Key Facts
| School type | Independent day school, co-educational, 3 to 16 |
|---|---|
| Location | Norton, Stockton-on-Tees |
| Entry points | 7+, 8+, 11+, 13+ |
| Assessment | Taster day with a morning assessment in verbal, non-verbal, quantitative and spatial reasoning (including online assessments) plus Maths and English papers. |
| Test provider | The school does not name an external provider; assessments include online reasoning tests and Maths and English papers |
| Scholarships and bursaries | No scholarships published; means-tested bursaries for Senior School entry and hardship cases |
Figures correct at the time of writing. Confirm current fees and deadlines with the school or university directly.
How do you get into Red House School? Children join Nursery and Reception without an assessment, and enter the Junior School at 7+ and 8+ or the Senior School at 11+ by completing a taster day that includes a morning assessment, followed by a Headteacher reference and the last school report. The 11+ assessment covers verbal, non-verbal, quantitative and spatial reasoning, including online assessments, together with Maths and English papers.
The school is selective and accepts applications throughout the year, subject to places, so the steps below follow the order a family meets them, from registration through to the offer. Pupils stay until they have completed their GCSEs, which means there is no sixth form entry.
| Entry point | Year group | Assessment | Interview | Places |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7+ | Year 3 | Full taster day with a morning assessment of academic potential, fine motor skills and ability and eagerness to learn (the school's pages differ on whether Year 3 sits this or the reasoning tests). | Not stated | Not published |
| 8+ | Year 4 | Taster day; the school's pages describe either the relaxed academic-potential assessment or age-appropriate verbal, non-verbal, quantitative and spatial reasoning tests, so confirm with admissions. | Not stated | Not published |
| 11+ | Year 7 | Taster day with a morning assessment in verbal, non-verbal, quantitative and spatial reasoning (including online assessments) plus Maths and English papers. | No interview is mentioned; a Headteacher reference and the last school report are requested. | Places are limited and the school expects to be oversubscribed; number not published |
| 13+ | Year 9 | Same age-appropriate taster day and reasoning, Maths and English assessment used for Years 5 to 11; no Common Entrance is mentioned. | Not stated | Subject to availability |
Entry points and places
Red House takes pupils from the day of their third birthday, with the main selective entry into the Senior School in Year 7 at 11+. Nursery and Reception involve no assessment; staff instead discuss a child's developmental attainments and any individual needs, and can liaise with the current nursery.
Children can also join at 7+ in Year 3, 8+ in Year 4 and in later year groups at any time, provided a place is available. The school does not publish a number of places for each year group, though it expects Year 7 to be oversubscribed and recommends early registration.
How the 11+ assessment works
The 11+ assessment is a morning of age-appropriate tests sat during a full taster day, covering verbal, non-verbal, quantitative and spatial reasoning (including online assessments) plus Maths and English papers. The taster day also includes lessons and activities alongside prospective classmates.
The school states that the assessment aims to show whether a child can engage with a curriculum aimed at nine or ten GCSEs at grades 9 to 4. It does not publish the length of the papers or name an external test provider, so admissions can confirm the exact format on request.
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.
Enquire about this tutorHow the 7+ and 8+ assessments work
Younger entrants attend a taster day with lessons, playtime and time in the wider school, alongside a morning assessment in a relaxed setting. The assessment looks at academic potential, fine motor skills and the ability and eagerness to learn.
The school's pages draw the line between this format and the reasoning tests in different places: one places Years 1 to 4 in the relaxed format, another Years 1 to 3, and the Junior School page lists reasoning tests for Years 4 to 6. Asking admissions which format applies to a particular year group avoids any surprise on the day.
Registration and the admissions timeline
Registration is an online form followed by a non-refundable registration fee paid by electronic bank transfer, and it is complete only once the school receives that payment. Parents are asked to contact the Head of Admissions before applying. Registrations are considered in the order received, and the form lets families choose a year and a term of entry.
Families move through six steps, from first contact with the Head of Admissions to written notification of the outcome.
- Contact the Head of Admissions and complete the online registration form
- Pay the registration fee by bank transfer, using the pupil's surname as the reference
- Attend a taster day and sit the entry assessment
- Head or Head of the Junior School reviews the results with the reference and last school report
- An offer is made depending on availability, or the child joins a waiting list
- Parents are notified in writing
Interviews and references
The school requests a Headteacher reference from the child's current school and asks parents to supply a copy of the last school report. The pages read do not mention a formal interview or a group activity, though the taster day gives staff time with each child.
Results are considered by the Head or the Head of the Junior School together with the reference and report. A successful applicant receives an offer subject to availability, and where a year group is full the child may be placed on a waiting list.
Scholarships and bursaries
The pages read describe means-tested bursaries and mention no scholarships. Bursaries are open to parents on low incomes who could not otherwise send or keep a child at the school, and to current families whose finances worsen unexpectedly.
Applicants complete the entry assessment first, and for Senior School entry a bursary can be offered only once the academic requirements for a place are met. Applications for prospective pupils are due in February of the year of entry, are assessed by the Management Committee in the spring term, and are decided in confidence. The maximum share of fees is not published.
Fees and what they include
Fees are set by year group and published on the school's fees page, with Early Years, Junior and Senior stages priced separately. They are payable in full before the first day of each term, and payment is by bank transfer.
The school describes its fees as lower than those of other independent schools in the area for ages 3 to 16. A fee plan is mentioned on the payment page, and the fees office can explain the options.
Where pupils join from
Red House runs its own Early Years and Junior School, and Nursery children move up to Year 1 if their Reception record is satisfactory. Junior pupils usually move on to the Senior School, and from Year 3 they have weekly games lessons with Senior School specialist sports teachers, later spending more time on the Senior site for subjects such as music.
Children from other schools register for Year 7 while in Year 6 or Year 5, and the school names no external feeder schools.
How to prepare
Preparation for the 11+ is best matched to its parts: verbal, non-verbal, quantitative and spatial reasoning, and Maths and English papers at the level of the current school year. Practising reasoning question types in short, calm sessions, including on screen because some assessments are online, helps a child recognise the formats.
For the younger entries, familiarity with writing, drawing and small-motor tasks, and a relaxed attitude to learning something new, suit the taster day. Attending a taster day or open event beforehand shows the child the setting.
Related guides
- Independent school fees compared
- Yarm School (11+)
- The ISEB Common Pre-Test explained
- 13+ Common Entrance explained
- The 11+ entrance exam explained
- The 7+ entrance exam explained
- The 8+ entrance exam explained
- 11+ and 13+ scholarship exams explained
- What is a bursary? Private school bursaries explained
Preparing for the Red House School 11+ with Taylor Tuition
Preparation for the Red House 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.
Read more about our 11+ entrance exam tutors, or send an enquiry and we will come back with tutor recommendations.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the Red House School entrance exam?
- There is no separate exam. Pupils from Year 5 upwards sit a morning assessment on a taster day covering verbal, non-verbal, quantitative and spatial reasoning, including online assessments, plus Maths and English papers. Younger entrants take a relaxed assessment of academic potential, fine motor skills and eagerness to learn.
- How does a family register for Red House School?
- Complete the online registration form and pay the non-refundable registration fee by bank transfer, using the pupil's surname as the reference. Registration is complete once the fee arrives. The school asks parents to contact the Head of Admissions first, and registrations are considered in the order received.
- Does Red House School offer scholarships or bursaries?
- The pages read mention no scholarships. Means-tested bursaries exist for low-income families and for current families facing unexpected hardship. Applicants complete the academic assessment first, and prospective pupils apply by February of the year of entry. The maximum share of fees is not published.
- Where can Red House School fees be found?
- Fees by year group are on the school's fees page, with payment in full before the first day of each term by bank transfer. The school describes them as lower than other independent schools in the area for ages 3 to 16. The fees office can answer questions.
- Does Red House School have a sixth form?
- No sixth form is mentioned. The school takes children from their third birthday and pupils stay until they have completed their GCSEs, so the last entry points are in the Senior School years.
- Is there a reference or school report requirement?
- Yes for assessed entry. The school requests a Headteacher reference from the current school and asks parents for a copy of the last school report. Both are considered alongside the assessment result when the Head or Head of the Junior School decides on an offer.
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