Grammar Schools in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire's three grammar schools sit at opposite ends of a large county and share nothing. Only Ripon runs through the council. Two of the three changed something material for this round, so anything written before mid-2026 is now misleading.
Test
Three separate tests - Ripon's is run by the council, the two Skipton schools run their own
Provider (2027 entry)
GL Assessment (Ripon); FSCE (Ermysted's, Skipton Girls')
Test date
Ripon: Saturday 12 September 2026. Ermysted's: Saturday 26 September 2026. Skipton Girls': not published
Registration
Closed for 2027 entry: Ripon 30 June, Ermysted's midday 31 August 2026. Skipton Girls' has closed but publishes no dates
What families in North Yorkshire need to know
- Ripon's test changed for this sitting. It is now a verbal skills paper of 45 minutes, mixing Key Stage 2 reading comprehension and spelling with verbal reasoning, and a 40-minute non-verbal reasoning paper with maths folded into it. A child prepared on last year's format would practise the wrong thing. GL Assessment still writes and marks it.
- Ermysted's moved from GL Assessment to FSCE for testing from September 2026, in the school's own words. Older guides naming GL are out of date.
- Ermysted's and Skipton Girls' are both in Skipton and both now use FSCE, but they are separate tests with separate registrations and separate results.
- Ripon is the only school here with boarding at 11 - 14 of its 117 places are reserved for boarders - and the only one running scheduled late tests through the following year.
- Skipton Girls' does not publish its main sitting date. Its site lists provisional testing dates through 2026 and 2027, but those are in-year and additional tests, not the Year 7 sitting. Contact the school rather than working from them.
- Neither Ermysted's nor Ripon publishes a numerical pass mark in advance; the required standard is set once the cohort's papers are in.
The 3 grammar schools in North Yorkshire
Admissions details change year to year. Always confirm dates and criteria on the school's own admissions page before applying.
Ermysted's Grammar School
Skipton, North YorkshireRipon Grammar School
Ripon, North YorkshireSkipton Girls' High School
Skipton, North Yorkshire
Checked against council and school admissions sources on 1 September 2026
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