Derby High School 11 Plus (11+)/Year 7 Exam and Admissions Information

Introduction

Derby High School is an independent co-educational school for pupils aged 3 to 18. It has Christian roots but welcomes pupils of all faiths and those with no faith, fostering an inclusive community in which respect and kindness flourish.

The school consistently achieves superb results in public examinations, enabling pupils to secure places at prestigious universities. A recent ISI report commends the rapid progress that pupils make at Derby High School, a testament to the high standard of teaching that allows pupils to reach their full academic potential.

Pupils have a plethora of extra-curricular activities to choose from, encouraging them to develop their existing talents and try new challenges. In the Senior School, available activities include mindfulness, cricket, debating and retro gaming. Various trips are also arranged, from a day trip to an art gallery to skiing in Austria.

Pastoral care is a priority at Derby High School. Small class sizes mean staff get to know pupils as individuals, so they quickly identify any pupils who are experiencing difficulties and can offer support. Additionally, the friendly atmosphere at the school helps make pupils feel safe and secure.   

For information on the admissions process for entry into Year 7, please continue reading.

Admissions Process for 11 Plus Entry to Derby High School

The best way to start the admissions process is to visit Derby High School on the Open Morning in October or to arrange a personal tour. It is also possible for your child to attend a Taster Day. You can fill out the online enquiry form for more information.

The next step is to complete the registration form and pay the non-refundable £120 registration fee by the December deadline, when your child is in Year 6. To register, please first contact the friendly admissions team using the email or telephone number provided in the school details.

In January of Year 6, your child will sit an online Quest assessment that covers maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. They will also complete a creative writing paper, be interviewed and have a reference from their current school reviewed.

Offer letters will be sent out approximately one week later. If your child receives an offer and you decide to accept it, you must do so by the acceptance deadline in early March. You will be required to fill out an acceptance form and pay a £750 deposit, which will be refunded when your child completes their education at Derby High School, minus any money owed. 

The purpose of the admissions process is to identify candidates who would be able to cope with Derby High’s challenging curriculum and make the most of all the extra-curricular opportunities.

Derby High School: Scholarships and Assisted Places for Year 7 Entry

Scholarships 

Derby High School offers the following scholarships for Year 7 entry:

• Academic
• Music
• Sport
• Drama
• Art & Design

Academic scholarships are awarded based on performance in the entrance exam, while other scholarships must be applied for and are awarded after additional assessments have been completed.

The scholarships do not have any monetary value, but they do offer numerous benefits through the Minerva Scholarship programme, which is designed to challenge scholars to broaden their horizons.

Assisted Places

It is possible to apply for an Assisted Place at Derby High School. The Assisted Place scheme can offer a reduction in fees of up to 50% for children who would thrive at the school but whose families cannot afford the full fees.

Only a limited number of Assisted Places are available. You will need to indicate on the registration form if you wish to apply for one. If you do, your financial circumstances will be thoroughly assessed.

The sections are adaptive, which means that questions will get harder or easier depending on whether your child is producing correct answers. To ensure fairness, the difficulty level your child reaches is taken into account.

Do not worry if your child is one of the younger candidates because scores are age-standardised.

The entrance exam also includes an English creative writing paper. Your child will need to closely follow the given task to demonstrate that they can produce an engaging piece of writing. They will be expected to structure their work appropriately, use language for effect and use a wide vocabulary. Additionally, the standard of their spelling, punctuation and grammar will be assessed.   

The interview is a chance for Derby High School to get to know your child better and determine whether they will engage fully with school life, making the most of all that is on offer. Your child is likely to be asked about their hobbies and the school subjects they enjoy the most. 

The thought of a competitive entrance exam and an interview can be daunting, but there is plenty you can do to help your child feel fully prepared. Also, Derby High School includes fun activities on the day, helping your child to relax and enjoy themselves. 

Tips to Help Your Child Prepare for the Derby High School Year 7 Entrance Exam 

Here are some of our top tips to help your child through the preparation process, enabling them to approach the entrance exam and interview with confidence:

• Schedule study sessions appropriately by starting them well in advance of the assessment day, picking times that your child isn’t tired and keeping them short (generally, 10-11-year-olds can maintain full concentration for around 20-30 minutes at a time). Ensure your child has plenty of breaks and engaging activities scheduled so they can rest and recharge.
• Pick out the key facts your child needs to learn and encourage them to write them in a notebook or on flashcards. Condensing the information in this way will make revision feel more manageable and less overwhelming.
• Encourage your child to read widely, as this is a fantastic way to widen their vocabulary and improve their reading comprehension skills, as well as enhance their spelling, punctuation and grammar. Regular reading will be useful for the verbal reasoning questions and the creative writing paper. Additionally, you can ask them questions about what they are reading, which will promote deeper thinking and help them become accustomed to expressing their thoughts (vital for the interview). 
• Test your child’s arithmetic skills and times tables when you are in the car together or walking to the shops. Make it more fun by seeing how many questions they can get correct in a row and then challenge them to beat their own record.
• Use puzzles and games, such as Tangram puzzles and jigsaws, to improve your child’s non-verbal reasoning skills. Your child can develop their abilities while having fun.
• Build confidence in creative writing by giving your child short pieces to write based on simple prompts, which could be a picture, an interesting object or even a sentence to start them off. Encourage them to plan their ideas, use clear descriptions and choose interesting vocabulary. Afterwards, chat about what worked well and one small thing they could try next time. We have resources that can help with this, too.
• Use practice tests so that your child knows what to expect in Derby High School’s 11+ online Quest assessment. Our online Quest practice tests will familiarise your child with the question types, format and timings of the exam, removing any fear of the unknown. They can use the tests to identify any weak areas that require additional attention and learn from any mistakes they make. By the time they sit the online exam, they should feel calm and confident. 

Please look at the section below for the resources we recommend that will help your child excel in Derby High’s Year 7 entry tests.

Derby High School: 11 Plus (11+)/Year 7 Entrance Exam Resources

Derby High School 11+ Online Practice Tests

Our Derby High School 11+ Online Entrance Assessment Practice Tests are available on our other website, Pretest Plus, and provide realistic and highly accurate preparation for the actual exam. Each full mock test replicates the modules, timings and question types used in the real assessment, ensuring your child becomes familiar with the format and expectations. Covering Maths, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning, these tests are all pitched at the same difficulty level, allowing you to benchmark your child’s progress, track improvement and identify key areas for further practice.

11+ Derby High School Practice Test 1

11+ Derby High School Practice Test 2

11+ Derby High School Practice Test 3

11+ Derby High School Practice Test 4

✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended resources for the Derby High School 11+ Online Test at a large discount. These are available on our other site, Pretest Plus. Click the button below to learn more:

11+ Derby High School Practice Tests Bundle - Save 20%

Derby High School 11+ Skill Practice

The following Skill Practice exercises focus on one module that will come up in the Derby High School 11+ Online Test, allowing you to target the specific exam sections that your child finds challenging.

11+ Derby High School Mathematics

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 for admission to Derby High School.

The information provided about Derby High School was believed to be correct at the time of publishing. However, please be aware that 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 is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publishers of the Quest online assessments or any other test publisher.