13+ Deferred Entry Admissions

Each year approximately 40 to 50 pupils join us at 13+, usually from preparatory schools. There are two routes for admission at 13+: Deferred Entry (for pupils in Year 6 for either day or boarding places) and Year 8 application for boarding places.  

If a candidate is applying in Year 8 from overseas they should follow the Boarding: International Admissions procedure

13+ Deferred Entry Procedure (for candidates in Year 6)

Parents sometimes wish to have the security of knowing in advance where their son or daughter will proceed to senior school. They can then enjoy the important last few years at their Preparatory School with a known path to their next school. This is the principal reason why Caterham offers the option of applying for Deferred Entry at 13+.

Applicants wishing to secure a 13+ Deferred Entry place should apply by early November in Year 6 (dates for 2027 entry are below).

Visiting the school. We are always pleased to welcome families who are considering the School. For details of open days and visitor mornings please click here. For families based overseas who are considering the School, please contact Admissions so that we can guide you through the process.

Application. Pupils wishing to join Caterham School at 13+ via deferred entry (or 11+ entry) submit their application by early November of Year 6 (see below for admissions dates for September 2027). Applications for co-curricular scholarships are submitted by the same deadline. For more information about these, please click on the link above. Please note that all applicants are considered for Academic Scholarships and therefore no separate application is needed.

After the closing date, we contact families to outline the dates and aspects of the admissions process. We do not operate a short-listing or screening process: we believe it’s right that all applicants experience the same opportunities to showcase their talents and abilities.

As a highly successful School, entrance to Caterham is by selection, based on academic merit and on an assessment of each child’s likely positive wider contribution to the School. A vital part of the admissions process is getting to know each child as an individual.

Informal Interview.  Informal interviews take place here at the School in November on selected dates (see below).  These conversations enable applicants to become familiar with the school and convey their interests and passions, and us to get to know each child as an individual. 

ISEB Common Pre-Test. In the latter part of the same term, applicants will sit the ISEB Common Pre-Test which comprises of adaptive online assessments in English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. These are taken either at the child’s current school, if that can be facilitated, or here at Caterham on Saturday 16 November 2024. Please note that parents now register their child for this assessment, and we guide you through the process. Pupils who are applying to more than one Senior school which uses the Common Pre-Test will only need to sit the test once. More information about the ISEB can be found here.

EDGE Experience Day. In January, applicants attend our EDGE Experience Day which is inspired by our unique EDGE curriculum. For 2027 entry, this will take place on Saturday 11 January 2025. This morning or afternoon session includes two Caterham entrance assessments, but also gives applicants an experience of the dynamic approach we take to education at Caterham through some (unassessed) fun and collaborative problem-solving activities. The assessments are in Maths and an EDGE paper. The latter is formed of a writing task, critical thinking problems, and an exercise giving applicants the opportunity to showcase their innovative thinking and problem-solving skills. All Caterham assessments are designed to bring out the skills and potential of applicants, whatever they may have studied in the past. Applicants take assessments in small groups at Caterham School in a normal classroom environment.

At Caterham, we welcome applications from candidates with disabilities or special educational needs; applicants who meet the criteria set out in the school’s Access Arrangements in Entrance Examinations Policy here will be eligible for suitable adjustments in both the ISEB Common Pre-test and in the assessments on the EDGE Experience Day. Documentary evidence, such as a current Specialist Assessor’s report, must be submitted to the school before the closing date for applications. 

Confidential School Reference. After the closing date, a reference or school report will be sought from the prospective pupil’s current school.

Offers. We take a holistic view of each and every applicant based on all the information we receive during the admissions process. Families looking at 2027 entry will be notified of the outcome by email on Friday 14 February 2025.

For those pupils who have accepted a Deferred Entry place for Year 9, in the November of Year 8, they will be asked to sit a further 13+ entry test at Caterham School. This allows the School to assess their eligibility for an academic scholarship and does not affect their secured place at Caterham School.  

13+ Deferred entry DATES FOR SEPTEMBER 2027