Key Facts
| School type | Independent day and boarding, co-educational, ages 11 to 18 |
|---|---|
| Location | Leatherhead, Surrey |
| Entry points | 11+ (Year 7, Lower Third), 13+ (Year 9, Fourth Form) and 16+ (Year 12, Sixth Form) |
| Assessment | ISEB Common Pre-Test (English, maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning) plus a St John's Experience Day with group activities, a one-to-one interview and a current-school reference |
| Test provider | ISEB (Independent Schools Examination Board) Common Pre-Test |
| Day fees (2026-2027) | Lower School (Lower Third and Upper Third, including Year 7): £10,180 per term inc VAT. Senior School (Fourth Form to Upper Sixth): £11,570 per term inc VAT |
| Boarding fees (2026-2027) | Weekly boarding £3,690 (autumn term), £3,120 (spring term), £2,835 (summer term) per term, prepaid and in addition to day fees; lower rates apply for 3, 2 or 1 nights per week; ad-hoc boarding £96 per night |
| Registration deadline | 1 November when the child is in Year 6, for both standard registration and scholarship applications; the registration fee is non-refundable |
| Assessment date | ISEB Common Pre-Test taken in October/November of Year 6; St John's Experience Day (assessment day with group activities and interview) held on 4 and 5 January for Lower Third entry; scholarship assessments held in January of Year 6 |
Figures correct at the time of writing — always confirm current fees and deadlines with the school directly.
Getting into St John's School, Leatherhead at 11+ means registering online by the autumn deadline in Year 6, sitting the ISEB Common Pre-Test, then attending a St John's Experience Day that includes group activities and an interview; the school also takes a reference from the child's current school before making offers. There is no single pass mark: the school weighs the pre-test result, the Experience Day and the reference together.
St John's is a co-educational independent school for day and boarding pupils, and 11+ entry (Lower Third, Year 7) is one of three main entry points alongside 13+ (Fourth Form, Year 9) and 16+ (Sixth Form, Year 12). Families wanting a route in via academic or talent scholarship, or in need of financial support through a bursary, apply through the same registration window as standard entry, with separate assessments layered on top.
How entry works at St John's School, Leatherhead
Admission at 11+ runs through Lower Third, Year 7, alongside two later entry points, 13+ into Fourth Form and 16+ into the Sixth Form. Families register online in the autumn of Year 6, and the same registration window covers both standard entry and any scholarship application.
After registration closes, the school contacts the child's current school for a confidential reference, so the admissions decision draws on more than the entrance assessment alone. The school weighs the pre-test result, the Experience Day and the reference together instead of setting a single cut-off score.
How the 11+ assessment works
The entrance assessment is the ISEB Common Pre-Test, an online, adaptive, multiple-choice test covering English, mathematics, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning, usually sat in October or November of Year 6. Most children take it at their current school, though St John's offers a sitting on site and overseas candidates can use an approved British Council testing centre.
Every child who sits the pre-test is then invited to a St John's Experience Day, held in early January, which combines group activities with a one-to-one interview conducted by a member of staff. Children needing access arrangements must have these recommended by an educational psychologist or appropriately qualified specialist teacher, with the report submitted to the school for approval by the registration deadline.
Registration and the admissions process, step by step
The process runs as a fixed sequence from registration through to acceptance, with the same steps applying whether or not a scholarship is also sought.
- Attend an open event or Discover Day to see the school before applying
- Register online and pay the non-refundable registration fee by the autumn deadline in Year 6
- Sit the ISEB Common Pre-Test in the following weeks
- Attend the St John's Experience Day for group activities and an interview
- The school requests a confidential reference from the child's current school
- Offers are made, followed by an offers event with taster lessons
- Families accept by the published acceptance deadline and pay the acceptance and fee deposits
Scholarships and bursaries
St John's offers scholarships at 11+ in Academic, Art, Design and Engineering, Music, Drama, Musical Theatre, Dance and Sport, applied for through the same autumn deadline as standard registration. Every child sitting the ISEB Pre-Test is automatically considered for an Academic Scholarship, while the other categories require a separate submission such as a portfolio, audition, video or practical assessment ahead of assessments held in January.
Scholarships carry a fixed, modest fee remission or are awarded on an honorary basis with no monetary value; a family can hold a maximum of two scholarship awards. Bursaries are assessed separately and independently of the academic admissions process by an external company, and are means-tested with full disclosure of financial circumstances required.
The school also holds funds for foundation bursaries for children of practising Anglican clergy of limited means. Bursary awards are expressed as a percentage reduction of tuition fees, can be combined with a scholarship, and are reviewed annually after the first award; the school also supports applications to other grant-making bodies where further help is needed.
Fees and deposits
Fees are reviewed annually and published on the school's fees page; alongside termly tuition, families pay a registration fee on application, followed by an acceptance deposit and a fee deposit once a place is confirmed. Boarding is charged in addition to day fees and varies by the number of nights per week and by term length.
How to prepare for the ISEB Common Pre-Test and Experience Day
Because the ISEB Common Pre-Test is adaptive and computer-based, familiarity with an on-screen, multiple-choice format across English, maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning is usually more useful than practising one fixed paper repeatedly. Building steady accuracy across all four areas matters more than speed alone, since the test adjusts in difficulty as a child answers.
For the Experience Day, preparation is about comfort with group activities and an unscripted conversation instead of rehearsed answers; children who can talk naturally about their interests and current school tend to find the interview format more manageable. Since the school also takes a reference from the child's current school, consistent classroom performance in the lead-up to registration carries weight alongside the assessment itself.
Related guides
Preparing for the St John's School, Leatherhead 11+ with Taylor Tuition
Families preparing for the St John's School, Leatherhead 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, 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.
Frequently asked questions
- What test do children sit for 11+ entry to St John's School, Leatherhead?
- Children sit the ISEB Common Pre-Test, an online, adaptive, multiple-choice assessment covering English, mathematics, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. It is usually taken in October or November of Year 6, either at the child's current school, at St John's, or at an approved British Council centre for overseas candidates.
- Is there an interview for 11+ entry?
- Yes. Every child who sits the ISEB Pre-Test is invited to a St John's Experience Day, which includes group activities and a one-to-one interview with a member of staff. The school also requests a confidential reference from the child's current school after the registration deadline has passed.
- Do siblings get priority in admissions?
- The school states that priority is given to siblings of children already at St John's, though a place is not automatic and each application is still considered as part of the wider admissions process.
- Can my child apply for a scholarship as well as sit the entrance assessment?
- Yes. All children who sit the ISEB Pre-Test are automatically considered for an Academic Scholarship. Scholarships are also offered for art, design and engineering, music, drama, musical theatre, dance and sport, each with its own assessment, alongside the standard entrance process.
- Are bursaries available for 11+ entry?
- St John's offers means-tested bursaries for families unable to afford full fees, plus foundation bursaries for children of practising Anglican clergy of limited means. Bursary assessment is independent of the academic admissions process and is carried out by an external company, with awards reviewed annually and full disclosure of financial circumstances required.
- How much do scholarships reduce the fees?
- Scholarships at St John's are largely a mark of distinction: many are honorary with no monetary value, and where a fee remission is given it is a fixed, modest sum. A scholarship can be combined with a means-tested bursary for families who need further financial support.
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