The 11 Plus in Calderdale and Heckmondwike

If your child is in Year 5 and you are thinking about Crossley Heath, North Halifax Grammar or Heckmondwike Grammar, this guide explains how the 11 Plus works, when you need to register, and what the test is like.

All three schools now use the same test provider, FSCE. Heckmondwike has used FSCE since 2024, and the Calderdale schools moved to it in 2025, so there are now two years of FSCE tests to go on. FSCE and the schools do not publish the detailed format, but from what our own children have told us after sitting the test in 2025 and 2026, we now have a reasonable idea of what to expect.

Key dates

Dates for 2027 have not been published yet. The table shows what happened in 2026 and what we expect for 2027 — always check the school websites, because registration deadlines are strictly enforced.

What the FSCE test is like

The test is taken in the autumn of Year 6 and covers content up to the end of Year 5. There is no non-verbal reasoning. It is made up of three papers:

• Paper 1 – multiple choice. English and maths questions. Children shade ovals on a separate answer sheet.
• Paper 2 – short written answers. Mostly maths, plus some word questions. Children write their answers in boxes, one capital letter or digit per box.
• Paper 3 – creative writing. A set writing task — in recent years a diary entry or a newspaper-style report rather than a free-choice story — with a few minutes to plan.

The English sections test reading and vocabulary: comprehension, finding words with the closest (or opposite) meaning, completing words and sentences, and spotting the odd word out.

A recorded voice gives the instructions and the timings, and each section is strictly timed — children cannot go back to an earlier section. There is no penalty for a wrong answer, so they should never leave a question blank.

Scores are age-standardised, so younger children (for example, August birthdays) are not at a disadvantage. English and maths are marked by computer; the writing is marked for children who reach the required standard.

What our children say

The same things come up every year:

• It is fast. Several sections give well under a minute per question. Children who know the question types and have practised at pace cope much better.
• The written maths paper is the hardest part for most children — there are no options to choose from, so answers have to be worked out and written accurately.
• The writing task is specific. Children don’t get to choose a title, so they need to be comfortable writing in different forms, quickly.
• Answer sheets matter. Shading ovals and writing one capital per box takes practice — it’s easy to lose time or marks through the format rather than the question.

How places are offered

Calderdale: children who reach the qualifying standard are ranked, and places are offered in rank order (North Halifax also has a catchment area). Heckmondwike: offers around 210 places; the highest-scoring children who reach the standard are offered places first, with full details in the school’s admissions arrangements.

How you can help at home

• Read every day — fiction and non-fiction — and talk about new words. This is the single best preparation for the English papers and the writing.
• Keep arithmetic sharp — times tables, written methods and fractions — and try multi-step problems.
• Practise short pieces of writing in different forms: a diary, a letter, a report — planned in five minutes, written in fifteen.
• Keep it in proportion. The test is a way of finding the right school for each child, not a judgement of them. Confident, well-rested children do their best work.

11 Plus preparation at Satchel Learning

Our 11 Plus classes in Halifax and Huddersfield are built around the FSCE test. Children practise every question type on FSCE-style answer sheets, work towards test pace across the year, and sit full mock tests under exam conditions. Satchel families also receive our detailed guide, based on the day-after reports from children who sat the 2025 and 2026 tests.

This guide is based on published information from FSCE and the schools, and on our own pupils’ accounts of the tests. It is not official information and the format can change — please check the school websites for current dates and admissions arrangements. Last updated September 2026.