Key Facts
| School type | Independent day and boarding school, co-educational, ages 0 to 18 |
|---|---|
| Location | Long Eaton, Nottinghamshire (on the Derbyshire-Nottinghamshire border) |
| Entry points | Year 7 (11+) as the main point of senior entry, with further places at Years 8, 9 and 10 and into the Sixth Form at Year 12 |
| Assessment | Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT) and an English assessment, plus an individual interview and a reference from the child's current school |
| Assessment date | January (Year 7 entrance interviews, scholarship assessments and entrance exam) |
Figures correct at the time of writing — always confirm current fees and deadlines with the school directly.
Entry to Trent College at 11+ is decided through a Cognitive Abilities Test and an English assessment, sat alongside an individual interview and a reference from the child's current school, with Year 7 the school's main point of senior entry. Further places open at Years 8, 9 and 10, and again into the Sixth Form at Year 12, so a child who misses the 11+ round is not shut out of the school for good.
The school itself sits on Derby Road in Long Eaton, on the Derbyshire-Nottinghamshire border, and takes boys and girls as a day and boarding school from the early years through to eighteen. For a family weighing up the 11+ route, the practical questions are usually the same: what the assessment actually involves, how the registration process runs in order, and what scholarships or bursaries might be worth applying for alongside the place itself.
How 11+ entry works
Year 7 is the main point of senior entry, assessed through the 11+ round, with the school also holding places open at Years 8, 9 and 10 for pupils moving from other schools, and a further entry point into the Sixth Form at Year 12. The junior school, The Elms, feeds through to Year 7 directly: Year 5 and 6 pupils there sit an online Cognitive Abilities Test and a short writing activity that can also secure a reserved place at Trent for Year 7.
There is no stated catchment area or consortium test for 11+ entry; the school sets and marks its own assessment as part of a single admissions day process.
How the 11+ assessment is structured
The Year 7 entrance assessment consists of a Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT) and an English assessment, both usually taken in January. Candidates also attend an individual interview in the same month, covering their family background, interests and future aspirations, and the school requests a reference from the child's current school as part of the process.
Families applying for a scholarship at the same entry point sit an additional scholarship assessment, also in January, alongside the standard entrance exam and interview.
Registration and the admissions process, step by step
The process runs in a fixed order from initial registration through to acceptance of a place.
- Registration: application made online, followed by a request for a reference from the child's current school
- Discovery Day: a group taster day, usually in late November, giving applicants a feel for lessons and school life
- Interview: an individual conversation with staff, held in January
- Entrance exam: the Cognitive Abilities Test and English assessment, held in January
- Scholarship assessment: for those applying for a scholarship, also held in January
- Offer: typically made within about a week of the assessment
- Acceptance: four to five weeks allowed to return a signed contract and deposit
Scholarships available at 11+
Academic, Music, Drama, Art, Choral and Sport scholarships are all open to Year 7 applicants, and each carries a 10% discount from day fees. Academic scholars are identified from the strongest performers in the standard entrance assessment, so no separate academic test is needed beyond the CAT and English assessment already sat by every candidate.
The other categories are assessed separately: Music scholars typically perform on their instrument and complete sight-reading and aural tests, Drama candidates take part in a group workshop and an individual monologue, Art applicants submit a portfolio for review, Choral scholars are assessed on singing experience or potential, and Sport scholars are judged on their record in hockey, rugby, cricket, tennis, netball or other performance sport.
Bursaries and financial assistance
Financial support is available through a means-tested Assisted Places Scheme, funded partly through the Trent Foundation, a charity set up to widen access to the school. Awards are based on household income, savings, assets and personal financial circumstances; a child's ability is not part of the assessment. This means a bursary application can run alongside a scholarship application, and does not need to replace one.
Families interested in a bursary are advised to apply at the same time as the application for a place at the school, since the assessment of financial need is handled as part of the same admissions cycle.
Preparing for the assessment
Because the Year 7 assessment combines a Cognitive Abilities Test with an English assessment, preparation tends to work best when it covers both a child's reasoning under timed conditions and their writing and comprehension, giving equal attention to each area. The interview also carries weight, so it is worth talking through likely topics, such as family background, interests and what the child is looking forward to, keeping the tone conversational and unscripted.
A calm run-up matters as much as the content: a child who has sat a Discovery Day, met current pupils and knows roughly what the exam day will look like tends to walk into the assessment room with less to worry about than one for whom everything is unfamiliar.
Related guides
Preparing for the Trent College 11+ with Taylor Tuition
The Trent College 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, 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 entrance exam does Trent College use for 11+?
- Year 7 applicants sit a Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT) and an English assessment, both in January, alongside an individual interview covering family background, interests and aspirations. A reference is also requested from the child's current school. The entrance exam is not run by a named consortium; the school administers its own assessment day.
- When do Trent College's Year 7 assessments and interviews happen?
- Applicants are invited to a group Discovery Day, usually in late November, followed by the interview and entrance exam in January. Offers are typically made within about a week of the assessment, and families then have four to five weeks to return a signed contract and deposit.
- What scholarships does Trent College offer at 11+?
- Academic, Music, Drama, Art, Choral and Sport scholarships are all available from Year 7. Academic scholars are identified from strong performance in the entrance assessment; the other categories involve auditions, portfolios or trials specific to each discipline. Scholarships carry a 10% discount from day fees.
- Are bursaries available at Trent College?
- Yes, through a means-tested Assisted Places Scheme, supported by the Trent Foundation, based on household income, savings and personal circumstances; a child's ability plays no part in the assessment. The bursary application runs alongside the application for a place, so it is worth starting both processes together.
- What is included in Trent College's fees?
- Day and boarding fees include examination entry fees, textbooks up to Year 11, travel to school matches and supervision until 5.40pm, so parents see most costs in one termly figure. School lunches are charged separately, as are extras such as music lessons and the school bus service.
- Does a child need to pass an interview as well as the written assessment?
- Yes. Alongside the Cognitive Abilities Test and English assessment, Year 7 applicants have an individual interview in January, and the school also requests a reference from their current school before making an offer.
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