Welcome to Admissions

at Bradford Grammar School

Message from the Admissions Manager

‘Watching their nerves at entrance exam time melt away as they start to blossom and make new friends from day one is so rewarding.’

Karen Hewitt, Admissions Manager

Admissions

Karen Hewitt, Admissions Manager at Bradford Grammar School
Welcome to Bradford Grammar School’s admissions page.

The application process can feel to parents like going through a maze at times, and it’s my job as Admissions Manager to make that process as smooth as possible. I’ve been working at BGS for more than 20 years and I’ve helped hundreds of families find a place here with us. We’re a caring school and when your child joins us, they become part of the BGS family.

One of the highlights of my job is seeing the excitement and anticipation on the faces of our new students as they start their journey with us.

Watching their nerves at entrance exam time melt away as they start to blossom and make new friends from day one is so rewarding.

Our entrance exams are now much less formal and children spend a fun day with us.

We really get to know our families at BGS and we begin building those relationships from the beginning. We work very closely with staff at primary schools who know your child much better than us in the early stages.

For us, the admissions process is not just about paperwork and entrance exams.

When you’re choosing a school it’s important it’s the right fit for everyone, so a Bradford Grammar School Open Event is a great way for families to get to meet staff, find out more about BGS life and the fantastic facilities we have here, before applying to the school.

We encourage our parents to share any concerns they may have, however trivial they may think they are, and we’re here anytime, either by phone or email. If you can’t attend one of our open events and would like to visit the school please call me on 01274 553702 / 07976 985592 or email [email protected] and we’ll work around you.

Your Year 7 questions answered …

Having welcomed children to Bradford Grammar for years, Admissions Manager Karen Hewitt is used to answering parents’ questions at our Open Day events, via email and over the phone.
Here are eight of her most asked questions for Year 7 entries. If you have a question or two you can contact Karen directly at [email protected]

Exam results are important but they’re merely a starting point. We look at what a child can do in the entrance exam, identify their potential and look closely at their reference from their current Headteacher. We also take practical activities and assessments into consideration. Most importantly we want BGS to be the right ‘fit’ for each child.

It takes time to collate applications then split the children into groups by postcode, current school, friendship groups etc. The benefits are, if your child doesn’t know anyone, it’s very likely they will meet other boys and girls who live close to them, or who might attend the same sports or social clubs. It’s really important to us that we make all the children feel as relaxed and comfortable as possible on the day.

It’s really important that children build friendships and feel at ease on entrance exam day, which is why they’re spread over more than five days with children attending in class sized groups. The days of sitting very young people in long lines in a drafty hall is gone at BGS! Children will often meet and make friends at their entrance exam, meet these same children on the February Taster Days and then again at the Transition Day in July.

Our afternoon ‘assessments’ are fun, practical group activities led by our Head of Year 7, Emma Tomlinson, and Headmaster, Dr Simon Hinchliffe. We really get to know the children when we see them in a relaxed environment, which is why we don’t need to carry out ‘interviews’ after the entrance exams. Last year we had a group of children who didn’t want to go home … so we must be doing something right!

If your child doesn’t know anyone else who is sitting the entrance exam, please reassure them we will do everything we can to make them feel at ease. We will invite them in on a day when there are other children who live near them, go to school in the same area or who may attend a club or society close to your home.

All applications are read thoroughly and the information they contain is used to help us build a complete picture of your child before they sit their exam. We like to hear about their achievements, triumphs, interests and what makes them ‘tick’. Our future pupils should have a love of learning and want to embrace all that the school has to offer, whether that be through performing arts, sport, volunteering and various clubs and societies like debating.

Specimen questions are available for the January exams, on request. These give children the chance to look at how the exam is structured, what type of questions might crop up and the timings of the different elements to the exam. We tell children to do the very best they can and have a go. If they don’t know the answer, they should simply leave it and move on. We advise parents not to add to their pressure by giving last minute instructions. Trust your child!

Parents send their children to BGS to access the first-class education on offer. It’s true that our children achieve great results, but there is much more to a rich, inspiring and balanced education than exam success alone. We encourage pupils to access the full range of extra-curricular opportunities on offer and promoting a healthy lifestyle is vital. Our outstanding pastoral team, which includes a school counsellor and peer-to-peer support, is here for each pupil. Promoting wellbeing is key and this, coupled with first class academic teaching, enables our children to achieve highly, in and out of the classroom, and be the very best versions of themselves.

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