Downsend School: Entry Procedure for 11 Plus (11+)/Year 7
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Table of Contents
Introduction
Downsend School is a co-educational independent school for children aged from six months to sixteen. The Main School is for Years 3-11, and its facilities are outstanding, with over £10 million having been invested in providing pupils with new cutting-edge spaces, such as a Food Tech room, IT suites, a Creative Arts Centre and an Art and Textiles Studio.
Teaching at Downsend School is designed to fully engage pupils in the learning process rather than have students passively absorb information. Pupils’ progress is closely monitored to ensure that any weak areas a pupil may have can be addressed with the help of the Learning Support Team, while pupils who need to be stretched will be given additional challenges through the school’s Gifted and Talented Scheme.
Opportunities outside of the classroom are abundant at Downsend School. Drama performances are put on several times a year. Recent performances include The Lion King and High School Musical, both of which were of a very high standard. Clubs available range from Robotics and Lego Engineering to Public Speaking and Exploring Genetics. Pupils with a passion for music or sport are well catered for.
Staff at Downsend School place pupil wellbeing at the heart of all they do. The emotional development of pupils is closely monitored so support can be given as soon as it is needed. Coupled with a safe and caring environment, it is easy to see why pupils thrive at the school.
Downsend School: Admissions Process for 11 Plus (11+)/Year 7 Entry
Choosing a school for your child is an important decision. This is why contacting the school for an informal chat and to arrange a visit is an excellent idea. Visiting will enable you to find out more about the school by talking to staff members, seeing the school in action and viewing the facilities. You can attend an Open Morning, a Talk and Tour or an individual tour.
If you decide the school is a good fit for your child, you then need to fill out the registration form and pay the non-refundable £150 registration fee. This is best done before September of the year before entry. Please note that Downsend School will request a report and a reference from your child’s current school.
After registering, you will be able to arrange for your child to attend an Assessment Day at Downsend School. Depending on when you registered, it will be in November, January or March of Year 6.
On Assessment Day, your child will sit the online Progress Test in maths (PTM) and the online Progress Test in English (PTE). They will also complete a writing exercise and take part in group activities.
Offers are usually made within a fortnight of the Assessment Day. Acceptance of an offer involves filling out the relevant paperwork and paying the £750 acceptance deposit. The deposit is refunded when your child has completed their education at Downsend School.
Downsend School: Scholarships
Downsend School offers scholarships in the following areas for 11+ entry: music, sport, drama, academic and art, design and technology.
Music scholarship candidates will need to be Grade 4 standard or above on at least one instrument and be proficient at sightreading.
Sport scholarship candidates will need to be exceptionally talented in one or two sports from the following: football, netball, rugby, hockey, cricket, tennis, athletics and swimming.
Drama scholarship candidates will need to demonstrate their natural talent by performing a monologue to a high standard and showcasing their improvisation skills.
Academic scholarship candidates will need to excel in the academic assessments.
Art, design and technology scholarship candidates will need to produce an impressive still-life study and follow a brief to produce a design solution.
Downsend School: School Details and Progress Tests Information
Main School address: 1 Leatherhead Road, Leatherhead, KT22 8TJ
County: Surrey
Admissions info: [email protected] or 01372 372311
School type: Independent school for boys and girls
Open Days: Termly
Entrance assessments for Year 7: Progress Tests in English and maths and a written exercise
The Progress Test in English (PTE) will evaluate the standard of your child’s spelling, punctuation and grammar. It will also use fictional and non-fictional texts to check their reading comprehension.
The Progress Test in maths (PTM) will assess your child’s mathematical knowledge and competency in areas such as algebra, data handling and shapes. It will also assess your child’s mathematical reasoning and problem-solving skills.
The PTE and PTM will be taken online.
Preparing for the Downsend School 11 Plus (11+)/Year 7 Entrance Assessments
Here at Pretest Plus, after careful research, we have produced a Practice Progress Test for children who will be sitting Progress Tests in maths and English in Year 6. Working their way through our Practice Progress Test will help your child in the following ways:
- They will become familiar with the style, format and content of the actual tests, giving them an advantage over other candidates.
- They will gain valuable practice navigating an online test.
- They will be able to identify any areas they struggle with and can then devote an appropriate amount of study time to become proficient in those areas.
- They can use the explanations provided to work out the reasons behind any mistakes they make and avoid making similar errors in the real tests. This could make the difference between them being offered a place or not.
Downsend School: Practice Materials
Progress Test
We highly recommend the following exercises to prepare successfully for the Downsend School 11+ Progress Test. They will help improve your child’s English and Maths skills at the appropriate level:
Progress Practice Test – Year 6
If you have any questions about any of our resources, please contact us.
The information provided about Downsend School 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 resources and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publishers of the GL Progress Tests or any other test publisher.
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