St Columba’s College, St Albans: 11 Plus (11+)/Year 7 Entrance Exam Information
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Table of Contents
Introduction
St Columba’s College, located in St Albans, comprises a Prep School, Senior School and Sixth Form. It is a Roman Catholic co-educational independent day school that welcomes children of all faiths and those with no religious affiliation, though all pupils and their families are required to support the school’s Catholic ethos.
Academically, pupils progress well at St Columba’s College. The school’s most recent ISI (Independent Schools Inspectorate) report highlights that teachers deliver lessons that are of a high standard and are effective. Pupils with SEND and those for whom English is not their first language are fully supported, resulting in positive outcomes.
The co-curricular programme at St Columba’s College is extensive, enabling pupils to develop holistically and grow in confidence. Available activities include textiles, Warhammer, astronomy and Pilates. Sport is particularly important at St Columba’s College, with every pupil encouraged to participate, no matter what level they are at.
Pastoral care is taken very seriously at St Columba’s College. The school’s Wellbeing Hub demonstrates its commitment to pupil wellbeing. It offers pupils a safe place to go to access support or spend quiet, reflective time. Additionally, the school has a qualified counsellor and trained Sixth Form mentors, who help pupils navigate life’s challenges.
Please read on to learn about the Year 7 admissions process at St Columba’s College.
St Columba’s College: Contact Details and Year 7 (11+) Entry Admissions Process
School Details for St Columba’s College
Address: King Harry Lane, St Albans, AL3 4AW
County: Hertfordshire
Admissions info: [email protected] or 01727 892040
School type: Roman Catholic independent day school for boys and girls aged 4-18
Number of students: 830 (approx.)
Open events: Throughout the year
Entrance exam date: January of Year 6
Entrance assessments: Online Quest assessment and interview
Admissions Process for 11 Plus Entry to St Columba’s College
It is advisable to visit St Columba’s College before completing the application form, as this will give you an insight into what life at the school is like and help you determine whether it is the right place for your child.
If you decide it is a good fit for your child, you must then fill out the online application form. You will also need to pay the £150 application fee, which is non-refundable. The registration deadline is in November of Year 6.
The entrance assessment will be in January of Year 6. It is an online test produced by Quest. The assessment results help St Columba’s College decide which candidates to offer places to.
Candidates are also interviewed, and reports and references from current schools are requested, helping St Columba’s College make informed choices about which candidates would thrive at the school.
Possible outcomes are an unconditional offer, a conditional offer, a place on the waiting list or no offer.
If your child receives an offer, you accept it by completing the acceptance form and paying the acceptance deposit by the given deadline.
St Columba’s College: Scholarships and Bursaries for Year 7 Entry
Scholarships
Academic and music scholarships are available for Year 7 entry. Scholarships are reviewed annually and provide a 15% reduction in tuition fees for a major scholarship and 10% for a minor scholarship.
Academic scholarships are awarded to the candidates who excel in their online Quest assessment and interview, and have a glowing report and reference from their current school.
If you want your child to be considered for a music scholarship, you will need to submit the relevant application form by the November deadline. In late January of Year 6, your child will attend an audition to showcase their musical talent. Typically, 11+ music scholars will be at Grade 4 level or above on their principal instrument or voice.
Bursaries
Bursaries provide financial aid to families who cannot afford St Columba’s College’s full fees. They can offer a fee reduction of up to 95%, but only a limited number are available.
To be eligible for a bursary, your child must perform well throughout the admissions process. Additionally, you must provide the necessary evidence that you require financial assistance.
The school’s Bursaries and Financial Aid Policy contains further information.
St Columba’s College: 11+ Online Quest Assessment
The St Columba’s College 11+ online Quest assessment comprises four modules (maths, English, non-verbal reasoning and verbal reasoning) and lasts approximately 70 minutes.
Three of the modules are adaptive (maths, non-verbal reasoning and verbal reasoning). If your child answers questions correctly in these modules, they will be given more challenging questions. If they answer incorrectly, they will be given easier questions. This means the modules find the right level for your child.
The English module is not adaptive, meaning all candidates will answer the same questions.
The maths module will cover topics your child has been taught at school without going beyond the Year 5 maths curriculum. Topics include number and place value, addition and subtraction, multiplication and division, fractions, measurement, properties of shapes, and position and direction. Your child will need to apply their mathematical knowledge and use their reasoning skills. Some questions will involve more than one step.
The English module will include a passage (fiction or non-fiction). Your child must read it and then answer questions to assess their understanding. They may need to extract information, use their inference skills and deduce word meanings from their context. Additional questions will evaluate the standard of your child’s spelling, punctuation and grammar.
The non-verbal reasoning module will use visual information, such as images and shapes, to assess your child’s problem-solving skills, e.g. your child may have to identify which image does not belong in a given group of images.
The verbal reasoning module will assess your child’s ability to answer language-based questions, such as identifying the word that does not belong in a set of words. A broad vocabulary is hugely beneficial for this module.
If your child feels confident about the 11+ online Quest assessment and is fully prepared, they are more likely to perform well. There are ways to help them prepare effectively, as outlined in the section below.
Tips to Help Your Child Prepare for St Columba’s College Year 7 Online Quest Assessment
We hope you find the following tips useful.
- Empower your child with a growth mindset: Your child will feel positive and motivated by the knowledge that hard work and determination will help them improve their skills. It will inspire them to overcome hurdles and learn from their mistakes.
- Embrace a balanced lifestyle: If the preparation process is a part of your child’s life and does not dominate it, they won’t feel overwhelmed. Relaxation time, activities they enjoy and meeting up with friends are all important and will support your child’s wellbeing, which in turn will make the learning process more effective.
- Promote daily reading: Reading is the single best way to enhance your child’s reading comprehension and develop their vocabulary, vital for the English and verbal reasoning modules. It will also assist them with their spelling, punctuation and grammar. Even ten minutes each day will make a big difference.
- Make learning fun: Your child can enhance their skills without even realising it by playing games with you and completing puzzles. Tangrams are great for logical thinking and problem-solving skills, and Scrabble is ideal for improving spelling and broadening vocabulary.
- Familiarise your child with what to expect: Familiarity with the format and question types of the online Quest assessment will help give your child an edge over other candidates. For this reason, we have produced 11+ St Columba’s College online practice Quest assessments. Working through our practice tests will enable your child to learn from their mistakes using our answers and explanations, get used to working quickly and accurately under time pressure and become adept at navigating the online interface.
The section below will signpost you to our highly recommended resources.
St Columba’s College: 11 Plus (11+)/Year 7 Online Quest Practice Tests
St Columba’s College 11+ Online Practice Test
Our St Columba’s College 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, English, 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.
St Columba’s College 11+ Practice Test 1
St Columba’s College 11+ Practice Test 2
St Columba’s College 11+ Practice Test 3
St Columba’s College 11+ Practice Test 4
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11+ St Columba’s College Practice Tests Bundle
St Columba’s College 11+ Skill Practice
Our Skill Practice exercises are designed to focus on one specific question type that will come up in the St Columba’s College 11+ exam. They are ideal for targeted practice and an efficient way to quickly improve your child’s scores in the relevant topic.
St Columba’s College 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 Quest assessment for entry to St Columba’s College.
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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