Key Facts
| School type | Independent day and boarding school for girls, with entry to the senior school at 11 and 13 |
|---|---|
| Location | Effingham, Dorking, Surrey |
| Entry points | 11+, 13+ |
| Assessment | Online ISEB Common Pre-Tests in English, mathematics, non-verbal reasoning and verbal reasoning in the first term of Year 6, then an Experience Day with a creative writing task |
| Test provider | ISEB Common Pre-Test (11+); the school's own mathematics and English papers (12+, 13+ and 14+) |
| Day fees (2026-27) | £9,095 per term (Years 7-8); £9,525 per term (Years 9-11); £7,450 per term (Year 6); plus compulsory lunch charge |
| Boarding fees (2026-27) | Weekly boarding £13,735 per term (Years 7-8) or £14,245 (Years 9-11); full boarding £15,285 (Years 7-8) or £15,795 (Years 9-13) |
| Assessment date | Pre-Tests at the candidate's own school or at St Teresa's on 6 November 2026, to be completed by 20 November 2026; Experience Day 12 November 2026; online interviews 14 November 2026; offers week of 30 November 2026 |
| Scholarships and bursaries | Academic, art, music, performing arts, sport, tennis and equestrian awards at Year 7 and 9; bursaries up to 50% of fees |
| A level average point score per entry (DfE, 2024/25) | 42.10 (average grade B+) |
Figures correct at the time of writing. Confirm current fees and deadlines with the school or university directly. Compare fees at other independent schools.
How do you get into St Teresa's School, Effingham? Girls join the senior school mainly at 11+ in Year 7, after registering through the Applicaa portal and sitting the online ISEB Common Pre-Tests in English, mathematics, non-verbal reasoning and verbal reasoning. Entry at 13+ in Year 9 is the second main route, and places at 12+ and 14+ occasionally become available.
Passing the pre-tests is followed by an Experience Day, an online interview and a reference from the current Head, so the full process runs across the autumn term. The sections below set out each stage, the scholarships and bursaries, and the fee structure as the school publishes them.
| Entry point | Year group | Assessment | Interview | Places |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11+ | Year 7 | Online ISEB Common Pre-Tests in English, mathematics, non-verbal reasoning and verbal reasoning in the first term of Year 6, then an Experience Day with a creative writing task | Online interview for 11+ candidates, plus a meeting with the Headmaster during the visit stage | Not published |
| 13+ | Year 9 | Individual visit to sit entrance exams in mathematics and English; the school's page also refers to a 13+ Pre-Test route beginning for later entry cohorts | No interview stated for the 12+, 13+ and 14+ route | Not published |
Entry points and places
Girls join the senior school at 11+ in Year 7 or at 13+ in Year 9, and the school notes that places at 12+ and 14+ occasionally become available. The number of places at each point is not published on the pages we read.
Siblings of current pupils are, where possible, given entry priority. The school also says that offers depend on satisfactory completion of its exam papers and on a reference from the Head of the candidate's present school.
- 11+ entry: Year 7, via ISEB Common Pre-Tests
- 13+ entry: Year 9, via individual visit and papers in English and mathematics
- 12+ and 14+: occasional places only
How the 11+ assessment works
The 11+ assessment is the ISEB Common Pre-Test, sat online and in multiple-choice form during the first term of Year 6. It has four papers: English for 40 minutes, mathematics for 40 minutes, non-verbal reasoning for 30 minutes and verbal reasoning for 25 minutes.
Most girls take the tests at their current school. Where that is not possible, they can sit them at the school itself on a set date early in the autumn term. A girl sits the tests once per academic year, and the results go to every school she has applied to.
The school states that no special preparation is required for the Common Pre-Tests.
- English: 40 minutes
- Mathematics: 40 minutes
- Non-verbal reasoning: 30 minutes
- Verbal reasoning: 25 minutes
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.
Enquire about this tutor
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.
Enquire about this tutor
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 13+ assessment works
The 13+ route is an individual visit to sit entrance exams in mathematics and English. A typical visit starts with arrival at 9am and finishes at about 12.30pm, with break time spent alongside pupils in the candidate's current year group.
The school's page gives no paper lengths or formats for this route, and no interview is listed. It also states that a 13+ Pre-Test entry begins for a later cohort, so families should confirm with admissions which route applies to their daughter's year.
Registration and the admissions timeline
Registration for 11+ entry closes in the autumn of Year 6, the term before the Pre-Tests, and the school advises that the process normally starts at least a year ahead. Families then follow an ordered sequence.
The school publishes no acceptance deadline on the pages we read, although its fees page confirms that a deposit is paid on acceptance.
- Attend an Open Morning or arrange an individual tour, and meet the Headmaster
- Create a parent account with Applicaa, complete the online registration form and pay the non-refundable registration fee, which covers registration and the entrance exam
- Sit the ISEB Common Pre-Tests at the current school, or at the school itself
- Attend the Experience Day and online interview
- Receive offers shortly after the interviews, with scholarship results offered alongside
- Accept the place and pay the deposit
Interviews and references
Eleven-plus candidates attend an Experience Day, which includes a short creative writing task, activities and lunch, followed by an online interview held on a Saturday in the same week.
The school asks for a reference from the Head of the candidate's present school, and offers depend on it together with the exam outcome. The Headmaster may also consider any attribute suggesting that a girl would benefit from the school's values and community.
Girls of all abilities are welcome at the school, including those with very mild learning difficulties, though the Headmaster may refuse admission where the school cannot meet a girl's special educational needs.
Scholarships and bursaries
Scholarships are available for entry to Year 7 or Year 9 in academic, art, music, performing arts, sport, tennis and equestrian categories. Academic awards need no separate application, because they are based on entrance exam performance.
For every other category, application forms arrive through Applicaa once a girl is registered, and they must be completed by the deadline set in the autumn term. Scholarship assessments for 11+ and 13+ take place late in the autumn term, and tennis assessments are managed by ESTA.
Means-tested bursaries are available at all entry points and can cover up to 50% of fees, applying to tuition only and not to boarding. Families request forms from the Finance Department, which makes the final awards.
- Armed forces families may receive a 10% discount where a parent is serving
- Sibling tuition discounts of 5%, 10% and 15% apply for the second, third and fourth or later child attending at the same time
Fees and what they include
Fees are charged per term, with separate rates for Year 6, Years 7 and 8, and Years 9 to 11, and boarding is offered as weekly, full or flexi. The published figures sit in the key-facts panel and on the fees page.
Tuition includes books, stationery and equipment, and parents are asked for written consent before any extra books or teaching materials are charged. A compulsory lunch charge, public examination fees, educational visits, music tuition and transport are extra.
The deposit is paid on acceptance and is refunded after the final term once all fees are settled. Withdrawal needs a full term's written notice to the Headmaster, or a term's fees are payable in lieu.
Where pupils join from
Most 11+ candidates sit the Pre-Tests at their current school, so they join from a wide range of primary and prep schools. The pages we read do not name feeder or partner schools.
The school has its own Prep School, which shares the Effingham Hill address on its admissions pages, and a note states that the Prep School will be located on the Manor House site with Prep place enquiries going to the Manor House admissions team. How Prep pupils move up to the senior school is not described in the pages.
How to prepare
Preparation is best tied to the four Pre-Test papers, since the school states that no special preparation is required. Familiarity with the online multiple-choice format, the timings of 40, 40, 30 and 25 minutes, and calm practice in English, mathematics and both reasoning types is usually enough.
For the Experience Day, a girl can practise writing a short piece of creative writing to time and talking about her interests for the online interview. At 13+, steady work in school mathematics and English is the main preparation, given that the visit consists of papers in those two subjects.
Related guides
- Best private schools in Surrey
- Independent school fees compared
- Reigate Grammar School (11+)
- Royal Grammar School Guildford (11+)
- Claremont Fan Court School (11+)
- Epsom College (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
- Boarding schools in the UK
Preparing for the St Teresa's School, Effingham 11+ with Taylor Tuition
Preparation for the St Teresa's School, Effingham 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 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
- What is the St Teresa's School, Effingham entrance exam at 11+?
- It is the online ISEB Common Pre-Test, sat in the first term of Year 6. The multiple-choice papers are English (40 minutes), mathematics (40 minutes), non-verbal reasoning (30 minutes) and verbal reasoning (25 minutes). Girls usually sit them at their current school, and an Experience Day and online interview follow.
- How much are the fees at St Teresa's School, Effingham?
- Fees are charged per term, with separate rates by year group and for weekly, full and flexi boarding. Tuition includes books, stationery and equipment, while lunch, exam fees, visits, music tuition and transport are extra. The published figures are on the school's fees page and in the key facts above.
- Are there scholarships and bursaries at St Teresa's Effingham?
- Scholarships are offered for Year 7 and Year 9 entry in academic, art, music, performing arts, sport, tennis and equestrian categories. Academic awards come from the entrance exam with no separate application. Means-tested bursaries are available at all entry points, up to 50% of fees, and apply to tuition only.
- When does a family register for 11+ entry at St Teresa's Effingham?
- Registration for Year 7 closes in the autumn of Year 6, through a parent account on Applicaa with a non-refundable registration fee. The school advises that the process normally starts at least a year ahead, with an Open Morning or tour first.
- Can girls join St Teresa's Effingham at 13+ or later?
- Yes. Girls can join at 13+ in Year 9 by visiting individually to sit entrance exams in mathematics and English, and places at 12+ and 14+ occasionally become available. Offers depend on the papers and a reference from the current school's Head.
- Does St Teresa's Effingham have a sixth form?
- The school's fees page lists boarding rates for Years 9 to 13, and its sixth form page links to a separate Effingham Sixth Form website. The sixth form entry requirements are not set out on the pages we read, so families should check that site or contact admissions.
Enquire about 11+ preparation
Start your enquiryHow Taylor Tuition can help
Expert, one-to-one support from specialist tutors.
Editorial Notice
We use automated research tools to help collate and maintain information across our website. While each post is reviewed before publication, some details may be incomplete or inaccurate.
Free 11+ familiarisation pack
English, Maths, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning, with mark schemes.
Taylor Tuition
Educational Consultancy
Contributing expert insights on education, exam preparation, and effective learning strategies to help students reach their full potential.