What is a GL Assessment and which school use it?

GL Assessment explained

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What is a GL Assessment and what does GL mean?

When looking into the 11+ exam, you may well come across the term 'GL Assessment' and wonder what this actually is.

GL Assessment is the name of one of the exam providers in the UK for the 11+ exams, with most local authorities choosing the GL Assessment format for their 11+ exam paper. 'GL' is an abbreviation of 'Granada Learning'.

Is GL the 11+ exam provider for all of the UK?

No. Like other key exams there are a small number of exam providers used by local authorities. Other exam providers in the UK include the 'Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring' (CEM).

Among others, both the Warwickshire and Birmingham (West Midlands) 11+ grammar exams use GL Assessment as their exam provider. This change was made in 2023 with the 2023 exam being the first paper sat by students using GL Assessment, as previously CEM had been the long standing exam board for these two local authorities.

Many grammar school opt for this exam format. Here is a comprehensive list:

Alcester Grammar School

Aylesbury Grammar School

Aylesbury High School

Barton Court Grammar School

Beaconsfield High School

Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School

Borden Grammar School

Boston Grammar School, Boston

Boston High School 

Bourne Grammar School, Bourne

Bournemouth School

Bournemouth School for Girls 

Burnham Grammar School

Calday Grange Grammar School 

Carre’s Grammar School, Sleaford

Chatham & Clarendon Grammar School

Chesham Grammar School

Clitheroe Royal Grammar School 

Cranbrook School

Crossley Heath Grammar

Dame Alice Owen’s School

Dane Court Grammar School

Dartford Grammar School

Dartford Grammar School for Girls

Devonport High School for Boys

Devonport High School for Girls

Dover Grammar School for Boys

Dover Grammar School for Girls

Dr. Challoner’s High School

Dr. Challoner’s Grammar School

Ermysted’s Grammar School

Gravesend Grammar School

Handsworth Grammar School for Boys

Henrietta Barnett School

Highsted School

Highworth Grammar School

Invicta Grammar School

John Hampden Grammar School

Kesteven and Grantham Girls’ School, Grantham

Kesteven and Sleaford High School, Sleaford

King Edward VI Aston School

King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys

King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls

King Edward VI Five Ways School

King Edward VI Grammar School, Louth

King Edward VI Handsworth School

King Edward VI School, Stratford-upon-Avon

Lancaster Girls’ Grammar School

Lancaster Royal Grammar School

Lawrence Sheriff School

Loreto Grammar School

Maidstone Grammar School

Maidstone Grammar School for Girls

Mayfield Grammar School

Newstead Wood School

Oakwood Park Grammar School

Parkstone Grammar School, Poole

Parmiter’s School

Plymouth High School for Girls

Poole Grammar School

Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School, Alford

Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School, Horncastle

Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School for Boys

Queen Elizabeth’s High School, Gainsborough

Queens’ School

Rickmansworth School

Ripon Grammar School

Royal Grammar School High Wycombe

Rugby High School for Girls, Rugby

Simon Langton Girls’ Grammar School

Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys

Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School

Sir Roger Manwood’s School

Sir William Borlase School

Skegness Grammar School

Skipton Girls’ High School

South Wilts Grammar School for Girls

Spalding Grammar School

Spalding High School

St. Joseph’s College

St. Michael’s Catholic Grammar School

St. Clement Danes School

Stratford-upon-Avon Grammar School for Girls

Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls

The Folkestone School for Girls

The Harvey Grammar School

The Judd School

The King’s School, Grantham 

The Latymer School, Edmonton

The North Halifax Grammar School

The Norton Knatchbull School

The Royal Latin School

The Skinners’ School

Tonbridge Grammar School

Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School

Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys

Upton Hall School

Watford Grammar School for Boys

Watford Grammar School for Girls

Weald of Kent Grammar School

West Kirby Grammar School

Wilmington Grammar School for Boys

Wilmington Grammar School for Girls

Wirral Grammar School

Wirral Grammar School for Girls

Wycombe High School

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What does the GL Assessment mean for students taking the exam?

Students taking their 11+ exam in local authorities that use the GL Assessment should ideally make sure that any revision materials they use are in the GL Assessment style. Most revision materials/books make it clear on the front cover which exam provider the questions are designed for. This will allow them to be familiar and confident in the question types and paper layout on exam day.

A student generally revision for the 11+ skills would still be well prepared for the exam, even if they had not used materials specifically for their local authority exam provider. However, by researching the exam provider and choosing practice materials based on this, you can ensure that a learner will be comfortable with the look of the paper, wording and format of the questions.

All of these aspects can have a positive impact of a student's exam performance.

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GL Assessment:

For details about tutor support for students using the GL Assessment for the 11+ Warwickshire or 11+ Birmingham grammar exam, take a look at my 11+ tuition courses page.