Key Facts
| School type | Independent day school, co-educational, Senior School 11 to 16 with sixth form (AW6) 16 to 18 |
|---|---|
| Location | Buckinghamshire |
| Entry points | 11+, 16+ |
| Assessment | Taster Day after online registration, where staff assess the child's capabilities and behaviour; no separate entrance papers or test provider are named |
| Day fees (2026/2027) | Per term, total including VAT and mandatory costs: Years 7 to 9 £7,680 (tuition £7,225 plus £455 non-VAT items); Year 10 £7,951; Year 11 £8,117 |
| Scholarships and bursaries | Sports scholarships (Year 6) and selected bursaries; sibling discounts of 5 to 15% |
| A level average point score per entry (DfE, 2024/25) | 30.87 (average grade C) |
Figures correct at the time of writing. Confirm current fees and deadlines with the school or university directly. Compare fees at other independent schools.
You get into Akeley Wood Senior School by registering online, attending a Taster Day where staff assess the child's capabilities and behaviour, and accepting a written offer, with the main intake at Year 7 (11+) and further entry into the AW6 sixth form at Years 12 and 13 (16+). The admissions pages name no entrance exam, test provider or fixed closing date, so the Taster Day is the assessment that families prepare for.
The Senior School teaches ages 11 to 16 at Akeley Wood House, and the school also welcomes mid-year joiners at any point in the academic year if spaces allow. For questions about which year groups have space, the Admissions Team can be reached on 01280 828 122.
| Entry point | Year group | Assessment | Interview | Places |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11+ | Year 7 | Taster Day after online registration, where staff assess the child's capabilities and behaviour; no separate entrance papers or test provider are named | No formal interview published; non-native English speakers meet a member of the Senior Leadership Team online for an informal assessment of English | Not published |
| 16+ | Year 12 | Online application form covers Years 12 and 13; no entrance papers or GCSE grade requirements are published | None published | Not published |
Entry points and places
The Senior School takes pupils at Year 7 (11+) and the sixth form at Year 12 (16+), and the online application form lists every year group from Nursery to Year 13. Mid-year joining is possible at any point in the academic year if spaces allow, and year group availability is discussed when a parent calls the Admissions Team.
The pages read give no number of places or forms of entry. Early applications are recommended and are considered in the order received, with offers depending on availability and the admissions requirements that apply at the time. The school describes its class sizes as deliberately small.
How the 11+ Taster Day works
The Year 7 assessment is a Taster Day, on which the child meets classmates and teachers and staff assess their capabilities and behaviour. It follows registration and comes before the written offer.
The admissions pages name no test provider and give no subjects, timings or question types. This suggests the school judges applicants through the day itself, and the Admissions Team can confirm what a given Taster Day covers for a given year group.
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Enquire about this tutorRegistration and the admissions timeline
Admissions at Akeley Wood follows six published steps, and no closing date is given for any of them. Early applications are recommended for September entry, which the school says it considers in the order received.
- Get in touch by calling the Admissions Team or completing the enquiry form.
- Visit through a personal tour or an Open Event.
- Apply by completing the online registration form for each child, uploading documents and agreeing to pay the registration fee by bank transfer.
- Attend the Taster Day.
- Receive the offer in writing, then return the signed documentation within seven days and pay the deposit.
- Start on the child's first day.
Interviews and references
The admissions pages describe no formal interview and no reference from the current school, although the online form lets families upload the child's latest school report. Other uploads accepted are the child's passport and birth certificate, parents' passports, specialist reports and educational psychologist or other reports, each up to 5 MB.
Pupils who are non-native English speakers are asked to meet a member of the Senior Leadership Team online, who informally assesses their English. The school may then advise extra English support before enrolment or during the first year.
Scholarships and bursaries
Akeley Wood offers sports scholarships to Junior School children who show talent in their sport in Year 6, awarded to take them through to the Senior School. The fees page also mentions scholarships and selected bursaries for qualifying parents.
The pages read publish no academic, music, art or drama scholarships, no entry points for awards at 11+ or 16+, no bursary eligibility rules and no maximum share of fees. Families interested in financial support should ask the Admissions Team before registering.
Fees and what they include
Fees are charged termly, and the published termly fee is stated as the total including VAT and mandatory costs. The full table for Years 7 to 13 sits in the fees field above, and fees are reviewed annually, usually in April.
Items shown separately as non-VAT include school lunch up to Year 11, educational enrichment, food technology ingredients in Years 7 to 9, and exam fees in Years 11 and 13. Sixth form totals exclude lunch. Payment is in three termly instalments or monthly through School Fee Plan.
Incremental sibling discounts of 5 per cent for one sibling, 10 per cent for an additional sibling and 15 per cent for any further siblings are calculated on net fees after lunch charges. The deposit is refunded when the child leaves, provided a full term's written notice has been given and all fees are settled.
Where pupils join from
Senior School places are open to children from the school's own Junior School, which teaches pupils at Wicken Park and describes them as prepared for the challenges of the Senior School. The Junior School's sports scholarships run from Year 6 into the Senior School.
The pages read name no partner or feeder schools, and the Senior School accepts applicants from other schools through the same registration and Taster Day route. Sixth form pupils are taught at Tile House Mansion, on the same road as the Senior School.
Sixth form entry at 16+
Entry to the AW6 sixth form at Years 12 and 13 is made through the same online application form, and the pages read publish no GCSE grade requirements, entrance papers or interview. The Admissions Team, on 01280 828 122, can confirm what a sixth form place depends on.
AW6 offers a broad A Level curriculum with subjects including Art, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Economics, Geography and Music, alongside the Extended Project Qualification and the English Speaking Board Qualification. Students are encouraged to take MOOCs. A sixth form open event is offered through the enquiry hub.
How to prepare
Preparation for Akeley Wood centres on the Taster Day, because that is the stage where capabilities and behaviour are assessed. Visiting beforehand on a personal tour or at an Open Event makes the building and staff familiar, and children usually settle more easily on a day they have already pictured.
Practical steps tie to the published process: upload the latest school report and any specialist or educational psychologist reports with the registration form, ask the Admissions Team what the Taster Day involves, and keep the seven-day acceptance window in mind once an offer arrives. Non-native English speakers can practise an informal online conversation with a senior member of staff.
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Preparing for the Akeley Wood Senior School 11+ with Taylor Tuition
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Frequently asked questions
- How do you get into Akeley Wood Senior School?
- Families call or use the enquiry form, visit, register online and pay the registration fee, then attend a Taster Day where staff assess the child's capabilities and behaviour. A written offer follows, and the signed documentation must be returned within seven days with the deposit. Year 7 is the main entry, and Years 12 and 13 join the sixth form.
- Is there an entrance exam for Akeley Wood Senior School?
- The admissions pages describe no entrance exam or named test provider. The published assessment is the Taster Day, where the child meets classmates and teachers. Non-native English speakers also meet a member of the Senior Leadership Team online for an informal assessment of English. The Admissions Team can confirm details.
- What are the Akeley Wood Senior School fees?
- Fees are published termly for Years 7 to 13 on the school's fees page, and the termly fee includes VAT and mandatory costs. Lunch up to Year 11, enrichment, food technology ingredients and exam fees appear as separate non-VAT items. Sibling discounts of 5, 10 and 15 per cent apply, and fees are reviewed annually, usually in April.
- Does Akeley Wood offer scholarships and bursaries?
- The Junior School offers sports scholarships to children who show talent in their sport in Year 6, to take them through to the Senior School. The fees page also mentions scholarships and selected bursaries for qualifying parents. No criteria, entry points or maximum share of fees are published, so families should ask the Admissions Team.
- What do you need to register at Akeley Wood?
- Parents complete the online form for each child, including details for up to three adults, and upload documents such as the child's passport, birth certificate, latest school report and any specialist reports. They then agree to pay the registration fee by bank transfer. Early applications are recommended and are considered in the order received.
- What are the sixth form entry requirements at Akeley Wood?
- The pages read publish no GCSE grade requirements, entrance papers or interview for the AW6 sixth form. The online application form covers Years 12 and 13, and AW6 offers a broad A Level curriculum with the Extended Project Qualification. The Admissions Team can confirm what a place depends on.
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