Key Facts
| UCS Junior Branch 7+ | Main entry point; about 60 boys join three classes, roughly half from the Pre-Prep; January assessment lasts about three hours (Source: https://www.ucs.org.uk/admissions/admissions-process/year-3/) |
|---|---|
| Highgate Junior School 7+ tests | Written tests in English and Mathematics of 50 minutes each (Source: https://www.highgateschool.org.uk/junior-school/admissions-7/) |
| Alleyn's Junior School and Alleyn's Oakfield | 4+: about 36 children join two Reception classes; 7+: about 8 to 10 new places; applications in the autumn before entry, assessments in January (Source: https://www.alleyns.org.uk/admissions/admissions-to-our-junior-schools) |
| St Paul's Prep School 7+ group assessment | Half-day, groups of approximately ten: Maths lesson, English lesson, group problem-solving (Source: https://www.stpaulsschool.org.uk/admissions/entry-to-st-pauls-7-8/selection-procedure/) |
| Latymer Prep School 7+ papers | English Comprehension 45 minutes, Creative Writing 35 minutes, Maths 40 minutes; interview for selected children the week after (Source: https://www.latymerprep.org/admissions/preparing-for-assessment) |
| National Curriculum, Year 2 English | Handwriting and reading statements for Year 2 (Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-english-programmes-of-study/national-curriculum-in-england-english-programmes-of-study) |
| National Curriculum, Year 2 mathematics | Recall and use multiplication and division facts for the 2, 5 and 10 tables; Year 3 adds 3, 4 and 8 (Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-mathematics-programmes-of-study/national-curriculum-in-england-mathematics-programmes-of-study) |
Figures correct at the time of writing. Confirm current fees and deadlines with the school or university directly.
Moving from pre-prep to prep school at 7 usually involves an assessment for Year 3 entry, with the child's current school asked to supply a reference alongside it. The schools quoted set out that process on their own admissions pages, and the papers, stages and wording differ from one school to the next. Each school's page remains the place to confirm what your child will be asked to do.
The standard behind the written papers is the Year 2 National Curriculum, which makes the programmes of study for English and mathematics a practical reference point whichever infant school, junior school or pre-prep your child attends. GOV.UK publishes those programmes of study, and any parent can read them before choosing what to practise. Preparation that stays close to that standard, together with a calm routine at home, tends to suit what the schools describe.
What do prep schools say about entry at 7+?
Prep schools describe 7+ entry as a process that applicants go through, and the stages differ by school. St Paul's Prep School says all applicants sit a written exam in English, Mathematics and Reasoning, with boys who perform well invited back for a half-day group assessment before offers are made. University College School says the main point of entry to its Junior Branch is 7+ in Year 3, so it is not necessary to apply for a son at birth.
Alleyn's Junior School and Alleyn's Oakfield welcome applicants at 4+, 7+ and 9+, and each entry point has its own assessment. The 4+ assessment looks at language development and practical reasoning, whereas the 7+ assessment covers English, mathematics and reasoning, with relative age considered at both. Because the process differs between schools, check the admissions page of each school on your list for the papers and stages it names.
What happens at the second stage of 7+ entry?
Several schools invite selected children back for a second stage that combines group activity with a conversation. Highgate Junior School asks some children back for a taster lesson and a group interview after the first morning of written tests, and says this helps the school get to know the child and lets the child experience school life. The content of this stage varies, as these descriptions from the schools' own pages show.
- St Paul's Prep School: a Maths lesson, an English lesson and a group problem-solving task, in groups of approximately ten, while parents can meet the Head of the Prep School.
- Latymer Prep School: an interview the week after assessment day for children who perform particularly well, where staff observe social maturity and attitude to learning and talk with each child about interests and aspirations.
- Alleyn's: for candidates who show the necessary academic potential, a second assessment with a non-verbal reasoning test, a reading test, small group activities and an individual interview.
- University College School: an autumn visit in small groups with listening and discussion exercises and a reading assessment that counts towards the decision, followed by English and Maths tests in classrooms while staff observe social interaction and behaviour.
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Enquire about this tutorWhat does the Year 2 curriculum standard mean for the 7+ papers?
Latymer Prep School says children at 7+ would be working in line with expectations at the top of KS1 for both Maths and English, which puts the Year 2 programmes of study at the centre of preparation. St Paul's Prep School says its English paper incorporates the Year 2 programme of study, hopes applicants are working at a Greater Depth standard within Year 2, and may include word reading and comprehension from Year 3. Alleyn's expects candidates to have followed the National Curriculum for English and mathematics.
In English, the Year 2 programme covers moving towards a joined handwriting style once letters are formed securely, accurate phonic decoding, explaining and discussing books and poems, and suffixes such as -ment, -ness, -ful, -less and -ly. It also covers statements, questions, exclamations and commands, subordination with when, if, that and because, co-ordination with or, and and but, and consistent use of present and past tenses.
In mathematics, the Year 2 programme covers counting in steps of 2, 3 and 5 from 0 and in 10s from any number, addition and subtraction facts to 20 with related facts up to 100, and the 2, 5 and 10 multiplication tables. It also covers fractions including one third, one quarter, two quarters and three quarters, telling the time to five minutes, and the properties of 2-D shapes. The Year 3 programme adds the 3, 4 and 8 tables, yet St Paul's Prep School lists the 2, 3, 5 and 10 tables, so check each school's own list.
What changes in expectations from pre-prep to prep school at 7?
The papers described by the schools ask children to write independently, calculate mentally and work through several parts in one sitting. Latymer Prep School sets three formal papers, English Comprehension, Creative Writing and Maths, and Alleyn's sets comprehension and creative writing. St Paul's Prep School uses a dictation exercise in which boys write reasonably neatly, apply grammar, punctuation and spelling, and check their writing for accuracy in line with top-end KS1 expectations. Its Reasoning paper adds retrieving information, drawing inferences and applying vocabulary knowledge.
For arithmetic, St Paul's guidance asks boys to apply the four operations, number facts and place value to problems including missing number problems, and to show efficient mental calculation methods. A key part of its Maths paper is applying knowledge of shape, space, measure and time to puzzles and problems.
On assessment day at Latymer Prep School, children sit at desks and talking is discouraged, although staff are encouraging and gently prompt a child who is stuck on a question, and there are short breaks between the parts. University College School holds its tests in classrooms. Reading a passage and answering questions at a table at home builds the habit of working quietly through a paper-style task.
Who writes the reference, and how should you talk to the current school?
The reference is requested from the head of your child's current school, which Highgate Junior School describes as a confidential reference sought after you apply. St Paul's Prep School seeks a reference from the head of the boy's current school and treats applying as parental consent to that contact. Alleyn's writes to the candidate's current headteacher or a nursery for a report, and University College School requests a confidential report that plays an important part in selection.
Because the report itself is confidential, the conversation with the school is best spent on your child's reading, writing and number work and on the practical arrangements.
- Tell the head and the class teacher which schools you are applying to before the requests arrive.
- Check each application for how consent to contact the current school is given.
- Ask how the school handles requests from several schools for one child.
- Ask how your child's reading, writing and number work compare with the Year 2 programmes of study, so home practice can follow the same priorities.
What happens once a place is offered, and how do children settle in?
Highgate Junior School says successful candidates receive an offer, followed by an invitation to a tour and questions, and that new pupils attend an induction afternoon in June. The tour and questions visit is the point to ask about the school day, what your child should bring and which member of staff to contact.
Other schools may arrange something different, so ask each school on your list whether it holds a comparable event for new pupils. Talking about the induction afternoon at home as a chance to see the classroom and meet the other children gives your child something concrete to look forward to.
How can you keep the move low-key at home?
Latymer Prep School advises that parental preparation should be low-key and that the child's routine should stay as normal as possible, with favourite activities kept up because they help wellbeing; the page sums this up as a need for balance. Highgate Junior School says it aims to make the assessment day as fun and stress-free as possible, and University College School builds play time and light refreshments into the session.
Practical steps follow from those pages. Highgate sends published sample English and Maths questions and an explanatory video to watch together with your child, and Latymer sends exemplar Maths and English papers after registration to show the expected standard. On the day at Latymer, pencils, rulers and rubbers are provided, the school provides a snack, and children bring a named water bottle.
Where does extra help fit alongside school and home practice?
Reading together, practising from the Year 2 programmes of study and using each school's own sample materials form the core of home preparation, and one-to-one help is one option some families use alongside them. Latymer Prep School gives no advice about tutoring on its page, so a school's silence on the subject carries no instruction either way.
St Paul's Prep School says it does not publish past papers, and it links a suggested reading list and Maths and English guidance for 7+ on its website. Starting from those documents and the sample questions from schools that publish them keeps practice matched to the standard each school describes.
For one-to-one help ahead of the move to prep school, read about our 7+ tutors for English, maths and reasoning, or tell us about your child and the schools on your list and we will reply with tutor recommendations.
Related guides
- 7+ tutors for English, maths and reasoning
- primary school tutoring
- How the 7+ process differs between London day schools
- 4+ assessments
- Preparing a young child without over-tutoring
Tutoring with Taylor Tuition
One-to-one support for this stage works best when the tutor can see the pupil's own work, so sessions with us start from recent papers and homework and build a routine from there. 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.
Sessions run online for families across the UK and internationally, and in person in central London. Fees start from £50 per 50-minute session and depend on tutor level and subject. There is no registration fee. Every tutor who works with children holds an enhanced DBS check and families receive progress reports after sessions.
Frequently asked questions
- Can a child go on a waiting list or appeal a 7+ decision?
- Alleyn's says some candidates who are not offered a place may be placed on a waiting list and reconsidered on their assessment results if a vacancy arises, and that the list remains active until the September after the assessments. It also says decisions on places are final, with no right of appeal. Other schools set their own rules, so read the admissions policy of each school you apply to.
- What if my child has a learning difference or disability?
- Alleyn's asks parents who know or suspect a disability, language or learning difference to notify the school in writing at registration so that access arrangements can be made. Latymer Prep School gives access arrangements to children with diagnosed special educational needs, which parents notify during registration. Both pages place the notice at the registration stage, so the details belong on the registration form, ahead of assessment day.
- Will the school tell me how my child performed?
- Latymer Prep School gives no written or verbal feedback on a child's performance or ranking on any paper, and it tells all candidates by email whether they are invited to interview. Check how each other school shares outcomes, since the admissions pages differ, and ask at registration how and when the school will contact you so you know what to expect.
- What does registration involve at a school such as St Paul's Prep?
- St Paul's Prep School requires both parents to agree to the application, except in the case of sole custody, and an electronic copy of the boy's passport is uploaded at registration. Boys are accepted on the understanding that St Paul's will be their first choice of senior school, and boys who stay for the full duration at the Prep School are automatically registered for transfer to St Paul's School at 13+.
- Can my child be considered if a place becomes free later?
- Alleyn's says a vacancy arises when a current pupil leaves, parents register interest through an online form, and a candidate on the vacancy list is contacted for a fresh assessment if a place becomes available before the next formal assessment point. Latymer Prep School says it does not generally hold formal occasional place assessment days, so ask each school how it handles vacancies.
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