At a Glance
Assessment: GL 11 Plus
Fees Type: Free
Boarding: Day school
Admissions: Mixed Boys and Girls
Places per year: 60
Introduction
The Spires College is a co-educational and bi-lateral school with 60 selective places offered within its 210 intake for year 7. The school provides students with a broad education, across a breadth of subjects, setting them a solid foundation for their future career. The school also boasts a successful Sixth Form, which many of the secondary students progress to.
Making comparisons between fully selective grammar schools and bi-lateral schools like the Spires College is difficult as the statistics represent both the selective stream and non-selective stream as a whole. The Spires College scores below the national average in attainment at GCSE, with only 29% of students achieving a grade 5 in English and Maths. However, 95% of students taking their GCSEs stay in education or enter into employment after finishing their examinations. The school also has an ‘average’ Progress 8 score, meaning that students make approximately as much progress towards their KS4 targets as children attending the average school in the UK who entered year 7 with similar Key Stage 2 results. The adjoining Sixth Form offers a breadth of subjects to students who continue to A-level study.
The Spires College is not as competitive as the other selective schools under Torbay Council, as it has a selective and nonselective intake. Students are deemed eligible for the 60 place selective intake based on their performance in the Torbay Council 11+. Following a recent change from CEM, this entrance test will be coordinated by the GL Assessment exam board for the Year 7 intake in 2024. It assesses a student’s competency in Maths and English. The 11+ is designed to push candidates beyond their Key Stage 2 education. Our resources with 11 Plus Hero help prepare your child for this GL 11+, providing them with a toolkit to have the best chance to succeed. We also provide information to help guide yourself and your child through the admissions process, so that you and your child can confidently and competently apply to The Spires College.
The Spires College Key Information
In this section, we keep information regarding The Spires College, including addresses, contact details and parking arrangements to help prospective students and their parents.
School Address
Full Address:
The Spires CollegeWestlands Lane
Torquay
Devon
TQ1 3PE
Contact Information
Parking in the school
- There is little parking available on site at The Spires Collegel. It’s recommended to park on adjacent roads to the school, as alternative parking venues are over half an hour away.
Additional parking off site
- Plainmoor Swimming Pool, Westlands Lane, Torquay, TQ1 3QP (Opening Times: Mon-Sun All Day)
- St Marychurch, Hampton Avenue, Torquay TQ1 3LA (Opening Times: All Day)
Additional parking off site
- Plainmoor Swimming Pool, Westlands Lane, Torquay, TQ1 3QP (Opening Times: Mon-Sun All Day)
- St Marychurch, Hampton Avenue, Torquay TQ1 3LA (Opening Times: All Day)
Key Information for The Spires College
PAN* for Year 7 intake (2023)
Total Student Capacity Years 7 to 13 (2022)
Total Students Years 7 to 13 (2022)
Percentage Capacity (2022)
Latest Ofsted Rating (2017)
Selection Test
The Spires College Key Dates and Application Information
Under this section, we outline key deadlines in regard to the application and admissions process of the school, to ensure prospective students and parents are up to date.
Deadline for receipt of the Registration Form by the school
Open Mornings:
Open Evening
Test Date:
Results Date and guidance sent out to parents:
Common Application Form Deadline (school preferences must be finalised by this date):
Admissions Panel meet to determine rank order of candidates:
School Offer
Application Documents for The Spires College
Here, we list several links containing specific information for the application and admissions process to Churston Ferrers Grammar School. Please use these for further information into the process.
The Spires College 11+ Exam Format
Along with all the grammar schools under Torbay Council, prospective students will be tested for 2024 entry to Year 7 at The Spires College using a GL11+ examination. This is a recent change from the previous CEM 11 Plus exam following CEM’s withdrawal. It is a multiple choice assessment made up of two papers. These papers will test English and Mathematics. The tests are designed to reflect natural ability of the level which has been taught at KS2 throughout the country. Administered and marked by the GL Assessment exam board, the content and format of the 11+ can seem unfamiliar to children and revision in the face of uncertainty can be a daunting process. At 11+ Hero, we are accustomed to GL Assessment as well as the 11+ application and admissions process. We can provide a specialist set of tools to help your child do the best they can to succeed.
The Spires College 11+: Overview
The Torbay Council Grammar Schools Entrance Test consists of two papers, each expected to last around 50-60 minutes as is the standard for GL Assessment Exams. They are likely to be both multiple choice, one in English and one in Maths. The common format is that Question Booklets will be provided with separate Answer Sheets. The test is issued, marked and governed by the GL Assessment exam board. For an in depth breakdown of this 11+, please visit our article – ‘Selective Tests in Torbay – the GL 11+ Test’.
Paper One
An English Test at Key Stage 2 National Curriculum level.
Paper Two
An Maths Test at Key Stage 2 National Curriculum level.
The Torbay Council Grammar Schools GL 11+ - GL 11 Plus Assessment Criteria
| English | Maths | Verbal Reasoning | Non-Verbal Reasoning | Additional |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Pass Mark
The Spires College GL 11 Plus Test: Pass Criteria
There is no set passing mark for admission to The Spires College to one of the 60 selective places at the school. The Spires College takes the results from both papers and statistically standardises them, including making an adjustment for any disadvantages based on the age of students taking the test, to create a total score. Children are then placed in rank orer of their scores and offers are made based on this rank order. A higher mark will therefore give a student a better chance of attaining one of the 60 selective places at the school. For more information please see our article ‘Selective Tests in Torbay – GL 11 Plus”.
Pass Mark
The Spires College GL 11 Plus Test: Pass Criteria
There is no set passing mark for admission to The Spires College to one of the 60 selective places at the school. The Spires College takes the results from both papers and statistically standardises them, including making an adjustment for any disadvantages based on the age of students taking the test, to create a total score. Children are then placed in rank orer of their scores and offers are made based on this rank order. A higher mark will therefore give a student a better chance of attaining one of the 60 selective places at the school. For more information please see our article ‘Selective Tests in Torbay – GL 11 Plus”.
Catchment Area
The catchment area for The Spires College is contained in the schools 2023 admission policy. It is referred to as the ‘designated area’. Applications for admission will be prioritised if the child resides in the ‘designated area’, according to the oversubscription criteria (detailed below).
Designated area:
- A map of the designated area is contained in the school’s 2023 admission policy.
- The designated area borders the sea, Lymington Road and Teignmouth Road. The border then continues to the end of Easterfield Close and then due East to the sea. The designated area is inside these border lines.
Additional Eligibility
Children are ranked based on their standardised score in the 11+ test and are categorised based on this. If there are more applications available than places, the applications will be prioritised in the following order, in conjunction with rank order of standardised test score.
- Looked After Children or previously Looked After Children;
- Children of members of staff;
- Children with a sibling already on roll of the school, at the time of when the application is received;
- Other children whose home address is inside the designated area;
- Other children whose home address is outside the designated area.
Tie Break:
Where two or more children achieve the same total score and are of equal ranking comparative with the rankings outlined above, children who live closest to the school will be prioritised in straight line distance order from the child’s home address.Please note, the admissions policy and its criteria is long and complex. To understand the policy in further detail or the category your child falls into please see the Admission Policy which can be found in the Application Documents section.
The Spires College FAQs
- For gain admission eligibility to one of the 60 selective places offered by the Spires College children must score highest in their years cohort rather than achieve a certain grade. This is because places are awarded by ranking students in order of their scores in the GL 11 Plus Test and admitting the highest scorers with priority. For more details see the Pass Mark section.
The 11+ test used by The Spires College is issued and governed by the GL Assessment exam board. This GL 11 Plus tests a child’s competence in Maths and English. For more details see the Exam Format section.
The GL Assessment exam board hosts Familiarisation Materials on their website. These can be found in the Application Documents section.
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