Entry at 11+ 11+ Applications The following files are available for download 11+ Information Booklet Entry 2020 11+ Registration Form Entry 2020 Sample 11+ Maths Paper (i) Sample 11+ Maths Paper (ii) Sample 11+ English Paper (i) Sample 11+ English Paper (ii) Important Dates for 11+ Entry September 2020 1 December 2019 Closing date for registrations for entry September 2020 Friday 13 December 2019 Closing date for Letters of recommendation for Music Scholarships Saturday 18 January 2020 11+ Entrance exam Monday 20 & Tuesday 21 January 2020 11+ Music Scholarship Auditions Saturday 1 February 2020 11+ interview day Thursday 20 February 2020 Offers posted February 2020 (date TBC) Open Morning for 11+ Offer Holders Thursday 5 March 2020 10.00 am Closing date for acceptance of places Entry Requirements Entry at 11+ into Year 7 is on the basis of performance in an entrance exam and at interview. The purpose of our entrance processes is not to make Bancroft’s more academically selective, but to help us make offers to children we feel will benefit most from the education we offer. We receive many more applications than we have places. Some candidates may be placed on a waiting list following the examination and interview and may be offered places if vacancies arise. Entrance Exam All children sit two papers, in Mathematics and English (comprehension and writing). Sample papers are available to download from the links above. We do not have a separate scholarship paper. Candidates who do well in the written examination are invited for interview. ENGLISH All children take two separate English tests Paper 1: Reading and Understanding (45 Minutes) The children are asked to read two or more passages and answer questions on what they have read. Some questions call for longer answers and there will also be a few multiple choice questions. The answer book indicates the type of answer required. Questions test a variety of skills, including understanding of the vocabulary, sentence structure and inferred meaning. Paper 2: Writing (5 Minutes planning + 15 Minutes writing) Children are given an essay title asking them to take some of the ideas from the extract or poem in the reading booklet and develop them into their own story or description. Marks are earned by writing relevantly and showing originality and accuracy; punctuation, spelling and grammar are all important here. They are also awarded for how well the essay is organised and how interesting it is. MATHEMATICS Candidates sit one paper which is in two sections and lasts 75 minutes. A ruler, pencil and protractor are needed. Section A consists of about thirty questions in increasing order of difficulty. These cover numeracy, problem solving shape and space, and should be broadly accessible to children who are working towards level 5 at Key Stage Two. Some of the later questions may include elements from level 6. Section D contains more difficult, non-standard problems. We try to make these problems original yet accessible to mathematically talented children. Children should not attempt these questions until they have completed as much as they can in Section A. We don’t expect a high score in this section, but do use any Section D marks as additional evidence to identify Scholarship candidates or as supplementary evidence for borderline candidates. Preparation Children who are familiar with the format of the Key Stage Two tests should not need further preparation other than working through the sample papers. Children who are likely to cope comfortably with mathematics at Bancroft’s should only need an experience of solving problems under timed conditions. Excessive coaching can be counter-productive in the longer term. Section D questions are designed to test how children cope with unfamiliar problems, and it is not intended that they should be taught any particular methods to prepare for this. Interviews Children who perform well in the examination are called back for interview; reports from current schools are taken into account. Members of our Senior School staff interview pairs of children. These interviews are primarily academic, and do not need any special preparation. It may be useful if children are able to talk about how they enjoy spending their time, and can describe any particular achievements or interests. We only interview children who have shown the potential to thrive at Bancroft’s in the examination. Applications Please send a non-returnable registration fee of £125 together with your registration form. Please note that if you are only applying for a Means Tested Award, the registration fee is reduced to £20. Cheques should be made payable to Bancroft’s School. A copy of your child’s birth certificate must be sent together with your registration form and fee. Candidates who only apply for scholarships (including Means Tested Awards) will not be considered for fee-paying places, even if their performance in the examination is good enough to have earned them a place in the School. If you indicate on the Registration Form your interest for your child to be considered for a Means Tested Awards or Music Scholarship, a Financial Disclosure Form (FDF) and/or Music Scholarship Application Form will be sent to you separately, Offers will be posted on 20 February 2020 for entry September 2020. A £1000 deposit is payable on acceptance of a place; this sum is credited to your final account. Entry at 13+ Please note that we currently do not hold a 13+ examination. Pupils may occasionally be considered for entry at stages other than at 11+ or 16+ if we have spaces available and following a testing process. Please contact Mrs Wallis for further information. Further information and application forms are available from The Admissions Registrar, Mrs Stephanie Wallis: 0208 506 6761 admissions@bancrofts.org A large print version of our 11+ admissions information can be obtained from the contact details above.