King's High School 11+ Admissions: Assessment, Registration and Fees

Getting into King's High School at 11+ means registering by the published deadline, then sitting an entrance assessment day that combines an English paper, a mathematics paper and an online verbal and non-verbal reasoning test, alongside a short interview with a senior member of staff. Offers follow by email after the school has reviewed results, the interview and, where relevant, the applicant's current school report.

King's High is an independent girls' school in Warwick, day and boarding, with Year 7 as the main entry point into the senior school alongside occasional places at Year 8 and 9 and a separate Sixth Form entry route. Every entrance exam candidate is automatically considered for an Academic Scholarship, and the school also runs a means-tested bursary programme for families who need financial support.

How entry works

Year 7 is the main entry point into King's High School, with applicants joining the senior school at age 11. The school also considers girls for Year 8 or 9 where space allows, and runs a separate application route into the Sixth Form at Year 12. Boarding places are available from Year 9 onwards, including for international pupils.

• Year 7 (age 11+): main entry point, general application deadline in late September before assessment
• Year 8-9: limited places, dependent on space, assessed as vacancies arise
• Year 12: Sixth Form entry, with its own visit, application and interview timetable
• Boarding: available from Year 9, day pupils can also apply to board

How the 11+ assessment works

The entrance assessment for Year 7 combines two written papers with an online reasoning test. Girls sit a half-hour English paper and a half-hour mathematics paper, plus an online test assessing verbal and non-verbal reasoning; candidates with extra time are given proportionally longer. The assessment day runs on a Saturday in October, and girls usually stay for the whole morning to complete all three elements.

In the English paper, candidates produce a piece of creative writing in response to a prompt such as a picture or title. Markers look at accuracy (spelling, grammar and punctuation), ambition of vocabulary, and suitability of the writing to its purpose. Sample English and mathematics papers are published on the school's admissions pages so families can see the format in advance.

A short interview with a senior member of staff forms part of every application, usually held on a separate occasion ahead of the assessment day. The school's pages do not publish a fixed pass mark; decisions draw on the written papers, the reasoning test and the interview together.

Registration and the admissions process, step by step

Families move through the same broad sequence for Year 7 entry. Visiting the school, whether at an open event or a private tour, is the usual starting point before applying.

• Visit: attend an open day or arrange a private tour
• Apply: submit the online application with the registration fee, current school report and any SEN information
• Interview: a short interview with a senior member of staff, usually before assessment day
• Assess: the Saturday entrance examination in English, mathematics and online reasoning
• Offer: decisions communicated by email
• Accept: return the signed acceptance form and pay the deposit to confirm the place

Scholarships

Every girl who sits the general Year 7 entrance examination is automatically considered for an Academic Scholarship; no separate application is needed for this one. Scholarships typically carry a fee discount of up to 10%, subject to annual review throughout a pupil's time at the school.

Separate scholarships are available in art, drama, music and sport, each requiring its own application ahead of the main entrance exam deadline. Art candidates submit a portfolio of ten digital pieces and attend an interview and assessment task; drama candidates submit a monologue video before group workshops and a live audition; music scholars need to reach roughly Grade 4 (ABRSM) standard and go through a performance video, further performance pieces, aural tests and an interview; sport candidates complete an application form, a practical assessment day and an online interview. A separate King Henry VIII Scholarship exists for children from the CV34 postcode area.

Bursaries and financial support

King's High runs a means-tested bursary programme alongside scholarships to widen access. Foundation bursaries are open to families from any postcode, while CV34 Awards are reserved for those living in the CV34 area; both operate on a sliding scale from partial fee remission up to covering fees in full, depending on assessed financial need.

Eligibility is capped by gross household income thresholds, and applicants with substantial assets are unlikely to qualify even where income falls under the threshold. A bursary-funded place still depends on meeting the usual conditions of entry, so the child's exam results, interview and current school report all feed into the decision alongside the means test carried out by an external assessor. Because funding is limited, awards are made competitively even among financially eligible families.

How to prepare for the King's High assessment

Because the assessment mixes a creative English paper, a mathematics paper and an online verbal and non-verbal reasoning test, useful preparation covers all three elements evenly. Working through the school's published sample English and mathematics papers gives a realistic sense of question style and timing, and is a sensible first step before looking more widely.

Verbal and non-verbal reasoning question types are less likely to come up naturally in a normal primary curriculum, so some structured practice beforehand can help a child feel familiar with the format on the day, particularly if their current school does not routinely cover reasoning-style questions. For the English paper, practising short, timed creative writing in response to an image or title mirrors the actual task, with attention to varied sentence structure, accurate spelling and punctuation, and appropriate length.

Related guides

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Preparing for the King's High School 11+ with Taylor Tuition

Preparation for the King's High School 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, 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.