Registration for Sibford School 11+ closes today. A free consultation now leaves time to plan the preparation before the assessment.
Book a free consultationKey Facts
| School type | Independent day and boarding, co-educational, 3 to 18, with Quaker roots |
|---|---|
| Location | Sibford Ferris, Banbury, Oxfordshire |
| Entry points | 7+, 11+, 13+, 16+ |
| Assessment | Entry days that welcome applicants and assess their ability to thrive in an academic environment |
| Test provider | School's own entry days |
| Day fees (2026/27) | £8,227 per term (Senior School day pupil, Years 7 to 9; £8,391 for Years 10 to 13) |
| Boarding fees (2026/27) | Senior School per term: full boarding £15,991 (Years 7 to 9) or £16,312 (Years 10 to 13); weekly boarding £12,144 or £12,302 |
| Registration deadline | Sunday 1 November 2026 for Year 7 entry in September 2027 (Year 9 and Sixth Form: Friday 5 February 2027) |
| Assessment date | Year 7 entry days: Tuesday 17 and Wednesday 18 November 2026 (Year 9 entry days in February 2027) |
| Scholarships and bursaries | Academic, arts and sport scholarships at 11+, 13+ and 16+; means-tested bursaries, day fees only |
| A level average point score per entry (DfE, 2024/25) | 28.39 (average grade C) |
Figures correct at the time of writing. Confirm current fees and deadlines with the school or university directly. Compare fees at other independent schools.
To get into Sibford School, families complete an online application, pay a registration fee and attend the school's own entry days, which are the main assessment at Year 7 (11+) and Year 9 (13+). Sixth Form (16+) entry adds a formal interview, and the Junior School uses two taster days. The school lists Nursery, Reception, Year 7, Year 9 and Sixth Form as its main entry points and welcomes applications for other year groups.
The entry days are set by the school itself, and the pages read name no external test provider. A confidential reference from the current school is requested for every applicant, and no pupil can start until it has been reviewed.
| Entry point | Year group | Assessment | Interview | Places |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7+ | Years 3 to 6 (Junior School) | Two taster days with lessons, activities and assessments in reading, spelling and maths; scholarships exist for Years 5 and 6 | Meeting and tour with the Head of Junior School before applying | Not published |
| 11+ | Year 7 | Entry days that welcome applicants and assess their ability to thrive in an academic environment | No interview stated; a confidential reference is requested from the current school | Not published |
| 13+ | Year 9 | Entry days with the same purpose as Year 7 entry days | No interview stated; a confidential reference is requested from the current school | Not published |
| 16+ | Year 12 (Sixth Form) | Formal interview after applying; scholarship assessment days for Year 12 | Formal interview after applying, plus a meeting and tour with the Head of Sixth Form beforehand | Not published |
Entry points and places
The main entry points are Nursery, Reception, Year 7, Year 9 and Sixth Form, and the school says it welcomes applications for all year groups. Day places are offered from age 3 to 11, and day or boarding places from age 11 to 18. Boarders join from Year 7 as full, weekly or flexi boarders.
The number of places at each entry point is not published on the pages read. For Years 8 and 10, the school asks families to arrange a meeting and tour with the Head before applying, and the assessment is two taster days.
- 7+ (Years 3 to 6, Junior School): two taster days
- 11+ (Year 7): entry days
- 13+ (Year 9): entry days
- 16+ (Year 12, Sixth Form): formal interview
How the Year 7 (11+) assessment works
The Year 7 assessment is a pair of entry days run by the school, which welcome applicants and assess their ability to thrive in an academic environment. The pages read do not publish paper lengths, subjects or question types.
Scholarship candidates sit separate assessment days, with academic scholarships assessed on a different day from the creative arts, performing arts and sport scholarships.
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 Year 9 (13+) assessment works
Year 9 entry follows the same pattern as Year 7, with entry days that welcome applicants and assess their ability to thrive academically. Registration and the entry days both fall in the winter before the September start, and the application deadline is later in the year than the Year 7 deadline.
The pages read describe no separate pre-test in Year 6 or Year 7 and no conditional offer. Year 9 scholarship assessment days run separately from the entry days.
Registration and the admissions timeline
Admission follows four steps: application, assessment, offer and acceptance. Families complete the online application for the relevant year group, using separate links for Early Years, Junior School, Senior School and Sixth Form, and pay a non-refundable registration fee.
The school then requests a reference, invites the child to the entry days or taster days, and the Admissions Registrar contacts the family to say whether a place is offered. Accepting means signing the acceptance form and paying a deposit, which the school refunds once the final fee account is settled.
- Step 1: online application and registration fee
- Step 2: confidential reference requested from the current school
- Step 3: entry days, taster days or interview
- Step 4: offer from the Admissions Registrar, then acceptance form and deposit
Interviews and references
Sixth Form applicants have a formal interview after applying, and are asked to meet the Head of Sixth Form for a tour beforehand. Junior School families meet the Head of Junior School before applying.
Every applicant needs a confidential reference from their current school or nursery, and the school states that new students cannot start until it has been received and reviewed. International applicants also take an English language test and have online meetings with the Head, boarding staff and the EAL department.
Scholarships and bursaries
Scholarships are offered at Year 7, Year 9 and Year 12 entry, in academic, creative arts (art and design and technology), performing arts (drama, music and musical theatre) and sport categories. An all-rounder scholarship exists in the Senior School only, awarded at the Head's discretion to candidates promising in more than one area.
Bursaries are means-tested, open to Quaker and non-Quaker families, and do not depend on academic or creative achievement. An independent company, Bursary Administration Ltd, reviews applications and visits families. Awards may cover day fees only, are reviewed annually and are limited; the pages read give no maximum share of fees. Bursary deadlines fall earlier than the admissions deadlines.
Fees and what they include
Fees are published termly for Nursery, Junior School, Senior School and Sixth Form, and International pupils, and the figures sit in the fees field above. Senior School day fees include lunch, and boarding fees include breakfast, lunch, tea and supper.
Extras such as individual instrumental tuition, LAMDA lessons, extra learning support and public examinations are billed separately. Fees are invoiced in three instalments, monthly instalments are available, and the school normally announces changes at the end of the spring term for the following September.
How to prepare
Preparation for the entry days tends to centre on secure core skills, since the Junior School assessments cover reading, spelling and maths and the senior entry days look at how a child copes in an academic setting. Regular reading, careful spelling and confident number work cover the named areas.
Visiting before applying helps a child know the setting. The school runs a Saturday open event in spring, Friday open mornings in several months of the school year, and private tours by arrangement. Scholarship candidates can ask for the scholarship brochure, as the web page does not describe the assessment format.
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- The ISEB Common Pre-Test explained
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Preparing for the Sibford School 11+ with Taylor Tuition
Families preparing for the Sibford School 11+ usually come to us a year or so before the assessment, though shorter runs work where the foundations are already sound. Having prepared pupils for entry to leading independent and grammar schools, with placements including Westminster, St Paul's, Wycombe Abbey and Eton, our tutors build each programme around the format the school actually uses, whether a written paper, an online pre-test, an interview or a combination of them.
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, so the preparation is led by people who know how selective schools assess. 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
- Is there an entrance exam for Sibford School?
- Entry at Year 7 and Year 9 is through the school's own entry days, which assess a child's ability to thrive in an academic environment. The Junior School uses two taster days covering reading, spelling and maths. No external test provider is named on the pages read.
- How can a family register for Sibford School?
- Complete the online application for the relevant year group and pay the non-refundable registration fee. The school then requests a confidential reference from your child's current school. Deadlines differ by year group, so check the admissions process page for the entry you want.
- Does Sibford School offer scholarships and bursaries?
- Scholarships run at Year 7, Year 9 and Year 12 entry in academic, creative arts, performing arts and sport, with an all-rounder award in the Senior School. Means-tested bursaries are open to Quaker and non-Quaker families and may cover day fees only.
- What are Sibford School fees?
- Fees are set termly and include VAT, with separate scales for Nursery, Junior School, Senior School and Sixth Form, and International pupils. Boarding is priced by full, weekly, mid-week and flexi options. The current figures are on the school's fees page.
- How does Sixth Form entry work at Sibford?
- Families arrange a meeting and tour with the Head of Sixth Form, apply online, then attend a formal interview. Students choose from A Levels and vocational options such as BTEC Business and BTEC Music. GCSE grade requirements are not published on the pages read.
- Can my child join Sibford part-way through a year group?
- The school accommodates in-year admissions where possible and welcomes applications for all year groups. For Years 8 and 10 you meet the Head for a tour and your child attends two taster days. For an immediate start, contact the Admissions Registrar.
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