Downe House School 11 Plus (11+) Entrance Exam Information 2024
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Table of Contents
Introduction
Downe House School is a selective independent girls’ day and boarding school in Cold Ash, a village near Newbury, Berkshire. Its impressive alumni list includes Catherine, Princess of Wales, and Annette Worsley-Taylor, the founder of London Fashion Week.
In Year 7, girls study English, French, Latin, mathematics, science, history, geography, art and ceramics, RS, drama, music, IT, PE, design and technology and PSHE.
Compassion, collaboration, resilience, creativity, aspiration and effective communication skills are developed in girls through the many co-curricular activities. They comprise Film Club, drama, choir, horse-riding, astronomy and current affairs, coupled with Art and Crafts Club, Caledonian Society Club, charity activities and the Christian Union.
The school’s objective is to ensure that pupils feel secure and valued, whilst the provision of a sporting, cultural, academic, charitable and adventurous education enables all pupils to maximise their potential.
Downe House School 11 Plus (11+) Information 2024
Address: Cold Ash, Thatcham RG18 9JJ
County: Berkshire
Admissions info: registrar@downehouse.net or 01635 204701
School type: Independent day and boarding school for girls
Number of students: 560 (approx.)
11+ Open day: March, April, June
11+ Exam type / Board: School’s own & ISEB Common Pretest
Open Events for Downe House School 11 Plus (11+) Entry
Downe House School hosts Open Mornings twice each term. To secure a spot, please reach out to the Admissions team or fill in this form.
You can also schedule an individual visit, during which you will meet the Head and be shown around by a member of the staff. The school’s exact location can be viewed on the map below:
Downe House School 11 Plus (11+) Admissions
Downe House School is a family-friendly boarding school characterised by both traditional and forward-thinking values. The Admissions team is ready to listen to every query, answer every question and help you as you navigate the journey of finding the right school for your daughter.
After visiting, the next step is to register your daughter by completing the online registration form and paying the registration fee. Once your daughter is registered, she will receive an invitation to attend Assessment Day which takes place in the Autumn Term. A current-school report will be requested prior to the assessment.
During Assessment Day, your daughter will sit an academic assessment, but also take part in a variety of activities, from drama and design technology to team building workshops. She will also be interviewed by the Head and have a tour of the school, followed by lunch with some of the current girls. This will give her the chance to experience life on campus.
Following Assessment Day, candidates for entry will be asked to complete an online test (at their current school). The deadline for this is in late November of the year preceding entry.
Downe House School 11 Plus (11+) Scholarships and Bursaries
Scholarships are awarded based on girls’ academic ability, as well as their skills in art, sport, music and drama. As a Scholar or Exhibitioner, your daughter will have access to the Scholarship programme which comprises a range of specialist enrichment activities and a mentor to guide and encourage her on her journey, as well as important leadership opportunities.
Bursaries vary in size based on your circumstances. The school offers financial assistance as high as 100% plus an allowance towards school extras. Bursaries also take into account academic entry requirements and your daughter’s capacity to progress academically and benefit the school’s community.
Downe House School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Format
The academic test that takes place on Assessment Day consists of:
- English writing task (essay)
Marks will be awarded for good use of imagination, creativity, form, purpose, organisation, cohesion and sentence structure.
The online test, taken in the next stage of the admissions process, is also known as:
- ISEB Common Pretest
The ISEB Pretest assesses skills in Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning.
Please see below for further details and recommendations on how to prepare for the Downe House School 11+ entrance examinations.
How to Prepare for the Downe House School 11 Plus (11+) Exam
To successfully prepare your daughter for the Downe House School 11+ entrance exam, we suggest that you make use of our targeted resources. Our practice tests enable familiarisation with the types of questions and the format of the actual exam, which will help your daughter gain confidence in the lead up to the big day.
With the use of our practice tests, you will be able to precisely identify your daughter’s strengths and weaknesses, which will guide you in devising a carefully thought-out revision plan that focuses on studying ‘little and often’.
Moreover, our practice tests will help your daughter get used to answering questions quickly and under time pressure.
Our thoroughly researched and up to date resources enable a structured approach towards exam preparation that results in a significant advantage over other candidates. Due to their practicality and effectiveness, our practice tests are used successfully by tens of thousands of students every year.
Please see below our recommended packs to help you prepare your child for the Downe House School 11 plus entrance examinations.
Downe House School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Practice Tests
Recommendations for each section of the Downe House 11+ exam can be found below:
English
The following practice papers are highly recommended for successful preparation for the Downe House School 11+ English paper. They will help improve your child’s writing skills, including spelling and punctuation:
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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.
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
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ISEB Pretest
Downe House School use the online ISEB Pretest for their 11+ entrance exam. We thus recommend the following online practice tests, which are specifically designed to help students familiarise themselves with the test format in all four key subjects:
NEW ISEB Pretest Practice Test 1
NEW ISEB Pretest Practice Test 2
NEW ISEB Pretest Practice Test 3
NEW ISEB Pretest Practice Test 4
NEW ISEB Pretest Practice Test 5
NEW ISEB Pretest Practice Test 6
NEW ISEB Pretest Practice Test 7
NEW ISEB Pretest Practice Test 8
NEW ISEB Pretest Practice Test 9
NEW ISEB Pretest Practice Test 10
NEW ISEB Pretest Practice Test 11
NEW ISEB Pretest Practice Test 12
NEW ISEB Pretest Practice Test 13
NEW ISEB Pretest Practice Test 14
NEW ISEB Pretest Practice Test 15
✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended full practice tests for the Downe House School ISEB Pretest exam at a large discount. These are available on our other site, Pretest Plus. Click the button below to learn more:
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✅ Alternatively, you can choose a bundle of five of our recommended full practice tests for the Downe House School ISEB Pretest exam and still save 25%. Select the relevant bundle below to learn more:
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ISEB Pretest Practice Tests 6-10 Bundle - Save 25%
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The following video courses cover everything your child needs to know to do well in the ISEB Pretest:
ISEB Pretest Non-Verbal Reasoning Course
ISEB Pretest Verbal Reasoning Course
✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended video courses for the Downe House School ISEB Pretest exam at a large discount. These are available on our other site, Pretest Plus. Click the button below to learn more:
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Our Skill Practice products consist of focused tests that allow your child to improve targeted skills ahead of the ISEB Pretest:
NEW ISEB Pretest English – Reading Comprehension
NEW ISEB Pretest English – Cloze Sentences
NEW ISEB Pretest English – Shuffled Sentences
NEW ISEB Pretest English – SPAG
NEW ISEB Pretest 2D Non-Verbal Reasoning
NEW ISEB Pretest Spatial Reasoning
NEW ISEB Pretest Verbal Reasoning
✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended skill practice tests for the Downe House School ISEB Pretest exam at a large discount. These are available on our other site, Pretest Plus. Click the button below to learn more:
ISEB Pretest Skill Practice Bundle - Save 30%
Don’t forget to use the code ppdiscount at checkout to get 10% off orders over £80 and 20% off orders over £200 if you don’t buy a bundle.
Our practice tests aim to show what sort of questions were included in Downe House School 11+ past papers. The information provided about Downe House 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 Downe House School:
Click here to learn about Year 9 entry via the 13 Plus (13+) Exam
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