Pictures: More than 400 boys turn up for Shropshire grammar school entrance exam
[gallery] More than 400 nervous boys as young as 10 were invited to take the entrance exam at a Shropshire grammar school.
The applicants and their families queued outside Adams' Grammar School in Newport before being taken in to sit the exam.
It comes just weeks after headteacher Gary Hickey said that the school was clamping down on both tutoring for the entrance exams and on "test tourism", that sees people coming from around the country to practice an exam with no intention of actually joining the school.
The headmaster said families who attend should be proud regardless of the outcome of the test.
He said: "We have looked forward to welcoming the many boys who sat our entrance test.
"Our staff and sixth formers were working hard to make them feel welcome and to help them do the best they can in the tests.
"I wish every single child the best of luck – they should remember that sitting the exam itself is a massive achievement and I'd like to offer my congratulations. They and their parents should be very proud regardless of the outcome of the tests."
Mr Hickey said that two of the biggest problems grammar schools have in terms of entry is that some parents can afford to put their students through tutoring and that others travel to take tests in preparation for exams at their preferred school.
He said grammar schools can be and should be a tool for social mobility, and that Adams' Grammar was taking steps to help even the playing field.
This includes an "unteachable" test, similar to an IQ test, that relies more on recognising patterns than on general knowledge.
Bosses at the school also introduced a catchment area in 2015, which has helped to decrease the number of applicants from further afield and has given priority to children from the local area.
Pupils who took the exam yesterday will be in the running to join the school in September 2017 as part of an intake of just over 100.
Parents will receive a letter in October with the outcome of the exam. Those deemed suitable to join the school then need to apply through their Local Education Authority.
