Schools near Skelmersdale

Primary schools: Lancashire's own term is 'Geographical Priority Area' (GPA) — a criterion for community/VC schools; academies/VA/foundation schools set their own arrangements. (source)

Most schools use the local authority's default scheme rather than a school-specific catchment map — see each school's page for its own designated/catchment area where one is published.

There is no shared Lancashire 11+ — each school sets its own exam, and formats/providers differ and have changed recently, so always check the school's own admissions page for the current year. As of the 2026 test round: - Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School — GL Assessment-style multiple-choice papers (maths, English, verbal reasoning). - Clitheroe Royal Grammar School — moved to FSCE (Future Stories Community Enterprise) papers: Paper 1 English & maths multiple-choice, Paper 2 English & maths short written answers. - Lancaster Girls' Grammar School — FSCE papers. - Lancaster Royal Grammar School — GL Assessment-style papers (maths, English, verbal reasoning). Because providers differ, practice material for one Lancashire school may not match another's format — and a child applying to schools in both Clitheroe/Lancaster and the Bacup area may face two different exam styles.

Lancashire has NO county-wide 11+ — each of its four grammar schools (Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School, Clitheroe Royal Grammar School, Lancaster Girls' Grammar School, Lancaster Royal Grammar School) runs its own entrance exam with its own registration process and deadline, direct with the school. Applying to more than one can mean sitting more than one test. All four schools accept registrations from children living outside Lancashire — the schools draw from wide areas (Greater Manchester, Yorkshire, Cumbria). Lancaster Royal Grammar School also has boarding places, which widens its intake further. Register with each school directly (deadlines vary by school — check each school's admissions page in Year 5), then apply via your home LA's Common Application Form by 31 October. Check each school's oversubscription criteria for distance/priority-area effects.