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Admissions Journey

“We are delighted that you are considering St James as an educational pathway for your child.”

Rebecca Tocknell | Registrar
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In this section, you will find all the information regarding our admissions process and the requirements for all entry points.


Our Year 7 & Year 9 Admissions Process – 2027 Entry

Year 7 entry is co-educational. Year 9 entry is boys only for September 2027.

  • Attend an Open Event or book an individual tour.
  • Complete the online registration form to apply for your place. (Deadline: Friday 13 November 2026).
  • Assessment Day (Saturday 28 November 2026).
  • Offers (early December) and acceptances (Friday 5 March 2027).

September 2027: Join St James!


Registrations for 2026 entry are now closed. If you would like to discuss a late application, please contact our Registrar. 

1 Open Events

Families are encouraged to visit the school before making an application.

Meeting our pupils and staff is the best way to get a feel for the school. You will see the community which makes our school so unique, and such a popular choice for parents who want their children to be their best and love learning.

Open Events and individual tours are held throughout the year. See the school in action, with an address from the Head and pupil-led tours. Prospective pupils and parents of all entry points are welcome to attend.

We look forward to welcoming you to St James. 

Book your visit here.

2 Registration

Registrations for 2026 entry are now closed. If you would like to discuss a late application, please contact our Registrar.

Year 7 and Year 9 Applicants Deadline: Friday 13 November 2026.

Year 12 Applicants Deadline: Friday 27 November 2026.


To register your child for a place at St James, you will need to:

    • Complete our online registration form.
    • Pay a non-refundable fee of £150 per child registered.
  • Upload the required documentation, including passport and most recent school report.
Register Here

3 Examination Process

10+ and 11+ (Entry for Year 7) & 13+ (Entry Year 9)

The online assessments are from Quest. These are standardised tests in Mathematics, English, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning.  

We would recommend that all students look at the familiarisation materials provided by Quest: https://www.questassessments.com/cobranded-independent-schools/st-james-senior-boys-school.

The assessment will test knowledge and skills highlighted in the National Curriculum. Students will develop these skills as part of their school education, so they will not need any special tuition or intensive practice.


Interview 

An interview will take place on the same day as the assessment examinations.

Your child will meet with the Head or a senior member of staff. The late sit Assessment Day will be held in January 2027. 


School Reference

Please note that we will contact your child’s most recent school to request a confidential report.

4 Offer

Offers sent: Early December.

Acceptance Deadline: Friday 5 March 2027.

5 Acceptance Deposit

Once a place is offered, an acceptance deposit payment must be paid to secure the place.

There is a standard deposit of £2,000, or a full term’s fee for non-UK residents, which will be refunded when your child leaves the school.

Please see our Terms and Conditions for further information.

Entry Requirements

10+ Pre-Test For Year 7 Entry

10+ Pre-Tests are available for boys looking to make an application in Year 5. 

The assessment takes place Friday 7 May and registration closes Friday 19 March. 

Year 7 (11+) Entry

Sixty places are available in Year 7 and selection is via the 11+ entrance exam and interview.

Students from St James Preparatory School are encouraged to join St James Senior School, Ashford, Surrey and even though they go through the same admissions process, we aim to make this transition as smooth as possible.

Year 9 (13+) Entry

Twenty places are available and selection is via the 13+ entrance exam and interview. 

If you are considering a Year 9 place, you also have the option to secure this through the 11+ route. Your child would sit the entry assessments in Year 6, and, if successful, the place would then be deferred for two years.

If you are interested in this option, please contact our Registrar for further information.

Year 12 (16+) Entry

The minimum requirement is six GCSEs at grade 6. 

It is necessary to have attained a grade 6 at GCSE in the subjects (or equivalent) which a student wishes to study at A Level; more information is available in our Sixth Form curriculum publication.

Please note applicants are required to register using the online registration form.

Additionally, international students should hold an IELTS qualification.

Early application is strongly advised, as places are limited. To discuss a late application, please contact our Registrar.

Other Year Groups

Occasional places may be available for in-year entry to Year 7, 8 and 9. Applications to Year 10 are accepted only in very exceptional circumstances. Entry at Year 11 is not available.

To discuss a late application, please contact our Registrar.

International Applicants

We invite applications from overseas and our international pupils are warmly welcomed to St James. We would ideally like you to visit St James for yourself to see all that is on offer but understand that this is not always possible. Therefore, we can facilitate the admission process online.

Our schools are a Sponsor for UK Visa and Immigration and are licensed to support a Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies (CAS) for Child Student Visas.

Please contact our Registrar for further information on availability and procedures.

If you require any further information or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

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