Colston’s School 8 Plus (8+) Entrance Exam Information – Key Details
Table of Contents
Introduction
Basic information: Colston’s School is an independent co-educational day school in Bristol. Established in 1710 as a boys’ boarding school, it features an impressive number of sporting facilities, including six rugby pitches, six floodlit tennis courts, a fully equipped fitness suite, four squash courts and an axe throwing range. [1]
Curriculum: In the Junior division, the syllabus aims to enable children to explore their strengths, offering everything from technology and humanities to languages and music. Staff meticulously and effectively deliver engaging lessons, contributing to the stimulating and vigorous learning atmosphere that pervades Colston’s campus.
Co-curricular: One of the highlights of the enrichment programme is Forest School, through which staff comprehensively cater for pupils’ needs for independence and practical experiences. The outdoor classroom significantly boosts children’s welfare, ensuring that they embrace nature and learn first-hand about its habitat. [2]
Pastoral care: In conjunction with the inspiring academic and non-academic provision, the school offers extensive pastoral care, addressing individual needs through dynamic collaboration with pupils and a favourable staff/student ratio. Permanent communication with parents is at the core of the pastoral programme, which ensures that all elements of school life are tailored to meet the requirements of quality education. [3]
Encouraging personal responsibility, Colston’s instils in pupils a sense of global awareness and a spirit of service. Accordingly, the school aims to produce considerate and confident community leaders, who will use their qualifications to thrive through innovation and active involvement in social processes.
Colston’s Lower School 8 Plus (8+) Exam Information
Address: Park Road, Stapleton, BS16 1BA
County: Bristol
Admissions info: admissions@colstons.org or 0117 965 5297
School type: Independent co-ed day school
Open day: April, September
8+ Exam date: At a mutually convenient date
Open Events for Colston’s Lower School 8 Plus (8+) Entry
To learn first-hand about the benefits of a Colston’s education, you are advised to attend its Working Open Morning, taking place in Autumn and Spring. The event’s programme includes a plethora of activities, such as meetings with members of senior staff and tours of facilities, led by current pupils. You can also book a personal tour. Please click here to learn more.
Colston’s Lower School 8 Plus (8+) Admissions
To register your child for entry, you should complete and submit the appropriate form and pay the £50 fee. Registration forms can be accessed through this page.
The admissions process for Year 4 entry includes a two-day Taster session, during which your child will be formally assessed. Please note that a confidential reference from their current school, addressing their ability, talents and interests, will be obtained.
Colston’s Lower School 8 Plus (8+) Scholarships and Bursaries
Scholarships and bursaries are not available to 8+ applicants.
Colston’s Lower School 8 Plus (8+) Exam Format
The Colston’s Lower School 8 Plus (8+) exam consists of the following assessments:
- English
- Mathematics
The English assessment examines comprehension and writing skills, including spelling, punctuation and grammar, as well as the fluency of your child’s reading, oral and listening skills.
The Maths exam assesses problem-solving abilities and arithmetic skills, including your child’s knowledge of times tables.
Please see below for further details and recommendations on how to prepare for the Colston’s Lower School 8 Plus entrance examination.
How to Prepare for the Colston’s Lower School 8 Plus (8+) Entrance Assessment
To successfully prepare your child for the Colston’s 8+ exam, we recommend that you utilise resources that provide an insight into the types of questions that they could be asked in the actual exam. Our practice papers offer exactly that and much more.
Aside from reflecting the demands of the Colston’s 8+ exam, our practice tests will help you identify any weaker areas that require additional work, and thus enable you to adjust your child’s study schedule accordingly.
The majority of our 8+ resources are accompanied by detailed step-by-step video tutorials for every question. These are available for free with all purchases. It’s like having a word-class tutor explain each question to your child at no extra cost!
Our practice tests are used successfully every year by hundreds of thousands of students targeting schools with a competitive entrance exam. They are age-appropriate, reflecting the demands of the actual exam.
Our recommendations to help your child prepare for the Colston’s School 8 Plus entrance exam can be found below.
Colston’s Lower School 8 Plus (8+) Exam Practice Papers
Recommendations for each section of the Colston’s Lower School 8 Plus exam can be found below:
English
We highly recommend the following packs to prepare successfully for the Colston’s Lower School 8 Plus English assessment. They will help improve your child’s comprehension and writing skills:
Full Practice Tests
Comprehension Skills
8+ English: Vocabulary and Grammar
The Complete Guide to 8+ Comprehension
Writing Skills
The Complete Guide to 8+ Writing
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 Colston’s Lower School 8 Plus maths test:
Full Practice Tests
Targeted Skill Development
8+ Mathematics: Mental Arithmetic
8+ Mathematics: Problem Solving
Listening
The following pack is ideal for developing listening skills ahead of the Colston’s Lower School 8 Plus entrance exam, helping your child learn how to follow instructions carefully:
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Our practice tests aim to show what sort of questions were included in Colston’s Lower School 8+ past papers. The information provided about Colston’s Lower 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 Colston’s School:
Click here to learn about Year 3 entry via the 7 Plus (7+) Exam
Click here to learn about Year 7 entry via the 11 Plus (11+) Exam
