St. Edmund's School Canterbury 11+ Admissions Guide: Entry and Fees

Entry to St. Edmund's School Canterbury at 11+ runs through registration, a visit, the school's own entrance exams in Maths, English and non-verbal reasoning (or Common Entrance results where already sat), an interview with the Head, and a reference from the child's current school. Year 7 is one of two main entry points into the Senior School's Foundation years, alongside Year 9, and a place follows once the school has weighed the assessment, the interview and the current school's report together.

The school does not publish a single fixed test day for Year 7 entry. Families register and are assessed on a rolling basis once a visit has taken place, and registration alone does not guarantee a place until the assessment stage is complete.

How entry works at 11+

St Edmund's admits pupils at several points, with Year 7 the main entry age for 11+ candidates. The Senior School groups Years 7 and 8 together as the Foundation years, treating Year 7 and Year 9 as its two principal entry points, alongside Year 10 places where space allows. Pupils can also join earlier, through the Junior School from Pre-Reception, or later into the Sixth Form at 16+. Because there is no single fixed intake round for Year 7, families can register and be assessed at any point across the year, with no one closing date.

How the 11+ assessment works

Entry into Year 7 is decided through an interview with the Head, the child's own school reports and, where needed, the school's own entrance papers. Where a candidate has already sat Common Entrance at their current school, those results are used; where they have not, St Edmund's sets its own exams in Maths, English and non-verbal reasoning. Parents supply the two most recent school reports, and the Head separately requests a reference covering academic progress and character from the child's current school. The school weighs the interview, papers and reports together, without ranking candidates on a single score.

Registration and the admissions process, step by step

Admission follows a set sequence, though the school does not publish exact dates for each stage.

• Visit the school and meet the Head, arranged through the Admissions team
• Complete the online registration form and pay the non-refundable registration fee
• Attend the entrance exams, where Common Entrance has not already been sat, and the interview with the Head
• Provide two recent school reports; the school separately requests a reference from the current school
• Receive a formal offer, Parent Contract and joining instructions from the Head
• Accept the place and pay the deposit to confirm

Scholarships, bursaries and fee discounts

St. Edmund's School Canterbury awards Year 7 scholarships in Academic, Art, Drama, Music and Sport, each assessed through its own examination, audition or trial alongside a reference from the child's current school. Awards go to the strongest performers in these assessments and are offset against tuition fees, not paid as cash sums; where a scholarship still leaves fees difficult to meet, the school can add a means-tested bursary on top. Separate means-tested bursaries also exist for existing families facing hardship and for a limited number of new applicants.

Additional concessions apply for children of clergy, children of former pupils, and siblings attending together. Boarding fees for Armed Forces families are structured around the MOD Continuity of Education Allowance, reducing the direct parental contribution.

What the fees cover

Fees for Year 7 entry are set separately for day and boarding pupils, and rise again once pupils move into later years. They are published on the school's own fees page for the current academic year and cover most books, all meals for boarders and lunch for day pupils; the school aims to keep additional charges to a minimum, though parents should expect some extra costs for trips, music tuition and similar. A separate deposit is payable once a place is accepted, set against fees or refunded if the pupil does not join.

How to prepare for the assessment

Preparation for St Edmund's own Year 7 papers is best focused on solid, age-appropriate Maths and English, without relying on exam-specific tricks, since the scholarship guidance itself notes that entrance papers do not require knowledge beyond the normal primary syllabus. Regular practice with non-verbal reasoning puzzles builds familiarity with the question types without needing heavy drilling. Because the Head interviews every candidate, it helps for a child to be able to talk about their interests, reading and current school life in an ordinary way. Keeping the current school's reports up to date matters too, since these form part of the overall picture alongside the exam and interview.

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Preparing for the St. Edmund's School Canterbury 11+ with Taylor Tuition

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