Key Facts
| School type | Independent day and boarding, co-educational, 2 years 9 months to 16 |
|---|---|
| Location | Fareham, Hampshire |
| Entry points | 7+, 11+, 13+ |
| Assessment | Two taster days, then invitation back for English and mathematics assessments |
| Test provider | The school's own English and mathematics assessments; no external provider is named |
| Day fees (2026/27) | £7,410 per term including VAT for Years 7 to 9 (£6,175 excluding VAT); £7,920 per term including VAT for Years 10 to 11 |
| Boarding fees (2026/27) | Per term including VAT: weekly boarding (UK) £3,390, full boarding (UK) £4,470, full boarding (international) £5,360; flexi boarding £66 per night |
| Scholarships and bursaries | Academic, music, sport, arts and all-round scholarships from Year 7; means-tested bursaries considered |
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 Boundary Oak School by registering, attending two taster days and sitting English and mathematics assessments set by the school, after which a decision on an offer is sent in writing. The main entry points from age 7 are Year 3 (7+), Year 7 (11+) and Year 9 (13+), and the school also considers other year groups depending on availability.
The assessments are set by the school itself and described as relaxed, friendly and age-appropriate, and the admissions pages name no external test provider. Boundary Oak teaches up to Year 11, so there is no sixth form entry.
| Entry point | Year group | Assessment | Interview | Places |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7+ | Year 3 | English and mathematics assessments taken during the two taster days | Not stated on the admissions page; two taster days with the class | Not published |
| 11+ | Year 7 | Two taster days, then invitation back for English and mathematics assessments | Not stated on the admissions page | Not published |
| 13+ | Year 9 | Two taster days, then invitation back for English and mathematics assessments | Not stated on the admissions page | Not published |
Entry points and places
The main entry points are Pre-School from 2 years 9 months, Reception at age 4, Year 3 at age 7, Year 7 at age 11 and Year 9 at age 13, with other year groups accepted depending on availability. Day pupils join from the rising 3s up to age 16, and boarding is available alongside the day places.
The admissions pages do not publish a number of places or forms of entry at any point, so families who need that detail tend to ask the Admissions Team directly. The school sits in Fareham, Hampshire, and publishes no catchment area because it is independent.
- Year 3 (7+)
- Year 7 (11+)
- Year 9 (13+)
How the 11+ assessment works
Entry into Year 7 at 11+ depends on English and mathematics assessments that the school sets and marks itself, taken after the child has attended two taster days. Pupils from Year 4 upwards are invited back for the assessments once the taster days are complete, so the papers are separate from the taster days at this stage.
The school says the assessments inform entry and also help it plan support or challenge once a child has joined. The pages do not state the length of the papers, the question types or a pass mark, and they name no external provider.
Interviews and references from the current school are not mentioned on the admissions pages, so it is worth asking the Admissions Team whether a report is requested. A medical form is required before taster days.
11+ 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.
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Sochima
Master TutorI'm a qualified teacher in a London classroom every day, with a BSc in Computer Science from Brunel and a PGCE with QTS. I teach Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Computer Science to A-Level, plus 11+ preparation, through project-based work that suits SEND learners well.
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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 tutorHow the 7+ and 13+ assessments work
At 7+ the assessment forms part of the taster days, because pupils in Years 1 to 3 are assessed in English and mathematics while they are in school for those days. There is no separate return visit for the youngest year groups.
At 13+ into Year 9 the process matches the 11+ route: two taster days, then an invitation back for English and mathematics assessments, which applies to every pupil from Year 4 upwards. The admissions pages do not describe Common Entrance, a pre-test in Year 6 or Year 7, or conditional offers, so none of those should be assumed.
Registration and the admissions timeline
Admission follows five steps, and the school publishes no registration deadline or assessment date on its admissions page, so families usually confirm timing with the Admissions Team. The order below applies at every entry point.
The visit lasts about an hour and a half and includes a tour and a chance to meet staff and the Headmistress. Found in the prospective pack, the registration form comes with a registration fee that is non-refundable for pupils from Reception upwards.
- Visit the school, which the school says has no substitute.
- Register using the form in the prospective pack and pay the registration fee by phone or in person at the school office.
- Attend two full taster days, with one night of boarding available to boarders.
- Sit the English and mathematics assessments (from Year 1 upwards).
- Receive a decision in writing and accept the offer by paying a confirmation deposit.
Scholarships and bursaries
Boundary Oak offers academic, music, arts, sport and all-round scholarships, which can be awarded from Year 7 upwards and are mainly given to pupils entering the senior school. The school sets a minimum standard for each type, so applicants can check eligibility before writing in.
For academic awards that standard is a standardised score of 125 or more in English or mathematics. Music expects Grade 6 standard, or a pupil on track for it, plus commitment to clubs and peripatetic lessons. Sport expects county level or above. Arts expects a portfolio of evidence and an active role in drama. All-round expects a high standard in at least two of sport, music and the performing and creative arts.
Pupils apply in writing to the Deputy Head, Co-Curricular, and scholars follow a dedicated programme with close mentoring. The school also says means-tested bursaries are considered, so families should contact the Admissions Team for eligibility; no maximum share of fees is published.
Fees and what they include
Fees are charged per term, rise by year group and are published on the fees page with figures both including and excluding VAT. Separate tables cover day pupils from Reception to Year 11, Pre-School sessions, and boarding in weekly, flexi, full UK and full international options.
Personal accident insurance is included in the fees, while additional charges sit in the Day and Boarding Fees Sheet, which also covers sibling and forces families discounts. Fees can be paid by monthly direct debit in advance with a 1% discount, or through the School Fee Plan, which collects monthly in arrears for a charge.
Where pupils join from and move on to
The school has its own Junior School running from Pre-School through Year 6, with Pre-Prep for Years 1 to 3 and Prep for Years 4 to 6, and it names no external feeder or partner schools. The pages do not set out a separate route for Junior School pupils moving into Year 7.
Because the school ends at Year 11, pupils leave at 16 for sixth forms elsewhere. The school lists destinations including Peter Symonds, Barton Peveril, Itchen College, Portsmouth Grammar School, Churcher's College, Bradfield College and Lancing College.
How to prepare for the entry assessments
Preparation is most useful when it matches the format the school describes: two taster days followed by English and mathematics assessments pitched at the child's age. Steady reading, writing and arithmetic practice at the level of the current school work covers the content, and there is no published paper to rehearse.
The taster days are the part families can shape most, since the child meets teachers and becomes familiar with the site beforehand. Booking a visit first, returning the medical form in good time and talking through what a taster day involves usually helps a child arrive settled.
Scholarship applicants can prepare against the stated criteria, for example by building the arts portfolio, keeping up music grades and clubs, or recording county-level sport, before writing to the Deputy Head.
Related guides
- Best private schools in Hampshire
- Independent school fees compared
- Churcher's College (11+)
- Winchester College (11+)
- Bedales School (13+)
- Lord Wandsworth College (11+)
- The ISEB Common Pre-Test explained
- 13+ Common Entrance explained
- The 11+ entrance exam explained
- The 7+ 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 Boundary Oak School 11+ with Taylor Tuition
Families preparing for the Boundary Oak 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
- What is the Boundary Oak School entrance exam?
- There is no external exam. Pupils from Year 1 upwards sit English and mathematics assessments that the school describes as relaxed, friendly and age-appropriate. Years 1 to 3 are assessed during the taster days, and pupils from Year 4 upwards are invited back for assessment afterwards. No test provider is named.
- How much are Boundary Oak School fees?
- Fees are charged per term and vary by year group, with separate rates for day pupils, Pre-School sessions and boarding. The fees page shows each figure both including and excluding VAT, and personal accident insurance is included. Extras, sibling discounts and forces discounts are in the Day and Boarding Fees Sheet.
- Does Boundary Oak School offer scholarships and bursaries?
- Yes. Academic, music, arts, sport and all-round scholarships can be awarded from Year 7 upwards, mainly for senior school entry, and pupils apply in writing to the Deputy Head, Co-Curricular. The school also says means-tested bursaries are considered and asks families to contact the Admissions Team; no maximum share of fees is published.
- How does a family register for Boundary Oak School?
- Visit the school, then complete the registration form in the prospective pack and pay the non-refundable registration fee by phone or in person at the school office. The child then attends two taster days and sits the assessments, and a written decision follows. Accepting an offer requires a confirmation deposit.
- Does Boundary Oak School have a sixth form?
- No. The school teaches up to Year 11, when pupils are 16, so there is no 16+ entry. Leavers move to sixth forms and colleges elsewhere, and the school lists destinations such as Peter Symonds, Barton Peveril, Itchen College and Portsmouth Grammar School.
- Is there a catchment area for Boundary Oak School?
- The admissions pages publish no catchment area, because the school is independent and admits through registration, taster days and assessments. The school runs a private bus service using its own minibuses and Xelabus Coaches, with routes and prices in a downloadable guide, and the office can answer transport questions.
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