Key Facts
| School type | Independent day, co-educational, Catholic ethos, 4 to 18 |
|---|---|
| Location | Upper Norwood, London (Croydon) |
| Entry points | 7+, 9+, 11+, 13+, 16+ |
| Assessment | Banding assessment covering verbal, non-verbal, quantitative and spatial reasoning. |
| Test provider | The school's own banding assessment of verbal, non-verbal, quantitative and spatial reasoning at Year 7 and Year 9; no external provider is named |
| Scholarships and bursaries | Academic, sport, music, art and drama scholarships; discretionary means-tested bursaries via the Bursar |
Figures correct at the time of writing. Confirm current fees and deadlines with the school or university directly.
Fidelis College admissions follow one sequence of enquiry and tour, online application, assessment, offer and enrolment, with entry at Reception, Year 3, Year 5, Year 7, Year 9 and Year 12. The school names its main entry points as Early Years, 7+, 11+ and Sixth Form, and says other points may be possible subject to availability.
For Year 7 and Year 9 the assessment is a banding assessment covering verbal, non-verbal, quantitative and spatial reasoning, followed by a meeting between parents and a member of the Senior Leadership Team. Sixth form entry has no entrance paper, and depends on GCSE grades.
| Entry point | Year group | Assessment | Interview | Places |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7+ | Year 3 | The Prep pages list Year 3 as an entry point but do not describe a test; the Admissions Team advises on the right entry point. | Not stated | Not published |
| 9+ | Year 5 | The Prep pages list Year 5 as an entry point but do not describe a test; the Admissions Team advises on the right entry point. | Not stated | Not published |
| 11+ | Year 7 | Banding assessment covering verbal, non-verbal, quantitative and spatial reasoning. | Parents meet a member of the Senior Leadership Team after the assessment to discuss the application. | Not published |
| 13+ | Year 9 | Banding assessment covering verbal, non-verbal, quantitative and spatial reasoning. | Parents meet a member of the Senior Leadership Team after the assessment to discuss the application. | Not published |
| 16+ | Year 12 | No entrance paper; entry depends on GCSE grades, predicted grades, academic references and, for external applicants, an interview. | External applicants likely to meet the requirements are interviewed by the Head of Sixth Form about their chosen subjects. | Not published |
Entry points and places
Fidelis admits pupils at Reception, Year 3 and Year 5 in the Prep School, at Year 7 and Year 9 in the Senior School, and at Year 12 in the sixth form. Children can start Reception in the September after their fourth birthday, and Little Fidelians Stay and Play sessions are offered to younger children through Happity.
The pages read do not publish the number of places or forms of entry for any year group. The Admissions Team advises families on the most suitable entry point for each child, and entry at other year groups may be possible subject to availability.
- Prep School: Reception, Year 3 (7+) and Year 5 (9+)
- Senior School: Year 7 (11+) and Year 9 (13+)
- Sixth form: Year 12 (16+)
How the 11+ assessment works
The Year 7 assessment is a banding assessment covering four types of reasoning: verbal, non-verbal, quantitative and spatial. The school describes it in these terms and does not publish the length, question types, number of papers or a test provider on the pages read, so the assessment is best understood as the school's own process.
The same banding assessment applies at Year 9. It is followed by a meeting between parents and a member of the Senior Leadership Team to discuss the application, and an offer follows only if a place is available and the school believes it is right for the child. Families can ask the Admissions Team for the format when they register.
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 tutorRegistration and the admissions timeline
Admission to Fidelis moves through five steps, and the school publishes no registration deadline or assessment date on the pages read. A registration fee is payable (a different amount for Prep and Senior), and a deposit is published for each school, with amounts listed in the fees document.
Applications are made through the online admissions portal. For sixth form, external applicants are advised to apply early, and late applications are considered subject to availability and course viability.
- Enquiry and tour: contact the Admissions Team and choose an Open Morning, a Prep Weekday Tour or a personal tour
- Online application form
- Assessment: banding assessment for Senior entry, or a parent interview and nursery visit for Reception
- Offer, made if a place is available and the school believes it is right for the child
- Acceptance and enrolment, with taster mornings and a meeting with the class teacher for Prep families
Interviews and references
Interviews and meetings differ by stage at Fidelis, and references are requested at Reception and sixth form. For Reception the process has a parent interview, which explores the family, the child and the hopes parents hold for them, plus a visit to the child's nursery and a written reference from the nursery key worker.
If a child does not attend nursery, the school arranges another opportunity to see the child in school. At Senior entry, parents meet a member of the Senior Leadership Team after the banding assessment, and no reference requirement is stated. External sixth form applicants have academic references requested from their current school.
How 16+ entry works
Sixth form entry depends on GCSE grades, with no entrance assessment described. Applicants need grade 7 or above in each subject they want to study at A level, grade 8 in Mathematics for Further Mathematics, and grade 4 or above in GCSE English Language or Literature and in Mathematics. Some subjects set additional requirements on their course pages.
External applicants whose predicted grades suggest they will meet the requirements are invited to an Open Morning with a tour and an interview with the Head of Sixth Form about their chosen subjects. All offers are conditional on August GCSE results, and successful applicants attend an Induction Day. Current Year 11 pupils are presumed to have offers if they meet the published grades.
Scholarships and bursaries
Fidelis offers academic scholarships at sixth form, awarded on GCSE performance and decided after GCSE results are published. The fees page also lists sport, music, art and drama scholarships, awarded at the Headteacher's discretion, with availability varying and awards not guaranteed. It does not state which entry points each scholarship covers.
Means-tested bursaries are discretionary and based on family circumstances, so an application does not guarantee an award. Families contact the Bursar at bursar@fidelis.org.uk. The maximum share of fees a bursary can cover is not published on the pages read.
Fees and what they include
Fidelis publishes termly and annual fees, including VAT, in a fees document linked from its fees page, with separate rates for Reception to Year 2, Year 3 to Year 6, Year 7 to Year 11, and Year 12 and Year 13. Lunches are charged separately, and a registration fee and deposit apply to both Prep and Senior.
Uniform and sportswear, external examination entry fees, individual music tuition and educational visits, including some residential trips, sit outside the standard fees. Fees are due on or before the first day of each term, usually by Direct Debit. Sibling discounts apply automatically at 10% for a second child, 15% for a third and 25% for a fourth and subsequent children.
Where pupils join from
Fidelis is an all-through school, with a Prep School from Reception to Year 6 and a Senior School and sixth form above it. Children joining at Reception come from nurseries or home, and the school asks for a nursery reference where one exists.
The Prep pages read do not describe a transition process into Year 7, and no feeder or partner schools are named. Pupils from other schools join the Senior School at Year 7 or Year 9 through the same banding assessment, and current Year 11 pupils move into the sixth form when they achieve the required grades.
How to prepare
Preparation for the Year 7 and Year 9 assessment is most useful when it follows the four reasoning types the school names: verbal, non-verbal, quantitative and spatial. Short, regular practice with each type, in a relaxed setting, builds familiarity with puzzle-style questions, and asking the Admissions Team about format and timing at registration avoids guesswork.
Before the meeting with the Senior Leadership Team, it helps for parents and the child to talk through what they want from the school. For Reception, a parent interview and a nursery visit shape the process, so a calm conversation about the child's interests is enough. For sixth form, the work lies in GCSE results in the chosen subjects and in being ready to explain those choices at interview.
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Preparing for the Fidelis College 11+ with Taylor Tuition
Preparation for the Fidelis College 11+ tends to go best when it starts early and stays steady, and most families who work with us begin between twelve and eighteen months out. Our tutors, who have prepared pupils for entry to leading independent and grammar schools including Westminster, St Paul's, Wycombe Abbey and Eton, plan the work backwards from the school's own assessment format and registration deadline.
The tutors we match to 11+ preparation are drawn from a pool in which more than half hold Qualified Teacher Status, around three in five hold a master's degree or doctorate, and which includes former heads of department, exam-board examiners and teachers from independent and boarding schools. 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 Fidelis College entrance exam?
- For Year 7 and Year 9 entry, Fidelis uses a banding assessment covering verbal, non-verbal, quantitative and spatial reasoning, followed by a meeting with a member of the Senior Leadership Team. The pages read do not publish the length or question types. Reception entry has no written test, and sixth form entry depends on GCSE grades.
- How much are Fidelis College fees?
- Fidelis publishes termly and annual fees, including VAT, for four bands: Reception to Year 2, Year 3 to Year 6, Year 7 to Year 11, and Year 12 and Year 13. Lunches, a registration fee and a deposit are listed separately. The current figures are in the fees document linked from the fees page.
- Does Fidelis College offer scholarships and bursaries?
- Yes. Academic scholarships at sixth form are awarded on GCSE performance, and the fees page lists sport, music, art and drama scholarships at the Headteacher's discretion. Means-tested bursaries are discretionary, with applications through the Bursar. The maximum share of fees covered is not published.
- What GCSE grades do you need for the Fidelis College sixth form?
- Applicants need grade 7 or above in each subject to be studied at A level, grade 8 in Mathematics for Further Mathematics, and grade 4 or above in GCSE English Language or Literature and in Mathematics. Some subjects add requirements. All offers are conditional on GCSE results.
- How does a family apply to Fidelis College?
- Contact the Admissions Team to arrange an Open Morning, Prep Weekday Tour or personal tour, then complete the online application form. An assessment follows, then an offer if a place is available, and enrolment for families who accept. The admissions page publishes no registration deadline.
- Does Fidelis College have a catchment area?
- The admissions pages read do not mention a catchment area. Places are offered after the application, the assessment or interview for the relevant stage, and a check that a place is available and that the school is right for the child.
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