Trinity School 11 Plus (11+)/Year 7 (First Year) Exam and Admissions Information

Introduction

Trinity School, a member of the John Whitgift Foundation, is an independent school for pupils aged 10 to 18. Currently, only the Sixth Form is co-educational, with Years 6 to 11 being for boys only. However, in September 2027, girls will be admitted to Years 6 and 7, meaning the school will be fully co-educational in 2031.

Academic standards at Trinity are high. Pupils are challenged intellectually to help them fulfil their academic potential. In Year 7 (First Year), pupils study a wide range of subjects, including two modern foreign languages and Latin. In Year 9 (Third Year), pupils start to focus on specific areas of interest in preparation for their GCSEs.

The co-curricular provision at Trinity is exceptional, and all pupils are encouraged to get involved. Available activities include Lego robotics, water polo, fencing, sailing, chess and cookery, to name but a few. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and Combined Cadet Force are also on offer, as well as a range of trips. 

Student wellbeing is a priority at Trinity, with trained mental health first aiders, nurses, a counsellor and a clinical psychologist all available to offer appropriate support and guidance as and when required. Pupils are known as individuals, so staff are quick to notice anyone who is experiencing difficulties.

If you are interested in your child joining Trinity in Year 7, please read on for details about the admissions process.

Admissions Process for 11 Plus Entry to Trinity School

Visiting Trinity School before applying is highly recommended so that you can view the facilities, meet staff and ask any questions you have. Trinity holds various open events, including weekday tours in the summer term and a Whole School Open Day in October.

If you then feel that Trinity is the right school for your child, you should complete the application form between the opening date in June of Year 5 and the closing date in October of Year 6. You will be required to pay a £200 registration fee; however, this can be waived if your child is in receipt of Pupil Premium or you receive Universal Credit. You must upload a copy of your child’s most recent school report, and Trinity will request a reference from your child’s current headteacher.

Your child will then sit an online Quest assessment and a guided written paper in December. If they perform well in these tests, they will be invited back to Trinity in January for an academic interview.  

In February, you will find out if your child has been offered a place. To accept an offer, you must fill in the acceptance form and pay the £2,000 deposit. Half of this deposit is refunded when your child has completed their education at Trinity. The other half will go into the school’s bursary fund.  

Trinity School: Scholarships and Bursaries for Year 7 Entry

Scholarships 

Trinity School offers the following scholarships for Year 7 (First Year) entry:

• Academic
• Art
• Drama
• Design and Technology (DT)
• Music
• Sport

Scholarships come with a fee reduction. Typically, the fee reduction is no more than 20%, but in rare cases, it can reach 50%.   

There are no application forms for academic scholarships, as they are awarded based on performance in the online Quest assessment, the guided written paper and the academic interview.   

For the other scholarships, you must fill in an application form and submit the required references and evidence. Your child will then participate in a practical assessment, provided they meet the required standard in the entrance assessments, for Trinity to determine whether they will be offered a scholarship. The scholarship assessments will take place in January of Year 6. 

Please note that you can only apply for two scholarships. If your child is offered a scholarship, they will retain it (subject to maintaining high standards) for the duration of their time at Trinity. 

Bursaries 

Trinity School offers both John Whitgift Foundation bursaries and Trinity bursaries, enabling academically gifted children whose parents cannot afford the full fees to attend the school. 

You must indicate on your application form if you intend to apply for a bursary and then submit your bursary application by the November deadline. If your household income is more than £85,000, you are unlikely to be eligible for a bursary.    

Please be aware that only a limited number of bursaries are available. 

Trinity School: Entrance Assessments for Year 7 Entry

The entrance assessments comprise the following: 

• An online Quest assessment.
• A guided written paper.
• An academic interview (for shortlisted candidates only).

Online Quest Assessment  

The online Quest assessment will last for one hour and 10 minutes and will have the following modules:     

• Maths (30 minutes)

This module will cover the topics and requirements outlined in the national curriculum, without going beyond the Year 5 syllabus. The relevant topics are number, measurement, geometry and statistics. Your child will need to apply their knowledge and use their reasoning skills to answer questions. 

Some questions will involve more than one step, but your child will have a pencil and paper to help them work out answers. 

• English (20 minutes)

In this module, your child’s English language proficiency will be tested using a passage that could be fiction or non-fiction. Your child must be able to retrieve information, make inferences, understand word meanings using context and identify literary techniques to do well in this module.

There may also be questions testing your child’s spelling, punctuation and grammar.

• Non-Verbal Reasoning (10 minutes)

Your child’s spatial awareness and problem-solving skills will be assessed using visual information in this module. Questions will cover things such as pattern recognition and mentally manipulating shapes.

• Verbal Reasoning (10 minutes)

Being able to reason and solve problems that use written information is crucial for this module. Questions will cover such things as codes, letter sequences and advanced vocabulary.  

Except for the English module, the assessment is adaptive, meaning the difficulty level of the modules will adjust based on whether your child answers questions correctly. Overall scores are fair because they will take into account the level your child reaches.  

Guided Written Paper (30 minutes)

Your child will be given a range of prompts and will have to give a personal, written response to them. Amongst other things, they will be expected to demonstrate the ability to:      

• Spell accurately.
• Use punctuation correctly.
• Apply correct grammar.
• Use a variety of sentence structures.
• Choose language for effect.
• Organise their writing effectively.

Academic Interview (15-20 minutes) 

Only shortlisted candidates will be invited to Trinity for an academic interview. Your child can expect to be asked about their hobbies and interests. They will also be asked to work through some problems so the interviewer can evaluate how their mind works. 

The purpose of the interview is to identify candidates who will make the most of Trinity’s co-curricular programme and be able to cope with its challenging academic curriculum. 

It is also possible that the interviewer will ask your child about any weak areas Trinity uncovered through the results of your child’s online Quest assessment or guided written paper.

We understand that the thought of a competitive entrance exam and interview can feel overwhelming; however, there are ways to help your child feel fully prepared and ready to excel throughout the process.

How to Help Your Child Prepare for the Trinity School Year 7 Entrance Assessments

We hope that the following recommendations help you and your child throughout the preparation process for Year 7 entry to Trinity School.      

• Encourage a growth mindset.

A growth mindset is knowing that you will get better at something if you practise. If your child understands that their abilities will improve with time and effort, it will help them stay positive and motivated. Teach them that mistakes are part of the learning process and that setbacks are only temporary, building their resilience.

• Embrace the benefits of regular reading.

Regular reading of a variety of texts is crucial for your child’s reading comprehension and the development of their vocabulary. It will also help with their spelling, punctuation and grammar and spark their imagination, which could prove beneficial for the written paper. Reading is a great way to relax, too.

• Find fun ways to learn.

There are plenty of ways to enhance your child’s abilities while having fun. For example, tangrams are fantastic for developing problem-solving, spatial reasoning and mathematical awareness, and Scrabble is ideal for broadening vocabulary. 

• Keep study sessions short.

Keep in mind that research shows most children can focus effectively for 2-3 minutes per year of their age. This means it’s best to keep study sessions to around 20-30 minutes. If you start them well in advance of the entrance assessments, you will not need lengthy sessions.  

• Break revision into manageable chunks.

Turning large sections of information into simple, bite-sized points makes it easier to understand and remember and helps revision feel less overwhelming.

• Support cognitive function and overall wellbeing.

Make sure your child is getting enough sleep, eating well and staying active. A good night’s rest will help them concentrate and remember what they’ve learnt. Regular movement keeps their energy up, and balanced meals give their brain the fuel it needs. When they feel healthy and well-rested, studying becomes much easier.

• Practise the speaking skills needed for the interview.

Give your child plenty of chances to talk about their ideas in a relaxed way. Simple things like discussing their day, explaining how they solved a problem or sharing their thoughts on a book can build their confidence. The more they get used to expressing themselves clearly, the more comfortable they’ll feel in the interview.

• Use practice tests to build confidence and familiarity.

Your child can work through our online Quest practice tests so that they know what to expect in Trinity’s online Quest assessment. They will get used to the style of the questions, the format and working under time pressure. Additionally, they can learn from any mistakes they make using the answers and explanations we provide with the practice tests. By the time the assessment day arrives, they will feel fully prepared.

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

Trinity 11+ Practice Material

Each of the following practice tests is marked automatically. Your child will then be able to review every question in detail with a clear step-by-step explanation. Comparative ranking statistics are also provided so you can get an idea of your child’s relative level compared to their peer group.

11+ Trinity School Practice Test 1

11+ Trinity School Practice Test 2

11+ Trinity School Practice Test 3

11+ Trinity School Practice Test 4

11+ Trinity School Practice Test 5

11+ Trinity School Practice Test 6

11+ Trinity School Practice Test 7

11+ Trinity School Practice Test 8

11+ Trinity School Practice Test 9

11+ Trinity School Practice Test 10

11+ Trinity School Practice Test 11

11+ Trinity School Practice Test 12

11+ Trinity School Practice Test 13

11+ Trinity School Practice Test 14

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11+ Trinity Practice Tests 1-14 Bundle - Save 33%

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Trinity 11+ Skill Practice

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

11+ Trinity School Mathematics

Trinity 11+ English Writing

We highly recommend the following 11+ resources to help your son prepare for the creative writing assessment:

The Complete Guide to 11+ Writing

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11+ English: Writing Prompts

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11+ English: Rewrite & Improve

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11+ English: Spelling Pack 1

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11+ English: Spelling Pack 2

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✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended resources for the Trinity School creative writing exam at a large discount. Click the button below to learn more:

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Trinity 11+ Problem Solving

The following practice tests will help your son effectively prepare for the Maths problem-solving paper:

11+ Mathematics: Problem Solving (Independent Schools) Pack 1

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11+ Mathematics: Problem Solving (Independent Schools) Pack 2

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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 as they go through the Year 7 entrance procedure for admission to Trinity School.

The information provided about Trinity 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.