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Choosing a School for Your Child

Liverpool Blue Coat 11 Plus

The Liverpool Blue Coat 11 Plus Guide: Information about the school 

 

The Blue Coat School is a co-educational grammar school with academy status in Wavertree, Liverpool, England. It is an average-sized secondary school known for its excellent academic results; in 2016 it was ranked as the best state school in the country based on GCSE results and in 2015 it was named The Times’ State School of The Year. This page has everything you need to know about The Blue Coat School 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: The Blue Coat School, Church Road, Liverpool, L15 9EE

County: Merseyside

Type of school: Co-educational grammar school 

Age range: 11-18

Ofsted rating: Outstanding

Number of pupils: 1107

Admissions to Year 7: 180

Open evening (2024 entry): TBC 

11+ exam date (2024 entry): September 2023

Exam board: Own school exam

Admissions phone number: 01517 331407

Admissions email address: office@bluecoatschool.org.uk

 

A Brief Overview of The Blue Coat School and its Performance

 

The school was originally founded in 1708 and the school site was redeveloped in 2004. The school became co-educational in 2002 and it converted to academy status in 2012. As it is over 300 years old it prides itself on being ‘rich in tradition but forward thinking in terms of ideas and technology.” In terms of student make up, approximately 15% of pupils speak English as a second language, 13% are on free school meals and less than 5% have some support for special educational needs.

 

 

 

 

The school’s results are generally spectacular: in 2019, 61% of A-Level grades were A*-A and 82% were A*-B. 44% of students achieved 3 or more A*-A grades, the highest number ever achieved at the school. Results at GCSE are similarly impressive; in 2019, 54% of grades were 9-8 (old style A*) and 78% were 9-7 (old style A*-A). Over 344 GCSE grade 9s were achieved, with particular success in Chemistry (59 students achieved a level 9) and Latin (nearly two-thirds of grades were level 9). The school’s Progress 8 score is also well above the national average and is in the top 14% of schools in England. You can see a full breakdown of leavers’ destinations here but particular headlines include the fact that in 2019, they gained 8 Oxbridge places and consistently over 90% of students gain a place at university. It is also interesting that 89% of GCSE students decide to progress to Sixth Form at The Blue Coat School, which suggests that they are generally very happy there.

 

Liverpool Blue Coat 2022 GCSE results were outstanding. 35% of all grades were 9, 61.1% of all grades were 9-8 and 81.4 % of all grades were 9-7. In A level 2022, in Blue Coat 70.4% of all grades were A*- A, 88.2% of all grades were A*- B and 55.2% of students achieved 3 or more A*- A grades. 

 

 

 

The Blue Coat 11 Plus Admissions Process: 2024 Entry

 

Below you can find the key dates in the calendar for the 2024 entry. You may also want to refer to the school’s Guidance on Admissions which has lots of detailed information and answers to frequently asked questions. All the exact dates are yet to be confirmed. 

 

July 2023 – registration open

Registration for their 11+ exam opens online.

September 2023 – registration deadline

Parents have until 4pm on this day to register their child to sit the entrance exams.

September 2023 – entrance exam

Pupils will sit both exams from 8.45am. Exact locations and timings will be communicated to parents nearer the time.

October 2023 – results day

Parents will be emailed results in time for them to complete the CAF form by the deadline (see below).

October 2023 – CAF deadline

Parents and guardians must submit their CAF with their choice of schools by this deadline. More information can be found on the school’s website.

March 2024 – National Offer Day

On national offer day, candidates will receive official confirmation of a place at The Blue Coat School, subject to having met all the entry criteria. 

March 2024 – Deadline to accept or appeal the decision

By this date, you must inform your local authority of your decision to accept or reject the allocated secondary school. This is also the deadline for lodging an appeal.

How to prepare for Liverpool Blue Coat 11 Plus Exam: A Guide to Parents

 Every parent ensures that their child is using a variety of resources and practise for Liverpool Blue Coat 11 Plus Exam materials that are available on the market. These tools are excellent for practice. However, this is insufficient and does not adequately convey the amount of difficulty that the HBS Second Round is anticipating.

Liverpool Blue Coat 11 Plus Exam is based on GL assessment. English, maths, verbal reasoning, and non-verbal reasoning are all assessed on GL examinations. Not all schools and regions opt to use all four courses, and they are free to mix and match any of the papers with the questions from their particular exams. 

In the exam round one the parts are English, non-verbal reasoning, and verbal reasoning (typically multiple choice). Math and English in round two (usually includes comprehension or creative writing). 

As essential as how much you study for the Liverpool Blue Coat 11 Plus Exam is how you study. We created tips on how to study for the 11 plus exam. Here are the Top 10 Tips To Prepare for the Liverpool Blue Coat 11 Plus Exam

 

Tip 1: Start the preparation early!

Tip 2: Plan and map the knowledge of your child

Tip 3: Test your own expertise in 11 plus 

Tip 4: Start working with an 11 plus tuition expert 

Tip 5: Make sure your child is familiar with 11 plus GL based mock exams (link)

Tip 6: Reading is a must! Mostly classics

Tip 7: Start doing creative writing

Tip 8: Don’t study for too long or to too late 

Tip 9: Make studying fun and interactive 

Tip 10: Check Liverpool Blue Coat 11 Plus Website for Information 

The Blue Coat School 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 its own exam it’s worth practicing both CEM and GL past papers in order to expose your child to a broad range of question types.

 

English 

 

11+ English Multiple Choice Book 1 | Answer 1

 

11+ English GL Familiarisation Paper | Answers

 

11+ English and Verbal Reasoning Book 1 | Answer 1

 

Maths

 

11+ Maths Multiple Choice Book 1 Answer Sheet 1

 

11+ Maths Multiple Choice Book 2 | Answer Sheet 2

 

11+ Maths GL Familiarisation Paper | Answer

11+ Maths Test Book 1 Answer Sheet 1

 

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 The Blue Coat School

 

According to the school’s latest Ofsted report, “Standards are exceptionally high across all subjects, particularly in mathematics, business studies and information and communication technology (ICT) and in science. All groups of students including boys, girls, students from different backgrounds and ethnic heritages all make outstanding progress. The school’s main asset is the quality of its students.” As well as its stellar academic results, the school also offers a rich and varied extra-curricular programme, including a Computer Club, Jazz Band, Eco-Committee and Business Studies Leaders who run a series of enterprises for charitable causes. The school also offers the Duke of Edinburgh Award and a very rigorous curriculum; you can find out more about each subject here. You can also find out more about the day-to-day life of the school in their prospectus

 The Blue Coat School FAQs

 

What is The Blue Coat School’s Ofsted rating?

The Blue Coat School’s Ofsted rating is ‘Outstanding’. You can find all the previous reports and ratings here.

 

Does The Blue Coat School’s entrance exam have a pass mark?

Yes, but this varies from year to year. The tests are marked out of a total score of 320. Children are put into three groups depending on their score. If your child is in GROUP A or GROUP B you should consider placing The Blue Coat School as one of your preferences, although if your child is in GROUP B you should be aware that candidates in this group are not guaranteed a place at The Blue Coat School. If your child is in GROUP C you should not consider placing The Blue Coat School as one of your preferences as their score will not be high enough.

 

Does The Blue Coat School have a catchment area?

According to their Admissions Policy documents no.

 

What happens if The Blue Coat School is oversubscribed?

In the event that more students pass the entrance exams than there are places, then priority will be given to children with Pupil Premium. Up to 27 places will be available to the highest scoring applicants who are eligible for free school meals and who achieve an Entrance Test score of 213 or more. The remaining places will be available to all other highest scoring applicants.

 

Does the school have a uniform?

Yes – you can find more details here.

You can also access further 11 plus exam resources below:

Best Private Schools in the UK: Top 100 List

Best Grammar Schools in the UK: Top 100 List 

A Guide to Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning Tests

11+ Maths Exam: Helping Your Child to Prepare and Pass in 2022

Meet the 11+ Online Tutors Delivering Results

When Should you Start to Prepare Your Child for the 11 Plus Exam

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