NORTH HALIFAX GRAMMAR SCHOOL PREPARATION
North Halifax Grammar School 11+ practice papers and preparation books
FSCE-aligned revision books for the Halifax Grammar Schools 11+ entrance exam. Focused English and Maths practice covering the multiple-choice and short written answer formats used by both North Halifax Grammar School and The Crossley Heath School.
EXAM FORMAT
Understanding the North Halifax Grammar School FSCE 11+ exam
North Halifax Grammar School uses the FSCE (Future Stories Community Enterprise) entrance test for Year 7 admission. The school switched to FSCE from GL Assessment for the 2025 entry cycle onwards, replacing the previous verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning format with a curriculum-based assessment in English, Maths and creative writing.
North Halifax operates a joint admissions process with The Crossley Heath School. Children sit one test and their results determine eligibility for either or both schools. The top 510 candidates across both schools are deemed to have met the required standard, with each school then allocating its 180 Year 7 places according to its own oversubscription criteria.
The Halifax Grammar Schools 11+ comprises four elements across two tests, all sat on one day. The official NHGS website describes the test as consisting of both multiple-choice and written response questions, plus a Creative Writing task:
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English and Maths (multiple-choice): Questions covering KS2 curriculum content up to the end of Year 5, assessing how children apply their knowledge rather than simply recall facts. Answers are recorded on a separate sheet and marked electronically.
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English and Maths (short written answers): Questions requiring written responses in constrained fields on the answer sheet. These assess the same curriculum content but through a different response format.
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Creative Writing: A written task assessing original thinking, expression and the ability to structure a response. Only assessed for children who achieve an eligible score in the English and Maths papers.
All papers except Creative Writing are marked by computer and age-standardised to ensure fairness across the year group. There is no verbal reasoning or non-verbal reasoning in the FSCE format. The test content changes each year.
Exam formats can change. Always confirm the current format and dates directly with North Halifax Grammar School or The Crossley Heath School before finalising your preparation plan.
RECOMMENDED BOOKS
Which Gulliford Tutors books suit Halifax Grammar Schools preparation
The English and Maths elements of the Halifax Grammar Schools 11+ are tested through multiple-choice and short written answer formats. These are the question styles and skill demands that Gulliford Tutors books are specifically written to develop.
FSCE Practice Papers
Full-length practice papers replicating the FSCE multiple-choice and short written answer formats. Designed for use once core English and Maths skills are established, to build exam stamina and familiarity with answer sheet technique.
Maths and Skills
Targeted maths practice covering number, problem-solving, method selection and accuracy under time pressure. Directly relevant to the maths content assessed in both the multiple-choice and short written answer elements of the Halifax Grammar Schools exam.
Verbal Reasoning
Practice in vocabulary, comprehension and word-level reasoning. Although the Halifax Grammar Schools exam does not include standalone verbal reasoning, these skills directly support the English comprehension and vocabulary demands of the multiple-choice and written answer papers.
The Creative Writing element is not covered by the current Gulliford Tutors range. For this element, regular practice in writing stories, letters and descriptive pieces under timed conditions is the most effective preparation alongside consistent reading.
PREPARATION APPROACH
Structured preparation for the Halifax Grammar Schools 11+ entrance exam
North Halifax Grammar School receives around 1,200 applications each year for 180 Year 7 places. With The Crossley Heath School offering a further 180 places through the same test, competition for the Halifax grammar schools is considerable. The FSCE format is designed to identify children who have a strong command of the KS2 curriculum and can apply their knowledge thoughtfully under exam conditions.
A well-structured preparation plan for the Halifax Grammar Schools 11+ typically includes:
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Steady, consistent reading across fiction and non-fiction to build vocabulary, comprehension and inference skills for the English sections
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Secure KS2 maths foundations, with particular attention to multi-step word problems, fractions, decimals and mental arithmetic accuracy
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Regular creative writing practice across different text types, building confidence and fluency for the Creative Writing element of the test
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Familiarity with multiple-choice answer sheets and the short written answer format, so the mechanics of the exam do not distract from the content
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Full timed papers introduced in the later stages of preparation, once underlying skills are secure
Gulliford Tutors books are structured to support this kind of purposeful, progressive preparation. Each title focuses on a specific skill area and provides the repeated, focused practice needed to build genuine confidence rather than surface-level familiarity.
ABOUT THE SCHOOL
North Halifax Grammar School and The Crossley Heath School
North Halifax Grammar School is a co-educational selective grammar school in Illingworth, Halifax, West Yorkshire. Established in 1985, it was rated Good by Ofsted with Outstanding sixth-form provision. The school admits 180 pupils into Year 7 each year and has over 1,200 pupils on roll. Its ethos, "Living to Learn and Learning to Live," reflects a commitment to academic achievement alongside personal development.
The Crossley Heath School is a co-educational selective grammar school in Halifax with roots stretching back over 400 years. Also rated Good by Ofsted with Outstanding for behaviour and attitudes, Crossley Heath admits a further 180 pupils into Year 7 through the same joint admissions process. The school is guided by values of courage, excellence and kindness.
Both schools are open to applicants from Calderdale and other UK local authorities. North Halifax Grammar School has a Priority Admissions Area within its oversubscription criteria, while The Crossley Heath School does not. Because the admissions process is shared, children register once and sit one test. Results determine eligibility for both schools. Parents then name their preferred school on the Common Application Form submitted to Calderdale Local Authority. Full oversubscription criteria should be checked in each school's current admissions policy.
For the 2027 entry cycle, registration opens Friday 20 March 2026 and closes Friday 26 June 2026, with the entrance test expected on Saturday 19 September 2026. Parents should confirm the test date directly with the schools.