Pipers Corner School 11+ Admissions: Entry, Assessment and Fees

Entry to Pipers Corner School at 11+ (Year 7) depends on registering early, sitting the school's own English and Mathematics assessment in January, attending an interview, and providing a supportive reference from the child's current school; the school is not part of a consortium and has no catchment area, so offers go out in order of registration date to candidates who show a good-average-or-above ability profile.

Year 7 is the main entry point into the senior school, alongside intake points in Reception, Year 6 and Year 12, and the year group typically admits between 40 and 50 new pupils from a range of local primary and preparatory schools.

How entry works at 11+ (Year 7)

Year 7 is one of four entry points into Pipers Corner School, alongside Reception, Year 6 and Year 12, and it is the main point of entry into the senior school. The year group typically admits between 40 and 50 new pupils, drawn from a range of local primary and preparatory schools.

The school is not part of a testing consortium and does not operate a catchment area, so families can register from any location. Because Year 7 is always oversubscribed, places are offered in order of registration date to candidates who meet the required ability profile, so registering early improves a family's chances.

How the 11+ assessment works

The Year 7 entrance assessment takes place on a single Entrance Assessments Morning in January of the year of entry and covers English and Mathematics only; the school does not test verbal or non-verbal reasoning. The Mathematics paper is set so that no specific preparation is required, and the English paper includes reading comprehension and creative writing tasks.

Candidates are expected to show a good average or above ability level; there is no fixed pass mark, since the written papers form one part of a wider admissions picture that also includes the interview and the school reference.

The interview and school reference

Every registered candidate attends a short interview with the Headmistress or a senior member of staff, held in November of the year before entry. Alongside the assessment result, the school asks for a supportive reference from the child's current school before making an offer.

A place therefore rests on three strands together: the English and Mathematics assessment, the interview and the school reference; the assessment score alone does not determine it.

Registration and offers: the process

Registration is completed directly with the school, using the digital registration form on the admissions pages together with payment of the registration fee.

• Register: complete the online registration form and pay the registration fee; the school confirms registration by email within a week of payment being received
• Interview: attend a short interview with the Headmistress or a senior member of staff, in November of the year before entry
• Assessment: sit the Entrance Assessments Morning in English and Mathematics, in January of the year of entry
• Offer: places are made in order of registration date to candidates meeting the ability profile, by the end of the February half term
• Acceptance: confirm the place by the first working day in March

Scholarships and bursaries for Year 7 entry

Pipers Corner offers Year 7 Scholarships across up to two of six areas: Academic, Art, Dance, Drama, Music (vocal or instrumental) and Sport (team or elite performance). A successful scholarship can be paired with a means-tested bursary worth up to the full value of fees, including any scholarship award, though full fee remission is granted only in limited circumstances and is assessed by an independent third-party provider.

The school also runs a limited number of means-tested Jessie Cross Bursary Awards at Year 7 entry, aimed at promising candidates moving from a state primary school. Applicants must be either current pupils or already registered on the school's waiting list before applying.

Fees for Year 7 entry

Termly and annual fees for Year 7 entry are published on the school's fees page and cover tuition, textbooks, most stationery, a daily hot lunch and tea on days a pupil stays for clubs or After-School Prep. A non-returnable registration fee is payable when a child is first registered, and a further deposit is due on acceptance of a place.

Fees are reviewed annually by the Board of Governors and are payable a week before each term begins; a monthly late-payment charge applies to overdue accounts.

How to prepare for the assessment

The school states that no specific preparation is required for the Mathematics paper and that verbal and non-verbal reasoning are not tested, so families are usually better placed focusing on core English and Maths fluency and need not practise reasoning-style questions aimed at grammar school tests.

Reading widely and practising short pieces of creative writing under time pressure tends to help with the English comprehension and writing tasks, while a calm, conversational run-through of likely interview topics can settle nerves before the November interview. A supportive, up-to-date reference from the child's current school matters alongside the written papers, so keeping teachers informed of the application is worthwhile.

Visiting before you apply

Pipers Corner holds open events across the admissions calendar, including a flagship whole-school Open Morning and, for Year 5 families considering Year 7 entry, dedicated senior school taster sessions. Individual tours run most mornings during the working week and can include a meeting with the Headmistress, subject to availability.

Families can book a tour or open event directly with the Admissions Team by phone or email; visiting ahead of registering gives a clearer sense of the assessment day and interview to come.

Related guides

• Independent school fees compared

Preparing for the Pipers Corner School 11+ with Taylor Tuition

The Pipers Corner School 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.

Read more about our 11+ entrance exam tutors, or send an enquiry and we will come back with tutor recommendations.