Southbank International School Westminster 11+ and 16+ Admissions: Process and Fees

How do you get into Southbank International School Westminster? Families apply online at any point in the year for entry from Grade 6 (age 11) to Grade 12, and the Admissions Committee decides on a completed application, a student essay or drawing, previous school reports, references and, for non-native English speakers, an online English test; there is no entrance exam.

The Westminster campus teaches the IB Middle Years Programme from age 11 and the IB Diploma and Career-related Programmes from age 16, so the main entry point is 11+ and the second is 16+. Places depend on availability, and a child without a place at the preferred entry point joins a waiting list.

Entry points and places

Westminster admits at 11+ into Grade 6 and at 16+ into Grade 11, and it also takes pupils into the years between whenever a place is free. Grade placement follows the child's age, using the school's age placement chart, which maps its American-style grades to UK year groups.

The school describes its admissions as non-selective and rolling, so pupils can start at any point in the academic year, subject to availability. The pages read give no fixed number of places or forms of entry.

• Age 11: Grade 6 (Year 7 equivalent), Middle Years Programme
• Age 12: Grade 7; age 13: Grade 8; age 14: Grade 9; age 15: Grade 10
• Age 16: Grade 11, IB Diploma or Career-related Programme
• Age 17: Grade 12

How the admissions assessment works

There is no entrance exam at Southbank Westminster; the Admissions Committee reviews each child's file. The admissions policy explains that applicants come from educational systems all over the world, so no standardised admissions examination suits them all, and a record of success at the previous school is required instead.

The file consists of a completed application form, a student essay or drawing, copies of reports from the previous school (two years where appropriate) and a reference from the last school. Records need to show above-average academic ability, age-appropriate motivation and skills, and attributes consistent with the IB Learner Profile.

Non-native English speakers in Grades 4 to 11 must also meet the minimum EAL entry requirement for their grade. The Admissions Office sends a link to an online EAL test.

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Registration and the admissions timeline

Registration happens online through the school's application portal, and applications are considered in the order in which they are completed. The admissions process runs through a fixed sequence of steps, with no published closing date for entry points other than the scholarship.

• Read the admissions policy, check the age placement chart and review the UK Visas and Immigration information
• Gather the documents, which differ for the Primary Years, Middle Years, Diploma and Career-related Programmes
• Complete and submit the online application
• Pay the non-refundable application fee by bank transfer, since debit and credit cards are not accepted
• The Admissions Committee reviews the application once it is complete, including all references and the fee
• If a place is available, a formal offer is issued with the first term's invoice, which must be paid to secure the place; otherwise the child joins a waiting list

Interviews and references

Interviews are not a routine stage for Westminster entry, although the admissions policy says the Admissions Committee may occasionally request additional information, specialist reports or a personal interview, in person or online. References from the last school are part of the standard file, and the committee waits for all of them before it reviews an application.

Admission to the Middle Years Programme and Diploma at Westminster rests on previous school performance, reports and good references, together with how well the child suits the programme. A child who has not attended an IB school before is welcome in the Middle Years Programme. Families can also book information mornings, personal tours or a video call with an Admissions Manager before applying.

Scholarships and bursaries

The only scholarship on the school's scholarships page is the Milton Toubkin Scholarship, offered for the IB Diploma Programme and the IB Career-related Programme at entry to Grade 11. It covers up to 100 per cent of tuition fees and up to 50 per cent of capital development fees for the two-year programme, while families still pay the refundable deposit, PTA fees, residential costs and IB exam fees.

Candidates must be new to the school, have suitable immigration status, live at home with a family member within a reasonable commute and be available for interview. The criteria include above-average academic achievement, extra-curricular interests, sympathy with the IB curriculum, fit with the learner profile and a high standard of academic English.

Shortlisted candidates have an online interview with the Scholarship Committee, with one session for the family and a longer one for the candidate. An online English test may be sent by email. The page mentions no means-tested bursaries.

Fees and what they include

Southbank publishes one tuition schedule per term for the whole school, with a separate band for Grades 6 to 10 (Middle Years) and for Grades 11 and 12 (Diploma); the figures sit in the dedicated fee fields of this guide. Tuition is stated to be held at its published level under a fee freeze, and payment is termly with no debit or credit card option.

New joiners also meet one-off costs: the non-refundable application fee, a refundable deposit included in the first term invoice, a capital development fee, an annual PTA fee and a calculator for new Middle Years and Diploma pupils in Grades 9 to 12.

Almost all London trips and most extra-curricular activities are included. Optional residential trips, IB exam fees for Diploma pupils and some specialist activities may cost extra. A Westminster bus runs as either a door-to-door service or a shuttle to other campuses, with eligibility depending on address and catchment area.

Entry at 16+ to the Diploma and Career-related Programme

Sixth-form entry at Westminster is into Grade 11, onto the IB Diploma or the IB Career-related Programme, with the age placement chart showing which pupils fall into that grade. The school publishes no GCSE grade thresholds or entrance papers; admission is based on previous school performance, reports and good references, and on how well the applicant suits the programme.

Middle Years Programme certificates are not a prerequisite for the Diploma and do not guarantee a place. Non-native English speakers complete the online EAL test, and the scholarship candidates described above face an additional interview. Pupils who join after the start of Grade 9 can have earlier transcripts assessed for credit towards the Southbank High School Diploma.

Where pupils join from

Westminster pupils join from a wide range of schools and national systems, which is why the age placement chart compares Southbank grades with the UK, USA, India, France, Japan and Korea. Families from systems not listed are asked to contact the Admissions Team.

The school's own Early Childhood and Primary Years Programmes, for ages 2 to 11, are taught at the Kensington and Hampstead campuses, and the Middle Years Programme runs across the Westminster campuses. The pages read name no feeder or partner schools and describe no formal route from the primary campuses, so a child coming up from them applies in the same way as any other.

How to prepare

Because the decision rests on the school file, preparation centres on gathering two years of reports and arranging the reference from the current school early, since the committee will not review an application until every reference and the fee have arrived. Checking the age placement chart first confirms which grade to apply for.

The student essay or drawing is a piece of the child's own work, so a calm, honest piece that reflects their interests fits the IB Learner Profile attributes the school looks for. Non-native English speakers can practise reading and writing in English before the online EAL test link arrives.

Scholarship candidates at 16+ can prepare for a family session and a candidate session, ready to talk about their academic interests, activities and reasons for choosing the IB.

Related guides

• Best private schools in the UK and London by A level results
• Independent school fees compared
• Westminster School (13+)
• Queen's College, London (11+)
• Wetherby Senior School (11+)
• The ISEB Common Pre-Test explained
• 13+ Common Entrance explained
• The 11+ entrance exam explained
• 11+ and 13+ scholarship exams explained
• What is a bursary? Private school bursaries explained

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