St Columba’s College, St Albans, 8 Plus (8+) Entrance Exam Information – Key Details
Bookmark this page? Pop your email into the box below to receive a link to this article so you can easily refer back to it later.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Basic information: St Columba’s College is an independent co-ed day school in St Albans, Hertfordshire. A Roman Catholic establishment, it has been successfully educating children since 1939, aligning its philosophy with the motto Cor ad Cor Loquitur (Heart speaks to Heart). [1]
Curriculum: Thanks to the small class sizes and professional staff, learning in the Prep is as effective as it gets. A sense of adventure and exploration underpins the academic provision, which extensively covers relevant disciplines such as languages, technology, sciences and humanities.
Co-curricular: As part of the school’s broad offering, pupils partake in a number of enrichment activities, including co-curricular clubs, residential trips and outdoor learning pursuits. Children are encouraged to overcome their fears and explore their limitations, and in doing so, they build on the many benefits of the secure and risk-controlled learning environment.
Pastoral care: St Columba’s boasts a well-integrated pastoral care programme, rooted in rigorous safeguarding protocols and supported by the tireless efforts of dedicated staff. As a result, the cohort develops emotional intelligence with ease, facing difficulty with resilience and approaching interactions with impressive social awareness. [2]
St Columba’s College Prep School 8 Plus (8+) Exam Information
Address: King Harry Lane, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL3 4AW
County: Hertfordshire
Admissions info: admissions@stcolumbascollege.org or 01727 892040
School type: Independent co-ed day school
Open days: In the Spring and Autumn terms
8+ Exam date: January of Year 3
Open Events for St Columba’s College Prep School 8 Plus (8+) Entry
During Open Events, the school welcomes families on campus to help familiarise them with the extensive offering. Commencing with an address from the Head, they typically include Q&A sessions with staff and guided tours of facilities. More details are available on this page.
St Columba’s College Prep School 8 Plus (8+) Admissions
To register your interest in 8+ entry, you should complete an online enquiry form, which can be accessed through the school’s website. Age-appropriate assessments typically take place in January of the calendar school of entry, although they can also be sat during Taster Day, scheduled on a mutually convenient date.
As part of the admissions process, the school will obtain a confidential reference and reports from your child’s current school. Please note that places are reserved with a payment of a deposit.
St Columba’s College Prep School 8 Plus (8+) Scholarships and Bursaries
Scholarships and bursaries are not available to 8+ applicants.
St Columba’s College Prep School 8 Plus (8+) Exam Format
The St Columba’s College Prep 8 Plus (8+) exam consists of the following assessments:
- English
- Mathematics
- Reasoning
The English assessment examines comprehension and writing skills, including inference and grammar, as well as the fluency of your child’s reading and oral skills.
The Maths exam assesses problem-solving abilities and arithmetic skills, including your child’s knowledge of times tables.
The Verbal Reasoning section of the Reasoning exam is designed to test and assess logical thinking, use of English language and vocabulary.
The Non-Verbal Reasoning section of the Reasoning exam measures the ability to understand, interpret and problem-solve, testing logic and intelligence rather than knowledge.
Please see below for further details and recommendations on how to prepare for the St Columba’s College Prep 8 Plus entrance examination.
How to Prepare for the St Columba’s College Prep School 8 Plus (8+) Entrance Assessment
To prepare your child for the St Columba’s College Prep School 8+ 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 child 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 child’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 child get used to answering questions quickly and under time pressure.
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 world-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 St Columba’s College Prep School 8 Plus entrance exam can be found below.
St Columba’s College Prep School 8 Plus (8+) Exam Practice Papers
Recommendations for each section of the St Columba’s College Prep School 8 Plus exam can be found below:
English
We highly recommend the following packs to prepare successfully for the St Columba’s College Prep School 8 Plus English assessment. They will help improve your child’s comprehension and writing skills:
Full Practice Tests
Comprehension Skills
8+ English: Comprehension Pack 1
8+ English: Vocabulary and Grammar
The Complete Guide to 8+ Comprehension
Writing Skills
The Complete Guide to 8+ 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 Columba’s College Prep School 8 Plus maths test:
Full Practice Tests
Targeted Skill Development
8+ Mathematics: Mental Arithmetic
8+ Mathematics: Problem Solving
Reasoning
The following packs will significantly boost your child’s abilities ahead of the St Columba’s College Prep School 8 Plus Reasoning exam:
Listening
The following pack is ideal for developing listening skills ahead of the St Columba’s College Prep School 8 Plus entrance exam, helping your child learn how to follow instructions carefully:
Get 10% off orders over £70 and 20% off orders over £250. Use the code eppdiscount at checkout.
Our practice tests aim to show what sort of questions were included in St Columba’s College, St Albans, 8+ past papers. The information provided about St Columba’s College, St Albans, 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 St. Columba’s College, St Albans:
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
Bookmark this page? Pop your email into the box below to receive a link to this article so you can easily refer back to it later.
