Key Facts
| School type | Independent day and boarding, co-educational, 3 months to 18 |
|---|---|
| Location | Battle, East Sussex |
| Entry points | 11+, 13+, 16+ |
| Assessment | School entrance assessment, normally held in November of Year 6, used mainly to place pupils in teaching groups |
| Test provider | The school's own entrance assessment |
| Assessment date | Year 7 and Year 9 joiners events in November 2026 for September 2027 entry |
| Scholarships and bursaries | Scholarships at Years 7, 9 and 12, up to 20% of tuition fees; bursaries assessed by a third party |
| A level average point score per entry (DfE, 2024/25) | 39.40 (average grade B) |
Figures correct at the time of writing. Confirm current fees and deadlines with the school or university directly.
Getting into Battle Abbey School at the main senior entry points, Year 7 (11+) and Year 9 (13+), involves registering interest, sitting the school's own entrance assessment, normally in November, and meeting the Headteacher or a Senior Leadership Team member before any offer is made. Sixth Form entry at Year 12 (16+) rests on predicted GCSE grades, an interview and references, and Reception is the entry point to the Prep School.
The entrance assessment is used mainly to place pupils in teaching groups, so the school gives more weight to reports, the reference and the interview than to the assessment result alone. The sections below set out each stage as the school describes it, and note where a detail is not published.
| Entry point | Year group | Assessment | Interview | Places |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11+ | Year 7 | School entrance assessment, normally held in November of Year 6, used mainly to place pupils in teaching groups | Every applicant meets the Headteacher or a Senior Leadership Team member before any offer; a reference from the current school is required | Not published |
| 13+ | Year 9 | School entrance assessment, normally held in November of Year 8, used mainly to place pupils in teaching groups | Every applicant meets the Headteacher or a Senior Leadership Team member before any offer; a reference from the current school is required | Not published |
| 16+ | Year 12 | Offers based on predicted GCSE grades, with optional taster days; international applicants may also sit an assessment linked to their A Level subjects | Interview with the Head and/or Leadership Team; references from the current setting | Not published |
Entry points and places
The school has four regular intake points: Reception in the Prep School, Year 7, Year 9 and Year 12 in the Sixth Form. Applications are also considered at any other stage, and entry into other year groups is welcomed where a place is available.
The number of places at each entry point is not published on the admissions pages, so the Admissions Office is the route to confirm availability for a particular year group.
- Year 7 (11+): assessment normally taken in Year 6
- Year 9 (13+): assessment normally taken in Year 8
- Year 12 (16+): predicted GCSE grades, interview and references
- Reception: entry to the Prep School in Bexhill
How the Year 7 and Year 9 assessment works
Entrance assessments for Year 7 and Year 9 normally take place each November, with Year 7 candidates usually sitting them in Year 6 and Year 9 candidates in Year 8. The assessment is set by the school itself, and the admissions pages name no external test provider.
The admissions pages state that the assessments are mainly used to help place pupils in the most appropriate teaching groups. They do not publish the subjects, length or question types, and applications received outside November are still considered, subject to places.
Gifted children are also considered for academic scholarships during the assessment.
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Robert
Master TutorI am a qualified teacher with over twenty years' experience in the UK, Gulf and New Zealand, holding an MA in History and PGCE. I teach English, History, Geography and French from KS2 to A-Level and IB, preparing 11+/13+ candidates. My approach is student-led, focused and diagnostic.
Enquire about this tutorInterviews and references
Every prospective pupil meets the Headteacher or a member of the Senior Leadership Team before any offer is made. The school states that school reports and this interview carry more weight than academic results alone.
A reference from the child's current school is required for Year 7 and Year 9 entry, so it helps to let the current school know early that an application is under way. At Year 12, references from the current setting sit alongside interviews with the Head and/or Leadership Team.
Registration and the admissions sequence
The school describes the route in as an eight-step pathway, and no formal application closing date is stated on the pages read. Enquiries can be made through the admissions form, by email to admissions@battleabbeyschool.com or by phone on 01424 772385.
Joiners events for Year 7 and Year 9 are held in the autumn term before the September of entry, with a form to register interest on the admissions page.
- Request a prospectus or send an enquiry
- Attend an Open Day or book a personal visit
- Take part in an experience day
- Register interest in joining
- Attend taster days and complete the entrance assessment
- Receive an offer, including any scholarships or bursaries
- Order uniform and attend the new pupils' tea party
- Start at the school
Sixth Form entry requirements
Year 12 places are offered on the basis of predicted GCSE grades, interviews with the Head and/or Leadership Team, and references from the current setting. Candidates can attend taster days, and families can arrange a personal visit.
The specific grades needed are not stated on the pages read, and the Admissions Office provides full candidate information. The Sixth Form Open Evening is usually held in the autumn.
Applicants from overseas who are applying to join the Sixth Form can also be asked to sit an assessment related to their chosen A Level subjects.
Scholarships and bursaries
Scholarships are available at Year 7, Year 9 and Year 12, worth up to 20% of tuition fees. At Year 7 and Year 9 the areas are academic, music, drama, performing arts, art, sport and computing; at Year 12 they are academic, art, music, drama, performing arts and sport, with the percentage figure applying to top academic awards.
The Joanna Lumley Sixth Form Performing Arts Scholarship sits within the Year 12 offer, and other areas can be considered in special circumstances.
Bursaries are also available and are assessed by an independent third party. The Admissions team discusses scholarships and bursaries during the application process, and no maximum bursary percentage is published on the pages read.
Fees and what they include
Fees depend on the year group and on whether a pupil is a day pupil or a boarder, and the pages read do not set out term amounts in text, so the Admissions Office can supply the fee schedule for the relevant year group. The admissions menu has a Fees page and a payment portal for existing families.
The Prep School states that clubs, trips and activities are included in its standard fee structure, together with healthy meals and snacks, and Reception wrap-around care is priced separately by the day.
Boarding is offered as full, weekly (Sunday night or Monday to Thursday nights) or flexi boarding.
Where pupils join from
The school runs its own Nursery and Prep School in Bexhill, and Reception is the Prep entry point. The admissions pages read do not describe an automatic or assessed route from Prep to Year 7, so families in the Prep School should ask the Admissions Office how the transition works.
Boarders join the senior school and Sixth Form. UK families complete the enquiry form on the boarding page, and international families email the Registrar for an initial Zoom conversation.
International applicants submit a Registration Form and fee, share their last two years of school reports, and take an online English assessment, possibly with a maths paper, and an interview online if a visit is not possible.
How to prepare
Preparation for Year 7 and Year 9 entry is best focused on the elements the school says carry most weight: school reports, the reference and the interview. Because the assessment mainly places pupils in teaching groups, steady work in English and maths at the current school and calm familiarity with sitting an assessment are usually enough.
Practising a conversation about interests, favourite subjects and why the school appeals helps a child approach the meeting with the Headteacher or a senior leader with confidence. Attending the Open Day or a joiners event beforehand makes the building and the staff familiar.
For the Sixth Form, keeping predicted GCSE grades on track and discussing A Level choices at taster days and interview is the most direct preparation.
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Preparing for the Battle Abbey School 11+ with Taylor Tuition
Families preparing for the Battle Abbey School 11+ usually come to us a year or so before the assessment, though shorter runs work where the foundations are already sound. Having prepared pupils for entry to leading independent and grammar schools, with placements including Westminster, St Paul's, Wycombe Abbey and Eton, our tutors build each programme around the format the school actually uses, whether a written paper, an online pre-test, an interview or a combination of them.
More than half of our tutors hold Qualified Teacher Status and around three in five hold a master's degree or doctorate, and the pool includes former heads of department, exam-board examiners and teachers from independent and boarding schools, so the preparation is led by people who know how selective schools assess. Every tutor who works with children holds an enhanced DBS check.
Families work with us online from anywhere in the UK or abroad, and in person in central London. Fees start from £50 per 50-minute session and depend on tutor level and subject, with no registration fee and a free initial consultation to talk through your child's current level and the timeline to the 11+. Families receive progress reports after sessions and have a dedicated point of contact.
Read more about our 11+ entrance exam tutors, or send an enquiry and we will come back with tutor recommendations.
Frequently asked questions
- How do you get into Battle Abbey School?
- Families enquire, visit, register interest and attend taster days, where the entrance assessment is taken. Every applicant meets the Headteacher or a Senior Leadership Team member, and a reference from the current school is required. Offers, including any scholarships or bursaries, follow. The regular entry points are Reception, Year 7, Year 9 and Year 12.
- What is the Battle Abbey School entrance exam?
- Year 7 and Year 9 candidates sit the school's own entrance assessment, normally in November of Year 6 and Year 8. It is mainly used to place pupils in teaching groups. The school says reports and the interview carry more weight than academic results alone. Subjects and length are not published.
- How much are Battle Abbey School fees?
- Fees vary by year group and between day and boarding places. The pages read give no term amounts in text, although the admissions menu has a Fees page. The Admissions Office on 01424 772385 or admissions@battleabbeyschool.com can send the fee schedule for the relevant year group.
- Does Battle Abbey School offer scholarships and bursaries?
- Yes. Scholarships at Year 7 and Year 9 cover academic, music, drama, performing arts, art, sport and computing, and at Year 12 academic, art, music, drama, performing arts and sport, worth up to 20% of tuition fees. Bursaries are assessed by an independent third party.
- What are the sixth form entry requirements at Battle Abbey School?
- Year 12 places are offered on predicted GCSE grades, interviews with the Head and/or Leadership Team, and references from the current setting. Taster days and personal visits are available. Specific grade requirements are not published on the pages read, so the Admissions Office provides them.
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