Dame Allan's Schools 11+ Admissions: Assessment, Registration and Fees

Entry to Dame Allan's Schools at 11+ runs through registration on the school's admissions portal, followed by an online entrance assessment in maths, English, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning taken on a desktop PC, together with team activities, a small-group interview and a reference from the child's current school. Families register their child and complete an application form, after which the admissions team makes contact to discuss next steps; most offers for Year 7 places go out in early March, with an acceptance deadline of around ten days.

Dame Allan's follows what it calls a Diamond Structure: children move from the co-educational Junior School into single-sex Boys' or Girls' Senior Schools at 11, before coming back together in a co-educational Sixth Form at 16. The entrance assessment day is designed to feel relaxed, with Sixth Form pupils supporting candidates throughout, since the school says it wants to understand each child as a person and not through exam results alone.

How entry works at 11+

Dame Allan's Schools admit pupils at several points, from Nursery through to Sixth Form, with Year 7 at age 11 forming a standard entry point into the Senior School and further places sometimes available in Years 8 and 9. At 11, children move from the co-educational Junior School into the single-sex Boys' or Girls' Senior School, part of the school's Diamond Structure, which brings pupils back together for a co-educational Sixth Form at 16.

Applications into most year groups are considered, though the school notes that entry into Years 11 and 13 is generally limited because pupils in those years are partway through GCSE or A-level study. Families are encouraged to visit before registering, and the admissions team is available throughout to answer questions about the process.

What the 11+ assessment involves

Entry to Years 7, 8 and 9 is through an online assessment in maths, English, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning, taken on a desktop PC instead of on paper. The test sits alongside a school reference, requested from the child's current school at every entry point.

The assessment day also includes team-building activities and a small-group interview with a teacher, reflecting the school's stated aim of understanding each candidate's interests, strengths and how they learn and get on with others, beyond the written test alone. Younger applicants, including those entering the Junior School, may sit a supervised play session or a different style of digital assessment, since the format varies by age group.

• Maths, English, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning
• Delivered online on a desktop PC
• Team-building activities and a small-group teacher interview
• A reference requested from the child's current school

Registering and applying for Year 7 entry, step by step

The admissions process follows a set sequence: families register their child on the school's admissions portal, then complete an application form, which carries a fee. Candidates for Years 7 to 10 can also sign up for a taster experience called Jump In, to spend time in the classroom ahead of assessment.

Once registered, families are invited to the entrance assessment, after which the admissions team is in touch to discuss next steps. Offers for most Year 7 places go out in early March, with families then given an acceptance deadline, usually around ten days from the date of the offer. The school advises registering early, since spaces fill quickly.

• Register on the admissions portal
• Complete the application form
• Optional Jump In taster day for Years 7 to 10
• Sit the entrance assessment, interview and team activities
• Receive an offer, then accept within the given deadline

Interviews, team activities and school references on assessment day

Alongside the online test, every candidate takes part in small-group interviews with a teacher and joins in team-building activities as part of the assessment day, with Sixth Form pupils on hand to look after younger visitors throughout. A reference from the child's current school is requested at every entry point, forming part of the overall picture alongside the assessment result.

The school frames the day as relaxed and friendly, with its stated intention being to see how a child learns, works with others and responds to new activities, alongside how they perform on the written test.

Scholarships and bursaries for Year 7 entry

The school offers academic scholarships worth up to 50% of fees to pupils joining Years 7, 8 or 9, awarded on academic merit following the entrance assessment. Means-tested bursaries, worth up to 100% of fees, are available mainly at Year 7 and Sixth Form entry to families who could not otherwise afford a place, and candidates must sit the entrance exam to be considered.

Sports and music scholarships recognise talent at other entry points, and pupils can hold both a scholarship and a bursary at once. Families wishing to apply are asked to indicate their interest during registration, with the scholarship and bursary process running alongside the main admissions timetable.

• Academic scholarships: up to 50% of fees, Years 7 to 9
• Means-tested bursaries: up to 100% of fees, mainly Year 7 and Sixth Form
• Sports and music scholarships at other entry points
• Interest indicated during registration

Preparing calmly for the Dame Allan's 11+ assessment

Because the Year 7 assessment covers maths, English, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning on screen, children benefit from practising in a similar on-screen format alongside the usual grounding in core numeracy and literacy. Familiarity with typing answers and navigating an on-screen test can matter as much as subject knowledge on the day itself.

Since the school also builds in team activities and a group interview, preparation extends beyond academic work; talking through how to answer questions in a small group, listening to others and contributing confidently can help a child feel more at ease. A current school reference forms part of the overall assessment, so ongoing classroom effort and behaviour also count.

Related guides

• Independent school fees compared

Preparing for the Dame Allan's Schools 11+ with Taylor Tuition

The Dame Allan's Schools 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.