Senior Admissions

We invite all candidates to an Assessment Day. This is a chance to gain a feel for the school, meet staff and current pupils and have some fun meeting other candidates during a variety of afternoon activities. In the morning, pupils will sit the ISEB Common Pre-test. After lunch, there will be activities where all candidates will meet each other and begin to form friendships which they will nurture throughout their Senior School education.

Prospective pupils sit assessments in:

• Mathematics;
• English (Comprehension);
• Reasoning (both Verbal Reasoning and Non Verbal Reasoning).

These are all part of the ISEB Common Pre-Test (familiarisation tests are available online), which many independent schools use. If your child is applying to more than one school that requires the ISEB as part of their entrance process, they will only need to sit these assessments once.

Please note: We are aware that some candidates may take this assessment at another school or with their Prep school. Once registered with Abbot’s Hill, a pupil’s score will automatically transfer to us; candidates cannot resit the test.  Pupils sitting the ISEB Pre-Test elsewhere will need to have done so by our Assessment Day (usually mid November each year) and parents will need to share their code with us so we can access their results ahead of being invited to interview.

Candidates who choose to sit the assessments elsewhere are still warmly invited to attend our afternoon activities on the ISEB Assessment Day.

Pupils who perform well in these assessments will then be invited for a friendly interview with one of our Senior Leadership Team members. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to get to know your child beyond academic results alone – we’ll chat about their interests, hobbies, and what they are looking forward to most at senior school. This helps us to build a fuller picture of who each candidate is as a person. Pupils enjoy this opportunity, as it is also a chance for them to ask any questions they might have about the School.

Parents are all also warmly invited to meet individually with the Head and one of the Executive team. Please note that this meeting forms no part of the assessment process but enables parents to gain a greater insight into Abbot’s Hill and ask any questions they may have about the school.

The School will be in touch with your child’s interview date once the assessments are complete.

Applicants sit the ISEB Common Pre-Test, an adaptive online assessment covering English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. Pupils usually take the test at their current school (where possible), or here at Abbot’s Hill in mid November. Please note that parents now register their child for this assessment, and we’ll guide you through each step. Pupils applying to multiple senior schools that use the Common Pre-Test will only need to sit it once. More information about the ISEB can be found here.

Informal interviews are held at school in November on selected dates. These relaxed conversations with a member of our Senior Leadership team help applicants get a feel for Abbot’s Hill, to share their interests and passions, and allow us to understand them as individuals.