Streatham & Clapham High School 11+, 13+ and 16+ Admissions: ISEB Test, Fees and Bursaries

Admission to Streatham & Clapham High School at 11+ runs through registration on the Applicaa portal, the ISEB online adaptive test, a group observation activity and a 25-minute creative writing task, with the Head making offers on the combined picture. Year 7 is the principal entry point into the Senior School; the Prep School admits at Nursery, Reception and Year 3 (7+), and the Sixth Form admits at Year 12 (16+).

Year 9 (13+) places exist only as occasional chance places, and there is no catchment area or residency priority policy on the admissions pages. The sections below set out each stage, the documents needed, scholarships and bursaries, and the published fee structure.

Entry points and places

The school admits girls at Nursery (3+), Reception (4+), Year 3 (7+), Year 7 (11+) and Year 12 (16+), and Year 7 is the principal point of entry into the Senior School. The number of Year 7 places is not published on the admissions pages.

Year 9 (13+) is not a formal entry point; a very small number of chance places may arise depending on availability. Other year groups have occasional vacancies with an informal waiting list, and entry into Year 11 is rare. Bursaries and scholarships cannot be awarded for chance places.

• Year 3 (7+): written Maths and English plus a team-building activity
• Year 7 (11+): ISEB online adaptive test, group observation and creative writing
• Year 9 (13+): chance places only, with English, Mathematics and Science assessments and an interview with the Head
• Year 12 (16+): critical thinking general paper and interview

How the 11+ assessment works

The 11+ assessment has three components: the ISEB online adaptive test, a group observation activity and a 25-minute creative writing task. All applicants are expected to sit the ISEB test, which covers Mathematics, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning.

Candidates may take the ISEB test at their current school, at another school that offers it, or at the school itself on a Saturday session. The group observation is an interactive activity built around a theme, and the creative writing task follows on the same day in mid-November.

The Head makes the offer after weighing the entrance test, the group assessment, the creative writing, the end-of-Year 5 school report and the confidential reference.

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Registration and the admissions timeline

Registration for 11+ entry closes in the autumn of Year 6, and the process then moves through the same sequence each admissions round. The steps below follow the order set out on the Senior admissions page.

• Register through the Applicaa portal, reached from the Apply link on the admissions page
• Pay the non-refundable registration fee, which is published on the fees page
• Sit the ISEB online adaptive test, then attend the group observation and creative writing task
• The school requests the confidential reference from the current Head in early November
• The Head sends offers in early February, based on all the evidence gathered
• Accept by the noon deadline in early March; a refundable deposit is payable on acceptance

Interviews and references

There is no formal interview at 11+, because the group observation is described by the school as giving a richer insight than a formal interview. Interviews do appear elsewhere: the Head interviews Year 9 chance-place candidates, and the Director of Sixth Form interviews every 16+ applicant.

The reference at 11+ is a confidential one from the Head of the child's present school, which the school requests in early November. Applicants also supply a copy of the end-of-Year 5 report and, where applicable, valid proof of residency.

Scholarships and bursaries

Every 11+ applicant is considered automatically for an Academic Scholarship, with no separate application. Specialist scholarships in Art, Design Technology Engineering and Innovation, Drama, Music and Sport need a separate application by the scholarship deadline, with assessments held between November and January of Year 6. The scholarships page does not state their value.

Each specialist route has its own requirements: Art asks for sketchbooks and an assessment, DTEI a design portfolio and practical assessment, Drama a workshop and a monologue for shortlisted candidates, and Sport references and a personal statement. Music scholars are expected to reach Grade 8 on one instrument by Year 13.

Bursaries are means-tested and available only at Year 7 and Year 12 entry, covering between 30% and 100% of fees. The GDST assesses applications centrally on family income and capital, bursary applications do not affect admissions outcomes, and a bursary can only be applied for once the full registration form is complete. Pupils with awards of 95% or more also receive extra grants towards items such as lunches, uniform and a laptop.

Fees and what they include

Fees are charged per term and published by year group on the school's fees page, with Years 7 to 11 and the Sixth Form on the same termly school fee and a separate termly lunch fee for Years 7 to 11 only. The page states that fees are reviewed annually and does not name the academic year they cover.

Tuition, non-residential curriculum trips, textbooks and scientific materials are included. Public exam fees, extra-curricular activities and related services are extra, with exam fees appearing on the summer term invoice; bursary holders with awards of 50% or more have exam fees covered, and smaller awards receive a pro-rata reduction.

Senior applicants pay a non-refundable registration fee, with a higher rate for overseas applicants. The standard deposit is paid on acceptance and refunded at the end of the final term, less any sums owed, while international families pay a deposit equal to a full term's fees.

Where pupils join from

Most 11+ applicants come from Streatham & Clapham Prep School, the school's own Prep, and from local maintained and independent preparatory schools. Prep Year 6 families need no general Senior School application form, are assessed automatically for the Academic Scholarship, and must still apply for specialist scholarships through Firefly.

The Prep School itself admits at Nursery, Reception and Year 3 (7+) on a separate site. Year 3 candidates attend an assessment morning with written Maths and English, covering reading comprehension and writing, plus a team-building activity, and no interview is mentioned.

Sixth form entry at 16+

Year 12 is the sole point of entry into the Sixth Form, and applicants need at least seven GCSEs at grades 6 to 9 including Maths and English, with a minimum of grade 7 in each subject they intend to study at A-Level. New subjects such as Psychology and Economics can carry other requirements, and Economics needs grade 6 in GCSE Maths.

All applicants sit a critical thinking general paper and have a formal interview with the Director of Sixth Form, where course options are discussed. Places are awarded on one or more criteria: GCSE grades, a satisfactory reference, a satisfactory interview and a successful entrance exam.

Current Year 11 pupils need no application form, registration fee or deposit. Academic scholarship applicants indicate interest on the registration form, complete a separate form with a personal statement and also sit a subject-specific paper.

How to prepare

Preparation for the 11+ is most useful when it matches the three components: the ISEB online adaptive test, the group observation and the 25-minute creative writing task. Because the ISEB test is adaptive and covers Mathematics, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning, regular practice in all four areas on a screen helps a child feel at home with the format.

For the creative writing, practising timed pieces of about 25 minutes builds the habit of planning, writing and checking within the limit. The group observation is an interactive activity on a theme, so ordinary experience of listening, contributing and taking turns in a small group is the most direct preparation, and no formal interview needs rehearsing.

Families applying for scholarships or bursaries can use the autumn to gather documents: sketchbooks, portfolios, performance evidence or financial paperwork, depending on the route.

Related guides

• Best private schools in the UK and London by A level results
• Independent school fees compared
• 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 Streatham & Clapham High School 11+ with Taylor Tuition

The Streatham & Clapham High School 11+ rewards steady preparation over a year or so, with the last term given to timed practice and interview confidence. Having prepared pupils for entry to leading independent and grammar schools, with placements including Westminster, St Paul's, Wycombe Abbey and Eton, our tutors match the programme to the school's assessment format and to where the child is starting from.

Because the pool includes former heads of department, exam-board examiners and teachers from independent and boarding schools, and more than half of our tutors hold Qualified Teacher Status, families get a tutor who understands what the assessors are looking for. 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.

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