Key Facts
| Latymer Prep School 7+ papers | English Comprehension 45 minutes, Creative Writing 35 minutes, Maths 40 minutes; interview for selected children the week after (Source: https://www.latymerprep.org/admissions/preparing-for-assessment) |
|---|---|
| St Paul's Prep School 7+ group assessment | Half-day, groups of approximately ten: Maths lesson, English lesson, group problem-solving (Source: https://www.stpaulsschool.org.uk/admissions/entry-to-st-pauls-7-8/selection-procedure/) |
| Westminster Under School 7+ second round | About 120 children are invited back for classroom activities and an interview (Source: https://www.westminster.org.uk/admissions/7-entry-westminster-under-school/) |
| UCS Junior Branch 7+ | Main entry point; about 60 boys join three classes, roughly half from the Pre-Prep; January assessment lasts about three hours (Source: https://www.ucs.org.uk/admissions/admissions-process/year-3/) |
| Highgate Junior School 7+ tests | Written tests in English and Mathematics of 50 minutes each (Source: https://www.highgateschool.org.uk/junior-school/admissions-7/) |
| Alleyn's Junior School and Alleyn's Oakfield | 4+: about 36 children join two Reception classes; 7+: about 8 to 10 new places; applications in the autumn before entry, assessments in January (Source: https://www.alleyns.org.uk/admissions/admissions-to-our-junior-schools) |
| National Curriculum, Year 2 English | Handwriting and reading statements for Year 2 (Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-english-programmes-of-study/national-curriculum-in-england-english-programmes-of-study) |
| National Curriculum, Year 2 mathematics | Recall and use multiplication and division facts for the 2, 5 and 10 tables; Year 3 adds 3, 4 and 8 (Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-mathematics-programmes-of-study/national-curriculum-in-england-mathematics-programmes-of-study) |
Figures correct at the time of writing. Confirm current fees and deadlines with the school or university directly.
What is assessed at 7+ at London day schools is English and maths, with a reasoning paper at some schools and none mentioned by others, set at Year 2 level with some Year 3 content. Latymer Prep School, St Paul's Prep School, Westminster Under School, UCS Junior Branch, Highgate Junior School and Alleyn's Junior School each describe their own mix on their own admissions pages. Alongside the papers, schools watch how a child reads aloud, listens and behaves in a group, and many add a second stage for a smaller group.
What do the 7+ papers test in English?
The English papers test comprehension and writing, with Latymer Prep School and Alleyn's Junior School each naming English comprehension and creative writing, Latymer as two of its three formal papers. Westminster Under School describes its English writing as creative and accurate expression, such as continuing a story or writing a diary, with attention to spelling, punctuation and grammar. Highgate Junior School sets written English tests devised and marked by its own teachers, whilst UCS Junior Branch holds English tests in classrooms.
St Paul's Prep School sets a dictation exercise as its English task, in which boys are expected to write reasonably neatly, applying a sound understanding of grammar, punctuation and spelling and checking their writing for accuracy. Its comprehension exercise sits inside the Reasoning paper, where boys retrieve information and draw inferences from a text, recognise the meaning of words and apply vocabulary knowledge when solving puzzles.
What do the 7+ papers test in maths?
The maths papers test number and place value, the four operations and the use of both to solve problems, with shape, measure and time alongside. St Paul's Prep School expects boys to apply the four arithmetic operations, number facts and place value, including missing number problems, and to recall and use multiplication and division facts for the 2, 3, 5 and 10 times tables with efficient mental calculation methods. Applying knowledge of shape, space, measure and time to puzzles is a key part of its paper.
Westminster Under School lists place value, the four operations applied to problem solving, mental calculation strategies, practical measurement and shape, and basic fractions. Alleyn's Junior School examines number, shape, space and measure, handling data and using and applying mathematics. Latymer Prep School, UCS Junior Branch and Highgate Junior School each name a maths paper or test as part of the first stage.
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Michael
Master TutorI have a First in Economics from York and an MSc from UCL, and have tutored for seven years, including SEN students. I teach maths, economics, physics, chemistry and biology to GCSE, A-Level, IB and AP. I build strong foundations so advanced questions feel intuitive.
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Mark
Master TutorI have thirty years in education, including Head of English at an independent school and GCSE and A-Level examiner. I teach English, Literature, Language, Creative Writing and Critical Thinking, ages four to eighteen. I start from what a student can already do and adapt my methods to them.
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Hannah
Master TutorI am a UK-qualified teacher with 15+ years across private and state schools in the UK and abroad, and hold a BSc from LSE and a PGCE with QTS. I teach English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning, 11+ and Common Entrance preparation. My approach is personalised, confidence-building and rigorous.
Enquire about this tutorIs reasoning part of the 7+ at every school?
No, reasoning is not part of every school's assessment, because the admissions pages name different papers. Latymer's three formal papers are English Comprehension, Creative Writing and Maths, Highgate's written tests are English and Mathematics, and the UCS Junior Branch page does not mention a reasoning paper.
St Paul's weights its Reasoning tasks according to age, Westminster describes Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning as thinking skills, and Alleyn's assesses reasoning in its first-stage papers before adding a non-verbal reasoning test at the second stage.
A page that does not mention a reasoning paper says nothing either way, so list the papers each school names on its own admissions page before you plan any practice, and ask the admissions office whether the page leaves the question open. Doing this for every school on your shortlist shows which skills overlap and which belong to one assessment.
What curriculum level are the 7+ papers set at?
The papers are set at Year 2 of the National Curriculum, with some Year 3 content. St Paul's Prep School says its English paper incorporates the Year 2 programme of study and may include aspects of word reading and comprehension from the Year 3 programme, and that its Maths paper incorporates the Year 2 programme and may include number and place value from Year 3. It hopes applicants are working at a Greater Depth standard within Year 2.
Alleyn's Junior School expects candidates to have followed the National Curriculum syllabus for English and maths. In multiplication, the 3 times table in St Paul's list sits in the Year 3 programme of study, which names the 3, 4 and 8 tables, whilst the Year 2 programme names the 2, 5 and 10 tables.
What does 'in line with expectations at the top of KS1' mean in practice?
Latymer Prep School says children at 7+ would be working in line with expectations at the top of KS1 for both Maths and English, and in practice that points to the Year 2 programmes of study published on GOV.UK. St Paul's Prep School applies the same measure to its dictation exercise, where boys are expected to check their writing for accuracy in line with top-end KS1 expectations.
Reading the Year 2 skills below with your child shows which are secure and which need more practice. They describe the level of the work without predicting any individual question, so a sensible order is to start with the skills you see slipping in everyday reading, writing and number work, then move to any exemplar or sample material a school provides.
- English: form lower-case letters of the correct size relative to one another and start using diagonal and horizontal strokes to join them
- English: use spacing between words that reflects the size of the letters
- English: read most words quickly and accurately, without overt sounding and blending, once they are frequently encountered
- English: explain and discuss understanding of books, poems and other material
- English: spell many words correctly and add suffixes such as -ment, -ness, -ful, -less and -ly
- English: write statements, questions, exclamations and commands, using subordination (when, if, that, because) and co-ordination (or, and, but), with present and past tenses used correctly and consistently
- Maths: count in steps of 2, 3 and 5 from 0, and in 10s from any number, forwards and backwards
- Maths: recall and use addition and subtraction facts to 20 fluently, and derive related facts up to 100
- Maths: recognise, find, name and write fractions, including one third, one quarter, two quarters and three quarters
- Maths: tell and write the time to five minutes, including quarter past and quarter to the hour
- Maths: identify and describe the properties of 2-D shapes, including the number of sides, and use vocabulary for position, direction and movement
What is judged beyond the papers?
Schools also judge reading, listening, social behaviour and attitude to learning, and several say so directly. UCS Junior Branch invites 7+ applicants in small groups for listening and discussion exercises and a reading assessment whilst parents meet the Headmaster and tour the school, and performance at this stage counts toward the decision. At its English and Maths session, staff observe social interaction and behaviour.
Westminster Under School includes reading aloud and discussing stories and new vocabulary, and says it looks for potential and natural ability, children who will thrive with the challenges of a Westminster education, and a spark and a passion for something. Latymer Prep School says it is interested in observing children's social maturity and attitude to learning, and Alleyn's looks for candidates who will respond to its care, opportunities and values and contribute their talents and enthusiasm.
Westminster adds that quieter children are assessed on the same basis as everyone else, which is worth telling a reserved child ahead of the day. Reading aloud together, talking through stories and new words, and letting your child explain their own interests rehearse the activities these schools name, alongside the school and home reading your child already does.
What does the second stage add?
The second stage is an invitation back for a smaller group of candidates, adding classroom activities, group tasks or an interview to the written papers. The schools describe it differently, and each page says who is invited, so check whether your shortlisted schools invite a smaller group or everyone.
UCS Junior Branch reverses the order, with its listening, discussion and reading session ahead of its English and Maths tests. Highgate says its second assessment helps the school get to know the child and lets the child experience school life, which is a useful way to describe the stage to a young child beforehand.
- Latymer Prep School: children who perform particularly well are invited to an interview where staff talk with each child about their interests and aspirations, and all candidates are told by email whether they are invited
- St Paul's Prep School: boys who perform well are invited to a half-day group assessment with a Maths lesson, an English lesson and a group problem-solving task in groups of approximately ten, whilst parents can meet the Head of the Prep School; offers follow
- Westminster Under School: a morning resembling a typical school day, with games, an outdoor break and a snack, plus an interview with the Master and a senior team member, who invite candidates to talk about their own interests and enthusiasms
- Highgate Junior School: some children are invited to a taster lesson and a group interview
- Alleyn's Junior School: candidates who show the necessary academic potential sit a non-verbal reasoning test and a reading test, take part in small group activities and have an individual interview
Where can you find each school's own description?
Each school's admissions page is the place to find its own description, and several schools add sample or exemplar material for parents. The pages differ in how much they say, so read the page for every school on your list instead of relying on a general account of the 7+.
Alleyn's Junior School and Alleyn's Oakfield apply the same assessment process and standard, so a candidate who wants to be considered at both sits the assessment at one location with one registration process, and places are allocated by school preference. For the Year 2 and Year 3 skills the schools refer to, the National Curriculum programmes of study for English and mathematics on GOV.UK list the statutory content, which lets you check a school's description against the source.
- Latymer Prep School sends exemplar Maths and English papers after registration to show the expected standard
- St Paul's Prep School says it does not publish past papers, and links a suggested reading list and Maths and English guidance for 7+
- Highgate Junior School points parents to published sample English and Maths questions and sends an explanatory video to watch with your child
- Alleyn's page states that sample papers are published for 9+, and its Admissions Policy sits alongside the admissions page
- UCS Junior Branch gives no specific preparation guidance on its page
For one-to-one help with the English, maths and reasoning a 7+ assessment can include, read about our 7+ tutors for English, maths and reasoning, or tell us about your child and the schools on your list and we will reply with tutor recommendations.
Related guides
- 7+ tutors for English, maths and reasoning
- 7+ exam: format, schools and preparation
- 7+ past papers and practice questions
- The 7+ interview
- How the 7+ process differs between London day schools
- 7+ maths and mental arithmetic
- 7+ English: reading, writing and handwriting
- 7+ reasoning tests explained
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Frequently asked questions
- What is the assessment day like for a child?
- It varies by school, and the pages describe it in small details. At Latymer Prep School children sit at desks, talking is discouraged, staff gently prompt a child who is stuck, pencils, rulers and rubbers are provided, and children bring a named water bottle whilst the school provides a snack. Westminster Under School tests small groups in classrooms with at least two staff present, and Highgate Junior School says it aims to make the day as fun and stress-free as possible.
- Will a school give feedback on how my child did?
- Latymer Prep School gives no written or verbal feedback on a child's performance or ranking on any paper. Alleyn's Junior School says decisions on places are final with no right of appeal, and that some candidates who are not offered a place may be placed on a waiting list, reconsidered on their assessment results if a vacancy arises. Check each page before the day so you know what to expect afterwards.
- What if my child has a special educational need or learning difference?
- Latymer Prep School gives access arrangements to children with diagnosed special educational needs, which parents must notify during registration. Alleyn's Junior School asks parents who know or suspect a disability, language or learning difference to notify the school in writing at registration so that arrangements can be made. Raise the matter at registration with any school on your list, since the pages name registration as the point to tell the school.
- Do schools ask my child's current school for a report?
- Four of the schools say they do. St Paul's Prep School seeks a reference from the head of the boy's current school and treats the application as consent to contact them. UCS Junior Branch requests a confidential report that plays an important part in selection, Highgate Junior School asks the current headteacher for a confidential reference, and Alleyn's writes to the current headteacher or a nursery for a report.
- How much should parents prepare their child at home?
- Latymer Prep School advises low-key parental preparation, with the child's routine kept as normal as possible and favourite activities maintained because they help wellbeing, and its page sums this up as balance. Westminster Under School says no preparation is needed for the reasoning papers, though familiarity with the format may help, that practice books are widely available but excessive practice is not recommended, and it advises parents to avoid outside tuition, which it feels can dull the freshness and eagerness to learn that it values.
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