Requirements
Entrance to the School
The majority of girls enter the Senior School between the ages of 11 and 13, but girls are accepted at other ages, including the Sixth Form, subject to satisfactory tests. Although the School is normally full there are occasionally places available in all year groups and enquiries are always welcome.
Entrance into the Senior School, whether from the Junior School or from other schools, is by means of the Common Entrance Examination for Independent Schools. This is a qualifying, rather than a competitive, exam aimed at establishing whether a girl is suitable to follow the course that the School offers. Girls are then accepted in the order in which their names appear on our registration list. Early registration is therefore advisable but not essential. We are happy to accept registrations right up to Common Entrance and can often find places for girls at fairly short notice.
Final selection for entry depends upon the availability of places, the date of registration and a considered judgment that your daughter will thrive in the environment that we provide here at St Swithun's. The judgment is based not solely on Common Entrance marks but on the reference provided by the Head of her current school and any other relevant information that we have at our disposal. The papers that girls take vary according to age and full details are available from the School's Admissions Secretary or the Independent Schools Examination Board.