A selective girls grammar school in Skipton, North Yorkshire, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 855 pupils on roll.
Skipton Girls' High School
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At a glance
Skipton Girls' High School is an 11 to 18 selective girls' grammar school serving Skipton, Craven and a wider cross-border area that includes parts of Bradford, North Yorkshire, Lancashire and beyond. The school describes a community of about 900 and presents itself as both historic and innovative: it marks 125 years of girls' education, traces its story from Skipton Girls' Endowed School in 1886 to Skipton Girls' High School in 2011, and places traditional buildings alongside a state-of-the-art STEM centre.
The academic message is high aspiration with a human tone. The school says its curriculum blends academic rigour, creativity and curiosity, while its vision and values are organised around Care, Community, Curriculum and Cultivation. Sixth form is comprehensive rather than selective, with students joining from more than 20 schools across the region, and the school has a longstanding partnership with Ermysted's Grammar School that widens the post-16 study offer. EPQ appears in the examinations information, and the sixth-form pages stress independent study, leadership and personalised support.
SGHS gives a good account of everyday school life. The house system includes sporting, music, arts, academic and co-curricular competitions, and sixth formers have their own building with a cafe, social spaces and independent-study areas. Student leadership is prominent, with roles such as House Captain, Head of House, Deputy Head Girls and Head Girl, and the headteacher's welcome explicitly links the school's setting and facilities with a pioneering, trailblazing tradition.
Year 7 admission has 120 places and is selective through school-run tests in English and mathematics. The current policy gives priority, after suitability in selection testing, to looked-after and previously looked-after girls, then pupil-premium or Universal Credit applicants, then the Priority Area and finally applicants outside the Priority Area, with distance as the tie-break. Official benchmarks record Ofsted Good with outstanding behaviour and values, +0.45 Progress 8, 98.3% grade 5+ in English and maths, and 21% 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 855 pupils; 851 had a recorded ethnic group.
| Recorded group | Share | Category | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| White British | 62.2% | White | 532 |
| Pakistani | 22.5% | Asian | 192 |
| Indian | 4.3% | Asian | 37 |
| Any other White background | 2.1% | White | 18 |
| White and Asian | 1.8% | Mixed | 15 |
| Bangladeshi | 1.5% | Asian | 13 |
| Any other Asian background | 1.3% | Asian | 11 |
| Chinese | 1.1% | Asian | 9 |
| Any other mixed background | 0.9% | Mixed | 8 |
| Any other ethnic group | 0.6% | Other | 5 |
| Unclassified | 0.5% | Unclassified | 4 |
| African | 0.4% | Black | 3 |
| Irish | 0.4% | White | 3 |
| White and Black African | 0.4% | Mixed | 3 |
| Any other Black background | 0.2% | Black | 2 |
Entry is through school selection tests in mathematics and English. The school gives priority to eligible applicants in its Priority Area after statutory and pupil premium/Universal Credit categories.
The school prioritises girls living in its Priority Area after statutory and pupil premium/Universal Credit categories. Girls outside the area can still be considered.
Looked after and previously looked after girls
Girls deemed suitable in selection testing who meet the statutory looked-after or previously-looked-after definition.
Pupil premium or Universal Credit
Girls registered as pupil premium or whose families are in receipt of Universal Credit at application.
Priority Area
Girls living within the school's Priority Area who have been deemed suitable.
Outside Priority Area
Girls living outside the Priority Area who have been deemed suitable.
Distance tie-break
If a priority group is oversubscribed, places go to those living nearest the school by straight-line distance.
Skipton Girls' High School currently uses FSCE. The published format currently lists 1 paper. Scores are published as age-standardised.
Shared exam route
Skipton Girls' High 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 entrance test
English and maths assessment with multiple-choice and written-response questions.
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
1 May 2026
PastOpen evening
9 July 2026
6.00pm to 8.00pm.
Registration closes
19 August 2026
The online form must be submitted by midnight.
Selection testing
26 September 2026
Testing runs from 9.30am to approximately 12.15pm.
Extenuating circumstances deadline
30 September 2026
Notify the school in writing by 4.00pm.
Test results sent
19 October 2026
Common application deadline
31 October 2026
National Offer Day
1 March 2027
Check the 2027 admissions rules
Check the PAN, Priority Area and oversubscription order.
Read policyRegister for selection testing
Submit the online registration form by midnight on 19 August 2026.
View bookletSit the selection tests
Selection testing takes place at Skipton Girls' High School on 26 September 2026.
View test informationSubmit the local authority application
Submit the relevant local authority common application by 31 October 2026.
View timelineLatest 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 | 70.4 | 74.2 | 49.4 |
| 2022/23 | 68.7 | 71.8 | 47.0 |
| 2023/24 | 66.9 | 72.1 | 46.7 |
| 2024/25 | 69.7 | 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 (42.5 points) | 44.0 points | 37.5 points |
| 2022/23 | B average (39.4 points) | 40.5 points | 33.7 points |
| 2023/24 | B- average (38.0 points) | 41.3 points | 34.5 points |
| 2024/25 | B- average (37.9 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 | 98% | 98.9% | 93.9% |
| 2023/24 | 100% | 99.0% | 93.3% |
| 2024/25 | 100% | 98.7% | 91.8% |
Latest year breakdown
| In education | 100% |
|---|---|
| In apprenticeships | 0% |
| In employment | 0% |
Latest inspection: 22 September 2022
Closest comparable alternatives with a similar academic profile, so parents can weigh local fit and results together.
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Best Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking that can be filtered by county, school type, and Ofsted before moving into local admissions detail.
Best Grammar Schools by A-level Results
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Related guides are still being added.
FAQ
Skipton Girls' High School currently uses FSCE.
1. Check the 2027 admissions rules: Check the PAN, Priority Area and oversubscription order. 2. Register for selection testing: Submit the online registration form by midnight on 19 August 2026. 3. Sit the selection tests: Selection testing takes place at Skipton Girls' High School on 26 September 2026. 4. Submit the local authority application: Submit the relevant local authority common application by 31 October 2026.
Registration opens: 1 May 2026. Open evening: 9 July 2026. Registration closes: 19 August 2026. Selection testing: 26 September 2026. Extenuating circumstances deadline: 30 September 2026. Test results sent: 19 October 2026. Common application deadline: 31 October 2026. National Offer Day: 1 March 2027
Skipton Girls' High School is currently rated Good following the latest published inspection dated 22 September 2022.