Common Entrance and Scholarship
As a truly independent prep school, we are able to prepare children at All Hallows for entry, aged 13, to a wide range of top senior schools both locally, nationally and internationally. This may be through 13+ Common Entrance, Academic Scholarship or via the senior schools’ own entrance assessments.
As our children move into the top part of the school they are taught by specialists who have a passion for their subject, engendering interest and enthusiasm as they go. The curriculum is centred on preparing the children for the 13+ Common Entrance examinations and academic scholarship. Additional scholarship study sessions are open to all who are able to perform at this higher level. Do please visit the individual subject pages to find out more.
Academic success is not our only measure, around two thirds of our Year 8 pupils gain some sort of scholarship to their destination school. In addition to recognition of academic excellence, these scholarships include sport, music, performing arts, product design/CDT, art and all-round awards. Our outstanding scholarship results are echoed by the level of our pupils’ performance at 13+ Common Entrance and all pupils gain entry to their first-choice senior school.
Whilst our pupils experience outstanding success at the transfer stage, this is not achieved at the expense of our children’s happiness, well-being and enjoyment of learning. We are not and will never be an academic hothouse. Although these exams are an important milestone in the children’s development and a process through which they can further develop their intellectual character and gain valuable skills and experience, we also believe that education is a journey and focus on preparing the children to thrive, whatever comes next. We must remember that many of the outcomes of a great education cannot be measured.
In keeping with our belief that every child is an individual, preparation for assessments at the transfer stage is highly personalised and tailored to each pupil’s needs. This bespoke process not only takes account of each child’s intellectual profile, but also their self-efficacy, confidence and passions.
Listen to Victoria Stocking talking about Common Entrance and Scholarship on our school podcast: