Kirklees / Kirklees 11+
High Street, Heckmondwike, WF16 0AH
Heckmondwike Grammar School
1
A selective co-educational grammar school in Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,468 pupils on roll.
At a glance
At a glance
A selective co-educational grammar school in Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,468 pupils on roll. Based in Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, the school serves boys and girls aged 11-18 and includes sixth-form study as part of the offer. Current published roll and admissions data point to around 1,468 pupils on roll and 210 Year 7 places.
Admissions are central to understanding whether this school is the right fit and realistic shortlist option. The current route includes FSCE, with 210 places available in Year 7 and demand that currently looks high by grammar-school standards. Catchment or distance rules still matter at allocation stage, so this is the kind of school where families need to read the admissions policy carefully rather than rely on headline scores alone.
Academically, the published picture is strong and easier to judge than reputation alone. The latest published Ofsted judgement is Good. Recent official performance measures show Progress 8 at 1 and Attainment 8 at 78.5. 99% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths in the latest stored GCSE figures. In the sixth form, 25.7% of entries were awarded AAB or better at A level. Destinations data also suggest strong progression after sixth form, with 67% moving into higher education.
Published school information highlights facilities such as Library. The wider offer currently includes Sport. For many parents, the presence of a sixth form is part of the attraction, because it gives able pupils the option to stay in a familiar academic setting through to A level. That mix of selective entry, published outcomes, and school life is what will matter most to families deciding whether Heckmondwike Grammar School belongs on a serious shortlist.
Creative writing is tested in this school's current 11+ assessment.
A weak creative writing piece can leave a child short of qualification. 11 Plus Writing Coach helps families build steadier practice and clearer feedback.
From our 11 Plus Writing Coach site
Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Kirklees and England.
Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Kirklees and England.
Latest 2024/25 Year 11 destination mix compared with Kirklees and England.
Parents must both register for the school entrance exam and rank Heckmondwike Grammar School on their home local authority application. Selective children whose EHCP names the school are considered first, then criteria 1 to 6 are applied, and only the remaining places go purely by exam rank.
The school gives separate priority to children living in the published catchment area and requires proof of residence. After the priority criteria are applied, remaining places are ranked by entrance-exam performance.
Looked-after and previously looked-after children
After any selective child whose EHCP names the school is admitted, first priority goes to selective looked-after and previously looked-after children, including children previously in state care outside England. Evidence of looked-after status must be provided at registration.
Pupil Premium
Next come selective children eligible for Pupil Premium. The school requires the evidence for this category by the published June document deadline.
Catchment area
Then come selective children living in the published catchment area. The relevant address is the child's permanent home on the date of the entrance exam, proof of residence is required, and an offer can be withdrawn if that residency evidence is not met.
Siblings
Then come selective applicants who will have a sibling, including in the sixth form, still on roll when they join the school.
Children of staff
Then come selective applicants with a parent employed by the school for at least two years at the time of the entrance exam, or recruited to a recognised skill-shortage post.
Music criterion
Up to 5% of offers can go to selective applicants with grade 2 or above in a solo music performance qualification from an Ofqual-regulated awarding body. If this category is oversubscribed, places go to the highest entrance-exam scores.
Heckmondwike uses the FSCE entrance exam. All written elements are taken on one day at the school, English and maths are age-standardised, and creative writing is marked only after a child has met the required standard on the first two papers.
This school uses the shared Yorkshire consortium route. The consortium page brings together the common test format, key dates and official papers used across that route.
Open Yorkshire guidePaper 1
English, Maths
English and maths papers
Multiple-choice and written-response English and maths questions that are computer-marked and age-standardised.
Paper 2
Creative Writing
Creative writing task
Creative writing is assessed for children who achieve an eligible score in the English and maths papers.
English, Maths and Creative writing are included in the published format.
Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning and Science are not listed in the current published format.
English
Maths
Creative writing
Included within the published English paper.
Verbal reasoning
Non-verbal reasoning
Science
Registration opens
11 May 2026
Registration closes
22 June 2026
Entrance exam
14 September 2026
Result update
17 October 2026
Local authority deadline
Normally 31 October
National Offer Day
Usually 1 March
Register online for the entrance exam
Complete the school's online registration form during the published May to June window for September 2027 entry.
Open application procedureSit the entrance exam
The school has published 14 September 2026 as the entrance-exam date for September 2027 entry.
Read about the examCheck whether the standard has been met
The school expects to publish results online on 17 October 2026.
Check key stepsSubmit the local authority application
Rank Heckmondwike Grammar School through your local authority before its deadline.
Read admissions arrangementsLatest 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 | 78.4 | 74.2 | 49.4 |
| 2022/23 | 77.1 | 71.8 | 47.0 |
| 2023/24 | 78.5 | 72.1 | 46.7 |
| 2024/25 | 80.2 | 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 (39.5 points) | 44.0 points | 37.5 points |
| 2022/23 | B- average (36.0 points) | 40.5 points | 33.7 points |
| 2023/24 | B average (40.2 points) | 41.3 points | 34.5 points |
| 2024/25 | B average (39.2 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 | 100% | 99.1% | 94.1% |
| 2022/23 | 99% | 98.9% | 93.9% |
| 2023/24 | 100% | 99.0% | 93.3% |
| 2024/25 | 97% | 97.8% | 91.4% |
Latest year breakdown
| In education | 95% |
|---|---|
| In apprenticeships | 1% |
Latest inspection: 6 April 2022
Local rivals first, then nearby alternatives that still fit the same shortlist-building context.
Nearby Yorkshire and the Humber option with a similar admissions route
Nearby Yorkshire and the Humber option with a similar admissions route
Same wider selective region with a comparable travel distance
Closest comparable alternatives with a similar academic profile, so parents can weigh local fit and results together.
Similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Best Grammar Schools in Kirklees
Compare the best grammar schools in Kirklees for the 2026 admissions cycle using published GCSE results, Ofsted, admissions routes, and practical local context. Much of Kirklees sits within the Yorkshire route, so shared testing still matters alongside each school's own admissions rules.
Best Grammar Schools in the UK
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Best Grammar Schools by A-level Results
Explore the best grammar schools by A-level results in the UK, ranked by the published share of students achieving AAB or better at A level.
Best Grammar Schools in Kirklees
Compare the best grammar schools in Kirklees for the 2026 admissions cycle using published GCSE results, Ofsted, admissions routes, and practical local context. Much of Kirklees sits within the Yorkshire route, so shared testing still matters alongside each school's own admissions rules.
Best Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking parents can filter by county, school type, and Ofsted. Useful for broad searches like top UK grammar schools, grammar school rankings, and 11+ school shortlists.
Best Grammar Schools by A-level Results
Explore the best grammar schools by A-level results in the UK, ranked by the published share of students achieving AAB or better at A level.
Related guides are still being added.
FAQ
Heckmondwike Grammar School currently uses FSCE.
1. Register online for the entrance exam: Complete the school's online registration form during the published May to June window for September 2027 entry. 2. Sit the entrance exam: The school has published 14 September 2026 as the entrance-exam date for September 2027 entry. 3. Check whether the standard has been met: The school expects to publish results online on 17 October 2026. 4. Submit the local authority application: Rank Heckmondwike Grammar School through your local authority before its deadline.
Registration opens: 11 May 2026. Registration closes: 22 June 2026. Entrance exam: 14 September 2026. Result update: 17 October 2026. Local authority deadline: Normally 31 October. National Offer Day: Usually 1 March
Heckmondwike Grammar School is currently rated Good following the latest published inspection dated 6 April 2022.