Registration for Forest School 11+ closes in 20 days, on 18 November 2026. A free consultation now leaves time to plan the preparation before the assessment.
Book a free consultationKey Facts
| School type | Independent day school, co-educational, 4 to 18 (Pre-Prep, Prep, Senior School and Sixth Form) |
|---|---|
| Location | London (Snaresbrook, Waltham Forest) |
| Entry points | 7+, 9+, 11+, 13+, 16+ |
| Assessment | Quest digital assessment (1 hour 10 minutes: Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, Puzzles and Problem Solving), then a 30-minute paper-based written English task and a group activity |
| Test provider | Quest Assessments (digital on-screen assessment) plus the school's own paper-based written English task |
| Day fees (2026/27) | £10,898 per term including VAT on tuition (£9,140 before VAT; lunch included) for Senior 7 to 13 |
| Registration deadline | Midday, Wednesday 18 November 2026 (11+ entry, September 2027) |
| Assessment date | Entrance Exam Day: Thursday 17 December 2026 (11+ entry, September 2027) |
| Scholarships and bursaries | Academic, sport, music, art and drama scholarships at 11+, 13+ and 16+; bursaries up to 100% of fees |
| A level average point score per entry (DfE, 2024/25) | 43.89 (average grade B+) |
Figures correct at the time of writing. Confirm current fees and deadlines with the school or university directly. Compare fees at other independent schools.
Forest School admissions at 11+ begin with online registration and lead to a digital assessment from Quest Assessments, a 30-minute written English task, a group activity, a school reference and an interview. The school also admits at 7+, 10+ (the Forest Advance Place), 13+ and 16+, each with its own registration form and its own mix of those components.
Roughly 60% of each Year 7 cohort joins from outside the school, with the remainder moving up from its own Prep Schools, which makes 11+ the largest route in. Families who visit before applying can use Senior School in Action mornings or Forest Experience Tours, and the school encourages this.
| Entry point | Year group | Assessment | Interview | Places |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7+ | Year 3 | One assessment session: standardised computer-based assessment, reading comprehension, short piece of writing, age-appropriate maths test and a group activity | No interview is listed; a group activity lets applicants meet each other | About eight places in three co-educational classes |
| 9+ | Year 5 (Forest Advance Place, for a Year 7 place a year early) | Same components as the 11+: Quest digital assessment (1 hour 10 minutes), 30-minute written English task, group activity and school reference | Friendly interview in the term after the assessment day | Not published |
| 11+ | Year 7 | Quest digital assessment (1 hour 10 minutes: Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, Puzzles and Problem Solving), then a 30-minute paper-based written English task and a group activity | Interview described as a friendly conversation about interests and curiosity; a school reference is also required | Roughly 60% of the Year 7 cohort joins from outside the school, with about 40% from its own Prep Schools |
| 13+ | Year 9 | Entrance examination in two parts: a digital test and a 30-minute paper-based written English assessment | Shortlisted candidates meet a senior member of staff to discuss academic and co-curricular interests; a school reference is also required | A small number of places, varying with the size of the Year 8 cohort moving up |
| 16+ | Year 12 | 75-minute computer-based critical thinking test and a 45-minute written paper with two mini-essays, plus GCSE requirements | Interview offered on the basis of exam results, predicted grades, reference and latest school report; not guaranteed after the exam | Not published |
Entry points and places
The school admits pupils at 4+, 7+, 10+, 11+, 13+ and 16+, with a separate registration route for each. Reception takes 48 children in three classes, so the points from 7+ upwards are the ones that add pupils to an existing cohort.
The published places differ by entry point, and the 10+ and 16+ pages give no number.
- 7+ (Year 3): about eight places in three co-educational classes
- 10+ (Year 5): the Forest Advance Place, which secures a Year 7 place a year early
- 11+ (Year 7): roughly 60% external entrants and 40% from the school's own Prep Schools
- 13+ (Year 9): a small number of places, varying with the size of the Year 8 cohort moving up
- 16+ (Year 12): no number of places published
How the 11+ assessment works
The 11+ assessment has five parts: a digital on-screen test, a written English task, a group activity, a school reference and an interview. The digital test is provided by Quest Assessments, lasts one hour ten minutes and covers Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, and Puzzles and Problem Solving, with a familiarisation test available online.
The written English task is a 30-minute paper-based exercise in which candidates set out their ideas in writing, and the school provides a sample paper. During the group activity, a relaxed, practical task done alongside other children, assessors look at curiosity, kindness and how well a child joins in.
Scholarship assessments run alongside the main process and do not affect a child's chance of being offered a place.
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.
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The 11+ sequence runs from a school visit through registration, a reference, the entrance exam day and interviews to offers and acceptance. Registration closes in the autumn term of Year 6, the exam day follows shortly afterwards, and interviews take place in the spring term, with offers emailed a few weeks later.
Offer holders are invited to a taster morning and parent Q&A before the acceptance deadline, and an acceptance fee is payable when a place is accepted.
- Visit the school on a Forest Experience Tour or a Senior School in Action morning
- Complete the online Senior School Registration form, which carries a non-refundable registration fee
- Ask the current school to return the school reference form by its deadline
- Submit any non-academic scholarship form and the bursary application by their deadlines
- Attend the entrance exam day, then the interview
- Receive the offer by email and accept by the acceptance deadline
How the 7+, 10+ and 13+ assessments work
The 7+ assessment is a single session combining a standardised computer-based assessment, a reading comprehension, a short piece of writing, an age-appropriate maths test and a group activity. Numeracy and literacy are covered by Year 2 schoolwork, and the school asks parents not to prepare children specifically. Families register interest for an Open Morning, submit the Preparatory Registration Form in the spring term of Year 2, attend the assessment and then respond to the offer.
The 10+ Forest Advance Place uses the same process as the 11+, including the Quest assessment, written English, group activity, school reference and interview. Offer holders keep their current school and join the Forest Foundations programme of enrichment and induction events across Years 5 and 6. Families who are unsuccessful, or who prefer to wait, can sit the standard 11+ in Year 6 with the earlier attempt set aside.
The 13+ entrance examination has two parts: a digital test and a 30-minute paper-based written English assessment. Shortlisted candidates meet a senior member of staff to discuss academic and co-curricular interests, and a school reference is also required. Registration, the exam, interviews and offers all fall within the spring term of Year 8, and the published process describes no separate pre-test or Common Entrance paper.
16+ sixth form entry requirements
Sixth form entrants need three grade 7s or above, three grade 6s or above, at least grade 5 in English and Maths, and the required grade in the qualifying GCSE or IGCSE subjects for their chosen courses. Selection combines an entrance exam, an interview, a school reference and the most recent school report.
The exam has two papers: a 75-minute computer-based test of the critical thinking skills needed for A Level study, and a 45-minute written paper with two mini-essays responding to prompts about academic and personal development. A familiarisation exercise is available online.
Exam results, predicted grades, references and the latest report decide whether an interview is offered, and the interview type depends on whether the applicant seeks a fee-paying place or a scholarship. Previously unsuccessful applicants may reapply for a fee-paying place if they later meet the GCSE or IGCSE requirements.
Scholarships and bursaries
Scholarships are offered in academic, sport, music, art and drama at 11+, 13+ and 16+, awarded after a competitive assessment process. A scholarship can reduce the full fee by up to 20% in one area or a combination of areas, and most awards are 5% or 10%. Scholars are expected to show engagement and leadership.
At 11+, non-academic candidates complete a scholarship form, with sport and drama assessments held before the exam day and shortlisted music, art and drama assessments held after it. At 16+, applicants indicate any scholarships wanted when they register for the exam.
Means-tested bursaries are based on household income and can reduce fees by up to 100%. Applicants do not need to apply for a scholarship to be considered, and at 16+ a bursary can be requested during registration.
Fees and what they include
Fees are charged per term and vary by division: Pre-Prep covers Reception to Year 2, Prep 3 and Prep 4 to 6 have their own rates, and Senior covers Years 7 to 13. Tuition carries VAT, whereas lunch is VAT exempt, and the fees page sets out each figure.
Fees include lunches, resources, off-site visits (excluding residential trips) and co-curricular activities. Public examination entry, individual music lessons, breakfast, some club memberships and damaged or unreturned textbooks are charged in addition.
Reductions of 5% of basic fees apply for siblings and for children of clergy, and none apply in Reception, Year 1 or Year 2. Fees are paid in advance by direct debit, and withdrawing a pupil or declining a place needs written notice before the first day of the previous term.
Where pupils join from
Pupils join from the school's own Pre-Prep and Prep divisions and from other schools. Reception takes 48 children, and the 7+ round adds about eight places to the Prep. At 11+, Prep pupils make up about 40% of the Year 7 cohort and external candidates the remaining 60%.
External families come from local areas, central, north and east London, and Essex. As an independent school, Forest sets no catchment area on the pages read, and the 11+ page lists no progression arrangement for Prep pupils beyond their inclusion in the cohort. No named feeder or partner schools are listed.
How to prepare
Preparation works best when it follows the stages the school names. For the 11+ and 10+, children can try the online familiarisation test for the Quest assessment, which covers Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning and Puzzles and Problem Solving, and then write the sample paper for the 30-minute written English task under timed conditions. The school states that no extra coaching is expected or needed.
At 4+ and 7+ the school asks parents not to prepare children specifically, so reading together, counting and ordinary schoolwork are what the assessment reflects. For interviews, children can practise talking about their interests, since the school describes the conversation as friendly and values curiosity over polish.
Sixth form applicants can use the online familiarisation exercise for the critical thinking test and practise short, reflective mini-essays within 45 minutes.
Related guides
- Best private schools in the UK and London by A level results
- Independent school fees compared
- 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
Preparing for the Forest School 11+ with Taylor Tuition
Families preparing for the Forest 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 in London and further afield work with us online, 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 are the fees at Forest School?
- Fees are charged per term and differ for Pre-Prep, Prep 3, Prep 4 to 6 and Senior (Years 7 to 13). Tuition is subject to VAT and lunch is VAT exempt. Lunches, resources, off-site visits and co-curricular activities are included, and an acceptance fee is payable when a place is accepted. The figures are on the school's fees page.
- What is the Forest School 11+ entrance exam?
- It combines a one hour ten minute digital assessment from Quest Assessments (Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, Puzzles and Problem Solving) with a 30-minute paper-based written English task. Candidates also take part in a group activity, and the school collects a reference and holds an interview.
- Does Forest School offer scholarships and bursaries?
- Yes. Academic, sport, music, art and drama scholarships are offered at 11+, 13+ and 16+, worth up to 20% of the fee, with most at 5% or 10%. Means-tested bursaries based on household income can cover up to 100% of fees, and families do not need to apply for a scholarship to be considered.
- How can families register for 11+ entry?
- Complete the online Senior School Registration form, which carries a non-refundable registration fee, by its published deadline in the autumn term. Your child's current school must also return a reference form. Scholarship forms and bursary applications have their own deadlines, and visiting the school before applying is encouraged.
- What are the sixth form entry requirements?
- Applicants need three grade 7s or above, three grade 6s or above, at least grade 5 in English and Maths, and the required grade in the qualifying subjects for their courses. They sit a 75-minute critical thinking test and a 45-minute written paper, and the school considers a reference and the latest report before offering an interview.
- Is there a catchment area for Forest School?
- The admissions pages do not define a catchment area. They describe the 11+ intake as drawing families from local areas, central, north and east London, and Essex. Places are offered through the assessment, reference and interview, and home address plays no part in the decision.
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