Each year Westminster School offers Lower School (Years 9 to 11) places to boys at 13+ entry and Upper School (Years 12 and 13) places to boys and girls at 16+ entry, while Westminster Under School admits boys at the 7+, 8+ and 11+ entry points. Information regarding 7+, 8+ and 11+ entry can be found on the Under School’s website.
The pages in this section of the website provide details specifically relating to 13+ and 16+ entry to Westminster School, outlining the application process, registration timelines, eligibility criteria, fees and opportunities for assistance with fees (Scholarships and Bursaries), to ensure that prospective pupils and their parents have everything needed to be able to apply for a place at the School. To support the application process, we have a dedicated and experienced admissions team, who are available to answer any questions applicants may have and who make applying to the School easy and undaunting. Find out when your child is able to apply to join the School and view the registration timeline using the personalised registration age checker below.
7+, 8+ and 11+ Entry
Information regarding 7+, 8+ and 11+ entry can be found on the Under School’s website. It is important to note that those applying for 11+ entry to Westminster Under School cannot, at the same time, apply for 13+ entry to Westminster School. Boys accepted into the Under School will automatically be considered for Westminster School once they reach Year 8.
13+ Entry
Westminster School has an intake of about 125 to 130 boys who enter the Fifth Form (Year 9) each year. While just under half of the boys come from Westminster Under School, the remainder come from a wide range of other schools, and take up both boarding and day places with us. For details of feeder schools that sent boys to Westminster in , please refer to the 13+ Feeder Schools page.
It is important to note that those applying for 11+ entry to Westminster Under School cannot, at the same time, apply for 13+ entry to Westminster School.
Registration
The first step in the 13+ entry process is for a parent to register their son when he is in Year 5 (the academic year of his tenth birthday) online; registration for the relevant year of entry will open on 1 October of Year 5 and will close on 30 September of Year 6. To find out when you are able to apply for your son to join the School at 13+ entry and to view the registration timeline, please use the personalised registration age checker.
As part of the application process and as outlined in School Fees, parents are asked to pay a registration fee, followed by an entrance fee and an acceptance deposit if their child is offered a place. Any parent who is applying for a bursary to Westminster for their child, and feels unable to pay one or more of these fees, may also qualify for a waiver when being considered for a bursary. For assistance, please contact the Bursar’s Department.
School Visit
To get a sense of what being a pupil at Westminster School is like, parents are encouraged to bring their son to visit the School when he is in Year 5. Every year there are three 13+ Open Days and there are also regular tours of the School each term in groups of no more than five families. For more information about our Open Days and to arrange a 13+ visit, please enquire online.
Pre-Interview Tests
Interview
In mid-December of Year 6, the School contacts the parents of those candidates who have performed well in the ISEB Common Pre-Tests, to invite their son for an interview. The interview stage comprises further tests in Mathematics and English (40 minutes each) in early January, followed by a separate interview scheduled in January / February.
Offer of A Place
After the interviews and further tests, the School carefully considers all the information gathered before deciding whether to offer an unconditional place. The decision to offer a boy an unconditional place means that it is believed he will be able comfortably to achieve the standard required for entry to the School when he is 13, while also enjoying a broad and varied education.
An unconditional offer is made on the expectation of continued good conduct and academic progress at his existing prep school, including an unreserved reference of support from his school in March of Year 8. The School’s intention at this point in the process is to ensure that Westminster is the right fit for a boy, so that when he starts at the School, in addition to his academic work he can take full advantage of all the extra-curricular activities that make school life richer and as rewarding as possible.
16+ Entry
Westminster School has an intake of about 200 boys and girls who enter the Sixth Form each year. While around 120 of those pupils are boys who are continuing on at the School, the remainder come from a wide range of other schools, and take up both boarding and day places with us.
Registration
The online registration for Sixth Form begins the year before entry. Registration for Sixth Form in September opens on Thursday 1 June and closes on Saturday 30 September ; the bursary application deadline is Saturday 23 September – for further information about bursaries and how to apply, please refer to the Scholarships and Bursaries page. The application process follows a similar pattern every year, with registration dates for the following year’s entry being published in February of the year before, so please check back at the end of February for details for entry and so on.
Before applying to the School, please read all the information below carefully and check our registration age checker to find out when your son or daughter is able to apply to join the School at 16+ entry and to view the registration timeline.
As part of the application process and as outlined in School Fees, parents are asked to pay a registration fee, followed by an entrance fee and an acceptance deposit if their child is offered a place. Any parent who is applying for a bursary to Westminster for their child, and feels unable to pay one or more of these fees, may also qualify for a waiver when being considered for a bursary.
School Visit
To get a sense of what being a pupil at Westminster School is like, parents are encouraged to bring their son to visit the School when he is in Year 5. Every year there are three 13+ Open Days and there are also regular tours of the School each term in groups of no more than five families. For more information about our Open Days and to arrange a 13+ visit, please enquire online.
Pre-Interview Tests
Interview
In mid-December of Year 6, the School contacts the parents of those candidates who have performed well in the ISEB Common Pre-Tests, to invite their son for an interview. The interview stage comprises further tests in Mathematics and English (40 minutes each) in early January, followed by a separate interview scheduled in January / February.
Offer of A Place
After the interviews and further tests, the School carefully considers all the information gathered before deciding whether to offer an unconditional place. The decision to offer a boy an unconditional place means that it is believed he will be able comfortably to achieve the standard required for entry to the School when he is 13, while also enjoying a broad and varied education.
An unconditional offer is made on the expectation of continued good conduct and academic progress at his existing prep school, including an unreserved reference of support from his school in March of Year 8. The School’s intention at this point in the process is to ensure that Westminster is the right fit for a boy, so that when he starts at the School, in addition to his academic work he can take full advantage of all the extra-curricular activities that make school life richer and as rewarding as possible.
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