Introduction
St Martin’s Preparatory School in Northwood is an independent school for boys aged 3-13. It was founded in 1922 and started with just two boys! Nowadays, St Martin’s has over 400 boys on roll. If you are considering St Martin’s for your son for Year 3 entry, please read on to learn more about the school and its 7+ admissions process.
In Years 3 and 4 (Juniors) at St Martin’s, your son will spend most of his day with his form teacher, meaning he has someone who will get to know him well and can offer him support and guidance when necessary. You can expect your son to be challenged academically, but not in a way that puts him under pressure.
Outside of the classroom, your son will have plenty of extra-curricular activities to choose from. He can have fun with his friends while developing his talents. Also, he will go on residential trips. In Year 3, the trip is for one night, and in Year 4, it is for two nights. You can be sure your son will have a great time and be well looked after.
We are sure that what you want more than anything from a school is for your son to be happy there. St Martin’s first-class pastoral care will help make this a reality. Your son’s wellbeing will always be a priority, and the school will ensure they communicate with you effectively.
If you are interested in applying for a place in Year 3 for your son, what follows will help you understand the process.
St Martin’s, Northwood: Contact Details and Year 3 (7+) Entry Admissions Process
School Details for St Martin’s, Northwood
Address: 40 Moor Park Road, Northwood, HA6 2DJ
County: Middlesex
Admissions info: admissions@stmartins.org.uk or 01923 825740, option 2
School type: Independent day school for boys
Open events: Throughout the year
Assessment date: November of Year 2
Entrance assessments: English and maths assessments
Admissions Process for 7 Plus Entry to St Martin’s, Northwood
Choosing a school for your son is not an easy choice to make. Visiting St Martin’s is a great idea because it will allow you to get a feel for the place and see if you think your son would thrive there.
You can arrange to have a personal tour or you can attend an Open Morning. You and your son will be able to explore the school, speak to the Head and meet current pupils.
If you and your son decide St Martin’s is a good fit for your family, you will need to fill out the registration form and pay the £100 registration fee by the deadline in October when your son is in Year 2.
The school will then invite your son to attend an assessment day. He will be able to experience school life at St Martin’s and get to know the other boys. Also, he will sit an English assessment and a maths assessment. The school will look at his performance in the assessments, along with a report and reference from his current school, to see if he will be able to access St Martin’s curriculum and keep up with the pupils already there.
You will find out if your son has been offered a place soon after the assessment day. If he is offered a place and you want to accept it, you must fill out the acceptance form and pay the acceptance deposit.
In June of Year 2, your son will spend an afternoon at St Martin’s to meet his Year 3 teacher and classmates.
Please be aware that if more boys satisfy the entry requirements than there are places available, St Martin’s may give priority to the following:
- Boys who have a brother at St Martin’s.
- Boys who show exceptional ability.
- Boys who have a parent working at St Martin’s.
- Boys who would particularly benefit from St Martin’s pastoral care.
If you cannot afford the school’s fees, please consider applying for a bursary.
St Martin’s, Northwood: Scholarships and Bursaries for Year 3 Entry
Scholarships are not available for Year 3 entry. However, if your son starts St Martin’s in Year 3, he can apply for a scholarship if he stays on in Year 7.
Bursaries are available for Year 3 entry. They are means-tested awards that help cover the cost of the school’s fees. If you apply for a bursary, you will have to provide details about your financial situation, including your household income and assets. Only a limited number of bursaries will be available because the school’s bursary budget is not limitless. We suggest you contact the bursar if you have any questions: bursar@stmartins.org.uk or 01923 821006.
You will want your son to be fully prepared for his entrance assessments so he can perform to the best of his ability. The assessments will assess his English and maths knowledge and skills.
St Martin’s, Northwood: English and Maths Assessments
The English assessment is likely to have a comprehension section and a creative writing section.
The comprehension section will have a passage. Your son will need to answer questions that test his understanding of the passage.
The creative writing section will enable the school to examine your son’s writing skills. He may be given the beginning of a story and then have to continue it. He could be given a picture as a prompt.
The maths assessment will test your son’s arithmetic skills. There may also be some questions that involve more than one step to test his mathematical problem-solving skills.
Do not worry if you think your son struggles with English or maths. He can make huge improvements before the assessment day.
Tips To Help Your Child Prepare for St Martin’s Preparatory School 7+ Entrance Assessments
We have several tips that we think are worth considering when helping your son prepare for St Martin’s Year 3 entrance assessments. They are as follows:
- Keep study sessions short so they do not feel like a chore. Also, once your son starts to lose focus, nothing will be gained from carrying on the session.
- Pick a time to study when your son is alert and not hungry so his concentration level will be good.
- Praise your son for his efforts to help him stay motivated and so he associates studying with feeling good about himself.
- Start study sessions months before the entrance assessments so your son does not need to study every day. Having plenty of time will help keep things relaxed.
- Encourage your son to read a lot. Ask him questions about what he is reading to help prepare him for the English comprehension.
- Show your son a picture and discuss a story he could write using it as a prompt. Also, start telling him a story and then ask him for ideas on how to continue it.
- Ensure your son knows that you only want him to do his best, and if he is not offered a place, it is not the end of the world.
You may be wondering about how to find the best resources to help your son prepare for St Martin’s 7+ entrance assessment. This is where we come in.
Preparing for St Martin’s Preparatory School’s 7 Plus (7+)/Year 3 English and Maths Assessments Using Resources
We have a fantastic range of resources to help your son prepare for the entrance assessments. We particularly recommend using our practice tests. These can help your son in a number of ways:
- You can use the answers provided to determine what he finds more challenging. You can then allocate more study time to these areas.
- Your son can use the explanations provided to learn from any mistakes he makes.
- Your son can get used to working under time pressure.
- Your son will be familiar with taking tests, so the actual assessment will not feel so daunting.
- Your son will grow in confidence as he gets quicker and better at answering the questions in the practice tests.
On assessment day, your son can seize it as an opportunity to show how much he has learned and how good his English and maths skills are.
St Martin’s Preparatory School’s 7 Plus (7+)/Year 3 Entrance Test Resources and Practice Tests
English
We highly recommend the following packs to prepare successfully for the St Martin’s 7+ English paper. They will help improve your son’s comprehension skills, such as inference, and writing skills, including spelling, vocabulary and punctuation:
Full Practice Tests
Comprehension Skills
7+ English: Comprehension Pack 1
7+ English: Vocabulary and Grammar
Comprehension Guide
This guide covers all the key comprehension question types in a clear, step-by-step manner so that both you and your child know exactly what to expect on exam day:
The Complete Illustrated Guide to 7+ Comprehension
Writing Skills
Writing Guide
Starting with the basics, this guide works its way through all the key skills your child needs to develop to become an excellent writer within the framework of what’s expected at the 7+ level:
The Complete Illustrated Guide to 7+ Writing
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 St Martin’s 7+ maths test:
Full Practice Tests
Targeted Skill Development
Each of the following skill-practice 7+ mathematics packs focuses on just one specific topic, covering all the possible question variations your child may face on exam day:
7+ Mathematics: Mental Arithmetic
7+ Mathematics: Problem Solving
7+ Mathematics: Addition & Subtraction
7+ Mathematics: Multiplication & Division
7+ Mathematics: Number & Place Value
Mathematics Guide
This guide covers the full 7+ maths syllabus step by step, teaching your child everything they need to know in a fun and interactive manner:
The Complete Illustrated Guide to 7+ 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 son all the best in his entrance assessments.
Our practice tests aim to show what sort of questions were included in St Martin’s Preparatory School, Northwood, 7+ exam past papers. The information provided about St Martin’s School, Northwood, 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 are unsure of anything. School contact details are provided within the post.