The Oratory School 11 Plus (11+) Entrance Exam Information – Key Details
Table of Contents
Introduction
The Oratory School is an independent day and boarding school in Woodcote, near Reading. It was the only remaining all-boys Catholic boarding school in Britain until recently, when it started admitting girls and hence became coeducational.
Pupils study art, computer science, economics & business, geography, physical education, religious studies, biology, English, mathematics, physics, chemistry, design & technology, Modern Foreign Languages, PSHE, classics, drama, history, music and psychology.
With over 50 diverse co-curricular activities to choose from, pupils at The Oratory nurture their existing talents and interests whilst exploring new opportunities as they develop and grow outside of the classroom.
Providing a holistic, all-round education, the school remains focused on the whole student, seeking to draw out and expand their innate gifts, skills and talents. The Oratory’s small class sizes, coupled with outstanding pastoral care, provide students with a wonderful sense of community, guided by the motto Cor ad cor loquitur (Heart speaks to heart).
The Oratory School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Information
Address: Woodcote Nr Reading South Oxfordshire RG8 0PJ
County: Oxfordshire
Admissions info: registrar@oratory.co.uk or +44 (0)1491 683522
School Type: Independent coeducational day and boarding school
Number of Students: 280 (approx.)
Open day: In the Spring and Autumn Term
11+ Exam Date: January of Year 6
11+ Exam Type / Board: School’s own
Open Events for The Oratory School 11 Plus (11+) Entry
The next Open Morning is set in February. To confirm your attendance please fill in the form available on the school’s website.
If you are unable to attend an Open Morning, please contact the Registrar to arrange a personal tour, during which you will have the opportunity to meet the Headmaster.
The Oratory School 11 Plus (11+) Admissions
To register your child for Year 7 Entry, fill in the application form available on the school’s website. You will also be expected to pay a £100 registration fee. Upon receipt of the application and fee, the school will reach out with details about Taster Days and other events.
The Entrance Exam and Scholarship Assessments are completed in January. A place is offered approximately two weeks following the examinations, with an acceptance deadline set in the first week of March.
Scholarships are awarded at the discretion of the Headmaster and as a recognition to your child’s excellence, ability, and potential in one or more academic or co-curricular areas. These awards carry a financial reward and provide the selected pupils with a sense of prestige and achievement.
In Year 7, The Oratory School awards the following scholarships:
- Academic Scholarships
- Music Scholarships
- Sports Scholarships
- All Rounder Scholarships
The school aims to make its education accessible to talented pupils, irrespective of parental income. Therefore, you can apply for a means-tested financial support (bursary), which does not preclude pupils from holding a scholarship award.
If you are interested in applying for a Bursary, you must indicate that in a separate letter to the Registrar. The Bursar will then provide you with an application form which should be completed and returned along with the requested documentation. All documentation will be treated as confidential.
The granting of a bursary is discretionary and is reviewed annually. For more information, please visit the school’s website.
The Oratory School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Format
The Oratory School entrance assessment consists of the following papers:
- English (60 mins)
- Mathematics (60 mins)
- Verbal Reasoning (45 mins)
- Non-Verbal Reasoning (45 mins)
The English paper examines both comprehension and writing skills, including inference, spelling, vocabulary and punctuation. Marks will be awarded for good use of imagination, creativity, form, purpose, organisation, cohesion, sentence structure and handwriting.
The maths exam assesses your child’s problem-solving abilities and arithmetic skills. The paper will include short questions on number, measurement, geometry, algebra and statistics.
The Verbal Reasoning paper is primarily designed to test and assess their logical thinking, use of English language and vocabulary.
The Non-Verbal Reasoning paper measures their 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 Oratory School 11+ entrance examination.
How to Prepare for The Oratory School 11 Plus (11+) Exam
One of the best ways to prepare for a competitive entrance exam is to use our practice tests. Getting to know the types of questions and the format of the actual exam will help boost your child’s confidence.
Aside from becoming familiarised with the exam format, our practice tests will ensure that your child responds to the questions in an efficient and effective manner.
They also provide an excellent opportunity for your child to practise working under time pressure. Whilst doing the tests under timed conditions, children can get used to answering questions quickly, with a close attention to detail.
Our 11+ practice tests are thoroughly researched and up to date. They are designed to reflect the demands of a competitive entrance exam and are successfully used by tens of thousands of students every year.
They are available for immediate download, print and use after purchase. Please see below our recommended packs to help prepare your child for The Oratory School 11+ entrance exam.
The Oratory School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Practice Papers
Recommendations for each section of The Oratory School 11 Plus exam can be found below:
English
We highly recommend the following packs to prepare successfully for The Oratory School 11+ English paper. They will help improve your child’s comprehension skills, such as inference, and writing skills, including spelling, vocabulary and punctuation:
Comprehension
11+ Complete Comprehension Guide
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 Oratory School 11+ maths test:
Non-Verbal Reasoning + Verbal Reasoning
To further develop your child’s Reasoning abilities ahead of The Oratory School 11+ entrance examination, we suggest that you make use of the following packs that cover all of the key question types:
Non-Verbal Reasoning: Practice tests
11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning Pack 1
11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning Pack 2
11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning Pack 3
11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning Pack 4
Verbal Reasoning: Practice tests
Verbal Reasoning: Skill specific practice
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Anagrams
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Analogies
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Compound Words
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Embedded Words
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Form a Word
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Insert a Letter
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Letter Analogies
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Letter Calculations
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Letter Codes
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Letter Sequences
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Move a Letter
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Number Analogies
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Number Calculations
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Number Sequences
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Shuffled Sentences
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Synonyms
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Word Completion
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Word Match
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Word Opposites
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Word Pairs
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Word Puzzles
11+ Verbal Reasoning: Word Relationships
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Our practice tests aim to show what sort of questions were included in The Oratory School 11+ past papers. The information provided about The Oratory 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.
