Admission - Senior School
Admission to Year 7 (11+)
This year St Benedict’s will use the Common Pre Test, which is administered by the Independent Schools Examinations Board, to assess candidates for 11+ entry. There will also be a short interview, either face to face or online depending on the circumstances at the time, for most candidates. As usual, we will seek a school reference from your child’s current school.
The Common Pre Test is an online test with four components: English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. The test is based upon the national curriculum and is accessible to any year 6 child. It is an adaptive test and can be taken by different candidates at different times. This means we will not need to bring hundreds of candidates from many different schools into St Benedict’s to take an examination at the same time. The Common Pre Test is also age-adaptive, so that there is no marginal advantage in taking it later rather than earlier.
We expect it will be possible for some of our feeder schools to run this test in house so that children can take it in their own ‘bubble’.
You can find more details about the Common Pre Test, including sample assessment materials, by following this link:
https://www.iseb.co.uk/Parents/What-are-the-Common-Pre-Tests
All candidates for 11+ entry to St Benedict’s in September 2021 will be invited to take the Common Pre Test examination. They will do so either at their own school during December or January, or at St Benedict’s on 4th or 5th January. We will write to the parents of all candidates well in advance to let you know when and where your daughter / son will take their Common Pre Test examination.
It may also be helpful to know that some other top independent schools in west London have also decided, alongside St Benedict’s, to use the Common Pre Test to assess candidates for 11+ entry this year. If a child is applying to more than one school which required the Common Pre Test, they need only take the test once, and their result will be shared with all the relevant Senior Schools. We hope this may be a welcome way of reducing pressure on year 6 children at this time.
If you have any questions about applying to St Benedict’s, please do not hesitate to contact our Admissions team, who will be happy to help: admissions@stbenedicts.org.uk
Age on 1 September 2021 |
11.0 – 11.11 |
Number of places available |
110 |
Closing Date for Registration |
Friday, 27 November 2020 |
Date of Entrance Examination |
Taken at their own school in December or January
or at St Benedict's on Monday, 4 January 2021 Tuesday, 5 January 2021 |
Examination
|
Mathematics |
Interview Dates |
24 February 2021 |
Transfer from the Junior School to the Senior School at 11+ is subject to the principles set out above and to a pupil making satisfactory progress. It is for the School to deem whether progress is satisfactory or not. The parents of children who are unlikely to be offered a place in the Senior School will be informed in Form 1 (Year 5).
Registration forms may be completed here.
aDMISSION TO Year 8 (12+) and Year 9 (13+)
All candidates must sit an entrance examination, some of whom will then be invited to an interview with the Headmaster. A reference will also be sought from the candidate’s current school. The Headmaster will finalise the list of candidates who will be eligible for further consideration for admission.
Age on 1 September 2021 |
12.0 - 12.11 (Year 8) and 13.0 – 13.11 (Year 9) |
Number of places available |
Subject to availability |
Closing Date for Registration |
Friday, 27 November 2020 |
Date of Entrance Examination |
Monday, 11 January 2021 (13+) |
Examination |
Mathematics (1 hour) Non-Verbal Reasoning (30 minutes) (12+ only) |
Interview Dates | 24 February 2021 |
Registration forms may be completed here.
Admission to Year 10 (14+)
Information on our approach to pupils joining Year 10 may be obtained by contacting the Registrar.