Key Facts
| School type | Independent day and boarding, co-educational, ages 3 to 18 (formed from the merger of the former single-sex boys' and girls' schools into one school) |
|---|---|
| Location | Monmouth, Monmouthshire, Wales |
| Entry points | Nursery, Reception, Year 3 and other points through the Prep School, Year 7 (11+), Year 9 (13+) and Year 12 (16+, Sixth Form) |
| Assessment | Entrance assessment and interview on the school's Year 7 Activity Day, plus a report from the child's current school; a separate scholarship assessment applies for academic, music, sport, dance, drama or design and technology awards |
| Day fees (2026/27) | £8,927 per term (Years 7 to 8); £9,146 per term (Years 9 to 13) |
| Boarding fees (2026/27) | Full boarding: £17,221 per term (Years 7 to 8), £17,643 per term (Years 9 to 13). Weekly boarding: £15,499 per term (Years 7 to 8), £15,879 per term (Years 9 to 13) |
| Assessment date | Saturday 7 November 2026 (Year 7 Activity Day); scholarship assessments 18 to 22 January 2027 |
Figures correct at the time of writing — always confirm current fees and deadlines with the school directly.
A child gains a Year 7 place at Haberdashers' Monmouth School through registration, an entrance assessment and interview held on the school's Activity Day, and a report from their current school; candidates applying for a scholarship sit an additional assessment for academic, music, sport, dance, drama or design and technology awards. The school, formed by merging the former single-sex boys' and girls' schools in Monmouth, Wales, into one co-educational institution, admits pupils at 11+ alongside several other entry points running from Nursery through to Sixth Form.
Offers rest on more than the test result: the admissions team weighs the assessment, the interview and the reference from the child's current school together, since the school describes admission as reflecting a child's overall potential. There is no catchment area or local-authority allocation, as the school is independent and sets its own entrance process.
How does Year 7 entry work?
Year 7 is one of several entry points, alongside places in Nursery, Reception, Year 3 and other points through the Prep School, plus later intake at 13+ and into the Sixth Form at 16+. Applications for Year 7 are taken year-round, subject to availability, though the school fixes an Activity Day each year when Year 7 candidates sit their entrance assessment. Registering ahead of that date leaves time for the assessment, interview and school report to be completed before a decision is reached.
What happens at the Year 7 assessment?
The Year 7 assessment, held on the school's Activity Day, is followed by a short interview, and the admissions team also asks for a report from the child's current school; the offer decision draws on all three together as a combined picture.
Candidates applying for an academic, music, sport, dance, drama or design and technology scholarship sit a further, separate assessment in the new year, which may include auditions or trials depending on the award. The school's own guidance to scholarship candidates encourages children to think ahead of interview about the subjects, books or activities that genuinely excite them, since assessors are looking for authentic enthusiasm over rehearsed answers.
How does the registration and admissions process run?
The admissions process runs in a set order: families get in touch or request a prospectus, the admissions team makes initial contact, a visit is arranged in the form of an open day, tour or taster day, and the family completes online registration and pays the registration fee. The child is then invited to the assessment and interview, and eligible candidates are considered for a scholarship or bursary, before a place is offered and confirmed through the school's acceptance and induction process.
- Get in touch or request a prospectus
- Initial contact from the admissions team
- Visit: open day, tour or taster day
- Register online and pay the registration fee
- Assessment and interview invitation
- Scholarship or bursary consideration where relevant
- Place offered, then acceptance and induction
What boarding and day options are available at 11+?
Year 7 pupils can join as day pupils, weekly boarders or full boarders, with places in one of the school's boarding houses. Day pupils travel in each day, weekly boarders return home at weekends, and full boarders remain at school for the term subject to the usual exeat weekends; boarding places are subject to availability, and the school also runs occasional and day-boarding options for families who want additional flexibility. Fees differ by year group and by boarding pattern, and the current scale is published on the school's fees page.
What scholarships and bursaries are available?
Scholarships at 11+ are awarded for academic performance, music, sport, dance, drama and design and technology, each combining a fee remission with access to scholars' enrichment activities such as trips, conferences and additional clubs and societies. Academic awards go to candidates who perform well in the entrance assessment and show intellectual curiosity and genuine involvement in school life, while the music, sport, dance, drama and design and technology awards are decided through audition or trial alongside interview.
Means-tested bursaries are offered separately from scholarships and, in the most significant cases, can cover the full cost of tuition depending on a family's financial and personal circumstances; awards are assessed from a form detailing household income and capital, supported by evidence, and reviewed annually as circumstances change. Additional discounts apply for forces families receiving the Continuity of Education Allowance and for families living in west Wales.
How should a child prepare for the assessment?
Preparation works best as short, regular sessions, avoiding last-minute cramming; the school's own advice to scholarship candidates recommends practice in blocks of around twenty minutes a day, or an hour every few days, alongside good sleep and steady hydration in the run-up to assessment day. Ahead of the interview, children benefit from thinking through what genuinely interests them, whether a subject, a book or an activity, since assessors are looking for authentic enthusiasm over a rehearsed script. Staying calm matters as much as content: simple breathing exercises before the assessment can settle nerves, and the process is designed to give a child room to show their ability and character, without trying to catch them out.
Related guides
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Frequently asked questions
- Is Haberdashers' Monmouth School selective at 11+?
- Yes. Entry to Year 7 is by entrance assessment and interview, alongside a report from the child's current school, and admission reflects overall potential across these measures. There is no catchment area or local-authority allocation, since the school is independent and runs its own entrance process.
- Can a child apply for Year 7 without sitting a scholarship assessment?
- Yes. Standard Year 7 entry is assessed through the school's regular Activity Day assessment and interview. The separate scholarship assessment, held later in the school year, is only required for candidates applying for an academic, music, sport, dance, drama or design and technology award.
- Is boarding available from Year 7?
- Yes, subject to availability. Year 7 pupils can join as day pupils, weekly boarders or full boarders, with places allocated across the school's boarding houses; occasional and day-boarding options are also available for families who want additional flexibility around the standard patterns.
- Can international pupils apply for Year 7 entry?
- Yes. International candidates sit online entrance exams in English and Mathematics, take a virtual interview with the head or a senior member of academic staff, and provide a report from their current school; this route supplements the standard application process, which candidates also complete.
- When does registration close for Year 7 entry?
- The school takes Year 7 applications year-round, subject to availability, without working to a single fixed closing date. The Activity Day, when Year 7 candidates are assessed, is fixed each year and published on the school's key dates page, so early registration allows more time before it.
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