Admissions & Entrance Procedures

What do we look for in a prospective pupil?
Abbotsholme School looks for many things beyond academic credentials. We seek young people with enthusiasm, integrity, commitment and a concern for others as well as for their environment – in essence, those who will contribute positively to our community.

Entrance Procedure
Undoubtedly the best way to find out more about Abbotsholme is to visit the school. You are most welcome to attend one of our Open Mornings held in the Autumn and the Spring terms; alternatively you can make an appointment to visit the Headmaster at any mutually convenient time.

Should you then decide that Abbotsholme is the right school for your child (or children), you will need to register their name(s) with us by completing a Registration Form which you will find at the back of our prospectus. Alternatively you can download the Form.

Download Registration Form (PDF) →

On receipt of your completed Form, together with your registration fee of £ 50, the entry procedure will commence. You will also be invited to various school events so that by the time your child begins on her/his first day, certain aspects of the school will already be very familiar.

Junior Entry
Girls and boys must be aged five in the term that they start school and under 11 on 1st September in the proposed academic year of entry. All prospective pupils attend a ‘taster’ day; tests may be set in English, Mathematics and Non-Verbal Reasoning for Key Stage 2 pupils.

Senior Entry
The main entry points are 11+, 13+ and into the Sixth Form.

Entrance at 11+
Girls and boys must be aged 11 by 1st September in the proposed academic year of entry. There is no formal examination although pupils attend an assessment day during which papers will be set in English, Mathematics and Non-Verbal Reasoning. Pupils will also be invited for a ‘taster’ day, which can be arranged at any mutually convenient time.

Entrance at 13+
Girls and boys must be aged 13 by 1st September in the proposed academic year of entry. Most who come will attend an assessment day during which papers will be set in English and Mathematics. Some may sit the Common Entrance Examination at their own school. All pupils will be invited for a ‘taster’ day, which can be arranged at any mutually convenient time.

Entry into the Sixth Form
For Sixth Form entry, a minimum of six GCSE’s are required at ‘C’ grade or above, although we advise ‘B’ grades or better in those subjects that are to be taken to an advanced level.

As far as possible, all entrants are interviewed by the Head, which gives everyone an opportunity to ensure that Abbotsholme is the right school for each applicant. In addition, references are obtained from the present school in order to ensure that we can properly meet the needs of all children attending Abbotsholme.