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Still Learning. Celebrating 50 years of St James. Find out more.

Admissions Journey

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

Rebecca Tocknell | Registrar

In this section, you will find all the information regarding our Admissions Process and requirements for all entry points.


Our Year 7 & Year 9 Admissions Process – 2025 Entry

  • Attend an Open Event or book an individual tour
  • Complete the online registration form to apply for your place (by Friday 15 November)
  • Assessment Day (Saturday 30 November)
  • Offers (Early December) and acceptances (Friday 7 March)

September: Join St James!


 

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 St James Senior Boys’ 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 Senior Boys’ School.

Book your visit here

Next Open Events

Wednesday 12 March – Open Morning (9.00am – 10.30am)

Thursday 8 May – Open Morning (9.00am – 10.30am)

Thursday 19 June – Open Morning (9.00am – 10.30am)

2 Registration

Deadlines for registration (2025 Entry):

Year 12 Applicants Ongoing


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, ie passport and last school report
Register Here

3 Examination Process

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

The examinations are 11+ and 13+ assessment tests from Quest. These are standardised tests in Mathematics, English, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning.  

We would recommend that all students look at the familarisation materials provided by Quest: https://app.questassessments.com/public/taster/stjames-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 son will meet with the Head or a senior member of staff. 

Late Sit Assessment Day and Interview Day : Thursday 16 January

School Reference

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

4 Offer

Offers sent: Early December 

Acceptance Deadline: Friday 7 March

 

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 (a whole term’s fee for non-UK residents) and is returned when your son 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. These exams are held in May of the preceding year. For September 2026 , applications must be made by Friday 28 March and the exams will take place on Friday 2 May 2025.

We do not offer a Year 6 Pre-Test.

Year 7 (11+) Entry

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

Boys from St James Preparatory School are encouraged to join St James Senior Boys’ School, 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 an interview. 

If your son is currently in Year 7 and you would like him to join St James Senior Boys’ School in Year 9, there is an opportunity for him to sit the 12+ Pre-Test for Year 9 Entry. Please contact the Admissions team for further information.

Year 12 (16+) Entry

Six GCSEs at grade 6 are the minimum requirement.

It is necessary to have attained a 6 grade 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 submit a completed application form with their registration documentation.

International students should, in addition to meeting the above criteria, must hold an IELTS qualification.

Early application is advised as places are limited, please contact Admissions for late entry.

Occasional places for other year groups

Places may be available for In-Year entry in Year 7, 8 and 9 and we only accept applications to Year 10 in very exceptional circumstances. Entry at Year 11 is not available.

Please contact Admissions for late entry.

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 Admissions for further information on availability and procedures.

If you would like any further information or have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch 

Where next?

The Pause

At St James, we feel it is important to introduce our pupils to stillness and allow them to discover how to be inwardly free and deeply at ease within themselves. A short period of 5-10 minutes at the beginning and middle of every day is allocated to quietude in which pupils may meditate, contemplate or simply be still – according to their own spiritual inclinations.

Learn more