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School profile Verified 11 September 2026

Calderdale Calderdale 11+

The Crossley Heath School

Savile Park, Halifax, HX3 0HG

A selective co-educational grammar school in Halifax, West Yorkshire, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,141 pupils on roll.

Grammar school Co-ed Academy converter Ages 11-18 Sixth form FSCE
UK rank
UK Rank #60
Year 7 places
180
Competition ?
High
Ofsted ?
Good
11+ route
FSCE
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On this page

At a glance

Key facts

GCSE rank
UK Rank #60
Sector
Grammar school
Admissions
Mixed
Assessment
FSCE
Places in Year 7
180
Competition ?
High
Catchment
You can apply from any area. There is no defined catchment or local-priority area, although distance may still affect allocation or a tie-break.
Ofsted ?
Good

Overview

The Crossley Heath School brings two Halifax grammar-school traditions together: Heath Grammar, chartered in 1585 and opened in 1600, and Crossley and Porter, with the present school formed by their 1985 amalgamation. Today it is a co-educational selective school on Savile Park, with about 1,140 pupils and a sixth form.

The school's own language is notably values-led. Its strategy describes a school family built around kindness, courage and excellence, with the purpose of unlocking potential and developing future leaders. The curriculum and student-zone material point to a broad grammar education with English, mathematics, science, humanities, languages, arts, music, personal development and sixth-form progression.

Crossley Heath's historic buildings are part of the appeal, but the everyday offer is contemporary: science laboratories, sports hall, library, sixth-form centre, debate, music, drama, sport, house activities, student leadership and Duke of Edinburgh. The school also stresses philanthropy and service, linking that to its Halifax heritage.

Year 7 entry has 180 places and uses the Halifax Grammar Schools FSCE test: English and maths papers are age-standardised, with creative writing assessed for candidates who meet the required standard. There is no priority admissions area; the 2027 timetable asks families to register by 26 June 2026 and sit the main test on 19 September 2026. Published measures show Ofsted Good, Progress 8 around +0.49 and 98.9% grade 5+ in English and maths.

11 Plus Writing Coach preview showing creative writing feedback cards and score summaries
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Key points
Assessment route
FSCE across a 3-stage process, covering Maths, English and Writing task.
Places and demand
180 places in Year 7 and High
Catchment
You can apply from any area. There is no defined catchment or local-priority area, although distance may still affect allocation or a tie-break.
Results
98.9% grade 5+ in English and maths and 74.5 Attainment 8
Sixth form
Sixth form available with 14.1% AAB or better and 70% in higher education.

GCSE benchmark

Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Calderdale and England.

School Local authority England
GCSE benchmark comparison Latest GCSE benchmark measures for Crossley Heath School, Calderdale, and England. 0 50 100 Att. 8 5+ E&M EBacc APS EBacc %
Attainment 8
74.5
Grade 5+ English and maths
98.9%
EBacc APS
7.18
EBacc entry
81.5%

Attainment 8 trend

Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Calderdale and England.

School Local authority England
Attainment 8 trend line Attainment 8 over time for Crossley Heath School, Calderdale, and England. 80 66.7 53.3 40 21/22 22/23 23/24 24/25

Destinations

Latest 2024/25 Year 11 destination mix compared with Calderdale and England.

Education Apprenticeships Employment Other / unknown
Destinations stacked bar comparison Year 11 destinations for Crossley Heath School, Calderdale, and England across education, apprenticeships, employment, and other or unknown destinations. 0 50 100 School Local auth. England

School details
Sector
Grammar school
School type
Academy converter
Application
Local authority CAF
Gender
Mixed
Age range
11-18
Headteacher
Mr Dean Jones
Pupil roll
1,141 pupils
Sixth form
Yes
Trust
The Crossley Heath School Academy Trust Limited
FSM ?
11.2%
EAL ?
30.3%
EHCP ?
0.6%

Facilities

Science labs Sports hall Library Sixth form centre

Extracurriculars

Debate club Duke of Edinburgh Sport

Ethnicity

Pupil ethnicity

Whole-school roll of 1,141 pupils; 1,113 had a recorded ethnic group.

White 30.7% Asian 58.2% Mixed 5% Black 2.2% Other 1.5% Unclassified 2.5%

Location and contact

Address

Address
Savile Park, Halifax, West Yorkshire
Postcode
HX3 0HG
Area
Calderdale
Exam area
Calderdale 11+

School leadership

Headteacher
Mr Dean Jones

School contact

School email
admin@crossleyheath.org.uk
School phone
01422360272

Admissions contact

Admissions team
School Office
Admissions email
admin@crossleyheath.org.uk
Admissions phone
01422 360272
Open in Map Open school website

Admissions
Year 7 places
180 places (2027 entry)
Applications listed
614 applications (2025 entry)
First preferences
266 first preferences (2025 entry)
Competition ?
High
Who can apply
You can apply from any area. There is no defined catchment or local-priority area, although distance may still affect allocation or a tie-break.
Published score basis
No fixed numeric pass mark published (2027 entry)
Pass mark note
No fixed numeric pass mark is published in the 2027 policy. A qualifying standard is agreed for the age-weighted, standardised English and mathematics papers; candidates who meet it then have writing task judged, and they must meet the qualifying standard in all three areas to be considered.

Crossley Heath has no priority admissions area. Register by 26 June 2026, sit the Halifax Grammar Schools test on 19 September 2026, and include the school on your CAF by 31 October 2026.

Crossley Heath has no priority admissions area. Qualification and ranking are driven by the published Halifax Grammar Schools test rules.

Oversubscription and eligibility

  1. 1

    Looked after and previously looked after children

    Priority goes first to children who are looked after, previously looked after, or were previously in state care outside England and are now adopted or under a special guardianship or child arrangements order.

  2. 2

    Eligible pupil premium and service premium children

    Priority is given to eligible pupil premium and service premium children who meet the qualifying standard.

  3. 3

    Order of merit after qualification

    Remaining places are offered to children who meet the qualifying standard in English, mathematics, and creative writing, ranked by the English and mathematics score.

  4. 4

    Tie-break

    If scores are tied, priority goes to siblings already at the school and then to the child living nearest to the school.

Admissions policy

Admissions Policy 2027 entry

2027 entry

Information booklet

Parent Guide 2027 entry

2027 entry

Exam and test format

The FSCE 11+ entrance test format

The Halifax Grammar Schools entrance test applies: English and mathematics papers are age-standardised, and writing task is assessed for candidates who meet the qualifying standard in those papers.

Assessment route
FSCE
Papers and stages
3 papers
Format
Written papers
Age standardisation
Published as age-standardised

Official exam resources

Past papers and practice materials

No released past entrance-test papers are currently verified here. The resources below are labelled by type.

Yorkshire test guide

Papers and rounds

  1. Paper 1

    Maths, English

    Paper 1

    Paper 1 tests mathematics and English.

  2. Paper 2

    Maths, English

    Paper 2

    Paper 2 tests mathematics and English.

  3. Paper 3

    Writing task

    Writing task

    Writing task is judged after candidates meet the qualifying standard in English and mathematics.

What the test includes

English and Maths are included in the published format.

Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning and Science are not listed in the current published format.

Included

  • English

  • Maths

Not listed

  • Verbal reasoning

  • Non-verbal reasoning

  • Science

Application

Key dates

Get date reminders
Find open days and plan a visit

  1. Registration opens

    Friday 20 March 2026

    Past

  2. Registration closes

    Friday 26 June 2026

    Past

  3. Main test

    Saturday 19 September 2026

  4. Supplementary test

    Saturday 26 September 2026

    For approved candidates only.

  5. Results released

    Friday 16 October 2026

  6. CAF deadline

    Saturday 31 October 2026

  7. National offer day

    Monday 1 March 2027

How to apply

  1. 1

    Read the admissions policy and parent guide

    Check the published rules, timetable, qualifying standard, and supporting guidance before registering.

    Open admissions policy
  2. 2

    Register for the Halifax Grammar Schools test

    Complete the registration process between 20 March 2026 and 26 June 2026.

    Open timetable
  3. 3

    Sit the entrance tests

    The main test is on 19 September 2026, with the supplementary test on 26 September 2026 for approved candidates.

    View test dates
  4. 4

    Submit your Common Application Form

    List Crossley Heath on your CAF by 31 October 2026 after receiving the results in October.

    Open parent guide

Official admissions documents

Admissions policy

Admissions Policy 2027 entry

2027 entry

Information booklet

Parent Guide 2027 entry

2027 entry

Key dates

Admissions Timetable 2027 entry

2027 entry

Results

Inspection
View report
Good

Latest inspection: 4 July 2023

Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Outstanding
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Sixth form provision
Good

Quick summary

  • Overall effectiveness: The 2023 inspection judged Crossley Heath Good overall, with outstanding behaviour. Pupils are polite, ambitious and well cared for; leaders had built a strong curriculum, but some subjects needed sharper assessment and oversight.
  • Quality of education: The curriculum is ambitious and usually clear about the important knowledge pupils should learn. Teachers explain well and support reading and SEND needs, though assessment and subject-leader oversight were uneven in some areas.
  • Behaviour and attitudes: Behaviour was judged outstanding. Pupils are articulate, considerate and proud of the school, attendance is high, and those joining from other schools are welcomed quickly into a calm, purposeful community.
  • Personal development: The wider curriculum covers protected characteristics, British values, relationships, independence and aspiration. Pupils take leadership roles, celebrate one another's achievements, receive careers guidance and benefit from the school's recognised work on mental health.
  • Leadership and management: Leaders and trustees have an accurate view of the school's strengths and priorities, and staff feel listened to on workload and wellbeing. The report asks leaders to strengthen subject-level quality assurance and assessment consistency.
  • Sixth form provision: Sixth-form students follow the same ambitious curriculum culture, with high attendance and guidance on independence, aspiration and relationships. The report also points to leadership opportunities and careers advice that support students' next steps.

Similar schools and comparisons

Nearby schools families also consider

Local rivals appear first, followed by nearby alternatives where the journey and admissions route are still comparable.

Nearby schools with similar results

Closest comparable alternatives with a similar academic profile, so parents can weigh local fit and results together.

Shortlist comparisons

Compare Crossley Heath School with The North Halifax Grammar School Compare Crossley Heath School with Heckmondwike Grammar School Compare Crossley Heath School with Ripon Grammar School

Explore this school in context

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Compare 2 Calderdale grammar schools for 2026: GCSE ranking table, Ofsted, Yorkshire route, admissions rules, competition, and school profiles.

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Best Grammar Schools by A-level Results

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Related pages and guides

Guides and related reading

Related guides are still being added.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What assessment types does Crossley Heath School use?

Crossley Heath School currently uses FSCE.

How do I apply to Crossley Heath School?

1. Read the admissions policy and parent guide: Check the published rules, timetable, qualifying standard, and supporting guidance before registering. 2. Register for the Halifax Grammar Schools test: Complete the registration process between 20 March 2026 and 26 June 2026. 3. Sit the entrance tests: The main test is on 19 September 2026, with the supplementary test on 26 September 2026 for approved candidates. 4. Submit your Common Application Form: List Crossley Heath on your CAF by 31 October 2026 after receiving the results in October.

When are the key dates for Crossley Heath School?

Registration opens: Friday 20 March 2026. Registration closes: Friday 26 June 2026. Main test: Saturday 19 September 2026. Supplementary test: Saturday 26 September 2026. Results released: Friday 16 October 2026. CAF deadline: Saturday 31 October 2026. National offer day: Monday 1 March 2027

What does the latest inspection picture look like for Crossley Heath School?

Crossley Heath School is currently rated Good following the latest published inspection dated 4 July 2023.