It might be difficult to find your way around the 11 Plus the first time as a parent. How do you aid your kid in getting ready for the Newport Girls 11 Plus Exam? What kind of exam structure is it? What stores sell test papers? We’ve provided parents with a “Newport Girls 11 Plus Tips” in this article that seeks to address all of your concerns.

Newport Girls’ High School Academy, Newport, Shropshire

Newport Girls’ High School Academy is a co-educational grammar school in Newport, Shropshire, England. It is a small secondary school with academy status and it was named the ‘West Midlands State Secondary School of the Year’ in 2020 by the Sunday Times. This page has everything you need to know about Newport Girls’ High School Academy and can help you get started with the admissions process. You can also find helpful information about the 11 plus exam, such as exam practice resources, information about exam boards and key dates in the calendar.

School details:

Address: Newport Girls’ High School Academy, Wellington Road, Newport, Shropshire, TF10 7HL

County: Shropshire

Type of school: All girls’ grammar school

Age range: 11-18

Ofsted rating: Outstanding

Number of pupils: 507

Admissions to Year 7: 120 (approx)

Open evening (2024 entry): There are currently no scheduled events but you can see a virtual tour of the school here

11+ exam date (2024 entry):  September 2023

Exam board: CEM

Admissions phone number: 01952 797550

Admissions email address: schooloffice@nghs.org.uk

A Brief Overview of Newport Girls’ High School Academy and its Performance

The school was originally opened in 1919 by a group of female governesses as a single-sex day school for local girls. The school originally had four houses (Curie, Cavell, Bronte and Keller), each named after a famous woman in history. The school recently changed these houses to 3 new houses, named Seacole, Roddam and Austen. The school also historically had Maths and Computing Specialist status and it is now an academy.  In terms of student make up, approximately 7% of pupils speak English as a second language, 3% are on free school meals and 5% have some support for special educational needs.

The school’s results are consistently impressive; in 2019 their GCSE results were listed as ninth in the country by The Times. 100% of students achieved 5 GCSEs at grades 5 or above; 100% achieved a strong pass (5 or above) in Maths and English; 80% of grades were awarded 9-7 (old style A*/ A) and 88% of students also achieved the English Baccalaureate. At A-level, the average grade was a B, and in 2020, 20% of A-level grades were A* and 82% were graded A*-B. You can see a full breakdown of results here, but particular highlights include the fact that all Art, Further Maths and Product Design students achieved an A* or A. Unsurprisingly, the school has a reputation for securing excellent places for leavers: in 2020 3 girls went onto Oxbridge and the vast majority of students gained places at their first choice university; you can find out more information about this here.

In 2022, 27% of A-level grades were A* and 85.4% were graded A*-B. 100% of students have attained the national required standard (Grade 4) in Maths and English. A jaw-dropping 90% of GCSEs were graded 7-9 (or A*-A); a figure which has not been seen before in the school’s history, even during the centre- and teacher-assessed grading scenarios of 2020 and 2021.

Newport Girls 11 Plus  Admissions Process: 2024 Entry

Below you can find the key dates in the calendar for the Newport Girls 11 Plus 2024 entry. You can also find more information in their Admissions Policy for 2024 and on the school’s website. All the exact dates are yet to be confirmed.

Preparing for Newport Girls 11 Plus Exam

The Newport Girls 11 Plus  consists of two papers, each lasting for about an hour, testing Maths, Non-Verbal Reasoning, English and Verbal Reasoning. Each test will be divided into sections with an allocated amount of time and all of the questions on the test papers are multiple choice. The invigilators play an audio soundtrack with all of the instructions and it will also tell them how much time to spend on each section and when to move on. You can find a familiarisation booklet with detailed instructions and practice questions here.

While much of the test is like KS2 Maths and English questions that candidates are familiar with from school, Verbal and Non-Verbal reasoning may be new and this may be where your child should start with revision. This helpful 11 Plus Exam Guide to the Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning Tests can help you to better understand how to prepare your child for these elements of the tests, and it’s also worth checking out the CEM Assessment page, which has lots of handy resources.

Although Newport Girls’ High School is a school where entry is still very competitive, with roughly five applicants for every place, and so starting revision early is key. As the exam is scheduled for mid-September, your child should already be getting prepared. However, if they have not started revising yet, it is not too late. Discover Help your Child Become 11 Plus-Ready in the Six-Month Countdown to the exam for support in approaching exam readiness and preparation, and for parents who are unsure where to begin, you might like to check out this Top 10 Tips to Pass the 11+ Exam guide.

You may also want to invest in some CGP resources which are specifically designed for the CEM paper – they have everything from exercise books, flashcards, 10 minute tests and practice exams to choose from.

Newport Girls 11 Plus Sample Test Papers and Resources

There are past papers available online, but it’s important to remember that it does vary slightly from year to year in order to make it harder for students to prepare. As the school uses the CEM exam board there are some resources and past papers available online; you can find a selection of these below.

English and Verbal Reasoning

11+ English and Verbal Reasoning Book 1 | Answer 1

Maths

11+ Maths Test Book 1 | Answer Sheet 1

Non-Verbal Reasoning

11+ Non Verbal Reasoning Book 1 | Answer Sheet 1

11+ Non Verbal Reasoning Book 2 | Answer Sheet 2

There are lots of overlaps in question types between the CEM and GL exam boards, and so it may be worth checking out this page which offers lots more links to CEM and GL resources.

Additional Information about Newport Girls’ High School Academy

The school is currently undertaking a campaign called Primed for Success; they have secured funding to renovate the school’s facilities and will be building new facilities including four new Maths classrooms, a new computer suite, a new science laboratory, a new dining room, and drama studio. You can also find out more about the proposed extension here. There is not as wide a range of extra-curricular activities as you would expect at a bigger school, but there is still plenty of enrichment opportunities on offer, including choirs and orchestras and everything from yoga, Japanese club, gardening club, karate club, fencing club to dance. The school also offers the Duke of Edinburgh Award and the Gold Crest Award, which allows girls taking at least one Science A-level to work with an academic tutor from Harper Adams University to research and publish a report into a pioneering area of scientific study. This scheme not only builds on students’ academic knowledge and skills, but prepares them for the demands of studying a scientific subject at university and beyond. Sport is also an important part of school life – you can find more details here – and the school runs lots of annual fitness competitions including last year’s ‘Walk for Your Wellbeing.’

Newport Girls’ High School Academy FAQs

What is Newport Girls’ High School Academy’s Ofsted rating?

Newport Girls’ High School Academy’s Ofsted rating is ‘Outstanding’. You can find all the previous reports and ratings here.

Does Newport Girls’ High School Academy have a catchment area?

Yes – you can see a map of the catchment area here. Anyone can apply, but in the event of oversubscription, priority will be given to those who live in the Newport area and within the boundary of the school’s catchment area.

What is the pass mark for Newport Girls’ High School Academy?

This varies each year depending on the individual tests taken. Furthermore, because the marks are standardised to take into account each child’s age, it is impossible to predict whether a particular mark will meet the pass threshold. The standardised test scores are sorted into rank order and places are awarded accordingly.

What happens if Newport Girls’ High School Academy is oversubscribed?

In the likely event that more students pass the entrance exams than there are places, then priority will be given to looked after children, children in receipt of Pupil Premium, children who live within the catchment area, and then children outside of the catchment area with the highest scores. You can find more information in their Admissions Policy.

Does Newport Girls’ High School Academy have a uniform?

Yes, the school does have a uniform – you can find out details, and contact details of the suppliers, here.