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Senior School Entry Process

Senior School Entry Process

We are delighted that you are interested in sending your son or daughter to King Edward’s Senior School, renowned both for its academic excellence and consistently high results, and as a place where pupils are supported in developing a broad range of talents in order to realise their personal potential.

We offer an exciting environment in which to learn, where intellectual and creative worlds combine to enrich the lives of our pupils. As our pupils progress through the Senior School, they acquire a lifelong passion for knowledge, discovery and adventure.

We hope that you will visit us soon, or perhaps at one of our Open Days, so that you can explore at first hand the range of opportunities on offer at our School.

Within this section, you will find all the information needed to understand the process of applying to King Edward’s Senior School. If you have any queries please do contact our admissions office, who will be happy to answer any of your questions. They can also arrange visits, help with registration or advise on assessment mornings. The admissions team can be reached by Email: [email protected] or Tel: 01225 820399.

Alternatively, you can request a prospectus or you can arrange a tour during the school day.

 

KEY DATES AND DEADLINES FOR SENIOR SCHOOL ENTRY in 2024

Key Year 7 ‐ 10 Events, Entry Dates & DeadlinesDeadline Dates
Whole School Open Morning14 October
INTERNAL: Deadline for King Edward's Junior School (KEJS) completed Year 7 applications
To request a Bursary Form: Please indicate on the Online Application Form, that you wish to apply for a Bursary under the 'Financial Assistance & Awards' tab. A separate bursarial form will be sent to you.
27 October
Deadline for online registration for Activity Morning (for local Year 6 children)6 November
Activity Morning (for local Year 6 children)11 November
EXTERNAL: Year 7 deadline for completed registration forms with registration fee
To request a Bursary Form: Please indicate on the Online Application Form, that you wish to apply for a Bursary under the 'Financial Assistance & Awards' tab. A separate bursarial form will be sent to you.

EXTERNAL & KEJS: Year 7 deadline for completed Special Talent Award applications
27 November
Deadline for all completed Year 7 Bursary applications8 December
Year 7 Teach‐in9 December
Year 7 interviews (Internal KEJS pupils)
Year 7 interviews (External)
Oct/Nov
Dec/Jan
Music Special Talent Award Assessmentsw/c 8th & 15th January 2024
Art, Drama & Sport Special Talent Award Assessments9th & 16th January 2024
Main entrance examination for Years 7 to 1027 January 2024
Deadline for Year 7 offer acceptance1 March 2024

 

KEY DATES AND DEADLINES FOR SENIOR SCHOOL ENTRY PDF

SENIOR SCHOOL & SIXTH FORM ENTRY GUIDE 2024


 

ENTRY PROCESS for year 7-10

Pupils wishing to join King Edward’s Senior School will be required to sit an entrance examination. Most join the School at the start of Year 7 or 12, however, space allowing, we also accept pupils in Years 8, 9 and 10.

Pupils taking our entrance examination will sit papers testing Verbal Reasoning, Mathematics and English. Specimen Mathematics papers are sent to all registered applicants prior to assessment day.

ENTRY PROCESS FOR YEAR 7 ENTRY PROCESS FOR YEAR 7

Upon receipt of a registration form we invite prospective parents to meet our Headmaster, Mr Martin Boden, sometime during January (King Edward’s Junior School Year 6 parents will be invited to meet the Headmaster on an earlier date). Your son or daughter will also be invited to interview with a senior member of the teaching staff - often the Head of Year 7 - at the same time. Prior to interview references are sought from your son or daughter’s current school. The entrance exam takes place in January each year.

For entry into Year 7 the examination includes:

VERBAL REASONING

  • A 50-minute standardised test, which considers your child’s age on the day of examination.

MATHEMATICS

  • A 50-minute test comprising multiple choice and written answers with content akin to levels 4 and 5 of the National Curriculum. No calculators are permitted in the test.

ENGLISH

A 50-minute test of comprehension and written skills in two sections:

  • Comprehension writing
  • Creative writing


TEACH-IN SESSION

To help prepare those children who have registered to sit the Year 7 Entrance Examination in January, we hold a special 'teach-in' session in December each year. Applicants are invited to spend a Saturday morning at the School and learn more about the different elements of the examination. They are also given sample questions to practise.

Following the entrance examination in January, offer letters go out to successful candidates in February, usually around two weeks after sitting the tests. We ask that parents accept a place by early March.

ENTRY PROCESS FOR YEARS 8, 9, 10 ENTRY PROCESS FOR YEARS 8, 9, 10

We welcome entry into Years 8, 9 or 10, although this is dependent on space being available. The majority of pupils looking to enter one of these years will sit the main entrance examination in January, however, should places still be available after this date, we are happy to arrange individual assessments at different times. In addition to sitting the examination, applicants will also be called for two interviews; one will be in a modern foreign language (taken from French, German or Spanish), and the other is a general interview, usually with the relevant Head of Sector or Head of Year. 

For entry into Year 8, 9, or 10, the examination includes:

VERBAL REASONING

  • A 50-minute standardised test, which takes into account your child’s age on the day of examination

MATHEMATICS

  • A 1-hour test, which assesses number skills, fractions and algebraic manipulation. Calculators are not permitted

ENGLISH

  • Candidates are asked to undertake two tasks: a piece of directed writing and an essay, each lasting 45 minutes.

For directed writing, pupils will read a short passage and then write a letter or an article arguing for or against the view expressed which should fill at least one side of A4 paper.

For the essay, candidates are asked to choose to write on one of six titles on offer. The essays will be judged on content, style and correct use of spelling and punctuation, and should be at least one and a quarter side of A4 paper.

SENIOR SCHOOL HOURS SENIOR SCHOOL HOURS

Normal school hours run from 8.40am (registration) to 4pm (end of period five), Monday to Friday. 

Pupils staying at school beyond 4pm should either be involved in a supervised after-school activity or should go to the school library, which is supervised until 6pm.

School matches normally take place on Saturdays, but there are also occasionally mid-week fixtures after school. Sports practices and Music or Drama rehearsals also regularly take place after 4pm. 

 


 

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