Senior School Admissions

You won't just learn, you will learn for life

Entrance to the senior school is via academic selection in to Year 7 (11+). Places occasionally become available in other year groups outside of the main entry point – please contact Admissions directly for more information.

The entrance examinations at 11+ take place in January of the year when the child is due to start Senior School and offers are made by the February half term break to start the following September.

The average year group has between 120 to 130, with class sizes of approximately 24 pupils. A third of any year group will be made up of pupils from Colfe’s Junior School.

Candidates are required to spend a full school day at Colfe’s. The morning will consist of assessments in English and Mathematics and a group interview. Both Mathematics and English assessments will be written (paper-based). Lunch will then be followed by an afternoon of taster lessons in co-curricular areas. Academic scholarship candidates will be interviewed separately in the weeks following the assessment.

To start your application register with our Admissions Portal.

Scholarships

We offer financial assistance in the form of merit-based and means-tested scholarships in the senior school for academic and co-curricular (Visual Arts, Drama, Music and Sport) excellence. Awards are given at the school’s discretion, and the number varies yearly; in a typical year group, we expect around a quarter of pupils to benefit from fee assistance. For more information see here.

Application and Assessment for 2025 entry

An alternative ‘slip’ date for the 11+ examination is only granted at the discretion of the Head.

Reasonable adjustments and access arrangements

Reasonable adjustments and access arrangements may be offered to pupils in entrance assessments, provided that the application is supported by the following: 

• the written recommendations of an independent and appropriately qualified physician or another medical professional; or 

• a signed file note from the SENDCo/Head of Learning Support of the candidate’s current school that confirms the pupil’s underlying difficulties, their normal way of working and current access arrangements.  

Should a place be offered and accepted, any access arrangements that the School may grant for 11+ or 16+ entrance assessments will stand only for these entrance assessments and the School can make no guarantee that these will apply for everyday learning. For more information please see General Admissions Policy.