Sedbergh School 11+ Entry: Admissions, Assessment and Fees Guide

Entry to Sedbergh School at 11+ means applying to Casterton, Sedbergh Preparatory School for Year 7, one of the Prep School's three main entry points alongside Reception and Year 3. Getting in involves registering with the school, submitting a recent school report, and taking part in a taster day and interview; there is no competitive pass/fail exam, since the Prep School is non-selective on academic grounds until Sixth Form.

Assessment at this stage exists to place a child correctly and to check they will thrive in a boarding environment, not to rank candidates against each other. Parents preparing a Year 7 application need to understand the taster day format, the registration steps and paperwork, the boarding choices on offer, and how scholarships and bursaries fit alongside the standard admissions route.

How entry works at 11+

Year 7 is one of the Prep School's three main entry points, alongside Reception (age 4) and Year 3 (age 7), and the school also considers applications to other year groups where places allow. Sedbergh operates as two linked schools: Casterton, Sedbergh Preparatory School takes pupils from 4 to 13, and Sedbergh School (Senior) takes them on from 13 to 18, with its own main entry points at 13 and 16.

Because the Prep School is non-selective on academic grounds until Sixth Form, a Year 7 place is not awarded purely on exam performance. The school instead looks for children with broad interests beyond the classroom, matching this against its strong traditions in music, drama, art, debating and sport.

How the 11+ assessment works

The Year 7 assessment centres on a taster day; there is no formal written exam. In addition to the taster day, Year 7 and Year 8 applicants are met or interviewed by a member of the Senior Management Team, and those for whom English is a first language may be asked to sit an online standardised attainment test.

The school also reviews the child's most recent school report and requests a reference from their current school. Children for whom English is not a first language sit an EAL (English as an Additional Language) test instead, delivered as an online 'Password' assessment taken under exam conditions.

Sedbergh states that no specific preparation is needed for entry, since all candidates start on an equal footing with identical opportunities to display academic aptitude and extra-curricular interests. Parents disclosing any special educational needs, disabilities or exam access requirements should do so on the Registration Form, before any assessment takes place, so the school can make appropriate arrangements.

Registering and the admissions process, step by step

The process runs through a set sequence of steps before a place is confirmed.

• Initial enquiry: contact the Preparatory School Admissions Team for information and an invitation to visit, or an online meeting for families living abroad
• Visit or taster: a typical Prep School visit lasts around two hours and includes a meeting with the Head and a tour of the school and boarding house, followed where families wish by a day or overnight taster visit
• Registration: submit a completed Registration Form, signed by all parties with parental responsibility, with the non-refundable Registration Fee and a copy of the child's most recent school report, flagging any anticipated difficulty meeting fees, interest in a Scholarship Award, or SEND and access requirements
• Assessment: taster day observation, Senior Management Team interview, and any online or EAL test
• Offer and acceptance: the Head or Headmaster writes with an offer, unconditional or subject to stated conditions; the place is secured once parents return the signed Acceptance Form and pay the Acceptance Deposit

Boarding options at Year 7 entry

Year 7 entrants can join as day pupils or choose from several boarding patterns: tri-boarding, weekly boarding or full, seven-day boarding, with a distinct overseas boarding fee band for pupils based abroad. Families choosing full boarding join a Prep School community where most contemporaries in the senior year groups are also boarders, since Senior School itself is around 97 percent full boarders.

Overseas families must appoint a UK-based Educational Guardian, arranged directly by the parents and not through an education agent, who acts with delegated parental authority in emergencies and other agreed matters and who counter-signs a Parental Guardianship Confirmation Form.

Scholarships and bursaries at Year 7

Casterton, Sedbergh Preparatory School offers scholarships for entry into Year 7 across six categories: academia, art, design, technology and engineering, drama, music, and sport, granted at the Head's discretion to candidates who perform strongly in their assessment. A Year 7 scholarship may also carry a fee concession of up to 20 percent, and scholars join a Scholarship Enrichment Programme running through Years 7 and 8.

Bursary support runs separately under the school's Means-Tested Bursaries Policy and is aimed at families who would not otherwise be able to consider the school for financial reasons. Applications are strictly means tested, may involve an interview or home visit, and are considered alongside any scholarships or concessions a family already holds, which can be combined into one level of support. Families wanting their circumstances reviewed should contact the Bursar's office before starting the main application process.

How to prepare for Sedbergh's 11+ assessment

Because the taster day is assessed through observation and conversation and does not involve a single high-stakes paper, the most useful preparation focuses on practical readiness over academic drilling. A calm, well-rested visit lets a child engage naturally with staff during the taster day and interview, which is what the school is actually observing.

For the online standardised attainment test, general familiarity with online test formats and typical English and maths question types helps ensure the result reflects ability, without being skewed by unfamiliarity with the screen. Where English is an additional language, practising under timed, no-dictionary conditions mirrors how the EAL 'Password' test is actually administered.

Gathering the current school report and requesting a reference early avoids delays once registration is submitted, since both are reviewed alongside the taster day and interview before an offer is made.

Related guides

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Preparing for the Sedbergh School 11+ with Taylor Tuition

The Sedbergh 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 in the North of England and further afield work with us online, 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.