Key Facts
| School type | Independent day and boarding, co-educational, 3 to 18 (Pre-Prep and Prep at St Mary's Hall, College and Sixth Form from 11) |
|---|---|
| Location | Clitheroe, Lancashire |
| Entry points | 7+, 11+, 13+, 14+, 16+ |
| Assessment | Online entrance assessments in English, Maths and Cognitive Ability, with two years of school reports, a school reference and a personal information sheet. |
| Test provider | Online entrance assessment in English, Maths and Cognitive Ability; the school does not name a provider on the pages read |
| Day fees (2026/27) | £8,630.25 per term (Years 7 and 8); £10,286.25 per term (Years 9 to 11) |
| Boarding fees (2026/27) | UK full boarding £12,909.45 per term (Years 7 and 8) and £17,547.45 per term (Years 9 to 11); weekly boarding from £11,747.85 per term (Years 7 and 8) |
| Assessment date | Scholarship assessments for 11+, 13+ and 16+: week commencing 16 November 2026; outcomes by 7 December 2026 |
| Scholarships and bursaries | Academic, art, drama, music and sport awards at 11+, 13+ and 16+; means-tested bursaries for award holders |
| A level average point score per entry (DfE, 2024/25) | 42.25 (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.
To get into Stonyhurst College, a child applies online and then completes an entrance process that varies by age: an online assessment in English, Maths and Cognitive Ability at 7+ and 11+, and an online assessment with a handwritten personal statement at 13+ and beyond, with an entrance examination at 16+. Every entry from 7+ also involves school reports, a reference and an interview or taster day, and the school accepts applications at any time of year.
The main intake is at 11+, when pupils move from St Mary's Hall, the school's own Prep School, or join from other schools. The sections below set out each stage in order, the awards available and the fees published for day and boarding places.
| Entry point | Year group | Assessment | Interview | Places |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7+ | Year 3 (Key Stage 2 entry) | Online assessment in English, Maths and Cognitive Ability, with two years of school reports and a school reference. | From Year 5 upwards an interview may be required, with a personal information sheet and a full taster day; boarders complete an overnight trial. | Not published |
| 11+ | Year 7 | Online entrance assessments in English, Maths and Cognitive Ability, with two years of school reports, a school reference and a personal information sheet. | Interview with the Headmaster, and a taster day; UK boarders complete a trial boarding stay. Pupils from St Mary's Hall sit internal assessments for class placement. | Not published |
| 13+ | Lower Grammar | Satisfactory result in the online entrance assessment, school reports, a school reference and a handwritten 500-word personal statement. Some international pupils sit the Cambridge English Placement Test. | Interview required; UK boarders complete an overnight trial. | Not published |
| 14+ | Grammar | Same requirements as 13+: online entrance assessment, school reports, reference and handwritten 500-word personal statement. A 15+ entry (Syntax) follows the same requirements and offers a structured pre-IB programme. | Interview required; UK boarders complete an overnight trial. | Not published |
| 16+ | Year 12 (Sixth Form) | Satisfactory entrance examination, school reports, a school reference and a handwritten 500-word personal statement. | Interview required; UK boarders complete an overnight trial. | Not published |
Entry points and places
Stonyhurst takes pupils at 3+ in the Pre-Prep and at 7+, 11+, 12+, 13+, 14+, 15+ and 16+ for older year groups, and the school says applications are welcome at all stages from age 3 to 18. The College itself serves ages 11 to 18, whilst St Mary's Hall covers ages 3 to 11.
The school does not publish a number of places or forms of entry on the pages we read, so the Admissions Team is the route to ask about availability in a particular year group. Pupils usually start in September, though places may be available at other times of year.
- 7+ (Key Stage 2): online assessment, two years of reports, reference
- 11+ and 12+: online assessments, Headmaster interview, taster day
- 13+ (Lower Grammar), 14+ (Grammar) and 15+ (Syntax): online assessment, interview, handwritten personal statement
- 16+ (Sixth Form): entrance examination, interview, personal statement
How the 11+ assessment works
The 11+ assessment is an online entrance assessment in English, Maths and Cognitive Ability, which applicants from other schools are required to complete. International pupils can sit it remotely under strict invigilation.
The school does not name a test provider, the length of each paper or the question types on the pages read, so those details are best confirmed with the Admissions Team. The assessment sits alongside two years of school reports, a school reference and a personal information sheet, and the school says places are offered where it judges that the child will be able to access the curriculum.
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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 tutorRegistration and the admissions timeline
Registration begins with an enquiry form, followed by an online application and a registration fee, and there is no fixed cut-off because applications are accepted at any time of year.
The sequence runs in this order: enquiry, online application and fee, entry assessments, interview and taster day (with an overnight trial for boarders), staff feedback forms, and then an offer from the Headmaster where appropriate. The pages read do not describe acceptance or deposit steps for admissions, though a one-off deposit is listed on the fees page, so the Admissions Team can confirm the order.
Interviews, taster days and references
At 11+ and 12+ every applicant has an interview with the Headmaster, by video or telephone for international families, and attends a taster day that looks at personal, social and emotional development.
At 7+, an interview may be required from Year 5 upwards, alongside a personal information sheet and a full taster day. At 13+, 14+ and 15+ the interview is paired with a handwritten personal statement of 500 words and a reference from the current school. UK boarders complete a trial boarding stay or overnight trial at the senior entry points.
Scholarships and bursaries
Scholarships are available at 11+, 13+ and 16+ in academic, art and design, drama and musical theatre, music and sport, each worth up to 20 percent fee remission in tiers of Major, Minor and Exhibition. A panel reviews each award and the Head confirms it.
The Xavier and Gonzaga awards use the same structure and are interviewed by the Head, with a presentation on character, aspirations and a particular strength. Bursaries are means-tested through an independent assessment and are open only to children who hold a scholarship or named award; named bursaries range from 10 percent to 100 percent of fees, and general bursary support can add up to 20 percent.
Fees and what they include
Fees are published per term on the school's fees page, split into day, flexi-boarding, weekly boarding and full boarding, with higher rates for full boarders from outside the UK.
Teaching, refreshments and supper for day pupils, accommodation and main meals for boarders, a boarders' laundry service, a personal laptop from Year 7 and personal accident insurance are included. The page is unclear on whether lunch is included or charged separately, so it is worth confirming with the fees office. A one-off deposit and a registration fee also apply, and fees are reviewed each Easter Term for the following September.
Where pupils join from
Pupils join the College from St Mary's Hall, the school's own Pre-Prep and Prep School for ages 3 to 11, or from other schools.
Children from St Mary's Hall normally move up at 11+ and take internal assessments for class placement, whilst applicants from elsewhere sit the online entrance assessment. The pages read name no partner or feeder schools. A day bus service runs Monday to Friday on routes serving Burnley, Preston and Cowling or Gisburn, which matters for families without a boarding place.
Sixth Form entry at 16+
Sixth Form entry at 16+ requires an interview, a satisfactory entrance examination, a handwritten 500-word personal statement, satisfactory school reports and a reference.
Applicants would normally have at least 5 Grade 6 passes at GCSE or equivalent, whilst the Cambridge Technical course asks for Grade 4 passes at GCSE including Maths and English Language, plus three other Grade 4s. Some international pupils may sit the Oxford Placement Test, and UK boarders complete an overnight trial.
How to prepare
Preparation at 11+ centres on the three online components, so short, regular practice in English comprehension and writing, Maths and reasoning-style questions on a screen is usually enough to make the format familiar. Because the school gives no sample papers on the pages read, the Admissions Team is the place to ask what the assessment looks like.
Time is also well spent on the personal parts of the process: a clear personal information sheet, a handwritten 500-word statement at 13+ and above, and conversation practice for the Headmaster interview. Booking an open day or private visit beforehand tends to make the taster day easier.
Related guides
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- AKS Lytham (11+)
- Kirkham Grammar School (11+)
- 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
- Boarding schools in the UK
Preparing for the Stonyhurst College 11+ with Taylor Tuition
Families preparing for the Stonyhurst College 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.
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 Stonyhurst College entrance exam?
- At 7+ and 11+ it is an online assessment in English, Maths and Cognitive Ability. At 13+ and 14+ a satisfactory online assessment is required alongside an interview and personal statement, and at 16+ there is an entrance examination. The pages read do not name a test provider.
- How much are Stonyhurst College fees?
- Fees are published per term for day, flexi, weekly and full boarding by year group, with higher full boarding rates for pupils from outside the UK. A one-off deposit and a registration fee also apply. The published figures are in the fees field above and on the school's fees page.
- Does Stonyhurst offer scholarships and bursaries?
- Yes. Academic, art and design, drama and musical theatre, music and sport scholarships are offered at 11+, 13+ and 16+, worth up to 20 percent fee remission. Means-tested bursaries are available only to children who hold a scholarship or named award.
- When should families register for Stonyhurst?
- Applications are accepted at any time of year with no fixed cut-off, beginning with an enquiry form and an online application with a registration fee. Scholarship applications follow their own annual deadlines, which are on the school's key dates page.
- What are the sixth form entry requirements at Stonyhurst?
- Applicants have an interview, sit an entrance examination and submit a handwritten 500-word personal statement, school reports and a reference. They would normally hold at least 5 Grade 6 passes at GCSE or equivalent. The Cambridge Technical course asks for Grade 4 passes including Maths and English Language.
- Is there a catchment area for Stonyhurst?
- The pages read publish no catchment area. Admission depends on the assessment, reports, reference and interview. For day pupils the school runs a bus service, Monday to Friday, on routes serving Burnley, Preston and Cowling or Gisburn.
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