Complete guide to Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Penrith — the only selective grammar school in Cumbria and the northernmost grammar school in England. School details, the FSCE 11 Plus test, address, and preparation advice.
Cumbria has just one selective grammar school — Queen Elizabeth Grammar School (QEGS) in Penrith, founded in 1564 by Royal Charter of Elizabeth I. It is the northernmost grammar school in England and the only selective state school in the former county of Cumbria (now Westmorland and Furness Council area).
Despite their names, Appleby Grammar School and Kirkby Stephen Grammar School are comprehensive (non-selective) schools that became non-selective in 1959. There are no grammar schools in Carlisle, Kendal, Barrow-in-Furness, or any other Cumbrian town.
The entrance test has recently switched from GL Assessment to the FSCE (Future Stories Community Enterprise) provider. The new test covers a broader range of subjects from the KS2 curriculum with three papers: Adventure, Beacon, and Compass. The FSCE deliberately avoids publishing past papers and changes its format annually to reduce the advantage of intensive tutoring.
The only selective grammar school in Cumbria, with detailed admissions information for 11 Plus families.
Founded in 1564 by Royal Charter, QEGS Penrith is a co-educational grammar school and part of the Changing Lives Learning Trust. It offers 160 Year 7 places through the FSCE entrance test with three papers: Adventure, Beacon, and Compass — covering a broad range of KS2 curriculum subjects including English, Maths, Science, Geography, History, and more. Oversubscription criteria prioritise looked-after children, siblings, then up to 10 Pupil Premium places. 32 places (20%) are awarded purely by ranked test score regardless of address. Remaining places go to catchment area residents by score, then all other qualifying applicants by distance. A defined catchment area centred on Penrith applies.
QEGS has switched from GL Assessment to FSCE for 2027 entry onwards. The new test covers a broader range of KS2 subjects and is designed to reduce the advantage of intensive tutoring.
Subjects covered include: English, Maths, Science, Geography, History, Art & Design, Computing, Design & Technology, Languages, Music, and PE. Content is drawn from the KS2 curriculum up to end of Year 5.
Eleven Ace offers personalised 1:1 live online tuition, small 4-student batch classes, and realistic mock exams — covering English, Mathematics, and the broader KS2 subjects tested in the QEGS Penrith FSCE entrance exam.
Find out exactly where your child stands with a FREE subject-wise diagnostic assessment from Eleven Ace. We test each subject separately so you get a clear picture of strengths and areas to improve — tailored to the Cumbria 11 Plus FSCE test format.
External tuition management platform for scheduling, calendar, and live classes.
Year 3-5 students: Mock exams, live classes, assessments & question bank access.
Access all free and paid courses, learning materials & comprehensive resources.