St George's School Edgbaston 7+, 11+ and 16+ Admissions: Entrance Exam, Fees and Entry

You get into St George's School Edgbaston at 11+ by sitting the Year 7 entrance exam and supplying a good character reference from your child's current school, whilst places in other year groups follow a vacancy check, a private tour, a taster day and an interview with the Head. Sixth form entry at 16+ depends on GCSE grades, a one-to-one interview and a personal statement.

The school publishes exam dates but not the exam's papers, subjects or length, so the sections below separate what is stated from what the Admissions Team has to confirm. Registration begins with an enquiry form and moves to a registration form with a non-refundable fee.

Entry points and places

St George's admits pupils into its Pre-Prep, Prep and Senior Schools and into the Sixth Form, with a fixed entrance exam only at Year 7 (11+). Every other year group is handled on a rolling basis, so a place depends on whether a vacancy exists when you ask.

The pages read do not publish a number of places or forms of entry at any stage, and they name no catchment area. The Admissions Team, on admissions@sgse.co.uk, is the contact for vacancy checks.

• Prep School year groups, including Year 3 (7+): rolling, taster day and interview with the Head
• Year 7 (11+): Entrance Exam
• Years 8 to 11: rolling, taster day and interview with the Head
• Year 12 (16+): GCSE criteria, interview and personal statement

How the Year 7 (11+) entrance exam works

Year 7 entry is decided through an Entrance Exam sat on set dates in the January before the September start, at 09:30 on either of two published mornings. Places are offered on academic aptitude and a good character reference from the current school.

The school adds that places may not be offered in rank order, because other factors in its Admissions Policy are also considered. The pages do not name a test provider, the subjects, the length or the question types, so those details need to be requested from the Admissions Team when you register.

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Registration and the admissions sequence

Registration follows three published steps, and the order of the later stages depends on the year group. The sequence for Year 7 and for rolling entry is set out below.

Overseas applicants can have interviews and assessments conducted remotely, and the school can help with child student visas for Prep School, Years 8 to 11 and overseas applicants.

• Complete the enquiry form; a member of the Admissions Team then contacts you
• Complete the registration form you are sent and pay the non-refundable registration fee
• Provide a copy of your child's birth certificate, plus passport and visa documents where they apply
• Sit the Entrance Exam (Year 7) or complete the vacancy check, tour, taster day and interview (other years)
• Receive the outcome from the Admissions Panel; after an offer, a deposit secures the place

Interviews, taster days and references

Interviews and references apply to every entry point except the Year 7 exam, which uses a character reference instead of an interview. For Prep School and Years 8 to 11, places are offered after a successful taster day, an interview with the Head, a reference from the current school and possibly cognitive assessment tests.

Sixth form applicants have a one-to-one interview with the Head of Sixth Form and also need a school reference. Private tours run by appointment during the working day, when pupils are in lessons, and include meeting key staff. Open mornings are also held, and dates appear on the admissions page.

Scholarships and bursaries

St George's offers academic, sports and creative scholarships, and means-tested bursaries that can remit up to 20% of fees payable. The scholarships page states that the value of any award is confidential, that awards are reviewed annually, and that continuation depends on behaviour, attainment and attitude to learning.

Sports and creative scholars must also take full part in extra-curricular activities and events. The pages do not say which entry points scholarships cover or how they are assessed.

Bursaries consider financial, compassionate or other relevant circumstances, with academic merit also weighed, and they apply to school fees only. Families should tell the Admissions Team at the earliest opportunity and no later than registration.

Fees and what they include

Fees are published by year group on the school's fees page, shown excluding VAT, and cover tuition and educational resources. The amounts and the academic year they apply to sit in the dedicated fields of this guide.

Lunches are charged separately and are compulsory from Pre-School to Year 11 unless a packed lunch is agreed, usually for medical reasons; sixth formers may opt out. Instrument tuition, trips, some activities, books and stationery, and Prep School after-school care are extra.

A sibling discount of 10% applies to a second and later child where all attend together from Reception, though not to families receiving a bursary. Monthly payment is available through School Fee Plan, and the trustees give a term's notice of fee changes.

16+ sixth form entry

Sixth form entry requires five GCSEs at grades 9 to 4, or an equivalent for students outside the UK system, with at least grade 5 in each subject to be studied at A Level. Maths, Further Maths, Biology, Chemistry and Physics ask for grade 7 in GCSE Mathematics.

Applicants from UK schools also need grades 9 to 4 in Mathematics and English. The personal statement runs to 500 to 700 words and covers academic achievements, co-curricular interests, university and career aspirations, and what the student would add to the school. A one-to-one interview with the Head of Sixth Form and a school reference complete the application.

Where pupils join from

St George's has its own Pre-Prep and Prep Schools on the same site as the Senior School, and a Sixth Form that takes pupils from Year 12. The admissions page describes the Prep School and Senior School as separate application routes.

It does not say whether Prep pupils move up automatically or sit the Year 7 exam, and it names no feeder or partner schools, so families already in the Prep School should ask the Admissions Team how transfer works.

How to prepare

Preparation for Year 7 centres on the published exam, so a sensible first step is to ask the Admissions Team for the papers, subjects and length before settling on a plan. Core English and maths from the primary curriculum are the likeliest areas to practise, though the school has not confirmed this.

A good character reference comes from the current school, so keeping it informed of your application helps. For rolling entry, a taster day and a Head's interview reward a child who has visited, met staff on a private tour and can talk about their interests. Sixth form applicants can draft the personal statement early, using the four topics the school lists.

Related guides

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• The ISEB Common Pre-Test explained
• 13+ Common Entrance explained
• The 11+ entrance exam explained
• The 7+ entrance exam explained
• 11+ and 13+ scholarship exams explained
• What is a bursary? Private school bursaries explained

Preparing for the St George's School Edgbaston 11+ with Taylor Tuition

Preparation for the St George's School Edgbaston 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 in Birmingham 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.

Read more about our 11+ entrance exam tutors, or send an enquiry and we will come back with tutor recommendations.