Cokethorpe School

Admissions Procedures

The primary admission age for entry into the Senior School is Lower First (age 11+). We also have an intake of pupils in Third Form (age 13+) and Lower Sixth (age 16). For the Junior School we admit children into our Reception class (age 4) and then also into Year 3 (age 7) and Year 4 (age 8). Vacancies do occasionally occur in each year group and we are therefore able to consider family entry to the School.

Visit

We encourage parents to visit the School, with their child or children. Those making an appointment to visit will be given a tour of the School, meet the Registrar, the Head of Junior School (if applicable), and the Headmaster. Meetings with other members of staff, for example the Director of Studies, Director of Music, Director of Sport or a Housemistress or Housemaster, may also be arranged.

Appointments can be made by contacting the Admissions Secretary on 01993 703921 (extension 1) or by email.

Visits to an Open Day are also warmly encouraged either before or after a personal visit.  Click here for more information.

Register

Parents are asked to complete a Registration Form and return it to the Admissions Secretary with the (non-refundable) registration fee of £75. Children who are registered will be invited to join the relevant assessment process.

Click here to see a list of key admissions dates.

Click here to see a list of scholarship dates for all years (Lower First, Third Form and Lower Sixth).

Assessment for Entry to the Junior School

Entry into Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 (ages 4, 5 and 6)
There is no formal assessment for entry to the Reception, Year 1 or Year 2 Classes although parents are encouraged to make a personal visit to the School, bringing their children to meet the Registrar and the Headmaster. The children will then be invited to spend either the day or half day in School. Reports are also requested from your child’s current school or nursery. Early registration is recommended as places are limited. Click here for more information on Open Days and Taster Days.

Entry into Year 3 to Year 6 (ages 7, 8, 9 and 10)
For Years 3 to 6 candidates are invited to an Assessment Day in the January before entry, during which they will complete an assessment appropriate to their age and reports are requested from their current schools. Individual arrangements for assessment can also be made through the academic year.

Assessment for Entry to the Senior School

Entry into Lower First (age 11+)
This is the principal point of entry and all candidates (those in Year 6 of our Junior School and those applying from other schools) follow the same assessment procedure. Click here for Key Admissions Dates.

Candidates are all interviewed in the two weeks prior to spending an Assessment and Activities Day at the School. The morning is spent on formal assessment tests and then, in the afternoon, candidates spend time enjoying their chosen activity sessions.

Our class sizes are limited to 18 in the Senior School and the number of enquiries exceeds the number of places available. These small class sizes can only be maintained by limiting the number of places offered. Academic ability is a significant selection criterion but we also take into account the candidates’ interview, current school report and other non-academic skills and interests.

Selected candidates are considered for a variety of scholarships and are invited to the Scholarship Assessment Day on the Tuesday after the Assessment and Activities Day. Scholarships awarded at age 11 are held for two years in the first instance, and award holders can then complete the Third Form Scholarship Assessment process in Upper First. Click here for more information.

Entry into Third Form (age 13)
An additional number of places (up to 18) are offered in Third Form, principally for those who leave preparatory schools after Upper First, but some spaces are reserved for those applying from other secondary schools.

Candidates from preparatory schools that take the Common Entrance examinations in their final year should take a pre-test in the November of their year in Lower First. On the basis of their performance in this, provisional places for entry into Third Form are offered, conditional on a satisfactory performance at Common Entrance. Click here for Key Admissions Dates.

The main Third Form Scholarship Assessments are held, both for those already in Upper First and those joining from other schools in the March before entry. Click here for more information.

Entry into Lower Sixth (age 16)
A number of students join the Sixth Form from other schools. Places are offered on the basis of interviews with the Headmaster and other senior members of staff and are conditional on satisfactory GCSE results. Click here for Key Admissions Dates.

Sixth Form Scholarship Assessments can be arranged on an individual basis or external candidates can join the internal (Fifth Form) candidates for the Scholarship Assessment Weeks in the January before entry.  Click here for more information.