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Introduction
The King’s (The Cathedral) School is a co-educational school in Peterborough that provides a state-funded education to all its pupils. It comprises a Junior Department (Years 3-6), Senior School and Sixth Form. Dating back to 1541, King’s School takes pride in its rich history while being a forward-looking establishment that prepares pupils for life as adults in the 21st century.
Faith is at the heart of school life, as King’s is a Church of England Academy. Students start each day with worship; this Christian ethos helps create a supportive environment where your child would thrive.
In 2024, after an Ofsted inspection, King’s School, Peterborough, was rated Outstanding in all the areas inspected. The report highlights the superb behaviour of pupils, the exceptionally high standard of teaching and the vast array of co-curricular activities available to pupils. There is no doubt that King’s is a remarkable school.
The King’s (The Cathedral) School, Peterborough: School Details
Address: Park Road, Peterborough, PE1 2UE
County: Cambridgeshire
Admissions info: admissions@kings.peterborough.sch.uk or 01733 751541
School type: Church of England comprehensive school (partially selective)
Open evening: September
Exam date: October of Year 6
Entrance exam: Verbal reasoning, maths and English combined paper
The King’s (The Cathedral) School, Peterborough: Admissions Criteria and Process for Year 7 Entry
King’s, Peterborough, holds an open evening in September. If you’re considering King’s for your child, attending the open evening in September is a great opportunity to see if it feels like the right fit.
What follows is a simplified version of King’s admissions criteria:
Year 7 Entrance Exam
Twelve places in Year 7 will be awarded to the candidates who perform best in the entrance exam as long as they reach the qualifying score of 100 out of 145. The entrance exam will be held at the beginning of October when your child is in Year 6. You will need to register for the entrance exam, which can be done on the school’s online form, before the deadline. The deadline is a few days before the entrance assessment.
Results are typically posted first class on the same day as the entrance exam.
It is worth waiting to see if your child has a qualifying score before filling out the Common Application Form (CAF).
Music Auditions
Three places will be awarded to candidates based on their musical talents. If you are applying for a place based on your child’s musical ability, they must attend an audition at King’s. Auditions will be held at the beginning of October when your child is in Year 6. You will need to register by the deadline, a few days before the auditions are due to take place. It is an exciting opportunity for your child to shine if they are musically talented.
You should wait to fill out the CAF until after the auditions when you will know if your child has been recommended for a music place.
Other Applicants
Most places (120) will be allocated to applicants in the following order of priority if the school is oversubscribed:
- Looked after or previously looked after children
- Children who worship with their family at a Church of England or Methodist Church
- Children of current staff members
- Children who have a sibling attending the school
- Children who worship with their family at a Christian Church that is not C of E or Methodist
- Children living closest to the school
For all the details concerning the admissions criteria, please see the school’s Admissions Policy.
Common Application Form
You will need to complete your Local Authority’s Common Application Form (CAF). Please tick all the oversubscription criteria relevant to your application on this form. This is important because King’s is consistently oversubscribed.
The CAF must be submitted to your Local Authority by the end of October when your child is in Year 6.
Supplementary Information Form
Please be aware that you will also need to complete a Supplementary Information Form (SIF) if you are applying under the criteria of attending a C of E Church, Methodist Church or other Christian Church.
The relevant SIF must be returned to The King’s (The Cathedral) School no later than the end of October when your child is in Year 6. Your religious leader must complete part of this form, so please allow time for this.
You will find out from your Local Authority if your child has secured a place at the beginning of March when your child is in Year 6.
Please do not worry about this process, as there are plenty of people who will be able to answer any questions you have, including us, your child’s primary school and King’s.
The King’s (The Cathedral) School, Peterborough: 11+ Exam Format
If you hope your child secures a place by excelling in the entrance exam, the following will interest you.
The King’s School, Peterborough, entrance exam lasts 50 minutes and comprises the following sections:
- Verbal reasoning
- Maths
- English
The verbal reasoning section lasts 20 minutes and has 30 multiple-choice questions. Verbal reasoning tests your child’s ability to solve problems using written information.
The maths section lasts 15 minutes and has 14 multiple-choice questions. The questions will cover topics from the KS2 national curriculum. Your child’s arithmetic skills will be put to the test.
The English section lasts 15 minutes and has 14 multiple-choice questions. It consists of a reading comprehension. Your child will be given a passage and must demonstrate that they can read and understand it, extract information from it and make inferences.
The entrance exam might sound daunting, but with the right preparation, your child will be well-equipped to handle it confidently.
Preparing for The King’s (The Cathedral) School, Peterborough 11 Plus (11+)/Year 7 Entrance Exam
Preparing for the competitive entrance exam at King’s for one of the twelve academic places will help give your child the edge over other candidates. It can be hard to know where to start, though, which is where we come in. We have resources that cover everything your child will need to know for the exam. Working through our resources will help your child in the following ways:
- They will know what to expect in the entrance exam, which will help alleviate nerves.
- They will be able to practise answering the types of questions that will come up, meaning they will be able to answer the questions quickly and efficiently on the day.
- They will learn from any mistakes they make and be able to avoid making similar errors in the actual exam.
- They will be able to identify any gaps in their knowledge and plug them before they sit the entrance exam.
- They will grow in confidence as they improve.
We recommend that your child has short study sessions to make the sessions feel manageable. Also, it is scientifically proven that children around the age of ten can only maintain a high level of focus for around 30 minutes at a time, so longer sessions are not ideal. We are sure your child will thank us for this advice!
The King’s (The Cathedral) School, Peterborough: 11 Plus (11+)/Year 7 Entrance Exam Practice Materials
To prepare your child for the Verbal Reasoning paper, we strongly recommend the use of the following packs.
Practice Papers
Video Masterclasses
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 King’s Cathedral 11+ maths test.
Practice Papers
Video Masterclasses
The following 11+ resources provide full preparation for the English section of The King’s Cathedral exam, maximising your child’s language skills.
Practice Papers
Video Masterclasses
Video Masterclasses
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.
Our practice tests aim to show what sort of questions have been included in The King’s School, Peterborough, 11+ past papers. The information provided about The King’s School, Peterborough is 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 article.
Please note that Exam Papers Plus is an independent publisher of practice tests and resources, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by The King’s School, Peterborough.
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Author(s)
Louise Lang
Director of Learning