How To Apply Guide - St James Schools

How To Apply

About St James Schools

Rooted in our philosophical traditions, we support and nurture the intellectual, emotional and spiritual development of boys and girls from 2-18 at our schools in West Kensington and Ashford, Surrey.

There’s so much that makes the St James family of schools special and unique, from learning Sanskrit to our vegetarian-only diet and our practise of The Pause, and we hope you’ll find us to be the perfect fit for your son or daughter.

This brochure details everything you need to know about the admissions procedures across our schools. If you have a specific admissions enquiry, please contact the relevant office using the details at the back of this brochure.

West Kensington

Entry Requirements

2+ Entry

Admission to our nursery is non-selective and children can join at the age of two. There is automatic entry from our nursery to Reception at the Prep School.

4+ Entry

We recommend that you register your child for entry into Reception when they are between the ages of one and two years old. We contact all parents who have registered for a place to join Reception one year prior to entry. We require a satisfactory report from your child’s current nursery school, if applicable, and priority for our Reception class is given to our nursery pupils and siblings of current pupils.

7/8+ Entry

Several children join St James Prep in Years 3 and 4 to benefit from our 11+ provision while also having the option to continue to our Senior Schools. We like to think this is the best of both worlds. Please contact Admissions for further details on the 7+/8+ admissions process.

Occasional Places

Entry to Years 1 to 6 depends on places becoming available during the academic year. You are most welcome to register your child for an occasional place in any year group.

International Applicants

We invite applications from overseas and our international pupils are warmly welcomed to St James. We would ideally like you to visit St James for yourself to see all that is on offer, but understand that this is not always possible. We can facilitate the admission process online.

Our schools are a Sponsor for UK Visa and Immigration, and are licensed to support CAS for Child Student Visas.

Please contact the Registrar for further information on availability of places and procedures.

1 Attend an Open Event or book a private tour

2 Complete the online registration form to apply for your place

3 Taster Day, Assessment and Meet the Headmistress

4 Offer and Acceptance

5 Join St James

1

Open Events

Families are encouraged to visit the school before making an application.

Open Events and individual tours are held throughout the year. See the school in action, with an address from the Headmistress and pupil-led tours. Prospective pupils and parents for all entry points are welcome to attend. We look forward to welcoming you to our school!

To book your place, please click here.

2

Registration

To register your child for a place at St James, you will need to:

• complete our online registration form

• pay a non-refundable fee of £125 (£150 from September 2024) per child

Account Details: Lloyds Bank

Account number: 00706632

Sort code: 30-97-86

Please use your child’s name as the payment reference, and include the initials PS.

To view the registration form, please click here.

3

Assessment

Process

Children entering Nursery, Reception and Year 1 will need to:

• meet with the Headmistress or Head of Nursery and EYFS

• attend a Taster Morning with their parents

Chi ldren entering in Year 2 upwards will need to:

• meet with the Headmistress

• spend a Taster Day at the school

• take a C AT4 test in mathematics, verbal reasoning and English

The interview with the Headmistress is as much an opportunity to discuss your child’s individual strengths and needs, as a chance to ask any questions you may have about life at St James.

The Taster Day is also an opportunity to try out the school and for us to get to know your child a little more.

School reports

Please note that we will ask for your child’s most recent school report and any other relevant documentation.

4

Offer

Notification as to whether we can offer your child a place at St James will be sent to you once all these steps have been completed.

Places are offered in order of registration, whilst ensuring an even spread of birth dates, boys and girls and our sibling priority policy.

5

Acceptance Deposit

Once a place is offered, an acceptance deposit payment must be paid to secure the place.

The deposit is half a term’s fee (a whole term’s fee for non-UK residents) and is returned when your child leaves the school.

Please see our Terms and Conditions online for further information.

West Kensington Entry Requirements

Year 7 Entry at 11+

At St James we aim to make it as smooth as possible, and students from our on-site Prep School can choose to move seamlessly through to the Senior Girls’ School at Year 7

Around half our Year 7 pupils comprise girls from our Prep School and we admit a further 25-30 pupils into Year 7, with an average year group size of 48.

Sixth Form Entry at 16+

For admission to Sixth Form, applicants will need to demonstrate they are ready for the demands of A Level learning.

We therefore typically expect pupils to have achieved at least six strong passes at GCSE. In addition, for many A Level choices, a Grade 7 or equivalent at GCSE is expected. More information is available in our Sixth Form Curriculum Guide.

Please note applicants are required to submit a personal statement with their registration documentation. A reference will also be requested from their current school.

Occasional places for other year groups

Entry to other year groups depends on places becoming available during the academic year. Please contact our Registrar to check availability

International Applicants

We invite applications from overseas and our international pupils are warmly welcomed to St James. We would ideally like you to visit St James for yourself to see all that is on offer, but understand that this is not always possible. We can facilitate the admission process online.

Our schools are a Sponsor for UK Visa and Immigration, and are licensed to support CAS for Child Student Visas.

Please contact the Registrar for further information on availability of places and procedures.

1 Attend an Open Event or book a private tour

2 Complete the online registration form to apply for your place (Nov)

3 Examination and Interview (Nov, Dec, Jan)

4 Offer (Feb) and Acceptance (Mar)

5 Join St James (Sept)

1

Open Events

Families are encouraged to visit us before making an application. Open Events, group and individual tours are held throughout the year. See the school in action, with an address from the Headteacher and pupil-led tours. Prospective pupils and parents for all entry points are welcome to attend. We look forward to welcoming you to our school!

To book your place, please click here.

2

Registration

To register your child for a place at St James, you will need to:

• complete our online registration form

Deadlines for 2025 Entry:

Friday 8 November for Year 7 applicants

Monday 4 November for Year 12 applicants

• pay a non-refundable fee of £125 (£150 from September 2024) per child registered

Account Details: Lloyds Bank

Account number: 00706632

Sort code: 30-97-86

Please use your daughter’s name as the payment reference and include the initials SG.

To view the registration form, please click here.

3

Examination Process

11+ Exam

We are part of the London 11+ Consortium which operates one exam across several London schools. The assessment includes cognitive reasoning, English comprehension, mathematics and some creative new components to assess problem-solving and synthesis skills. It can be taken at any of the schools which are part of the Consortium.

Familiarisation materials are available on the 11+ Consortium website and we recommend that all candidates look at these before taking the assessment. Please visit the 11+ Consortium website at london11plus.co.uk for further information.

Date of 11+ Consortium Exam at St James Senior Girls’ School:

Tuesday 3 December 2024

Other entry points

Applicants for other year groups will be required to sit the Atom online test in English, mathematics, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. External Sixth Form applicants may also be asked to sit further examination if considered necessary. More information on this can be found at atomlearning.com.

Interview

An interview will be arranged for your daughter either before or after the exam. On the same occasion, parents will be invited to meet the Headteacher or a senior member of staff This interview is an opportunity to discuss your child’s individual strengths and needs, as a chance to ask any questions you may have about life at St James.

Interview Days:

Saturday 23 November 2024 or Saturday 18 January 2025

School references

Please note that we will contact your daughter’s most recent school to request a confidential reference.

4

Offer

Year 7 Application Results: Friday 14 February 2024

Year 7 Acceptance Deadline: Thursday 6 March 2025

For the Sixth Form, all offers are conditional upon the required GCSE grades for each A Level subject, as specified in our prospectus.

For other year groups, notification as to whether we can offer your daughter a place at St James will be sent to you as soon as possible after the examination and interview.

5

Acceptance Deposit

Once a place is offered, an acceptance deposit payment must be paid to secure the place.

The deposit is half a term’s fee (a whole term’s fee for non-UK residents) and is returned when your daughter leaves the school.

Please see our Terms and Conditions for further information.

Ashford, Surrey Entry Requirements

Year 7 Entry at 11+

Sixty places are available, and selection is via the 11+ entrance exam and an interview.

Year 9 Entry at 13+

Twenty places are available, and selection is via the 13+ entrance exam and an interview. Entry can be applied for in Year 7 or Year 8 via the 12+ and 13+ pre-tests.

10+ pre-tests are also available for boys looking to make an application in Year 5. These exams are held in May of the preceding year.

We do not offer a Year 6 pre-test.

Sixth Form Entry at 16+

Six GCSEs at grade 6 are the minimum requirement. It is necessary to have attained a 6 grade at GCSE in the subjects (or equivalent) which a student wishes to study at A Level; more information is available in our Sixth Form curriculum publication.

Please note applicants are required to submit a completed Sixth Form application form with their registration documentation.

International students should, in addition to meeting the above criteria, hold an IELTS qualification.

Occasional places for other year groups

Places may be available for in-year entry in Years 7, 8 and 9 and we only accept applications to Year 10 in very exceptional circumstances. Entry at Year 11 is not available.

Please contact the Admissions Office to check availability.

International Applicants

We inv ite applications from overseas and our international pupils are warmly welcomed to St James. We would ideally like you to visit St James for yourself to see all that is on offer, but understand that this is not always possible. We can facilitate the admission process online.

Our schools are a Sponsor for UK Visa and Immigration, and are licensed to support CAS for Child Student Visas.

Please contact the Registrar for further information on availability of places and procedures

1 Attend an Open Event or book a private tour

2 Complete the online registration form to apply for your place (Nov)

3 Examination and Interview (Dec, Jan)

4 Offer and Acceptance (Jan)

5 Join St James (Sept)

1

Open Events

Families are encouraged to visit us before making an application. Open Events, group and individual tours are held throughout the year. Prospective pupils and parents for all entry points are welcome to attend. We look forward to welcoming you to our school!

To book your place, please click here.

School Tours

Wednesday 13 March 2024 9.00am – 10.30am

Thursday 9 May 2024 9.00am –10.30am

Thursday 20 June 2024 9.00am – 10.30am

2

Registration

To register your child for a place at St James, you will need to:

• complete our online registration form

Deadline for 2025 Entry:

• Friday 8 November for Year 7 applicants

• pay a non-refundable fee of £125 (£150 from September 2024) per child

Account Details: Lloyds Bank Account number: 00706632 Sort code: 30-97-86

Please use your son’s name as the payment reference and include the initials SB.

To view the registration form, please click here.

3

Exam

Examination Process

The examinations are 11+ assessment tests from GL Assessment. These are standardised tests in mathematics, English and verbal reasoning. Practice materials are available on the GL assessment website at 11plus.gl-assessment. co.uk/free-materials

Entrance Examinations Date: DateComingSoon

Interview

All candidates are offered an interview with a senior member of staff.

Interview Day: DateComingSoon

School reports

Please note that we will contact your son’s most recent school to request a confidential report.

4

Offer

Notification as to whether we can offer your son a place at St James will be sent to you once all of these steps have been completed.

Offers made by: DateComingSoon

5

Acceptance Deposit

Once a place is offered, an acceptance deposit payment must be paid to secure the place. The deposit is half a term’s fee (a whole term’s fee for non-UK residents) and is returned when your son leaves the school.

Please see our Terms and Conditions for further information.

Scholarships

Three scholarships are available in Creative Arts, Sports and Academics, for Year 3 entry applicants, which will be awarded to students who show outstanding potential in their given area.

Application Deadline: Date Coming Soon

Assessment Day: Date Coming Soon

For further details on requirements and how to apply, please scan this code or click here.

Six different scholarships are available in Music, Art, Drama, Performing Arts, Sports and Academics for Year 7 applicants, which will be awarded to students who are able to demonstrate exemplary skills and commitment to their area of expertise. Applications can only be made by those in receipt of an offer.

Application Deadline: Friday 8 November

Assessment Day: Wednesday 22 January 2025

Tuesday 4 February 2025 (for

Academic Scholarships)

For further details on requirements and how to apply, please scan this code or click here.

Scholarships are available in Music, Drama, Sports and Academics (Headmaster’s Scholarship), for Year 7 or 9 applicants, which will be awarded to students who are able to demonstrate exemplary skills and commitment to their area of expertise. Applications can only be made by those in receipt of an offer.

Application Deadline: Date Coming Soon

Assessment Day: Date Coming Soon

For further details on requirements and how to apply, please visit this link or click here.

Bursaries

St James Schools are committed to broadening access to the school by offering eligible parents or guardians bursaries to help with school fees.

All applicants are required to have registered with the school and should tick the relevant box on the registration form.

For further information, please email the Bursary Secretary on bursary-applications@stjamesschools.co.uk

St James Nursery and Preparatory School admissions@stjamesprep.co.uk

020 7348 1793

St James Senior Girls’ School admissions@stjamesgirls.co.uk 020 7348 1748

St James Senior Boys’ School admissions@stjamesboys.co.uk 01784 266933 Contact Us

www.stjamesschools.co.uk