Admissions process

If you decide to proceed with an application to any of our Schools, we require a completed Registration Form, together with a non-refundable Registration Fee of £160.

How is Entry Assessed?

Children can join the Pre-Prep Nursery class at any time of year following their third birthday if places are available. Part or full time provision is offered. Admission into Reception is in the September following their fourth birthday.
There are no formal assessments, though we encourage those who join us to visit and spend a day with us, and prior to entry we seek reports and educational information from previous schools.

Entrants to the Prep School sit English and Maths assessments. Many children come to our Assessment Day which is held in January each year, but it is possible to sit the assessments at other times. If children live overseas we can send assessment papers to their current schools.

At age 13 all students from the Independent Sector sit a common entrance test, usually late May/early June.  Success at Common Entrance usually guarantees entry. Students for our Third Form who are at schools which do not prepare them for either of the above are invited to come in during the Lent Term for tests in Maths and English.  A written report from their school and their Record of Achievement are also used in this assessment.

Entry for the Sixth Form is by interview (a telephone interview may be necessary) and report from the current school.  Final acceptance depends on gaining a minimum of six GCSE grades A*-C, depending on the subjects chosen for study in the sixth form.  Usually, a minimum of a GCSE B grade is expected in a subject to be pursued in the Sixth Form.

Students from overseas, for whichever year, who are unable to visit Gresham’s School at all are assessed as follows: if English is not their native language, a recognised English test is sent to them for completion under supervision, as well as a Mathematics test. These are returned to us and assessed by our EFL Teacher to see if they will be able to develop well here and, if not, how much extra tuition they would need.  The Mathematics test is assessed by our Mathematics Department.  We also rely heavily on a report and Record of Achievement from their current School.

Entry at any other time depends on the availability of places, and will be considered following interviews, English and Mathematics tests and school reports.