King Edward VI School, Southampton 11 Plus (11+) Exam and Admissions Information
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King Edward VI School (KES) in Southampton is a co-educational independent school for pupils aged 11–18 years. Originally a boys’ school, KES became fully co-educational in 1994 and around 40% of the current student body are girls.
King Edward VI School was founded over 465 years ago and has occupied its current site on Hill Lane in Southampton since 1938. It has invested over £20 million over the past decade and the well-equipped and recently refurbished 13-acre city campus, with its new professional-standard theatre, is complemented by a further 33-acres of sports grounds at Wellington, a sailing club at Southampton Water Activities Centre, a study centre on Dartmoor and a prep school – Stroud School – in Romsey.
King Edward VI School offers a broad, traditional curriculum and encourages the development of problem solving skills, independent thought and creative expression to produce well-rounded young adults. Students consistently perform well in public exams, with 90% of all GCSE and IGCSE results for 2018 being in the top grade range (A*–B).
11 Plus Information for King Edward VI School
Address: King Edward VI School, Wilton Road, Southampton, Hampshire SO15 5UQ
County: Hampshire
Admissions info: registrar@kes.hants.sch.uk or 023 8079 9216
School Type: Independent co-educational day school
Number of Pupils: 975 (approx.)
Open Day Date: October
Exam Date: January
Exam Type / Board: School’s own
King Edward VI School 11 Plus Admissions
King Edward VI School is academically selective. Places in the First Year (Year 7 / 11+) are offered based on performance in an interview and admissions exam, and a reference from the candidate’s current school.
Interviews are carried out in January of the year of entry, prior to the admissions exam that consists of papers in English, mathematics and reasoning.
All candidates are automatically eligible for academic scholarships, which are awarded based on performance in the admissions exam. Creative Arts and Sports scholarships are awarded following auditions / trials in early February and must be applied for separately.
A limited number of bursaries are available. These are means tested and dependent on performance in the admissions process (interview and exam).
A copy of the complete King Edward VI School Admissions Policy is available to download from the school’s website.
How to Apply for 11 Plus Entry to King Edward VI School
King Edward VI School holds an annual open evening in October. Smaller open afternoons are held throughout the year, for which numbers are restricted to 15 families so booking is essential. It is also possible to arrange a personal tour. All arrangements for visits should be made via the registrar: registrar@kes.hants.sch.uk or 023 8079 9216.
Parents who would like their child to be considered for 11+ entry to King Edward VI School must complete the online registration form. Application packs are then mailed out in the autumn term of the year prior to entry.
King Edward VI School 11 Plus Exam Format
The King Edward VI School entrance exam consists of three papers:
- English (50 minutes): comprehension and writing
- Mathematics (45 minutes)
- Reasoning (45 minutes).
All papers are based on the KS2 National Curriculum.
The comprehension section of the English paper is multiple choice and grammar, punctuation and spelling are assessed in the writing section.
Calculators are not permitted for the maths paper. Details of the content covered on the maths paper are given in the ‘Admissions Procedure’ section of the school’s website.
The reasoning paper is designed to assess natural ability and includes questions on words and numbers. Candidates complete a 10-minute practice test prior to the real paper to help them become familiar with the type of questions they will be asked.
How to Prepare for King Edward VI School 11 Plus Exam
One of the best ways of preparing for competitive entrance exams is to use practice papers. These help students to familiarise themselves with the format and question types they will encounter in the actual test in an efficient and effective manner. They also provide an excellent opportunity for students to practise working under time pressure.
Our practice papers, which are available for immediate download, print and use after purchase, offer excellent practice and preparation for the King Edward VI School 11+ entrance exam. They cover all the key skills and can be used to identify any weaker areas that require additional work ahead of the exam and to help build confidence.
Our 11+ practice papers are thoroughly researched and up to date. Every year, they are used successfully by tens of thousands of students targeting schools with a competitive entrance exam. They are designed to be age appropriate but challenging, to reflect the demands of such an exam.
To prepare for the KES English paper, we would highly recommend using the following practice papers, which will help to improve comprehension and writing skills, including spelling and vocabulary, and provide practice in answering multiple-choice comprehension questions:
To prepare for the maths paper, we would highly recommend using the following practice papers:
11+ Mathematics (Independent Schools) Pack 1
11+ Mathematics (Independent Schools) Pack 2
11+ Mathematics (Independent Schools) Pack 3
11+ Mathematics: Mental Arithmetic
To prepare for the reasoning paper, we would highly recommend using the following practice papers:
The information provided about King Edward VI 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.
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