Admissions

The central aim of King Edward’s School is to provide an education for able boys, regardless of their background.

In the admissions process we do all that we can to ensure we offer places to the boys who have the greatest potential to benefit from a King Edward’s education.

King Edward’s is a highly academic school, but it is also a thriving community full of individual talents and personalities. Our selection process has been designed to identify boys who are not only able to succeed here academically, but who will also contribute to the life of the school.

In addition to the entrance exam, we place much emphasis on school reports and also interview a high proportion of candidates. We want to make sure that the boys who come here will make the most of the opportunities available to them.

To ensure the school is accessible to those candidates that we believe would flourish at King Edward’s, we provide a significant number of means-tested Assisted Places and also scholarships for both academic performance and musical ability. The boys here are individuals and it is the diversity of their backgrounds and interests that enriches our school community.

The normal entry points to the School are at 11+ (Year 7) and 16+ (Sixth Form), although boys are occasionally considered for other year groups should there be availability. The majority of boys enter the School in Year 7 and stay with us for the Sixth Form.

If you have not yet visited the school, we would strongly recommend you come along to one of our Open Events or arrange an individual family visit to get a feel for what life is like at King Edward’s and experience what makes our education so unique. 

“KES allows you to achieve beyond your expectations and make new friends that will stay with you for perhaps your entire life. Everyone encourages you to be the best version of yourself. My teachers make every day at school an adventure!”

Vivek – Year 7
a picture of Vivek

Contact the Admissions Office

For further information on any part of the admissions process or to arrange a visit to the school, please get in touch:

How to apply

The steps below will provide you with the information you need to make an application to the school. 

Please note that KES does not accept applications from international students. Boys applying to the school must hold either a UK passport or the relevant visas to remain in the UK, and must be living locally with their family. 

After submitting the application form, expect a confirmation email and payment receipt; if not received, please email: admissions@kes.org.uk.

Registration for entry at 11+ in 2024 is now closed. 

 

The first step in the application process is to complete the 11+ application form online. 

This form provides us with all the information we need to be able to register your son for the examination and enables you to express an interest in applying for an Assisted Place and/or music scholarship, if applicable. 

A non-refundable registration fee of £50 will be payable at the time of application, unless you provide proof of receipt of Universal Credit, Income Support or Job Seeker’s Allowance (not Tax Credits). A recent passport style photograph will also need to be uploaded.

On receipt of the application form, we encourage you to view our advice sheet about the 11+ examination and sample questions available on our website. We will also request a headteacher’s report from your son’s current school before the examination.

The entrance examination consists of three one-hour papers in English, Mathematics and Verbal Reasoning. The English and Mathematics papers are written and set by the school and we advise that parents do not seek additional tuition for the examination.

Following the examination, a considerable number of boys are invited to attend an interview. These are primarily with candidates for Assisted Places and Scholarships and for boys on the borderline.

Interviews, along with the headteacher’s report, form an essential part of the application process in ensuring that we offer places to boys who will be able to make the most of a King Edward’s education and non-academic achievements and activities carry considerable weight.

All parents are notified by post as to the outcome of their son’s application, whether they have or have not been offered a place, a scholarship, an Assisted Place or if they are on the reserve list. 

To accept a place, a non-refundable deposit is required of £400 from all full fee-paying parents.

If you decide to decline the offer of a place, we ask that you inform us as soon as possible so that we may offer the place to a candidate on the reserve list.

11+ application opens for 2025: Thursday 28 March 2024

11+ application deadline for 2025 entry:  Monday 23 September 2024 at 12 noon

Entrance exam: Saturday 5 October 2024

Interviews by invitation only for academic scholarships, Assisted Places and boys on the borderline: November 2024 TBC

Music scholarship auditions: November 2024 TBC

Results sent by letter to parents: Monday 9 December 2024

Acceptance deadline: Tuesday 4 March 2025

Applications for 11+ entry should be made via our online registration system

Our Sixth Form provides excellent preparation for the demands of university life and adult life, and on average, we have fifteen places available each year. 

All boys in the Sixth Form study the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma rather than A-levels. The IB Diploma embodies a different educational philosophy and boys study six subjects, which must include English, mathematics, a science, a language and a humanities subject, and a common core comprising a course on the Theory of Knowledge, an extended essay and the Creativity, Action and Service Programme. Find out more about the IB Diploma.

 2024 entry  

Registration for entry at 16+ 2024 entry is now open. The deadline for entry is Thursday 1 February 2024. 

As we recognise that decisions about Sixth Form options may change following the receipt of a boy’s GCSE results, applications received after the closing date will still be considered up until the end of August 2024. However, late applicants should be aware that places may no longer be available. To make a late application for 2024 entry contact admissions@kes.org.uk

The first step in the application process is to complete the 16+ application form online. This form provides us with all the information we need to be able to register your son for the examination and enables you to express an interest in applying for an Assisted Place and/or music scholarship, if applicable. 

A non-refundable registration fee of £50 will be payable at the time of application, unless you provide proof of receipt of Universal Credit, Income Support or Job Seeker’s Allowance (not Tax Credits). A recent passport style photograph will also need to be uploaded.

We will also request a headteacher’s report from your son’s current school upon receipt of application.

Entrance into the Sixth Form (16+) consists of interviews, examinations in Higher Level subject options, predicted GCSE results and a headteacher’s report. 

Following the interviews and a satisfactory report from the candidate’s current school, a conditional offer may be made. A final offer will be made on GCSE results day upon confirmation of grades. 

Applications for Sixth Form entry should be made via our online registration system.

Fees

Assisted Places

Scholarships

Entrance Exams

Open Days

Prospectus

FAQs

Apply now

Search our site