13 plus

(Year 8) Common Entrance exams to other schools

Most pupils in Years 7 & 8 work towards 13+ Common Entrance (or Scholarship) examinations at the end of Year 8. The Common Entrance examinations are set by the Independent Schools Examinations Board (www.iseb.co.uk) and the papers are sent to the candidate’s first choice of school for marking by them. All Y8 Hampton Court House pupils sit papers in English, Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, History, Geography, French, Mandarin, and Latin. Some pupils also sit take Greek. The syllabuses for these examinations can be downloaded here. The Year 8 form tutor, supported by the Registrar and Examinations Officers, is the teacher responsible for co-ordinating the 13+ common entrance and scholarship examinations to other schools. Hampton Court House pupils have gained places via Common Entrance and/or Scholarship to country’s most prestigious schools, including Eton College, Westminster School, Marlborough College, Winchester College, Wellington College, Stowe School, Bryanston School and Millfield School.

Frequently asked question:

I want my child to stay in the same school until GCSE?

Answer:

The vast majority of our pupils do stay with us all the way through to GCSE. They cannot however bypass the 11+ and 13+ exams. That said, it is fair to say that our students pass through these stages ‘without stress’ – as they cannot ‘fail’ the exams, as any difficulties would have been picked up by the school long before the exams (which are held ‘in-house’).