Exam format not yet verified. We have not confirmed this school's exam board or paper format from an official source. Where this guide describes the test, treat it as a working assumption and check the school's admissions page before relying on it.
The exam at a glance
For September 2028 entry, our working assumption, not yet verified with the school, is that Al Islah Girls' High School uses the school’s own paper, in a GL-style format covering Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. The safest preparation approach is balanced practice across all four subjects, with steady work on accuracy as well as speed.
The school website clearly states that admissions are open and that entrance tests form part of the process, but the detailed 2028 test arrangements have not yet been published on the pages available at the time of writing. That means parents should avoid assuming the exact room set-up, section order or whether the paper is delivered fully on paper or in another format until the school confirms it for the relevant year.
In practical terms, children preparing for this type of test should expect:
- Timed sections rather than one long untimed paper.
- A mix of core curriculum and reasoning skills.
- Careful instructions at the start of each section.
- A competitive but manageable pace, where secure basics matter more than rushing.
What the day usually looks like at schools using their own 11+ style assessment is a short arrival window, registration, exam seating, one or more test sections, and collection afterwards. However, because Al Islah Girls' High School has not yet published the detailed running order for 2028 entry, parents should treat that as general guidance only and check the school’s admissions information closer to the time.
Registration and key dates
Al Islah Girls' High School appears to handle admissions directly through the school rather than through a local authority grammar-school testing system. The school website includes an Admissions area and also states on its homepage that applications are open for current intake years. At the time of writing, however, we did not find a published 2028-specific registration window, entrance test date or results date.
What parents can say with confidence is:
- The school is currently inviting applications through its own website.
- The website refers to admissions for September 2026–2027 and says there are very limited spaces for the September 2026 intake.
- No verified 2028 deadline or exam date was published on the pages reviewed.
So for a child sitting in autumn 2027 for Year 7 entry in September 2028, the sensible plan is to monitor the school’s website from spring and summer 2027 onwards and contact the school directly if dates are still not live by the end of the summer term.
When dates are not yet published, it helps to prepare the paperwork early. Parents commonly need:
- the child’s basic details
- parent or carer contact details
- current school details
- proof of address or identity, if requested
- any supporting admissions forms the school asks for
To keep track of updates, you can use Free email alerts for this school's key dates. You can also bookmark The Al Islah Girls' High School 11+ guide (format, catchment, dates) and check the school website regularly.
Who can apply: catchment and admissions
Al Islah Girls' High School is an independent girls’ school in Blackburn. Because it is independent, the admissions process is not the same as applying for a state grammar school through a council’s secondary transfer system.
From the school pages reviewed, we could confirm that:
- it is a girls’ high school
- the school’s address is 108 Audley Range, Blackburn, Lancashire BB1 1TF
- the school is currently advertising admissions and applications
We did not find a published catchment area, published oversubscription criteria, a confirmed number of Year 7 places, or a published score threshold for entry on the sources reviewed. If you need those details, check the school’s admissions page directly and ask the school for the current admissions policy for the 2028 intake.
Because independent schools can change the way they handle places, interviews, assessments and waiting lists from year to year, it is especially important not to rely on forum posts or old social media comments. Go back to the school’s own admissions information each term as your child moves through Year 5 and into Year 6.
A month-by-month preparation plan
For a child aiming to sit the test in autumn 2027, the most useful preparation is steady and calm. There is no need to turn Year 5 into constant exam practice. A consistent routine works better.
January to March of Year 5
Focus on building the basics. Around 1 to 2 hours a week in short sessions is enough at this stage.
- Check arithmetic fluency: number bonds, times tables, written methods and fractions basics.
- Read widely and discuss vocabulary every day.
- Introduce light Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning work so the question styles do not feel unfamiliar later.
- Keep a notebook of new words, spellings and tricky maths methods.
April to June of Year 5
Increase gently to about 2 to 3 hours a week.
- Begin working across all four subjects each fortnight.
- Add short timed drills, such as ten-minute maths sets or brief reasoning sections.
- Build accuracy first: children should learn to spot careless mistakes and correct them.
- Use one unfamiliar text each week for comprehension and vocabulary work.
July to August before Year 6
This is the point to become more structured, but still not intense. Around 3 to 4 hours a week is realistic for most children.
- Start mixing topics, because entrance tests rarely separate skills neatly.
- Practise switching from English to maths to reasoning.
- Try the first timed paper sections, but not too many at once.
- Review technique: underlining key information, checking answers, and moving on sensibly if stuck.
September of Year 6
If the exam is scheduled in the autumn, this is the time for focused consolidation. Around 4 to 5 hours a week is usually enough, split over several days.
- Use timed papers in realistic conditions.
- Keep corrections detailed: ask why an answer was wrong, not just what the right answer was.
- Revise weak areas in small bursts between full papers.
- Practise bubbling in answers or clear answer-recording if the school confirms that format.
The final two to three weeks
Do not cram. Keep things steady.
- One or two full practice runs each week are plenty.
- Prioritise sleep, routine and confidence.
- Reduce brand-new material.
- Keep a short checklist of common errors, such as missed negatives, skipped words or untidy workings.
As a rule of thumb, timed papers are most useful after a child has first learned the question types. Starting them too early can knock confidence and teach rushing rather than good habits.
Subject by subject: what to practise
Maths
For a GL-style maths paper, children need secure Key Stage 2 knowledge and the ability to work accurately under time pressure. Practise arithmetic fluency, fractions, decimals, percentages, ratio basics, measures, perimeter, area, averages, simple algebraic thinking and multi-step word problems.
Good maths practice includes:
- fast recall of number facts
- short daily arithmetic
- word problems with key information highlighted
- checking whether an answer is sensible
- working neatly enough to review mistakes afterwards
English
English preparation should cover both comprehension and language accuracy. Children often need to read a passage carefully, infer meaning, understand vocabulary in context and identify the writer’s meaning or tone. SPaG-style accuracy may also matter depending on how the school structures its own paper.
Useful practice includes:
- reading fiction and non-fiction every week
- summarising paragraphs in one sentence
- learning precise vocabulary, synonyms and antonyms
- spotting evidence in the text before answering
- regular spelling, punctuation and grammar revision
Verbal Reasoning
GL-style Verbal Reasoning typically rewards pattern recognition in language, careful reading and strong vocabulary. Children should get used to common task types such as word relationships, codes, letter sequences, vocabulary links and logical language patterns.
The best way to prepare is to:
- build vocabulary steadily rather than cramming lists
- learn the rules for each question type one by one
- practise timing only after the method is secure
- keep an error log of recurring traps
Non-Verbal Reasoning
Non-Verbal Reasoning is about visual patterns and transformations. Children may need to identify rotations, reflections, shape changes, codes, similarities, differences and sequence rules.
Effective practice includes:
- learning the common pattern families
- talking through what changes from box to box
- watching for more than one rule at once
- using short, regular sessions to improve speed without panic
Across all four subjects, the goal is not just to complete more questions. It is to build a calm routine: understand the method, answer accurately, then increase pace gradually.
Practice papers and mock exams
Practice papers are most helpful when they are used as a learning tool rather than as a weekly test score. Start with short sections by subject, then move to mixed timed practice once your child knows the main question types.
A sensible pattern is:
- learn the method
- practise a few questions untimed
- try a short timed set
- review every error carefully
- repeat the weak area a few days later
For this school, use balanced preparation across Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. You can start with Free Al Islah Girls' High School practice papers (one per tested subject, with answers). For wider admissions information, keep The Al Islah Girls' High School 11+ guide (format, catchment, dates) handy as dates are confirmed.
If you use mock exams, choose them carefully. A mock is useful when a child already knows the question styles and needs practice with timing, stamina and nerves. It is less useful very early on, when a poor score can simply reflect unfamiliarity. One or two well-timed mocks are usually enough for most children.
After every paper, ask:
- Were the mistakes caused by knowledge gaps or rushing?
- Which question types took too long?
- Did my child read the instructions properly?
- Is there a pattern, such as vocabulary weakness or careless arithmetic?
That review stage is where most improvement happens.
On the day
The best exam-day approach is calm and practical. Children do not need a pep talk about how important everything is. They need a familiar routine and the sense that this is simply their chance to show what they know.
- Get everything ready the night before, including travel plans.
- Aim for a normal breakfast your child likes and tolerates well.
- Leave early so small delays do not raise anxiety.
- Remind your child to listen carefully to instructions before each section.
- If a question looks hard, they should move on and come back if there is time.
- Encourage steady working rather than racing.
On the morning itself, keep conversation light. It helps to say things like, “Read carefully, try your best, and move on if one question is awkward.” That is usually much more helpful than repeated reminders about the outcome.
Because the school has not yet published 2028-specific test-day instructions on the sources reviewed, check directly with Al Islah Girls' High School nearer the exam for arrival time, permitted equipment and collection arrangements.
After the exam: results, allocation and appeals
At the time of writing, we did not find a published results timeline for Al Islah Girls' High School’s entrance test for the 2028 intake. As an independent school, it is likely that the school communicates outcomes directly to families, rather than through a local authority national offer process used by state secondary schools, but parents should confirm the exact process with the school.
In general, the sequence is usually:
- your child sits the entrance assessment
- the school reviews test performance and any other parts of its admissions process
- families are told whether a place can be offered, held on a waiting list, or not offered
- if applicable, the school explains next steps for acceptance
If a place is not offered, ask politely whether there is a waiting list, whether feedback is available, and whether there is a formal review or appeal route under the school’s admissions arrangements. Independent schools do not always follow the same appeal structure as state schools, so it is important to use the school’s own policy rather than general advice from grammar-school forums.
What has changed recently
From the sources reviewed, the clearest recent published update is on the school’s own website: the homepage says that applications are now open for September 2026 and refers to admissions for September 2026–2027, adding that there are very limited spaces for September 2026 intake. We did not find any officially announced recent change to the exam board, catchment, published places or test format beyond ElevenReady’s directory (not yet verified with the school) that preparation should cover Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning in a GL-style school paper format.
Frequently asked questions
Does Al Islah Girls' High School use the 11+?
For 2028 entry, our working assumption, not yet verified with the school, is that the school uses its own entrance paper in a GL-style format covering Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning.
When is the Al Islah Girls' High School entrance exam for 2028 entry?
We did not find a published 2028 exam date on the sources reviewed. Check the school website regularly and contact the school directly for the confirmed autumn 2027 date.
Is there a catchment area for Al Islah Girls' High School?
We did not find a published catchment policy on the sources reviewed. As this is an independent school, ask the school directly for its current admissions policy and any priority rules.
How early should my child start preparing?
For an autumn Year 6 exam, many children do well starting light preparation in Year 5 and building gradually. Short, regular practice is usually better than intensive cramming.
What should my child practise most?
Prepare evenly across Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. For most children, the biggest gains come from secure basics, vocabulary growth and careful timed practice later on.
Where can I get practice papers for this school?
You can use ElevenReady’s free papers here: /schools/al-islah-girls-high-school-mock-tests. There is one paper per tested subject, with answers.
Sources
- Al Islah Girls' High School website: School name, school type as a girls' high school, address at 108 Audley Range Blackburn Lancashire BB1 1TF, homepage notices saying applications now open, admissions for September 2026–2027, and very limited spaces for September 2026 intake.
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Written by ElevenReady from the school's published information and reviewed by a person before publishing. Last reviewed 4 October 2026. Exam arrangements change. Check the school's admissions page for the current year.