Bloxham School « 13+ Exam, Year 9 Entry » Key Details
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Table of Contents
Introduction
Originally known as All Saints’ School, Bloxham School was founded in 1860 and taught the values of the Oxford Movement. It’s an independent co-educational establishment that caters for both day and boarding students, occupying a beautiful 60-acre campus near Banbury in Oxfordshire. [1]
A member of the Woodard Corporation, Bloxham educates approximately 500 pupils in line with the motto Justorum Semita Lux Splendens (the path of the just is a shining light). Its academic offerings underpin a flourishing learning community, whose members enthusiastically engage in intellectual development across an array of disciplines, including humanities, languages and technology.
Bloxham boasts an impressive list of alumni, encompassing a diverse array of professionals. The school’s commitment to academic development is matched by its emphasis on non-academic growth, as evidenced by the wide variety of co-curricular opportunities on offer.
Ensuring well-rounded educational experiences, Bloxham School encourages outdoor engagement through CCF and the Duke of Edinburgh initiative, which help maximise the adventurous quality of school life. Pursuits such as cooking, photography, LAMDA, orchestra, hockey and swimming are also available, ensuring that students actively participate in social interactions while thoroughly exploring their talents. [2]
Bloxham is characterised by a perfect balance: it’s small enough to provide personalised attention to each student, but large enough to provide an array of learning experiences typically found in schools twice its size. The atmosphere is purposeful, and the ethos is friendly, fostering the development of happy and thriving young individuals, who use their strengths for the benefit of the common good.
Bloxham School 13 Plus (13+) Admissions Process
Whole-school Open Mornings take place in October, March and May. During these events, you and your child will have the opportunity to explore the campus and its facilities through guided tours. There will also be an address from the Head and the chance to speak to members of staff. The events include refreshments and a delicious lunch and can be booked through this page. Individual tours can be scheduled by contacting the admissions staff.
Whether seeking a day or boarding place for your child at Bloxham School, registering early is recommended, and it is essential it is done before your child is due to sit their ISEB Pre-test. It involves submitting a completed registration form along with a £200 non-refundable registration fee.
All registered applicants will sit the online ISEB Pre-test in the Autumn (Michaelmas) term of Year 7. Selected applicants will be invited to attend Bloxham’s Assessment Morning in November of the same year, comprising an interview and a group activity. School reports will be obtained and included in the assessment process.
For late applicants, if places are still available, an additional assessment process may be conducted in May of Year 7 and/or September of Year 8.
To talented and promising 13+ applicants, the school offers the following awards:
⦿ Academic Scholarships
⦿ Drama Scholarships
⦿ Sports Scholarships
⦿ Music Scholarships
⦿ DT Scholarships
⦿ Art Scholarships
They cover up to 10% of the day or boarding fees. The scholarship awarded will remain valid for your child’s entire career at Bloxham School, provided the Head is satisfied with their ongoing performance.
Academic scholarship applicants will sit papers in English, Mathematics and Science, alongside two optional papers chosen from French, History, Latin, Spanish, Geography and Theology/RS. There will also be a Verbal Reasoning test. All applicants must submit a letter of support /reference from their current school.
The 13+ Drama scholarship assessment involves performing a pre-prepared monologue (up to two minutes) from a published play and a contemporary sight reading, rehearsed with the Head of Drama. Candidates will also have an interview to discuss their experience and interest in drama and must submit a reference letter from their current school.
A reference must also be submitted by those applying for a Music scholarship. Applicants should be performing at a standard of at least Grade 5 in one or more instruments. The assessment will comprise ear tests, sight reading and a short interview with questions about the applicant’s musical knowledge and interests.
For Art scholarships, the assessment will include a two-hour observational drawing test, a written task requiring research and opinion based on a selection of provided images, interviews with relevant staff members and a presentation of a portfolio containing no more than ten pieces. As with the other scholarships, a letter of support from the applicant’s current school will be required.
More details about scholarships are available in the Scholarship and Exhibition Brochure. Unlike scholarships, bursaries are not dependent on any particular academic or creative achievement. Bursaries are means-tested awards, available to students whose families require financial assistance with the payment of tuition fees. Please note that bursaries are awarded following a rigorous evaluation of your financial circumstances, and the funding available for these awards is limited.
Bloxham School 13 Plus (13+) ISEB Pre-test Information
Address: Banbury Road, Banbury, OX15 4PE
County: Oxfordshire
Admissions info: [email protected] or 01295 724301
School type: Independent co-ed day and boarding school
Open Mornings: October, March and May
Pre-test exam date: Autumn term of Year 7
To join in Year 9, your child will initially be asked to complete an online assessment called the ISEB Common Pre-test, which assesses skills in Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. The test provides a universal and standardised measure of attainment, ability and potential.
Bloxham School 13 Plus (13+) ISEB Pre-test Exam Format
The ISEB Pre-test assessment comprises the following areas:
⦿ English – evaluates reading comprehension and grammar (using cloze sentences, shuffled sentences and SPaG question types)
⦿ Mathematics – measures mathematical ability relative to the national curriculum stage
⦿ Verbal Reasoning – tests thinking and problem solving with words
⦿ Non-Verbal Reasoning – assesses thinking with shapes, space, diagrams and pictures
In total, the four parts of the ISEB Common Pre-test take 2 hours and 15 minutes to administer and complete. There is no audio component to any of the tests.
FAQs About the Bloxham School 13 Plus (13+) ISEB Pre-test
Do I need to register my child for the Bloxham School 13+ ISEB Pre-test?
Yes, registrations for the pre-test are completed through the official ISEB website.
Where can my child sit the Bloxham School 13+ ISEB Pre-test?
If your child attends a Prep School, the 13+ ISEB Pre-test can be sat there. If they don’t, they can take the test at Bloxham School on a specified date.
Will older pupils have an advantage in the Bloxham School 13+ ISEB Pre-test?
No, the ISEB Pre-test is age-standardised so students are not disadvantaged by their age when they sit the test.
How many times can my child take the Bloxham School 13+ ISEB Pre-test?
The Bloxham School ISEB 13+ Pre-test can only be sat once.
Bloxham School 13 Plus (13+) ISEB Pretest Practice Materials
At Pretest Plus, we believe that a little preparation can go a long way to improving a student’s confidence and performance in entrance examinations.
We provide online practice tests, video courses and skill-specific tests which focus on helping students familiarise themselves with the exact types of questions that they will be asked in their ISEB Pre-test assessment. Read on to learn more!
Bloxham School 13+ ISEB Pretest Mock Tests
These full mock tests are designed to provide your child with highly accurate practice ahead of their ISEB Pre-test assessment. Each practice test covers English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning, replicating the modules, timings and question types used in the actual exam.
Each test contains unique content, but they are all pitched at the same difficulty level as the actual assessment. This means you can easily benchmark your child’s progress as they work through the practice tests, quickly identifying their strengths and weaknesses.
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Bloxham School 13+ ISEB Pretest Video Courses
We’ve also produced online video courses that cover everything your child needs to know for each section of the ISEB Pre-test assessment. These courses consist of a series of lessons that detail each question type, providing step-by-step explanations and techniques to help your child recognise the underlying patterns to look out for. The courses cover every possible question type that could come up in the ISEB Pre-test.
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Bloxham School 13+ ISEB Pretest Skill Practice Tests
Our Skill Practice products consist of focused tests that allow your child to target specific question formats that appear in the ISEB Pre-test. They are an efficient way to improve skills and boost scores quickly. All tests are marked automatically and feedback, solutions and statistical rankings are provided upon completion.
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Bloxham School 13+ ISEB Pre-test Preparation Tips
Preparing effectively for the Bloxham School 13+ ISEB Pre-test can significantly enhance a student’s confidence and exam performance. Here are some Pretest Plus Preparation Tips for the Bloxham School ISEB Pre-test:
1. Adjust to the digital environment:
For the online exam format, it’s important for your child to develop computer skills. This helps in smoothly handling the digital elements of the test in combination with written workings.
2. Review and learn from mistakes:
Analysing errors in practice tests is essential. This process allows your child to learn from their mistakes and avoid making them in the actual exam.
3. Enhance maths, language and reasoning abilities:
The practice tests are designed to improve maths and language skills, such as arithmetic and SPaG, respectively. They are also designed to improve reasoning skills, including identifying synonyms in VR and recognising patterns in NVR.
4. Boost time management skills:
By practising with our tests, your child can get better at managing their time, namely in answering questions within a pre-set timeframe, which helps prepare them for the pace of the real exam.
The information in this post was believed to be correct at the time of publishing. However, please be aware of possible future changes. We advise you to contact the school directly if you are unsure of anything. School contact details are provided within the post.
Please note that Pretest Plus is an independent publisher of practice tests and not affiliated with or endorsed by the publishers of the ISEB Common Pre-test or any other pre-test publisher.
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