Introduction
Oundle School is the third largest independent boarding and day school in England. The school is fully co-educational and around three-quarters of its pupils are boarders.
Located in the historic market town of Oundle, on the River Nene in Northamptonshire, the school’s buildings are scattered throughout the town. Some of the boarding houses are in the centre of the town, with large grounds extending to the rear. Others are located on the edge of the town alongside the school’s playing fields and sports facilities.
Oundle School has been governed by a Royal Charter since 1930. However, its history extends back much further, to 1556, when Sir William Laxton bequeathed money for the foundation of a free grammar school in Oundle. Sir William Laxton was the Lord Mayor of London and Master of the Worshipful Company of Grocers and the Company still supports the school today and is responsible for nominating eight of its governors.
Oundle School operates a complex two-strand curriculum, with examined subjects being taught alongside a range of non-examined and voluntary courses. It also has its own unique subjects, including ‘Trivium’, which it describes as “a course based on ‘interestingness’”.
In the First and Second Forms (Years 7 and 8) at Oundle, there is a strong focus on the traditional academic subjects, with a wider range of choices becoming available to pupils from the Third Form (Year 9) onwards. The school has a strong record when it comes to exam results, and 94% of GCSE grades fell into the A*–B bracket in recent years.
Oundle School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Information 2024
Address: Oundle, Peterborough, PE8 4GH
County: Northamptonshire
Admissions info: admissions@oundleschool.org.uk or 01832 277125
School type: Co-ed independent boarding and day school
Open Day date: September, January and May
Exam date: January of Year 6
Exam type / Board: School’s own and CAT4
Oundle School 11 Plus (11+) Open Days
Oundle School holds three Open Days each academic year for prospective pupils and their families, allowing them to explore campus and learn details about the overall provision. To book a place for one of these events or to arrange an individual visit, please follow this link. You can view the school’s exact location on the map below:
Oundle School 11 Plus (11+) Admissions
Each year around 60 places are available for 11+ entry into the First Form (Year 7) at Oundle School. Boarders enter the junior boarding house, called The Berrystead, and day pupils enter Scott House. There are 20 places available in The Berrystead and 40 available in Scott House.
If you are interested in applying for an 11+ place at Oundle School on behalf of your child, you should request a prospectus via the website. The registration form, included in the prospectus pack, should be submitted with a non-refundable fee of £250.
It is recommended that parents who wish to apply for a place at Oundle School for their child register as early as possible, especially as decisions about bursaries are made approximately two years in advance of entry.
The school is academically selective and places are offered based on performance in entrance examinations and interview. The examinations are a combination of online and paper-based tests, assessing a broad range of areas.
Oundle School 11 Plus (11+) Scholarships and Bursaries
Academic and Music Scholarships are available at 11+ entry. Please note that these don’t carry fee remission and are conditional upon success in the entrance examinations.
A limited number of means-tested bursaries are also available. They vary in size: some provide a partial deduction in fees, while others cover full fees, depending on your family’s level of need.
Decisions about bursary assistance are made two years prior to entry and the duration of the award is subject to your child’s continued satisfactory progress.
Oundle School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Format
The Oundle School 11+ entrance exam consists of the following assessments:
- English paper
- Maths paper
- Science paper
- Cognitive Ability Test
The English paper examines both comprehension and writing skills, including inference, spelling, vocabulary and punctuation. Marks will be awarded for good use of imagination, creativity, form, purpose, organisation, cohesion and sentence structure.
The maths exam assesses your child’s problem-solving abilities and arithmetic skills. The paper may include questions on number, measurement, geometry, algebra and statistics.
The Science paper examines skills in the areas of Chemistry, Physics and Biology.
The CAT4 test aims to assess developed abilities via modules testing Verbal, Non-Verbal, Spatial and Quantitative Reasoning.
Please see below for further details and recommendations on how to prepare for the Oundle School 11+ examination.
How to Prepare for the Oundle School 11 Plus (11+) Exam
One of the best ways of preparing for competitive entrance exams is to use practice papers. These help students to familiarise themselves with the format and question types they will encounter in the actual test in an efficient and effective manner. They also provide an excellent opportunity for students to practise working under time pressure.
Our practice papers offer excellent practice and preparation for the Oundle School entrance exam. They cover all the key skills and can be used to identify any weaker areas that require additional work ahead of the exam and to help build confidence.
Our practice tests and papers are thoroughly researched and up to date. Every year, they are used successfully by hundreds of thousands of students targeting schools with a competitive entrance exam. They are designed to be age-appropriate but challenging to reflect the demands of such an exam.
Oundle School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Practice Papers
NOTE: The following English and Mathematics practice tests are in standard format, which means that students need to write in their own answers rather than choose from a list of multiple-choice options. This matches the 11+ Exam format used by the school.
English
To prepare for the Oundle School English paper, we would highly recommend using the following practice papers, which will help to improve comprehension and writing skills, including spelling and vocabulary:
Comprehension
11+ Complete Comprehension Guide
Writing
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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
To prepare for the maths paper, we would highly recommend using the following practice papers:
Full Practice Tests
Skill Specific Practice
11+ Fractions, Decimals & Percentages
11+ Reflection, Rotation & Symmetry
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Science
To develop your child’s skills in Science, we highly recommend the following packs:
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Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT4)
The following Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT) online practice tests are highly recommended for successful preparation for the Oundle School 11+ CAT test. They help familiarise students with the various modules and question types that will come up in the CAT4 Level C, which is taken for Year 7 (11+) entry.
CAT4 – Level C – Practice Test 1
CAT4 – Level C – Practice Test 2
CAT4 – Level C – Practice Test 3
CAT4 – Level C – Practice Test 4
CAT4 – Level C – Practice Test 5
CAT4 – Level C – Practice Test 6
CAT4 – Level C – Practice Test 7
CAT4 – Level C – Practice Test 8
CAT4 – Level C – Practice Test 9
CAT4 – Level C – Practice Test 10
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CAT4 Level C Practice Tests Bundle 1-5 - Save 25%
CAT4 Level C Practice Tests Bundle 6-10 - Save 25%
Non-Verbal Reasoning
CAT4 – Level C – Figure Matrices
CAT4 – Level C – Figure Classification
Verbal Reasoning
CAT4 – Level C – Verbal Classification
CAT4 – Level C – Verbal Analogies
Quantitative Reasoning
CAT4 – Level C – Number Analogies
CAT4 – Level C – Number Series
Spatial Reasoning
CAT4 – Level C – Figure Analysis
CAT4 – Level C – Figure Recognition
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The following video courses cover everything your child needs to know to do well in the Oundle School CAT4 exam:
CAT4 Quantitative Reasoning Course
CAT4 Non-Verbal Reasoning Course
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Interviews
This interview guide covers all the key concepts your child needs to be aware of for the 11+ Interview:
11+ Interviews – The Complete Guide
Our practice tests aim to show what sort of questions were included in Oundle School 11+ past papers. The information provided about Oundle School was believed to be correct at the time of publishing. However, please be aware of future changes. We advise you to contact the school directly if you are unsure of anything. School contact details are provided within the post.
Other entry points for Oundle School:
Click here to learn about Year 9 entry via the 13 Plus (13+) Exam