A selective boys grammar school in Skipton, North Yorkshire, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 818 pupils on roll.
Ermysted's Grammar School
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At a glance
Ermysted's Grammar School is one of England's oldest state schools, tracing its Skipton foundation to the late fifteenth century, certainly before 1492 and possibly to 1476. The present Gargrave Road site dates from the 1870s, and the school now serves a little over 800 boys with a sixth form.
The official history gives the school a particular character: old foundation, local loyalty and steady rebuilding. Recent decades have added science laboratories, IT rooms, a Music Centre, Refectory, Food Technology Lab, CDT and English accommodation and a Sixth Form Centre, while the Foundation continues to support trips, competitions and enrichment.
Its ethos is direct and academic: an inspiring, enjoyable environment where pupils are expected to achieve highly, respect others and contribute responsibly. The curriculum was substantially reshaped from 2019 and is kept under review; sixth form is described as thriving and diverse, with strong subject teaching and post-18 guidance. Enrichment is unusually visible too, with the site counting 59 weekly enrichment activities.
Year 7 entry has 128 places. For September 2027, applicants register directly with Ermysted's and sit FSCE English and mathematics papers; there is no non-verbal reasoning or creative-writing element. Oversubscription then considers looked-after status, catchment, pupil premium, siblings and distance. Published measures show Ofsted Good, Progress 8 around +0.59, 96.1% grade 5+ in English and maths, and 28.6% AAB or better at A level.
Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with North Yorkshire and England.
Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with North Yorkshire and England.
Latest 2024/25 Year 11 destination mix compared with North Yorkshire and England.
January 2025 school census
Whole-school roll of 818 pupils; 813 had a recorded ethnic group.
| Recorded group | Share | Category | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| White British | 63.4% | White | 519 |
| Pakistani | 19.3% | Asian | 158 |
| Indian | 3.9% | Asian | 32 |
| Bangladeshi | 2.3% | Asian | 19 |
| White and Asian | 2.2% | Mixed | 18 |
| Any other White background | 2.1% | White | 17 |
| Chinese | 2.1% | Asian | 17 |
| Any other mixed background | 1.6% | Mixed | 13 |
| Any other Asian background | 0.7% | Asian | 6 |
| Unclassified | 0.6% | Unclassified | 5 |
| Any other ethnic group | 0.5% | Other | 4 |
| White and Black African | 0.5% | Mixed | 4 |
| Irish | 0.4% | White | 3 |
| African | 0.1% | Black | 1 |
| Caribbean | 0.1% | Black | 1 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 0.1% | Mixed | 1 |
Ermysted's runs its own Year 7 testing for September 2027 entry. Every applicant must register directly with the school; no-one is entered automatically.
Catchment is defined through named primary-school areas including Beamsley, Bradley, Burnsall, Carleton, Cracoe, Embsay, Gargrave, Grassington, Kettlewell, Kirkby-in-Malhamdale, Skipton, Thornton-in-Craven, and Threshfield. Within the main categories, pupil premium priority applies before sibling and straight-line distance.
Looked after and previously looked after children
Highest priority goes to looked after and previously looked after boys who reach the required standard.
Catchment-area boys
Boys living in catchment who reach the required standard are prioritised ahead of out-of-catchment applicants.
Out-of-catchment boys
Boys outside the catchment area who reach the required standard are considered after the catchment group.
Priority within categories
Within the catchment and out-of-catchment categories, pupil premium priority applies first, then sibling priority, then straight-line distance, with random allocation if distance is identical.
Ermysted's uses FSCE papers in English and mathematics only. There is no non-verbal reasoning paper and no writing task element.
Shared exam route
Ermysted's Grammar School uses the shared Yorkshire route. Use these common practice resources for the route, then check the full consortium guide for the complete set and current test guidance.
View all Yorkshire practice papersPaper 1
English, Maths
FSCE paper 1
The first FSCE paper uses a mixture of multiple-choice and short written answers across English and mathematics.
Paper 2
English, Maths
FSCE paper 2
The second FSCE paper continues the mixed-format English and mathematics assessment.
English and Maths are included in the published format.
Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning and Science are not listed in the current published format.
English
Maths
Verbal reasoning
Non-verbal reasoning
Science
Registration opens
13 April 2026, Opens at noon
PastRegistration closes
31 August 2026, Closes at noon
Entrance test
26 September 2026
Results released
Week commencing 12 October 2026
CAF deadline
31 October 2026
Supplementary information form deadline
27 November 2026, Closes at noon
Offer day
1 March 2027
Read the admissions policy and parents' guide
Check the published entry rules, test arrangements, and catchment guidance before you register.
Open Year 7 admissionsRegister with Ermysted's
Registration opens at noon on 13 April 2026 and closes at noon on 31 August 2026.
Open registration formSit the FSCE entrance test
The Year 7 entrance test takes place on 26 September 2026.
Open familiarisationSubmit your CAF
List Ermysted's on your CAF by 31 October 2026 after receiving the result in October.
Open parents' guideReturn the supplementary information form
If your child qualifies for an oversubscription priority, return the SIF with supporting evidence by noon on 27 November 2026.
Open SIFLatest official destinations data currently covers 2022/23 study leavers.
Recent trend
This follows the school's published overall GCSE score across the subjects pupils take. Higher is better.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 73.7 | 74.2 | 49.4 |
| 2022/23 | 64.8 | 71.8 | 47.0 |
| 2023/24 | 65.9 | 72.1 | 46.7 |
| 2024/25 | 67.3 | 72.3 | 46.8 |
Recent trend
This follows the published average A-level result for the school's sixth form. Higher is better.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | B average (40.6 points) | 44.0 points | 37.5 points |
| 2022/23 | B- average (37.3 points) | 40.5 points | 33.7 points |
| 2023/24 | B average (41.1 points) | 41.3 points | 34.5 points |
| 2024/25 | B- average (37.4 points) | 41.8 points | 35.0 points |
Recent trend
This follows the share of pupils moving into a sustained destination after Year 11, such as education, apprenticeships, or employment.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 99% | 99.1% | 94.1% |
| 2022/23 | 100% | 98.9% | 93.9% |
| 2023/24 | 99% | 99.0% | 93.3% |
| 2024/25 | 98% | 98.7% | 91.8% |
Latest year breakdown
| In education | 95% |
|---|---|
| In apprenticeships | 3% |
| In employment | 0% |
Latest inspection: 29 September 2022
Closest comparable alternatives with a similar academic profile, so parents can weigh local fit and results together.
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Related guides are still being added.
FAQ
Ermysted's Grammar School currently uses FSCE.
1. Read the admissions policy and parents' guide: Check the published entry rules, test arrangements, and catchment guidance before you register. 2. Register with Ermysted's: Registration opens at noon on 13 April 2026 and closes at noon on 31 August 2026. 3. Sit the FSCE entrance test: The Year 7 entrance test takes place on 26 September 2026. 4. Submit your CAF: List Ermysted's on your CAF by 31 October 2026 after receiving the result in October. 5. Return the supplementary information form: If your child qualifies for an oversubscription priority, return the SIF with supporting evidence by noon on 27 November 2026.
Registration opens: 13 April 2026, Opens at noon. Registration closes: 31 August 2026, Closes at noon. Entrance test: 26 September 2026. Results released: Week commencing 12 October 2026. CAF deadline: 31 October 2026. Supplementary information form deadline: 27 November 2026, Closes at noon. Offer day: 1 March 2027
Ermysted's Grammar School is currently rated Good following the latest published inspection dated 29 September 2022.