Senior School & Sixth Form Admissions

Senior School and Sixth Form Admissions

Candidates are admitted on the basis of ability and potential as determined by written assessment, current school reference, interview and the Head’s discretion.

For entry in September 2023, 11+ candidates will sit assessments in English, Mathematics, Reading Comprehension and NonVerbal Reasoning. Candidates are also interviewed on a separate occasion a week or two after entrance assessments. In adopting this pattern, the School aims to put candidates at ease and, in doing so, increase the prospect that their true potential is reflected in their written performance. Candidates with diagnosed conditions requiring additional time or other special measures are treated in accordance with the school’s Criteria for Awarding Access Arrangements in Entrance Assessments and Additional Educational Needs policies. Details of the criteria for awarding extra time, which are based on guidelines from the Joint Council of Qualifications are published on the school’s website and are available to all applicants. The admissions selection panel will, in addition to considering a pupil’s interview and assessment performance, take notice of all references provided in support of a pupil’s application. At 13+, candidates sit the school’s own 13+ Assessments in English, Mathematics, a Modern Foreign Language and NonVerbal Reasoning. Candidates are also interviewed by a Senior Teacher. References are required for all pupils applying for admission. All candidates sit the school’s own 13+ Entrance Assessments in the Spring Term prior to entry rather than via Common Entrance. This is designed to ensure fairness to all our candidates.

If a candidate is found to be of the required standard in the 11+ Assessment pre-test, a deposit of £500 will be payable in order to secure a place subject to satisfactory performance in the subsequent 13+ Assessments. Entry packs will be sent to all registered 11+ and 13+ candidates in advance of the Entrance Assessments. The packs include: a form to indicate the assessment date the candidate will attend interview date and time, details of the assessment day and specimen papers. At 16+, candidates are made conditional offers based on interviews with the Head of Sixth Form and senior staff, taking into account their predicted GCSE grades. Offers are conditional upon GCSE performance with the same expectation for external applicants as for current pupils. The school would usually expect candidates to achieve at Grade 7/A or above, at GCSE in subjects to be studied at A Level and at least six strong passes, the equivalent of a grade 5/B at GCSE, or equivalent, in other subjects. External candidates for the Sixth Form also sit a Non-Verbal Reasoning paper and a Reading Comprehension.

References from the candidate’s current school or college will also be taken into account.

We also accept applications for Sixth Form study from international pupils. Please contact the Admissions team for further information about assessment and the admissions process for international pupils. At intermediate points of entry, a selection of the above methods is used in accordance with individual circumstances.

All candidates receive formal notification of acceptance or otherwise in accordance with HMC guidelines.