Exeter School
Entrance Assessments Guide September 2021
Information for prospective families Dear parents/carers Thank you for registering your daughter/son for Exeter School’s entrance assessment. I want to reassure you that we will do all we can to keep your children and the school community safe during the assessment process. This booklet is divided into sections according to your child’s year of entry with a frequently asked questions section at the end. If your child is successful in the entrance assessment, a formal offer of a place is made within one week and you are asked to return the acceptance form within three weeks. Parents and carers of children applying for Year 7 entry may return their form by 2 March 2021. On acceptance of a place, parents/carers are asked to pay an acceptance deposit of £400. Further time may be given to families waiting for information about a grammar school on request to the admissions office. Families who have requested a bursary or free place will be informed whether their application has been successful. They will be sent further information in writing about the discount offered. These families will need to accept or decline the offer by 2 March 2021. Recipients of bursaries will usually need to pay the acceptance deposit although in some cases this can be paid in instalments or covered within the bursary offered. We hope that your child enjoys the assessment process, and we look forward to welcoming you to Exeter School in the future. Best wishes,
Mrs Liz Williams Director of Admissions and Marketing admissions@exeterschool.org.uk
Junior School Children in Years 2 – 5 will sit their entrance assessment on Saturday 30 January. 7+ entrance assessment for children currently in Year 2 8+ entrance assessment for children currently in Year 3 9+ entrance assessment for children currently in Year 4 10+ entrance assessment for children currently in Year 5 For Junior School entry, pupils are given an opportunity to demonstrate literacy and numeracy skills as appropriate for their age during an informal assessment. Guidance notes are available on the school website on the FAQ page (www.exeterschool.org.uk/ admissions/faq) Children are not required to wear uniform but can wear their own casual clothes, including a coat as they will be spending some time outside. During the morning, a snack will be provided but please could you provide a drink in a named water bottle. The running order for the day will be confirmed closer to the time. Please drop your children off using the Victoria Park Road entrance to Exeter School (EX2 4NS). Please can children bring their own equipment on the day in a transparent pencil case or clear plastic bag. They will need two HB pencils and a pencil sharpener.
Senior School Children in Years 6 – 9 will sit their entrance assessment on Saturday 9 January. 11+ entrance assessment for children currently in Year 6 12+ entrance assessment for children currently in Year 7 13+ entrance assessment for children currently in Year 8 14+ entrance assessment for children currently in Year 9 Guidance notes are available on the school website on the FAQ page (www.exeterschool. org.uk/admissions/faq)
11+ and 12+ Children are not required to wear uniform but can wear their own casual clothes, including a coat as they will be spending some time outside. During the morning, a snack will be provided but please could you provide a drink in a named water bottle. Please can children bring their own equipment on the day: • 2 x HB pencils • Pencil sharpener The running order for the day will be confirmed closer to the time but please drop your children off using the Manston Terrace entrance to Exeter School (EX2 4NP).
Year 7 entry At 11+ the following papers will be set: English This paper will contain a reading exercise designed to assess candidates’ comprehension skills and will also assess the ability to construct an imaginative piece of writing. Mathematics This paper will test competence in basic arithmetic and fractions (not including multiplication or division of decimals). Other questions will be designed to test the ability to solve problems using numerical skills for which no special techniques are required. Calculators are not allowed. Computer-based assessment There will also be an element of testing using computers. The test asks questions based on English, mathematics, and non-verbal reasoning, which includes multiple choice, drag and drop, and complete the word answers. The content is the same as required for the written English and mathematics papers. This innovative test provides a reliable, fair, and comprehensive assessment for children whatever their educational background. The test is deliberately designed to be done without any prior practice.
Year 8 entry At 12+ the following papers will be set: English This paper will contain a reading exercise designed to assess candidates’ comprehension skills and will also assess the ability to construct an imaginative piece of writing. Mathematics This paper will test competence in basic arithmetic and fractions (not including multiplication
or division of decimals). Other questions will be designed to test the ability to solve problems using numerical skills for which no special techniques are required. Calculators are not allowed. Computer-based assessment There will also be an element of testing using computers. The test asks questions based on English, mathematics, and non-verbal reasoning, which includes multiple choice, drag and drop, and complete the word answers. The content is the same as required for the written English and mathematics papers. This innovative test provides a reliable, fair and comprehensive assessment for children whatever their educational background. The test is deliberately designed to be done without any prior practice. Children are not required to wear uniform but can wear their own casual clothes, including a coat as they will be spending some time outside. During the morning a snack will be provided but please could you provide a drink in a named water bottle. 13+ and 14+ Children are not required to wear uniform but can wear their own casual clothes, including a coat as they will be spending some time outside. The day will last for between 5 and 6 hours. We will provide snacks, but please could you provide a packed lunch and a drink in a named water bottle. Please can children bring their own equipment on the day: • 2 x HB pencils • Pencil sharpener • Calculator The running order for the day will be confirmed closer to the time but please drop your children off using the Manston Terrace entrance to Exeter School (EX2 4NP).
Year 9 entry At 13+ the following papers will be set: English This paper will contain a reading exercise designed to assess candidates’ comprehension skills and will also assess candidates’ writing skills by requiring them to construct a written piece of an argumentative, informative, or imaginative nature. Mathematics Questions are based on age-appropriate material including basic algebra, angle facts, harder fraction operations, and measurement of area and volume, amongst others. Calculators are not allowed. Science There will be one paper covering all three sciences that will take one hour to complete. Short questions are set based on the content expected to have been covered by the time of the 13+ examinations. They follow the style of typical Key Stage 3 assessments. Calculators are allowed. Computer-based assessment There will also be an element of testing using computers. The test asks questions based on English, mathematics, and non-verbal reasoning, which includes multiple choice, drag and drop, and complete the word answers. The content is the same as required for the written English and Mathematics papers. This innovative test provides a reliable, fair, and comprehensive assessment for children whatever their educational background. The test is deliberately designed to be done without any prior practice.
Year 10 entry At 14+ the following papers will be set: English This paper will contain a reading exercise designed to assess candidates’ comprehension skills and will also assess candidates’ writing skills by requiring them to construct a written piece of an argumentative, informative, or imaginative nature. Mathematics Questions are based on age-appropriate material including basic algebra, angle facts, harder fraction operations, and measurement of area and volume, amongst others. Calculators are not allowed. Modern Foreign Languages There will be short papers (30 minutes) set in French, German and Spanish. Candidates must sit ONE of these, depending on which language they have studied. The paper will contain some reading comprehension questions, which will be answered either in English, or by choosing from a list of options and writing the appropriate letter. There will also be some open-ended questions in the target language which the candidates will have to answer, writing in full sentences. The best candidates will show an ability to write about activities in the past, present and future, and to offer opinions. Science There will be one paper covering all three sciences that will take one hour to complete. Short questions are set based on the content expected to have been covered by the time of the 14+ examinations. They follow the style of typical Key Stage 3 assessments. Calculators are allowed. Computer-based assessment There will also be an element of testing using computers. The test asks questions based on English, mathematics, and non-verbal reasoning, which includes multiple choice, drag
and drop, and complete the word answers. The content is the same as required for the written English and mathematics papers. This innovative test provides a reliable, fair, and comprehensive assessment for children whatever their educational background. The test is deliberately designed to be done without any prior practice. Entrance assessment questions We have collated these frequently asked questions to reassure our prospective families. Please do get in touch with the admissions office if you have any more questions or concerns by phone 01392 273679 or email admissions@exeterschool.org.uk Should I still put my child forward for testing even though they have missed time off school? Yes. We advise children to read the questions carefully and give as full answers as possible. If they are stuck on a question, they should move on and try to complete as many questions as possible. The assessments are an opportunity to share what they know; there are no trick questions. The assessments cover what the national curriculum covers at each stage of a child’s learning. Gaps in knowledge due to the lockdown should not disadvantage your child as they will have covered the material before and/or after the nationwide school closure. My child has learning support needs – can he/she still sit the assessment? Yes. If your child has an Educational Psychologist report or Education Healthcare plan, then please send it to the admissions office via admissions@exteterschool.org.uk. Your child will be given extra time or allowed to use electronic devices, as detailed in the report, to suit their needs. Are there restrictions on the number of children that sit the entrance assessment? No, as we are testing children in school bubbles so that candidates will be segregated according to their school. What other precautions are you taking in the current situation? Before entering the assessment room, children will be lined up with social distancing of two metres. They will be tested in well ventilated rooms with desks spaced at two metres. Test venues and toilet areas will be cleaned and sanitised before and after each session. Children will be asked to sanitise their hands upon entering and exiting the venue. What happens if my child is unwell on the day? Please do not worry; your child will be able to sit the entrance assessment on another occasion. This will not disadvantage your child’s prospects of being awarded a place at Exeter School. Please let the admissions office know by phone 01392 273679 or email admissions@exeterschool.org.uk as soon as you can.
What if I or a close family member are self-isolating? Please let the admissions office know as soon as you can and we will re-arrange your child’s entrance assessment for another day. Please let the admissions office know by phone 01392 273679 or email admissions@exeterschool.org.uk. Where will my children be tested on the day? Children will be tested in several locations across the school site to ensure social distancing. What toilet provision is there on the day? We have toilets available for children to use in their assessment bubbles. These are cleaned and sanitised after every assessment. Children will be able to use these facilities before and after the assessments in their break. During the assessment, an adult will accompany your child to the nearest toilet if necessary. What if we are delayed on the day and my child misses the start of the test? Please let the admissions office know by phone 01392 273679 or email admissions@ exeterschool.org.uk as soon as you can and they will re-arrange your child’s assessment depending on how late your arrival is. When will we find out if our child has been awarded a place? The assessment papers are marked internally, and references are sought from your child’s current school. The Junior School Head and the Exeter School Head will decide based on your child’s results and their school reference. Prospective families will be informed via email whether their child has been awarded a place within one week of sitting the assessments. When will we find out if our child has been awarded financial assistance? An external company assesses each family that has applied for financial assistance. Prospective families will find out in the spring term.
When will we find out if our child has been awarded a scholarship? Top performers in the entrance assessments are offered entrance scholarships and exhibitions in the spring term. These prizes are presented to new pupils at Speech Day in the September of entry. They are awarded at 7+ (Year 3), 11+ (Year 7) and 13+ (Year 9). One music scholarship offering a 10% remission against school fees and assistance with the cost of music lessons is awarded at 13+. The Sammy Sargent Music Scholarship is a top music scholarship which may be awarded at 13+ or 16+ and offers a remission of 25% against school fees as well as assistance with the cost of music lessons. Will my child automatically progress from the Junior School to the Senior School or do they need to sit the entrance assessment? Providing a pupil is progressing well in the Junior School, following regular assessment, the Head of the Junior School will recommend a transfer to the Senior School at the end of Year 6. Will my child automatically progress from the Senior School into the Sixth Form? The vast majority of Upper Fifth (Year 11) pupils at Exeter School continue into the Sixth Form and there has also been a long tradition of a significant number of new entrants from other schools. To qualify for entry into the Lower Sixth, applicants and current Upper Fifth pupils need to achieve a minimum of three grade 7 and three grade 6 GCSEs as well as passing GCSE English and mathematics. Individual subject entry requirements are detailed on the subject pages within the Sixth Form Course booklet. External applicants will have an interview, complete an online standardised assessment, and references will be sought from their present school.
Exeter School Victoria Park Road Exeter, Devon EX2 4NS 01392 273679 @ExeterSchoolUK www.exeterschool.org.uk