Has the Gloucestershire 11+ test really changed?

Yes. The seven Gloucestershire grammar schools have appointed Future Stories Community Enterprise (FSCE) to set the entrance test, from summer 2027, for entry in September 2028. It also moves from September of Year 6 to the latter part of the summer term in Year 5.

Which children does this affect, and when do they sit it?

Children in Year 5 now sit it in the summer term of 2027 and start Year 7 in September 2028. Children in Year 4 now will sit FSCE in summer 2028. Year 6 already sat the final GL paper.

What is an FSCE test actually like?

FSCE has four papers and each school picks a combination. Adventure (multiple choice) and Beacon (short written answers) are the pair most schools sit. Compass and Discovery are used by fewer. The Crypt School lists three papers for Gloucestershire: Adventure and Beacon on English and maths, and Compass on the wider curriculum, with no Discovery paper. The other schools have not yet confirmed their combination, so check the ones you are applying to.

How do you prepare my child for the new test?

FSCE wants to see a child apply Key Stage 2 learning to something unfamiliar. So we secure the maths topic by topic, build reading and vocabulary on real texts, and teach writing properly, both short answers and creative pieces, marked rather than just set. Plus a weekly live class and daily practice that adapts to their weak spots.

Can my child apply to multiple Gloucestershire grammar schools with one test?

Yes. You register with Gloucestershire County Council and choose which schools receive the result. One score covers Pate's, Sir Thomas Rich's, Crypt, Denmark Road, Ribston Hall, Marling and Stroud High.

What score is required to get into Pate's Grammar School in Cheltenham?

Pate's makes offers in order of score rank, so successful candidates have historically sat among the highest scores in the county. Those thresholds are from the GL era. Nobody has an FSCE score history yet, so treat any FSCE cut-off you are quoted as guesswork.

Gloucestershire's 11+ has changed. Get your child ready.

EdifyPod prepares children in Year 4 and Year 5 for the Pate's Grammar School and Gloucestershire 11+. We run small-group FSCE classes with 11+ specialists, with marked writing and daily practice that adapts to your child. One shared county test opens all seven Gloucestershire grammar schools: Pate's, Sir Thomas Rich's, Denmark Road, Ribston Hall, The Crypt School, Marling and Stroud High.

From summer 2027, FSCE sets the Gloucestershire 11+ in place of GL. The test moves from the start of Year 6 to the end of Year 5, and the first sitting is Saturday 3 July 2027, for entry in September 2028. Registration runs from noon on 8 February to noon on 19 March 2027, per Gloucestershire County Council. FSCE has four papers and each school picks a combination: Adventure, Beacon, Compass and Discovery. The Crypt School lists Adventure, Beacon and Compass, and the other schools have not yet confirmed theirs. Nobody has an FSCE score history yet.

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