ACS Egham International School 7+, 11+ and 16+ Admissions: Process, Assessment and Fees

Getting into ACS Egham International School depends on an online application that the admissions team reviews as a whole, and no entrance exam exists at any entry point. The review draws on previous school records, teacher references, a student questionnaire and any standardised test scores, and it applies to Lower School entry from age 3, Upper School entry from age 11 and the Grade 11 start of the IB Diploma years.

Applications are accepted throughout the year, so families are not tied to a single sitting or deadline. Availability varies by grade, which is why the school advises applying early, and a full grade leads to a waiting list with a call when a place opens.

Entry points and places

ACS Egham admits students on a rolling basis, so a child can join at the start of the academic year or part-way through it, subject to space in the relevant grade. The school is divided into a Lower School for ages 3 to 11 and an Upper School for ages 11 to 18, and grades run from Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12.

Grade placement is based first on date of birth, although the school says it can be flexible for each family. A grade equivalence chart on the admissions process page maps class ages and curricula across education systems, which helps families arriving from outside the English system. The school does not publish a number of places or forms of entry for any grade.

• Lower School: ages 3 to 11, with children able to start from age 3
• Upper School: ages 11 to 18, covering the IB Middle Years Programme, IB Diploma Programme, IB Career-related Programme and High School Diploma
• Grade 11: start of the two final years, for students aged 16 to 18

How the main assessment works

No entrance exam is set at ACS Egham, and each applicant is assessed individually through a review of the whole application file. The admissions team looks at previous school records, teacher references, the student questionnaire and the results of any standardised tests the child has already taken.

The school does not name a test provider and publishes no papers, subjects or timings, so there is no format to rehearse. Where relevant, additional documents may be requested, such as Educational Psychologist reports or English as an Additional Language tests. Families are told the outcome as soon as possible after the review.

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Registration and the admissions timeline

Registration happens online through the school's application portal, and applications are accepted all year provided the child has the right to study in the UK. The sequence runs in five steps, and no closing date or assessment date is published for any grade.

• Enquiry: an open day or personal tour is recommended, and a private tour, open day or Zoom meeting with the team can be arranged
• Application: submitted online with the documents listed in the next section and a non-refundable application fee paid by debit or credit card
• Review: the admissions team assesses the file and may ask for further reports
• Admission: successful applicants receive an offer, and the place is secured with a refundable enrolment deposit
• Welcome: before the first day, families receive information on the cafeteria, transport, school platforms, subject selection and visa compliance

References, documents and learning support

The application asks for school reports in English from the last three years, signed and stamped by the issuing school, and two teacher reference forms that are downloaded within the application portal. An age-appropriate student questionnaire is also completed there, and the results of any standardised tests are included. Records not in English need official translations from an authorised body.

Families of children who receive learning support add an Educational Psychological Evaluation and an Individual Education Plan. The school supports mild to moderate learning needs, subject to admission requirements and available places, and cannot support severe behavioural, emotional or learning difficulties. English language support exists at all ages, with proficiency requirements applying from Grade 8.

Scholarships and bursaries

ACS Egham lists means-tested bursaries and no academic, music, sport, art or drama scholarships on the pages read. Awards can cover up to 100 percent of tuition fees, and specific costs such as busing, activities and IT equipment may be included depending on the award. Awards run for up to seven years and are reviewed annually.

Eligibility requires strong personal and academic potential, family finances that prevent payment of full fees, UK residence with the right to remain, and a home within the school's busing catchment area. Each application is individually assessed on parents' income and financial assets, with supporting documents submitted. The bursary page states when the programme is suspended for an intake and when the next schedule is published, so families check it first.

Fees and what they include

ACS Egham charges day tuition that rises by grade band from Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12, invoiced twice a year per semester; the published amounts are on the school's fees page. Tuition includes textbook loans, laboratory fees, classroom materials, single-day curriculum field trips and an iPad up to Grade 8. Grades 11 and 12 tuition also covers university placement costs such as transcripts, diplomas and university and career planning.

One-off charges comprise a non-refundable application fee with each application, a refundable enrolment deposit paid after acceptance and a non-refundable campus and development fee charged once in the first year for Grades K to 12. The deposit is credited against second-semester tuition and is returned within three months of contract termination, net of any unpaid amounts.

Extras include busing, lunch, IB exam fees, university application fees, an IT service fee for Grades 9 to 12 and moderate special educational needs support, whilst mild support is included in tuition.

Entry to the IB Diploma years at 16+

Entry at 16+ means joining Grade 11, where students aged 16 to 18 take the IB Diploma Programme or the ACS High School Diploma pathway. The school publishes no GCSE grade requirements, entrance papers or interview for this stage, and the IB Diploma page points families to the admissions team for entry questions.

Applicants follow the same application as other grades, with reports, two teacher references, the questionnaire and any standardised test results. The IB Diploma involves six subjects, three at Higher Level and three at Standard Level, plus Theory of Knowledge, a 4,000-word Extended Essay and Creativity, Activity and Service. Students on the High School Diploma pathway take Theory of Knowledge in Grade 11.

Where pupils join from

Pupils join ACS Egham from schools across London, Berkshire and Surrey, and the school draws families from over 50 nationalities. No fixed catchment area governs admission, although the busing service covers London, Berkshire and Surrey with shuttle, door-to-door and late bus options, and the bursary programme requires a home within the busing catchment area.

The Lower School and Upper School sit on one 36-acre campus, with the Upper School starting at age 11. The school publishes no named feeder or partner schools and no separate transfer process for its own younger pupils, so every applicant follows the same application route. Heathrow is about 20 minutes from the campus.

How to prepare

Preparation for ACS Egham centres on assembling a complete file, because the review rests on school reports, teacher references, the questionnaire and any test results. Requesting signed and stamped English reports from the last three years and the two reference forms early gives the current school time, and certified translations suit records in other languages.

Visiting through an open day, personal tour or Zoom meeting lets a child see the campus before the questionnaire is completed. Families with learning support needs gather the Educational Psychological Evaluation and Individual Education Plan, and applicants to Grade 8 and above who are learning English discuss proficiency with the admissions team. As no exam papers exist, calm preparation means familiarity with the IB programme the child will join.

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