 2019 achieved Grade C/5 or above in Mathematics and English. This favourably compares with only 41% of pupils in other local authority schools achieving this feat, and only 43% nationally.

Can I Register for 11 Plus at The Penistone Grammar School?

Quite simply, no. As a comprehensive school, Penistone Grammar School does not use an academically selective 11 Plus exam as part of its admissions process.

11 Plus Entry Requirements for Penistone Grammar School

This school does not have 11 Plus entry requirements.

11 Plus Exam Format

There is no 11 Plus Exam for entry to Penistone Grammar School.

Exam Preparation for 11 Plus at Penistone Grammar School

As a comprehensive school, Penistone Grammar School does not have an 11 Plus exam for entry.
If you are still researching local schools in Sheffield including selective grammar schools, consider checking out the Pi Academy’s 11 Plus guide which provides general information and practice papers for building your child’s 11 Plus exam skills.

Penistone Grammar School Post-16 Bursaries

Penistone Grammar School is a free comprehensive school. As part of a commitment to enabling wider access to its older pupils, some bursaries are available to students from lower-income backgrounds who wish to attend the school’s Post-16 program. For more information about applying for this financial support, please click here.

The Penistone Grammar School: An Overview

The Penistone Grammar School (PGS) is a co-educational comprehensive school situated in South Yorkshire. Aiming to shape happy, confident and independent learners, Penistone’s most recent Ofsted rating (in 2013) ranked it as “Good” on all assessed criteria, which marks a notable improvement since its previous rating of “Satisfactory”. With a roll of over 1600 boys and girls, this large secondary school is non-selective and open to Year 7 entry applications from students within the catchment area of its local authority, Barnsley.
Penistone can boast that its academic standards and achievement have been found ”above average” across the majority of its curricular subjects and exam results; Ofsted’s official report noted equally that teaching and leadership at the school are consistently good, at times outstanding, while driving towards further improvement over time. Further, pupils were found to enjoy learning, behave maturely, and achieve well during their time at Penistone.
PGS’ motto, “Never Stop Flying”, emphasises a focus on a positive learning experience wherein pupils are encouraged to aim high, be brave and determined, and build their participation skills, all within a “safe, comfortable and supportive” environment. To find out more about PGS’ history, facilities, entry requirements and more, please read on.

History of Penistone Grammar School

Established in 1392 by a wealthy landowner named John Clarel, PGS is one of the oldest schools in the country. Having undergone several transformations in its extensive history, the school served local, fee-paying boys in the centre of Penistone for several centuries, while enjoying a strong reputation for its mathematics and science teaching. In 1892 it relocated outside of the town centre, and in 1907 it began admitting girls as well as boys.
While it retains the word “grammar” in its name, the school is one of the first in the UK to embrace the comprehensive system, becoming fully non-selective in 1969.
PGS has occupied the same grounds since its 1892 relocation; however, in 2011 it demolished its old buildings and was rehoused in a fully modern campus.

Facilities and Extracurricular Activities at The Penistone Grammar School

PGS’ campus facilities include a sports centre which boasts a synthetic turf pitch, multiple tennis courts, an indoor sports hall, a dance studio and a fully-equipped gym fitness suite.
The school also has a range of enrichment clubs and extracurricular activities, including a student union for Post-16 pupils, a variety of sporting, musical and drama programs, and opportunities for work experience.
The school also encourages adventure and travel participation through its World Challenge and Duke of Edinburgh programs. Pupils can explore all of these more fully through accessing the school’s internal resources and through the pastoral staff.