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Oundle School
Oundle School has long been associated with the very best of modern independent education, especially boarding. We take seriously our responsibility to our pupils so that they can emerge as decent, open-minded adults: ambitious about what they can go on to achieve and contribute, but never arrogant.
We warmly welcome pupils who have open, curious minds and an appetite to make the most of opportunities available.
The pupils in our care are at the heart of all that we do and every decision we make. The education we provide aims to develop in our pupils the skills, attitudes and habits of mind that will sustain them throughout a long life, enabling them to flourish both at School and beyond. This vision informs every element of the School’s leadership and practice.
Our criteria for success are not limited to what happens at School: we wish to support the intellectual, spiritual, physical, emotional and social growth of our pupils, so that they may become happy, balanced contributors to society. We have a responsibility to ensure that every single member of the School community takes both individual and collective action towards environmental sustainability. We encourage aspiration and abhor arrogance, nurturing open minds, authentic self-belief and a sense of service.
We believe that boarding offers the best environment within which to realise these educational ambitions, with day pupils involved fully in the breadth offered by such an education. We also believe in the intrinsic value of partnership and outreach to the various communities of which we form part.
11+ Assesses
Maths, English, Science, Cognitive Ability Test (CAT)
Co-Ed
Boarding and Day School
Queen Elizabeth’s Girl’s School
We are proud to be one of the oldest state girls' schools in the country. The history and tradition enriches school life, as does the diversity of the local community we serve. As Ofsted confirmed, our girls leave us "as confident, articulate young adults.
Queen Elizabeth's Girls' School is a very successful 11 - 18 girls’ comprehensive school and converter academy. We have high standards and high expectations and we aim to help each and every student to succeed. A love of learning is our priority and the pastoral system supports girls in their academic and personal development. The calm, caring and purposeful learning environment is commented on by all of our visitors and this helps our students to achieve beyond expectations and to be challenged to improve on their personal best.
The school aims to develop confident, independent, flexible, self-disciplined and considerate young women. The girls have opportunities in and beyond the classroom to develop their academic, sporting, creative and leadership qualities. Queen Elizabeth's Girls' School is a vibrant and exciting learning community of which all are proud to be a part.
Applications
Applications should be made to your home borough as part of the Pan London co-ordinated admissions process. To fill out your online application form please visit www.eadmissions.org.uk
Girls
Day School
Queen Elizabeth’s School
Queen Elizabeth's School is a selective, non-denominational and non-fee-paying School with a mission of producing young men who are confident, able and responsible. The School has a reputation for academic excellence and our expectations are high: QE boys excel at A-level and go on to places at leading universities, including Oxford and Cambridge.
For well over four hundred years, successive generations of boys have benefited from an education at Queen Elizabeth’s School.
Our rich heritage is reflected in the School Chronicle, which is read annually on Founder’s Day and which records the Governors’ requirement that the education we provide should be as much in “good manners as in nurture for learning”. Similarly, our mission has long been “to produce young men who are confident, able and responsible”. In our strategic vision plan, Building on Distinction, we have re-defined what that means for the 2020s, gleaning the best from our historic traditions and from our experience as one of the country’s leading academic schools, and then combining that with the qualities which a new generation of Elizabethans will need to flourish in an inter-connected and fast-changing world.
To this end, we are committed firstly to the pursuit of academic development at the highest level. We lay good foundations such as hard work and perseverance, and, as a meritocracy, we regularly celebrate intellectual accomplishment. The School seeks to nurture broad, analytical thinkers who will thrive at university and beyond. The fruit of this approach is seen in our public examination results: QE is consistently placed at or very near the top of national league tables.
Secondly, we aim to inculcate in our boys attributes such as resilience and the ability to act appropriately in any situation, helping them to become principled young men secure in their own identity. This is achieved partly through our bespoke tutoring system and carefully structured pastoral arrangements, and partly through our expectation that all boys participate fully in the life of the School. We have an exciting, diverse range of extra-curricular activities through which every boy can pursue his interests and stretch himself as he learns new skills and talents.
Finally, through an emphasis on service within the School and through initiatives such as our Sixth Form external volunteering programme, we promote generosity of spirit and civic engagement, with boys learning to devote time and energy to the greater good. We emphasise kindness, consideration and compassion, encouraging boys to play their part in fostering our happy, inclusive School community.
11+ Assesses
Multiple Choice Maths and English
Queensgate School
Queen’s Gate is an independent school for girls aged 4-18 located on Queen’s Gate, in South Kensington, London. Founded in 1891, the school has long held a reputation for its originality, whether that’s our early commitment to charitable endeavours, or our decision to eschew the early twentieth-century trend for girls to adopt a school uniform.
These days we are housed in five of the iconic Victorian terrace mansions that are indelibly associated with our area of London. Two are largely dedicated to our Junior School, while the remaining three are for the most part inhabited by the Senior School. Nevertheless, we are proudly one school, and there is a near-constant flow of pupils up and down the street. Junior School pupils enjoy the use of the larger dining areas in the Senior School and the use of the Hall for special concerts and assemblies. III Form (Year 6) also take some Science lessons in our basement laboratories and Art in our loft studios, surrounded by the work of our older girls. Conversely, Senior School pupils regularly travel to the Junior School buildings to take advantage of a number of smaller, seminar-style teaching rooms and further basement Science facilities.
We are an academically aspirational school, where we seek for each girl not only to achieve her academic potential, but to go beyond this. We have no one-size-fits-all definition of success; rather, all we ask is that each girl gives her best and develops her own self-motivation to reach beyond what she might have thought possible. We are justifiably proud of our academic results. Every year we have the opportunity to celebrate countless girls who have achieved straight 8/9 grades at GCSE and A/A* at A Level. We are able to boast of girls attending top universities across the UK, including Oxbridge, as well as overseas at institutions such as Harvard and MIT. Nevertheless, we are also delighted by our incredible value-added scores, measures of how far beyond their baseline potential each girl has achieved. These outcomes are the result of the expert teaching and dedicated support we offer every single girl, alongside constant attention to their pastoral needs, their self-esteem and their enthusiasm for learning.
Our intake is broad, and our admissions process is based not only on academic potential, but also on a girl’s broader interests and personal character. All candidates sit the 11+ Consortium test, or an in-school assessment if applying for an occasional place. Further to this, all candidates receive an individual interview which is designed to provide the girl with the opportunity to show us more of who she is as a person and what she will bring to our community.
We offer a broad and forward-thinking array of co-curricular activities, spanning the fields of Music, Drama, Sport and beyond. Pupil voice is central, with girls having the opportunity to serve on a number of committees dedicated to giving them a forum in which to put forward their ideas and share their feedback. However, all pupils are also permitted to make appointments directly with the Principal should they wish to discuss their thoughts with her directly, something she always welcomes.
High-quality pastoral care and the safeguarding of pupils is our utmost priority. Our PSHE programme is regularly reviewed to ensure we are meeting the needs of our girls, while our smaller size allows us to get to them well – vital for identifying quickly when something isn’t going as well as we would hope, and for fostering the kind of staff-pupil relationships where girls feel safe to come forward and share their worries. We maintain in-house counselling support for those pupils who need that extra bit of professional help, and are pro-active, open-hearted and honest in tackling issues such as mental health concerns.
Having welcomed a new Principal in 2022, Queen’s Gate is in a new phase of development, with an array of strategic plans for the coming years. Digital learning is high on our agenda, as is modernising our facilities. These projects are underpinned by our close contact with our parent body from whom we welcome support and feedback in equal measure.
11+ Assesses
London 11+ Consortium - Maths, Problem Solving, English, Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, Analysis (aka Creative Comprehension)
Girls
Day School
Queenswood School
Queenswood is a community where girls achieve all that they dream of and more. The opportunities for growth and development for boarders and day girls are extensive, exciting and fun. Most importantly, Queenswood girls are happy – and happy girls are successful girls.
There is no doubt that Queenswood girls excel academically. The grades they achieve at GCSE are consistently around one grade higher in every subject than would be expected at an average independent school. Or, as the Good Schools Guide puts it, Queenswood is ‘at the pinnacle of Hertfordshire’s value-added tables’. This is something of which we are immensely proud. Likewise, they thrive in our truly progressive Sixth Form, and proceed to a wide range of prestigious courses at top Universities.
In the future, our girls will be leaders in their chosen fields. They will need to be able to try, and fail, and try again with a positive attitude. These are qualities that Queenswood girls develop through their time here and take with them for the rest of their lives.
This is a dynamic learning community where the girls’ interests, happiness and wellbeing are the first consideration at all times. Our girls are at the heart of everything we do, and we know that they feel valued and enriched by the experiences they share here.
Queenswood is an extraordinary place with extraordinary people.
11+ Assesses
English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning
Girls
Day School
(Flexi Boarding available)
Queen’s College London
“We want Queen's to be a community where every individual thrives."
Queen’s has been at the forefront of education for over 175 years. Established in 1848, Queen’s was the first British educational establishment to give academic qualifications to women. We are now one of the most high-achieving, diverse and forward-looking girls’ schools in London.
Queen's College, London occupies an extraordinary position in the history of education. It was founded in 1848 by Frederick Denison Maurice, professor of English Literature and History at King's College, London and a Christian socialist thinker.
His ambition was to provide a means by which girls and young women could gain a serious education, and Queen's was the first institution in Great Britain where they could study for and gain academic qualifications.
In 1853 Queen's became the first girls’ school to receive a Royal Charter, from Queen Victoria, which established much of the organisation of the College. Following this early royal patronage, the Patron of the College was always a queen, and our most recent patron was the late Queen Elizabeth II.
In keeping with its radical and pioneering past, Queen's has maintained a liberal and self-confident tradition throughout its history. It has educated young women who have gone on to become leaders in their professions and who have blazed trails in just about every walk of life.
We live in extraordinary times where young women have many conflicting pressures on them, and a choice of many different paths they can take through life. This needs an extraordinary school, and we believe we have one at Queen’s. Ours is a community where success comes not from pressure, but from tolerance, kindness and respect. Supported by outstanding teaching and pastoral care, pupils learn not just their subjects, but to value themselves and each other, leaving with a clear sense of who they are and how they can make a difference.
Our academic results speak for themselves, but our pupils are our finest ambassadors.
11+ Assesses
London 11+ Consortium - Maths, Problem Solving, English, Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, Analysis (aka Creative Comprehension)
Girls Day School
Radlett Prep School
Radlett Preparatory School was founded nearly 80 years ago in the centre of Radlett and moved to its present location in 1980. We aim to provide a first class education that inspires and motivates children within a happy and supportive school. By encouraging children to work hard and respect each other, we prepare them for the next stage of their lives.
The main school is a substantial Georgian Grade II listed building, which is situated in delightful grounds which include extensive playing fields, a pond and an expanse of ancient woodland. The site dates back to the 15th century.
Pupils are provided with opportunities to achieve outstanding results academically, physically, emotionally and morally.
4+ entry by assessment
Years 1-6 Entry
If you are interested in places in the school other than 4+ entry please ring the school office to discuss. We do occasionally have places available but generally each year group has a waiting list.
Co-Ed
Day School
Radley College
A Radleian is recognisable by his drive and ambition, his confidence and kindness, his loyalty and integrity, and his love of life.
Whilst society has often leaned towards a utilitarian pursuit of tangible outcomes, Radley has maintained a steadfast belief in the importance of good character. In a challenging and changing world, it is not merely skills, knowledge and expertise that will define success in the modern workplace but the ability to act with conviction, creativity and kindness.
It is our privilege to help shape the character of our boys such that they become people of real value: wherever they are and whatever they do. An Old Testament prophet had the right priorities: “act justly, love mercy and walk humbly” (Micah 5:8). At Radley, we always have higher ideals in mind: doing the right things in the right way and developing young men who have the core values that will make a difference in the world. That is our purpose.
Of course, the how is important. We expect a lot from our boys. We want them to be ambitious; to set challenging goals and to meet them. We want them to lead by example and stand for what is right. We want them to be adventurous; to try new things and work in partnership with others. We want them to be engaged thinkers, intellectually curious and ready to engage in debate and discussion.
We have an ambitious academic programme which aims to nurture boys who can critically evaluate information, develop creative and collaborative minds and who work in partnership with others. Our boys are well-prepared for the challenges of public examinations and our strong results are evidence of this. But we know that life doesn’t have a syllabus, so we place great emphasis on intellectual and co-curricular enrichment, and on developing the skills that will allow our boys to flourish.
Everything we do is underpinned by a deep sense of collective spirit. From the moment they arrive, Radleians are immersed in community. It is seen in their singing in Chapel, in the bonds formed with dons at Cocoa and in the friendships they make. In good times and bad, they support each other.
We continue to be shaped by our history, but we look to the future too. We will continue to welcome more boys from different social, cultural, and economic backgrounds. Our sector-leading partnership programme will build on our existing links with organisations locally and across the globe. We will embrace the challenges and opportunities of sustainability and digital change. We will encourage boys to learn, think, and act.
It is never easy to summarise the purpose of education but I think the Apostle Paul got it right nearly two thousand years ago: “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8)
We want a Radley education to do that: to explore truth, to value beauty and to pursue excellence. Our founders understood these principles and we hold to them today.
Places Available at 13+
150
13+ Assesses
ISEB Pre-Test
Boys Boarding School
Reigate Grammar School
We will believe in your child and will help them reach their full potential. Each child has his or her own unique blend of talents, skills, aspirations and abilities. Appreciating and developing these qualities on the journey from childhood to young adulthood is a privilege and a responsibility that we take seriously.
Students will flourish in our care, their self-esteem will grow and they will become a success story for themselves, their family and their school. But we will not forget that, behind their confident smile, they are still your daughter or son and that they will need our support and dedication each and every day.
Sometimes people ask what ‘type’ of child makes a successful Reigatian. There are all sorts of Reigatians, but no stereotypes. Students are actively encouraged to pursue their own interests, whether intellectual, social, spiritual or physical, within and beyond the curriculum. We don’t start with ‘types’, we only focus on knowing your child and all the children in our care. They will be supported through the challenges of teenage years, just as much as they will progress triumphantly through the successes of life over seven years at RGS.
This is a school based upon relationships, not rules for rules’ sake. We value a positive, comfortable climate of mutual respect, affirmation and intellectual freedom. Life at RGS is challenging, fun, exciting, hard-working, fast-paced and incredibly satisfying.
What unites our talented common room of teachers is an optimism and a belief in our young people. We believe in our young people so that they can achieve more than they dreamed possible, and they will do so, again and again!
11+ Assesses
Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning
Co-Ed
Day School
Royal Hospital School
The Royal Hospital School is an independent co-educational boarding and day school for 11-18 year olds, providing an outstanding, full and broad education enriched by a unique naval heritage and fit for the modern world. Founded in 1712 in Greenwich, London, it moved to its spectacular site, set in 200 acres of Suffolk countryside overlooking the River Stour, in 1933. The School has continued to develop its spectacular purpose-built site and grow in size and reputation to become one of East Anglia's leading independent schools.
Academic achievement is key to a young person’s confidence and ability to succeed in life beyond school. We work hard to inspire and empower all our pupils to realise their full potential, enjoy the experience of learning and learn new skills. By challenging them, both inside and outside of the classroom, we achieve effective and stimulating learning and encourage self-discovery. Opportunities exist through our enriched academic curriculum and wealth of co-curricular activities and we provide a safe environment in which young people can step outside their comfort zones; learn to take risks; foster self-belief and self-awareness; and develop skills such as collaboration, initiative and resilience.
We place great importance on developing these skills as well as the traditional values of loyalty and service while providing an excellent education fit for the modern world. Our aim is to give young people the knowledge, skills, confidence and strength of character to go on to lead purposeful and happy lives. Their school days are busy and, at times, challenging but also fun and rewarding. It is clear in their faces that they are happy to be here.
11+ Assesses
English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning
Co-Ed
Boarding and Day School
Salcome Prep School
Founded in 1916, Salcombe is an independent preparatory school for girls and boys between 3 and 11 years of age. Located on two neighbouring sites in Southgate, North London; Salcombe is renowned for the highest standards of academic achievement, and the happy, confident and successful students it produces. Our unique approach to learning ensures our students graduate from Salcombe to their chosen destinations in some of the top independent and state selective schools in the country.
Since 1916, Salcombe Prep School has provided an opportunity for young people to achieve their highest potential. Our school celebrates each pupil’s individual aspirations – whether that be in the Science lab, in the art room, through participating in outdoor sports, a love of Maths or a fascination for the English language. Through our specialist subject teachers, we are able to provide a creative curriculum where lessons are fun, challenging and allow our children to be independent learners and thinkers.
At our Pre-Prep School, children are nurtured and encouraged to explore and learn through play. We use outdoor learning as a tool to allow children to discover more about nature and the wider world. Our small classes enable the teachers to really know the children in their care, to tailor their learning and to support children in developing their speaking and listening skills.
Once children start at our Prep School, they are ready to build upon the strong foundations already laid. They are proud of their school and the pupils who have gone before. Our Alumni speaks for itself, with Professor Lord Robert Winston, Karren Brady, Maro Itoje and Ricky Boletto among our former pupils. Our children are encouraged to learn through failure, to not give up but find different ways of approaching a problem. They are critical thinkers and love to learn.
Salcombe pupils leave us, ready to take on the next challenges of their academic and social journey. Through innovative Ed-Tech provision, excellent Drama, Music and Art experiences, alongside challenging core and non-core subjects, our pupils are ready and prepared. The leadership opportunities we offer, mean that our young people are fully equipped for this next stage. At Salcombe, we celebrate the whole child, with as much emphasis on our pastoral provision as we place on our academic learning. We are a dynamic and culturally diverse community. Our children are welcoming, polite and kind to each other.
Reception-Year 2 Assesses
Your child will be offered a Taster Session, which will be followed by an Admissions Meeting with the Headmistress where you can ask any questions you may have.
For Years 1 and 2, Maths and English assessments will be completed during your child’s Taster Session.
7+ Assesses
English, Comprehension, Maths, Reading
Co-Ed
Day School
Sevenoakes School
Founded in 1432, Sevenoaks School enjoys the distinction of being among the UK’s oldest schools, with a tradition of innovation and excellence.
We have been co-educational for almost 50 years, and in 1978 we became one of the first schools in the UK to adopt the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in the Sixth Form.
The IB Diploma is the best Sixth Form education available in the world. It offers the breadth of studying six subjects as well as an extended essay and a critical thinking course. It also pulls together aspects of creativity, action and service, to develop well-rounded young adults with a range of skills and aptitudes; it is superb preparation for university and life.
Our impressive IB Diploma average is consistently eight to ten points above the world average and our students go on to study at top universities around the world. The majority go to Oxbridge, London and other Russell Group universities, and with our global outlook we see around 20 per cent of our students going to international universities, increasingly to Ivy League and other colleges in North America.
Yet a Sevenoaks education is about much more than results. We instill the love of learning for its own sake and genuine academic endeavour. We encourage collaboration, communication and teamwork, not just competition. We develop inquiring, caring and knowledgeable young people, empowered with the skills to create a better and more peaceful world.
Our state-of-the-art facilities, together with high-level instruction, provide rich opportunities for students to participate in a wide variety of sports, the performing arts, and many other co-curricular activities.
We ensure all our students flourish through outstanding pastoral care, and breadth and balance across the curriculum and co-curriculum. Ultimately, our fundamental measure of success is that our students leave Sevenoaks as happy, empowered and dynamic young adults ready to thrive in the next stage of their lives. Our team of specialist tutors, boarding house staff and divisional heads ensure our pupils receive expert care and support, which creates mutual respect and friendliness between students and staff.
Places Available at 11+
80
11+ Assesses
English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning, Group Discussion
Co-Ed
Boarding and Day School
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