Key Facts
| School type | Independent day and boarding, co-educational, 3 to 18 (Pre-prep, Prep and Senior) |
|---|---|
| Location | Petersfield, Hampshire |
| Entry points | 7+, 8+, 11+, 13+, 16+ |
| Assessment | Two-day residential assessment in early January; candidates should be capable of a minimum average of grade 6 across Bedales Assessed Courses and GCSE subjects |
| Test provider | The school's own entrance tests, taken during a residential assessment; no external test provider is named on the pages read |
| Assessment date | 13+ residential assessments for 2029 entry: 4 to 5 January 2027 |
| Scholarships and bursaries | Academic, art, music, drama, dance, sport scholarships; means-tested bursaries up to 100% of fees |
| A level average point score per entry (DfE, 2024/25) | 39.48 (average grade B) |
Figures correct at the time of writing. Confirm current fees and deadlines with the school or university directly.
To get into Bedales School, a child registers through the OpenApply portal, pays a non-refundable registration fee and then sits the school's own entrance tests, which at 11+ and 13+ take the form of a two-day residential assessment in early January. The main entry point to the Senior school is 13+ (Year 9), with further entry at 7+, 8+, 11+ and 16+.
Being on the entrance test list does not guarantee a place, since the school states that only the tests determine places. Preliminary details of the tests reach registered families in the autumn term before the January assessment, so the specific papers are not published on the open pages.
| Entry point | Year group | Assessment | Interview | Places |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7+ | Year 3 | Entrance tests at the appropriate time after registration; the format is not published on the pages read | Not stated | Additional places, because Year 3 is split into two classes |
| 8+ | Year 4 | Entry from Pre-prep or as an external candidate; entrance tests after registration, format not published | Not stated | Not published |
| 11+ | Year 7 | Two-day residential assessment in early January, with a Prep taster day beforehand | Not stated | Not published |
| 13+ | Year 9 | Two-day residential assessment in early January; candidates should be capable of a minimum average of grade 6 across Bedales Assessed Courses and GCSE subjects | Interviews and informal assessment are part of the residential stay, according to the school's EAL policy | Not published |
| 16+ | Year 12 | Entry assessments and interviews in the autumn term, with subject-specific GCSE minimums and portfolios or recordings for some subjects | Interviews are part of Sixth Form entry | Not published |
Entry points and places
The school admits at 7+, 8+, 11+, 13+ and 16+, and recommends joining in September at these standard points. Other year groups are considered if places exist, but entry into Year 11 and Year 13 is not possible.
Bedales is organised as Pre-prep, Prep and Senior, and no figure for places is published at any entry point. At 7+ the school notes that additional places arise because Year 3 is split into two classes.
- 7+ (Year 3): additional places in a split year group
- 8+ (Year 4): Prep, day or boarding, from Pre-prep or external
- 11+ (Year 7): Prep, day or boarding, from Prep or external
- 13+ (Year 9): Senior, day or boarding, from Prep or external
- 16+ (Year 12): Sixth Form, day or boarding, from Senior or external
How the 13+ assessment works
The 13+ assessment is a two-day residential held in early January, and the school's own policy describes the selection process as tests, interviews and informal assessment during a short stay at the school, alongside a review of the application documents.
The pages read do not list the subjects, paper lengths or question types, and no external test provider is named. Preliminary details go to registered families in the autumn term, and the admissions office can explain the schedule.
13+ tutors
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 tutor
Johanna
Expert TutorI have two decades' teaching experience in English Literature, English Language and Philosophy, and hold a PhD in English Literature. I teach GCSE, A-Level, Oxbridge entrance and UCAS personal statements. My approach is person-centred, working through dialogue and ongoing assessment.
Enquire about this tutorRegistration and the admissions timeline
Registration starts by asking the admissions team for the registration form link, then paying the non-refundable registration fee and submitting the OpenApply application with the required documents.
Once the form and fee are received, the child is placed on the entrance test lists. For 13+ the sequence runs from an open morning and taster day in the autumn, through the bursary deadline in the autumn, to the January residential, and then a second taster day for successful candidates in the spring. For 11+, offers follow in early February and acceptance with the deposit is due in early March.
How Sixth Form entry works
Sixth Form entry at 16+ asks for a predicted minimum average of grade 6 at GCSE, including grade 6 in Maths or English Language, and capability of at least three A Level passes at grade C or above.
Each A Level has its own minimum GCSE grade, and entry is conditional on achieving it. Maths needs grade 7, Further Maths grade 8, and Physics needs 7 in Dual Award Science and 7 in Maths. Art, Product Design, Music Technology and Photography ask for a portfolio or recordings. Entry assessments and interviews take place in the autumn term, with registration closing at the end of September before entry.
Scholarships and bursaries
Scholarships are offered in academic, art, music, drama, dance and sport for both internal and external candidates, and they are reviewed annually. Academic, music and art scholarships at 13+ are assessed in January of the entry year, and Sixth Form scholarship candidates sit separate exams and interviews.
Scholarships do not reduce fees. They carry a non means-tested research fund, and music scholars receive free music lessons instead.
Bursaries are means-tested, range from part-fee contributions up to 100 per cent of fees, and normally apply to entry at 11+, 13+ and Sixth Form. Parents resident outside the UK are not eligible, and awards are reviewed as a child moves from Prep to Senior and into Sixth Form.
Fees and what they include
Fees are set annually, divided into three equal termly amounts whatever the length of the term, and the termly figures are on the school's fees page. They cover standard curriculum teaching, pastoral care and guidance, boarders' laundry, use of facilities, travel for most sports and games, and personal accident insurance.
Examination fees, learning support or EAL, transport, academic books, materials for personal projects and school trips are billed separately. A registration fee is paid on applying, and an acceptance deposit is refunded as a credit on the final invoice when the pupil leaves, subject to terms. Families outside the UK pay an additional deposit and a visa administration fee.
Where pupils join from
Pre-prep (Dunannie) feeds into Prep from Year 4, and Prep (Dunhurst) pupils move up to Senior at Year 9, which almost all of them do, so 13+ candidates include both internal and external applicants.
External children can apply at Year 4, Year 7, Year 9 and Year 12. Senior pupils progress into the Sixth Form at Year 12, and the school names no partner or feeder schools on its admissions pages.
How to prepare
Preparation is best tied to the stages the school names. Attending the open morning and taster day gives a child familiarity with lessons before the residential, and the school describes its focus as understanding the whole person and how well they will adapt to Bedales.
Because the subjects and papers are sent only to registered families, the practical step is to register early, read the autumn details closely and ask the admissions office about anything unclear. Secure work across GCSE and Bedales Assessed Courses matters at 13+ and 16+, where the school sets a grade 6 average benchmark.
Related guides
- Best private schools in Hampshire
- Independent school fees compared
- Churcher's College (11+)
- Winchester College (11+)
- Lord Wandsworth College (11+)
- Embley (11+)
- The ISEB Common Pre-Test explained
- 13+ Common Entrance explained
- The 11+ entrance exam explained
- The 7+ entrance exam explained
- The 8+ entrance exam explained
- 11+ and 13+ scholarship exams explained
- What is a bursary? Private school bursaries explained
- Boarding schools in the UK
Preparing for the Bedales School 13+ with Taylor Tuition
Families preparing for the Bedales School 13+ 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 13+. Families receive progress reports after sessions and have a dedicated point of contact.
Read more about our 13+ Common Entrance tutors, or send an enquiry and we will come back with tutor recommendations.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the Bedales entrance exam?
- There is no external test provider named on the school's pages. At 11+ and 13+ candidates attend a two-day residential assessment in early January, which the school's policy describes as tests, interviews and informal assessment. Preliminary details are sent to registered families in the autumn term before the January tests.
- How can parents register a child at Bedales?
- Ask the admissions team for the registration form link, pay the non-refundable registration fee and complete the OpenApply application, uploading the required documents. Your child is then placed on the entrance test lists, which does not guarantee a place. Enquiries are welcome at any time.
- Does Bedales offer scholarships and bursaries?
- Yes. Scholarships are offered in academic, art, music, drama, dance and sport, but they do not reduce fees. Means-tested bursaries range from part-fee contributions up to 100 per cent of fees, normally for entry at 11+, 13+ and Sixth Form, and are not available to parents resident outside the UK.
- What are the Bedales Sixth Form entry requirements?
- Candidates should be capable of at least three A Level passes at grade C or above and be predicted a minimum average of grade 6 at GCSE, including grade 6 in Maths or English Language. Each A Level has its own minimum GCSE grade, and some subjects need a portfolio.
- What do Bedales fees include?
- Fees cover standard curriculum tuition, pastoral care, boarders' laundry, use of facilities, travel for most sports and games, and personal accident insurance. Examinations, learning support or EAL, transport, books and trips are extra. The termly figures are on the school's fees page.
Enquire about 13+ preparation
Start your enquiryHow Taylor Tuition can help
Expert, one-to-one support from specialist tutors.
Editorial Notice
We use automated research tools to help collate and maintain information across our website. While each post is reviewed before publication, some details may be incomplete or inaccurate.
Taylor Tuition
Educational Consultancy
Contributing expert insights on education, exam preparation, and effective learning strategies to help students reach their full potential.