Entrance procedure years 7-9

A) One main entrance examination is held at the school in November for admission the following September.

B) Candidates are tested in groups of around 16 in classrooms, invigilated by a member of the school teaching staff. School Prefects provide back up support (Reception, guiding, escorting to toilets etc).

C) We use an entrance test to measure academic ability. For entry to Year 7 the test consists of two forty-five minute papers which assess numeracy, literacy and problem-solving skills.  Some questions are in multiple choice format.  No test papers are available but a sample of the type of questions which will appear can be found on the previous page by clicking on the icon at the bottom of the page. For Year 9 tests are in Verbal Reasoning, Mathematics and English. The invigilators also follow a standardised and detailed list of instructions which are explained to candidates prior to the tests.

D) Each test provides a standardised score for each candidate which allows him to be compared with a standard cohort of children at the same age.

E) The candidate's present school is asked to provide a confidential report.

F) The tests are marked and a quality audit applied (10% sample of the mark scripts are checked by another member of the marking team). The arrangements are supervised by the Deputy Headmasters.

G) When the scripts have been marked and the reports received, a selection panel meets consisting of the Headmaster, Deputy Headmasters, Head of Maths and English.

H) The aim is to inform parents of the results on the first working day in March. Parents will be told whether their son has been accepted, rejected or placed on a reserve list. Those placed on the reserve list are boys considered to be of grammar school standard but for whom there is not space within the school at this stage. Those offered places will be asked to reply within a two week period.

I) Those parents whose sons have not been offered a place or placed on the reserve list are informed of their right to appeal.

J) The school does continue to receive applications for entry in September after the entrance exam. Many of these are for boarding spaces and, where space remains in a particular year group, further entrance exams will be arranged and the same entrance procedure follows.

K) If places become available after appeals have been heard and before 1st September they will be allocated according to the criteria specified in the full Admissions Policy.