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Introduction
The Perse School is an independent day school for boys and girls aged 3-18. It comprises the Pelican School (ages 3-7), the Prep School (ages 7-11), the Upper School (ages 11-16) and the Sixth Form (ages 16-18). It was founded in 1615 by Dr Stephen Perse, who wanted gifted boys to find a way out of poverty through the power of education.
Academically, The Perse School is superb. In 2024, an impressive 88% of GCSE grades were in the 9-7 range, and 82% of A Level grades were A* or A. Leavers went on to study at world-leading universities, including 19 at Cambridge and 18 at Oxford.
A wide range of extra-curricular activities are on offer at The Perse. Pupils are encouraged to get involved so that they develop into well-rounded, confident young people. Available pursuits include chess, yoga, baking and ceramics. Additionally, the outdoor education department organises a number of exciting trips.
Pastoral care at The Perse School is excellent. The pastoral team is there for any pupil who needs support and guidance. Tutors are also on hand to listen to any concerns pupils have. Should a student prefer, they can seek support from one of the school counsellors.
If you are considering applying for a place in Year 7 for your child, please read on.
The Perse School: Contact Details and Year 7 (11+) Entry Admissions Process
School Details for The Perse School
Address: Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 8QF (Upper School)
County: Cambridgeshire
Admissions info: admissions@perse.co.uk or +44 (0) 1223 403800
School type: Independent co-educational school for pupils aged 3-18
Open events: Summer and autumn term
Registration deadline: Beginning of December of Year 6
Assessment date: January of Year 6
Entrance assessments: English, maths and verbal reasoning papers, group activity and interview
Admissions Process for 11 Plus Entry to The Perse School
A great way to start the admissions process is by visiting The Perse, which will let you get a feel for the place and see if it is a good fit for your child. You will be taken on a tour by a pupil, listen to a talk given by the head, meet staff members and chat with the admissions team. Open events are held in the summer and autumn terms.
You must then complete the online registration form by the deadline at the start of December of Year 6 and submit a copy of your child’s latest school report. Additionally, a £240 non-refundable registration fee has to be paid at this stage.
In January of Year 6, your child will attend The Perse School for the following:
- To sit assessments in English, maths and verbal reasoning
- To participate in a group activity
- To be interviewed by a Perse teacher, who will ask about their hobbies and passions
In early February, The Perse School will let you know whether your child has been allocated a place. If your child is offered a place, you are required to accept or decline it by early March. If you accept it, you must pay the £840 non-refundable acceptance fee.
The Perse School: Scholarships and Bursaries for Year 7 Entry
Scholarships
The Perse School does not offer any scholarships for Year 7 entry. However, music scholarships are offered at the end of Year 7 once the music department has had the opportunity to assess pupils’ musical abilities and enthusiasm. Invitations to audition for a music scholarship are then offered to the most exceptional students. Scholarships carry a one-off monetary value of £500 and are not means-tested.
Bursaries
Several bursaries are available for pupils joining The Perse in Year 7. They are worth 5-100% of the school’s fees and are means-tested. If you cannot afford the fees but your child excels throughout the admissions process and would make the most of all The Perse has to offer, you could be offered a bursary. Please indicate on your registration form if you need financial assistance.
We will now cover what your child can expect in the entrance exam for Year 7 entry to The Perse.
The Perse School: Entrance Exam for Year 7 Entry
Your child will sit three assessments, all lasting 40 minutes each.
English: The English paper could have images for your child to look at or a passage, or several short passages, to read. There will then be two tasks for your child to choose from. (They might have the option to continue a story, matching the style and tone of a given passage.) Their response must demonstrate that they have understood the images or passage/s and have strong writing skills. The Perse will be looking for the following:
- A variety of punctuation that has been used accurately
- A wide vocabulary that has been used appropriately
- A strong structure which uses paragraphs correctly
- A range of sentence structures
- Excellent spelling
- Creativity
- Effective literary techniques
- A response that fits with the given images or passage(s)
Maths: The maths paper will assess your child’s mathematical reasoning, problem-solving skills and knowledge of the topics covered by the National Curriculum:
- Number and place value
- Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division
- Fractions, decimals and percentages
- Measurement
- Properties of shapes
- Position and direction
- Statistics
For more details, please click here.
Please be aware that the maths paper might explain a mathematical concept that is unfamiliar to your child and then ask questions to assess your child’s understanding of it.
Verbal reasoning: The verbal reasoning paper will assess your child’s ability to solve problems using written information. A wide vocabulary is essential for this paper.
Group activity and interview: The Perse School wants to offer places in Year 7 to candidates who can access the challenging curriculum and are keen to take part in the extra-curricular life at the school. The group activity and interview will enable staff to get to know your child better and see if they will embrace the opportunities available at The Perse.
Our Top Tips for Preparing for the Year 7 Entry Procedure to The Perse School
We recommend the following when you are helping your child to prepare for the assessment day at The Perse School:
- Encourage your child to read.
Reading a diverse range of books will help expand your child’s vocabulary, spark their imagination and improve their writing skills. This will prove beneficial for the English and verbal reasoning papers.
- Ensure your child develops their interests and discovers things they are passionate about.
Doing activities they enjoy is good for your child’s mental health. It will also give them plenty to talk about at the interview.
- Revise work covered in school.
Please help your child revise the KS2 topics they have covered at school. It is crucial they have the necessary knowledge to write well when sitting the English paper and answer questions in the maths paper. Consider a tutor, who will be in a great position to know precisely what your child needs to revise.
- Ensure your child eats a balanced diet, gets enough sleep and exercises regularly.
A balanced diet, sufficient sleep and regular exercise will optimise your child’s cognitive abilities, reduce stress and promote good mental health.
- Celebrate your child’s successes.
Praise your child for their efforts and successes, no matter how small. A positive approach will help keep them motivated. Also, they should be encouraged to have a positive mindset, believing that skills can be improved with time and effort.
- Use targeted resources and practice tests.
Using targeted resources and practice tests is an effective way to prepare for a competitive entrance exam. Our resources and practice tests have all been produced after careful research, meaning they can form a valuable part of your child’s preparation. Practice tests are particularly useful for getting your child used to answering questions under time constraints.
Please look at the resources we recommend below.
The Perse School: 11 Plus (11+)/Year 7 Entrance Exam Practice Materials
English
We highly recommend the following packs to prepare successfully for The Perse School 11+ English paper. They will help improve your child’s comprehension skills, such as inference, and writing skills, including spelling, vocabulary and punctuation:
Comprehension
11+ Complete Comprehension Guide
Writing
✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended 11+ resources for The Perse School English exam at a large discount. Click the button below to learn more:
11+ English Bundle - Save 30%
If you’d like to have your child’s writing assessed and marked, you may be interested in our Writing Marking Service. Please click here to learn more.
Mathematics
We highly recommend the use of the following packs to help develop your child’s arithmetic and problem-solving skills within the examination context of The Perse School 11+ maths test:
Full Practice Tests
Skill Specific Practice
11+ Fractions, Decimals & Percentages
11+ Reflection, Rotation & Symmetry
✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended 11+ resources for The Perse School mathematics exam at a large discount. Click the button below to learn more:
11+ Mathematics Bundle - Save 30%
Verbal Reasoning
To prepare your child for the Verbal Reasoning paper, we strongly recommend the use of the following packs:
Verbal Reasoning: Skill specific practice
The following topic specific packs will help your child prepare for the various question types that could come up in The Perse School 11+ Verbal Reasoning exam:
Masterclasses
11+ Verbal Reasoning Masterclass
✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended 11+ resources for The Perse School Verbal Reasoning exam at a large discount. Click the button below to learn more:
11+ Verbal Reasoning Bundle - Save 30%
Don’t forget to use the code eppdiscount at checkout to get 10% off orders over £70 and 20% off orders over £250 if you don’t buy a bundle.
Please do contact us if you have any questions about our resources. We will do our best to help you. We want to take this opportunity to wish your child all the best in their entrance exam and at senior school.
The information provided about The Perse School was believed to be correct at the time of publishing. However, please be aware there may be future changes. We advise you to contact the school directly if you need clarification on anything. School contact details are provided within the post.
Please note that Exam Papers Plus is an independent publisher of practice tests and not affiliated with or endorsed by the publishers of The Perse School entrance exam or any other test publisher.
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Author(s)
Louise Lang
Director of Learning
