Key Facts
| School type | Independent day and boarding school, Catholic (Benedictine), co-educational, ages 11 to 18 |
|---|---|
| Location | Turners Hill, West Sussex |
| Entry points | 11+ (Year 7), with further entry at 12+ (Year 8, occasional places), 13+ (Year 9), 14+ (Year 10, occasional places), 15+ (Year 11, one-year IGCSE/Pre-IB course) and 16+ (Year 12) |
| Assessment | CAT4 cognitive ability assessment (or existing CAT4 score), current school reference and reports, interview |
| Test provider | CAT4 (GL Assessment), plus school reference and Worth's own interview |
| Day fees (2026-27) | £8,778 per term, Years 7 and 8 (2026-27, including VAT) |
| Boarding fees (2026-27) | Not offered at 11+ entry: Years 7 and 8 are day-only within Austin House. Full boarding begins in Year 9, at £19,124 per term (2026-27, including VAT) |
| Assessment date | Assessment Day held in November before the September of entry; exact date published on the school's admissions pages |
Figures correct at the time of writing — always confirm current fees and deadlines with the school directly.
Getting into Worth School at 11+ means registering online, then having your child sit the school's CAT4 assessment at a Junior Assessment Day at Worth in the November before entry, alongside a reference and reports from their current school and an interview. There is no separate written entrance exam in English and maths: the core of the process is the CAT4 cognitive ability test, plus what the current school says about the child.
Worth is a Catholic school in the Benedictine tradition on a 500-acre site at Turners Hill in West Sussex, admitting boys and girls together from 11+ through to sixth form. Pupils joining in Year 7 or Year 8 are day pupils within Austin House, the Junior School's own house, with full boarding starting in Year 9.
How entry works at 11+
Worth admits boys and girls into Year 7 at 11+, alongside further entry points at 13+ (Year 9) and 16+ (Year 12), with occasional places at 12+, 14+ and a small one-year IGCSE/Pre-IB intake at 15+. Year 7 and Year 8 pupils form the Junior School, taught within Austin House, a dedicated day house that the school describes as a stepping stone between primary or prep school and the wider senior school.
The school does not publish a fixed number of places or forms of entry for Year 7 on its admissions pages, so families should confirm current availability directly with the Admissions Department.
How the 11+ assessment works
Worth's 11+ assessment centres on CAT4, a cognitive ability test; no bespoke subject papers are set. Registered candidates who do not already hold a CAT4 score are invited to an Assessment Day at Worth in the November before entry; those with an existing, recent CAT4 result can submit that score instead.
Alongside CAT4, the school asks for a reference and current reports from the child's present school, and the published admissions FAQ describes offers as going to candidates who meet the CAT4 threshold together with positive references. An interview forms part of the process. The school states there are no Common Entrance exams for Year 7 or Year 8 entry, and that the Year 9 curriculum dovetails with what is taught in the Junior School.
Registration and admissions steps in order
The process runs in a fixed order: registration, assessment, decision, acceptance.
- Registration: complete the online form, pay the registration fee, and upload the child's and parents' passports, the child's birth certificate and school reports
- Assessment: registered candidates without an existing CAT4 score attend the Junior Assessment Day at Worth in the November before entry; a reference and reports are also requested from the current school
- Decision: the school considers CAT4 results, references and reports and communicates the outcome
- Acceptance: where a place is offered, the family pays an acceptance deposit to secure it, and the child is later invited to an Introduction Day
Visiting before you apply
Families can see Worth in several ways before registering or while waiting for a decision. Open Days and Introduction Days, held in the Autumn term, let prospective 11+ children attend classes, activities and sport alongside other applicants.
- Private visits during the school day, arranged with the Admissions team, for an individual meeting with the Head or other senior staff and the Registrar
- A Shadow Day, usually in the Spring or Summer term before entry, where a child follows a 'buddy' pupil through a normal day
Scholarships and bursaries at Worth
Only Academic scholarships are available at Year 7 entry; awards in Art, Design and Technology, Drama, Music and Sport open up from Year 8 onwards. Academic scholarship candidates are assessed through Worth's own tests and interviews, and the school states these awards do not carry any automatic fee remission, though a fee concession may be granted at the Head Master's discretion in certain cases.
Separately, Worth offers means-tested bursaries of up to 100% of tuition fees, based on a family's financial, compassionate or other relevant circumstances, plus hardship awards for existing families hit by sudden financial change. Applications for both are assessed by the independent company Bursary Administration Ltd, and families start by contacting the Fees Clerk.
Preparing your child for Worth's 11+ assessment
The core test is CAT4, not subject-specific English and maths papers, so preparation is best aimed at the four CAT4 batteries: verbal, non-verbal, quantitative and spatial reasoning, using familiar, timed practice so the format itself is not a surprise on the day.
Current school reports and references carry real weight alongside the test, so keeping up steady, consistent classroom performance in the run-up matters as much as reasoning practice. An interview also forms part of the process, so it is worth talking through with your child what they enjoy about school and any activities they might want to mention, in an ordinary, unpressured way.
Related guides
Preparing for the Worth School 11+ with Taylor Tuition
The Worth 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 in the South and South West and further afield work with us online, 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
- Does Worth School offer boarding at 11+?
- No. Pupils entering in Year 7 or Year 8 are day pupils, taught within Austin House, a dedicated day house for the Junior School. Full boarding, including flexi-boarding, becomes available from Year 9. Families planning to board later can still apply for day entry at 11+ and move to boarding in Year 9.
- What test do children sit for Worth's 11+ entry?
- Registered candidates who do not already have a CAT4 score are invited to an Assessment Day at Worth in the November before entry, where they sit CAT4 cognitive ability tests. Candidates who already have a recent CAT4 result can submit that score instead, together with a reference from their current school.
- Is there an interview for 11+ entry?
- Yes. The school's own published admissions information describes an interview alongside the assessment, together with a reference and recent reports from the candidate's current school, as part of deciding whether to make an offer.
- Are scholarships available at Year 7?
- Only Academic scholarships are offered at Year 7 entry; non-academic awards (Art, Design and Technology, Drama, Music, Sport) start from later entry points. Academic scholarships are assessed through Worth's own tests and interviews and, per the school, do not carry any automatic fee remission.
- How much is the registration fee for Worth School?
- The non-refundable registration fee is payable when the online registration form is submitted, along with copies of passports, birth certificate and school reports.
- Can families get help with fees at Worth?
- Worth offers means-tested bursaries, which can discount tuition fees by up to 100% depending on financial, compassionate or other relevant circumstances, alongside hardship awards for existing families facing sudden financial difficulty. Applications are assessed by the independent company Bursary Administration Ltd.
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