Derby High School 11 Plus (11+)/Year 7 Exam and Admissions Information
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Table of Contents
Introduction
Derby High School is an independent school that educates boys and girls aged 3 to 18. It comprises a Pre-School, Primary School, Senior School and Sixth Form. The school has a superb reputation, with pupils excelling in public examinations and the latest full ISI report commenting on the excellent academic and personal progress made by pupils.
The Senior School curriculum at Derby High School is broad and balanced, designed to enable pupils to pursue any career path of their choosing. In Year 7, students study three modern languages, two of which they will continue in Year 8. In Year 9, careers advice helps pupils to make informed choices about which GCSE courses to select.
Outside of the classroom, the wide range of extra-curricular activities on offer ensures that pupils receive a holistic education, leaving Derby High School as well-rounded young adults. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme is particularly popular, with around 85-90% of Year 10 students signing up for the Bronze award each year.
Pastoral care at the school is exemplary, with the ISI report commenting on the ‘high levels of caring and nurturing pastoral support’. Pupils are taught to seek guidance when necessary, and the school actively encourages communication from parents.
For information about the Year 7 admissions process, please read on.
Derby High School: Contact Details and Year 7 (11+) Entry Admissions Process
School Details for Derby High School
Address: Hillsway, Littleover, Derby, DE23 3DT
County: Derbyshire
Admissions info: [email protected] or 01332 514267
School type: Independent co-educational day school
Open Morning: October
Entrance assessment date: January of Year 6
Entrance assessments: Online Quest assessment, creative writing paper and interview
Admissions Process for 11 Plus Entry to Derby High School
Derby High School holds an Open Morning in October and arranges personal tours for families. Additionally, you can book your child onto a Taster Day, allowing them to experience life at Derby High. You can fill out the enquiry form if you would like more information about a visit.
If you decide the school is a good fit for your child, you should then complete the registration form and pay the £120 non-refundable registration fee. This must be done by the December deadline, when your child is in Year 6.
On the assessment day, which will take place in January of Year 6, your child will complete an online Quest assessment, a creative writing paper and be interviewed.
Derby High School will also request a reference from your child’s current school.
About a week after the assessment day, offer letters will be sent out to the candidates who demonstrated through the admissions process that they are academically able and keen to contribute to school life at Derby High.
If your child is offered a place, you must complete an acceptance form and pay a deposit of £750 to accept it formally. The deadline for doing this is at the beginning of March. The deposit will be refunded once your child has completed their education at the school (any money owing will be deducted).
Derby High School: Scholarships and Assisted Places for Year 7 Entry
Scholarships
Derby High School offers academic scholarships to selected students entering Year 7. You do not need to apply for an academic scholarship because they are awarded based on performance in the entrance exam.
However, the other scholarships available (music, sport, drama, and art & design) must be applied for by the December deadline in Year 6. Assessments for these scholarships will take place in February, with decision letters being sent out a week later.
Please note that scholarships do not provide a fee reduction.
Assisted Places
A small number of Assisted Places, worth up to 50% of the school fees, are available. They are intended for candidates whose families cannot afford the full fees, but who would do exceptionally well at Derby High.
You should indicate on the registration form if you plan to apply for an Assisted Place. You can also contact the school’s bursar (01332 514267) for a confidential chat if you have any questions.
Derby High School: Entrance Exam for Year 7 Entry
The Year 7 entrance exam at Derby High School includes an online assessment produced by Quest. It covers the following areas:
- Maths
The maths section will cover what your child has been taught at school up to the end of Year 5. This means your child will need to be confident with place values, the four basic operations, fractions, decimals, percentages, shapes, measurement and statistics.
- Verbal Reasoning
The verbal reasoning section will use letters, numbers and words to assess your child’s logical reasoning, problem-solving skills and vocabulary. They may, for example, have to pick out the two words that can be combined to form a new word.
- Non-Verbal Reasoning
The non-verbal reasoning section will present your child with visual information that they will have to analyse. Questions will test their spatial awareness and problem-solving skills. They may have to spot patterns and visualise transformations.
The online assessment is adaptive. If your child is answering the questions correctly, the questions will get harder. When they get a question wrong, the next question will be easier. This approach ensures that candidates do not get disheartened but can stay engaged as they work through an assessment that finds the right level for them.
If your child feels fully prepared for the exam, they will perform better. It can be tricky to know how to prepare, which is why we have compiled some tips for you.
Tips to Help Your Child Prepare for the Derby High School Online Quest Assessment
We hope the following tips prove helpful for you and your child:
- Stay positive and have a growth mindset to keep your child engaged and motivated. Praise them for all the effort they put in and see mistakes as part of the learning process.
- Make study sessions about 20-30 minutes long because this is the length of time your child will most likely be able to fully focus for. Additionally, you don’t want your child to feel like studying is taking over their life.
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- Find fun ways for your child to learn, such as doing puzzles to enhance their non-verbal reasoning skills. Building blocks, Tangrams and jigsaws will all help.
- Encourage your child to read a little every day because it will improve their reading comprehension skills and broaden their vocabulary, which is useful for the verbal reasoning questions.
- Write key facts on flashcards. Reducing their maths work to the key facts will make revision feel manageable. Full exercise books can be overwhelming.
- Use practice tests. Once your child is ready, using practice tests is a great way to identify any knowledge gaps and weak areas that require more attention. Our online Quest practice tests have been carefully researched to ensure they accurately mirror the question types, layout and timings of the actual test. Being familiar with what to expect will remove any fear of the unknown, allowing your child to perform to the best of their ability on the day.
The following section outlines our highly recommended resources.
Derby High School: 11 Plus (11+)/Year 7 Online Quest Practice Tests
Derby High School 11+ Online Practice Tests
Our Derby High School 11+ Online Entrance Assessment Practice Tests provide realistic and highly accurate preparation for the actual exam. Each full mock test replicates the modules, timings and question types used in the real assessment, ensuring your child becomes familiar with the format and expectations. Covering Maths, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning, these tests are all pitched at the same difficulty level, allowing you to benchmark your child’s progress, track improvement and identify key areas for further practice.
Derby High School 11+ Practice Test 1
Derby High School 11+ Practice Test 2
Derby High School 11+ Practice Test 3
Derby High School 11+ Practice Test 4
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Derby High School 11+ Skill Practice
Our Skill Practice exercises are designed to focus on one specific question type that will come up in the Derby High School 11+ exam. They are ideal for targeted practice and an efficient way to quickly improve your child’s scores in the relevant topic.
Derby High School 11+ Mathematics
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If you have any questions about our 11+ exam practice materials or require guidance, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re here to help your child succeed in their 11+ online exam for entry to Derby High School.
The information in this post was believed to be correct at the time of publishing. However, please be aware that there could be 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 Quest online assessment or any other test publisher.
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