Registration for Bloxham School 11+ closes in 31 days, on 6 November 2026. A free consultation now leaves time to plan the preparation before the assessment.
Book a free consultationKey Facts
| School type | Independent day and boarding, co-educational, 11 to 18 |
|---|---|
| Location | Bloxham, Banbury, Oxfordshire |
| Entry points | 11+ (First Form, Year 7), 13+ (Third Form, Year 9), 16+ (Sixth Form, Year 12); other ages considered where space allows |
| Assessment | Assessment Morning: interview plus English, maths and verbal reasoning papers |
| Day fees (From September 2026 (inclusive of VAT)) | Lower School (First and Second Form, age 11+), Day House: £9,260 per term (inclusive of lunch and snacks, not breakfast or supper) |
| Boarding fees (From September 2026 (inclusive of VAT)) | Lower School (First and Second Form, age 11+), per term: Weekly Boarder £11,910; Day Boarder £10,850 (inclusive of all meals, including breakfast when boarding) |
| Registration deadline | Friday 6th November 2026 (for the 11+ 2027 Entrance Exam) |
| Assessment date | Thursday 12th November 2026 (11+ Entrance Exam, for 2027 entry; registered candidates only) |
Figures correct at the time of writing — always confirm current fees and deadlines with the school directly.
Entry to Bloxham School at 11+ starts with registering a child in advance of Year 6, after which candidates sit an assessment day in November before their intended year of entry, made up of an interview and papers in English, maths and verbal reasoning. Offers of places in First Form follow, with around fifty spaces available for children transferring from their primary or prep school at the end of Year 6.
The assessment day is designed to feel low-pressure, mixing the papers and interview with activities and breaks so children stay relaxed, and academic scholarships at this stage draw on that same set of results, with no separate scholarship paper set at 11+.
How entry works at 11+
Bloxham admits new pupils at three main points: 11, 13 and 16, with the 11+ route feeding into First Form of the Lower School. Around fifty places are available in First Form each year, for children who would normally transfer from their primary school or its equivalent on completing Year 6. Children can also join at other ages where space allows, though 11, 13 and 16 remain the three main entry points.
How the 11+ assessment works
The 11+ assessment takes the form of an Assessment Morning held in November before the year of entry, at which candidates sit English, maths and verbal reasoning papers and have an interview with a member of staff. The papers are based on what a child is expected to have studied by the end of Key Stage 2. The school builds in activities and refreshment breaks through the day, aiming to keep the atmosphere as informal as possible, and offers of places are based on performance across the whole assessment morning. Specimen papers are available on request from the Admissions team.
How registration and the admissions process work
Bloxham sets out admissions as a seven-step process, running from an initial enquiry through to induction once a place is confirmed. Registration comes before any exam, since Bloxham requires each candidate to be formally registered before sitting the entrance papers, and offers are tied to the boarding preference chosen at that stage.
- Make an enquiry to the Admissions team
- Visit the school, at an open event or on a personal tour
- Choose a boarding preference, since offers are tied to this choice
- Register the child, which secures a provisional place ahead of the exam
- Sit the entrance examinations on the assessment day
- Receive an offer of a place, based on performance across the assessment
- Accept the place and complete induction ahead of starting
Boarding and day choices at First Form entry
Families choose between weekly boarding, day boarding or a day house place when registering for First Form, and this choice is fixed to the offer made. Day boarders receive two nights of boarding within their fees, plus the option to stay until early evening with supper and supervised prep on other week nights. Day house pupils attend from morning until early evening with no boarding included. Lower School operates Monday to Friday, with optional Saturday morning sport.
Scholarships and bursaries at 11+
Bloxham offers Academic, Art, Design and Technology, Drama and Music scholarships at 11+, though not Sport scholarships at this entry point. Academic scholarships are awarded on performance in the standard entrance examination itself, so candidates do not sit a separate paper; those applying for the other disciplines sit additional discipline-specific assessments, such as an observational drawing test and portfolio for Art, a design task for DT, a workshop and interview for Drama, or performance and aural tests for Music, alongside the standard entrance exam. Means-tested bursaries are considered separately after registration, based on a confidential statement of financial affairs, independent of academic or creative achievement, and scholarship holders may also apply for bursarial support.
How to prepare for the assessment
Preparation for the 11+ centres on the three tested areas of English, maths and verbal reasoning, pitched at Key Stage 2 level, plus building confidence for the interview. Specimen papers from the Admissions team give a clear sense of format and difficulty, and because the school weighs performance across the whole assessment morning, children benefit from practising under time pressure while getting comfortable talking about their interests for the interview. The informal, activity-filled structure of the day is intended to ease nerves, so treating the morning as a normal school visit, in keeping with how the school frames the day, helps keep the occasion in proportion.
Related guides
Preparing for the Bloxham School 11+ with Taylor Tuition
The Bloxham School 11+ rewards steady preparation over a year or so, with the last term given to timed practice and interview confidence. Having prepared pupils for entry to leading independent and grammar schools, with placements including Westminster, St Paul's, Wycombe Abbey and Eton, our tutors match the programme to the school's assessment format and to where the child is starting from.
Because the pool includes former heads of department, exam-board examiners and teachers from independent and boarding schools, and more than half of our tutors hold Qualified Teacher Status, families get a tutor who understands what the assessors are looking for. 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, and we reply to enquiries within one working day with tutor recommendations.
Read more about our 11+ entrance exam tutors, or send an enquiry and we will come back with tutor recommendations.
Frequently asked questions
- How many places does Bloxham School offer at 11+?
- Around fifty places are available in First Form, for children who would normally transfer from their primary school or its equivalent on completing Year 6. The school also considers applications at other ages when space allows, though 11, 13 and 16 are the three main entry points.
- What happens on the Bloxham 11+ assessment day?
- Candidates sit English, maths and verbal reasoning papers and have an interview with a member of staff, with activities and refreshment breaks built into the day to help children relax. Offers are made on performance across the whole morning, and specimen papers are available from the Admissions team for families wanting to prepare.
- Does Bloxham School offer scholarships at 11+?
- Yes, Academic, Art, Design and Technology, Drama and Music scholarships are available at 11+, though not Sport scholarships at this entry point. Academic awards are based on performance in the standard entrance exam itself; the other disciplines involve additional subject-specific assessments alongside the entrance exam.
- How do bursaries work at Bloxham School?
- Bursaries are means-tested and considered once a child has registered; the assessment rests on a confidential statement of financial affairs, with academic or creative achievement playing no part in it. Meeting the financial criteria does not guarantee an award. Families needing more significant support may be considered for a Raymond Scholarship, and scholarship holders can also apply for bursarial support.
- When do children register and sit the Bloxham 11+ exam?
- Registration, with its fee paid, must be completed before a child can sit the entrance exam, which is held on an Assessment Morning in November before the year of entry. Exact dates and the registration deadline for each year of entry are published on the school's admissions pages.
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