St James Senior Boys’ School 11 Plus (11+)/Year 7 Exam and Standard Admissions Information
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Table of Contents
Introduction
St James Senior Boys’ School is an independent school for boys aged 11 to 18. It occupies a stunning 32-acre site in Ashford, Surrey. The school is unique in many ways: mindfulness is embedded in school life, including daily periods of Quiet Time; philosophy is taught as part of the curriculum; only vegetarian food is served, given the school’s commitment to environmentally friendly practices; and Sanskrit is taught.
The school is proud of its pupils’ academic achievements. In 2025, 34% of GCSE grades were in the 9-7 range, and 52% of A-Level grades were in the A*-B range. These results enable boys to secure places at prestigious universities and specialist colleges, and to pursue their chosen career paths.
The extra-curricular programme at St James Senior Boys’ School is extensive. An Activities Week is held each year, during which Year 7 go to the Peak District, Year 8 to Greece, Year 9 to Spain and Year 10 to Italy. These trips help pupils develop into resilient young men who are interested in the world around them.
Pastoral care is a priority at the school. Each Year 7 pupil is assigned a Year 8 and a Sixth Form buddy to help them settle into and navigate Senior School life. Additionally, the school has trained mental health first aiders, emotional literacy support assistants and a counsellor, all ready to provide a listening ear to any pupil experiencing any difficulties.
St James Senior Boys’ School: Contact Details and Year 7 (11+) Entry Admissions Process
School Details for St James Senior Boys’ School
Address: Church Road, Ashford, TW15 3DZ
County: Surrey
Admissions info: [email protected] or 01784 266 933
School type: Independent school for boys aged 11 to 18
Open events: Throughout the year
Entrance exam date: November of Year 6
Entrance assessments: Online Quest assessment and interview
Standard Admissions Process for 11 Plus Entry to St James Senior Boys’ School
The first step of the admissions process is to visit St James Senior Boys’ School to see if it is a good fit for your family. You can attend an open event or arrange an individual tour.
The next step is to complete the online registration form and pay the £150 non-refundable registration fee by the mid-November deadline, when your son is in Year 6. You must also submit a copy of your son’s passport and latest school report.
Please note that the school will request a reference from your son’s current school as part of the admissions process.
Towards the end of November, your son will attend St James Senior Boys’ School to sit an online Quest assessment and be interviewed by the Head or a senior member of staff.
Early in December, you will find out whether your son has received an unconditional offer. If he has and you wish to accept it, you must do so by the March acceptance deadline and pay the £2,000 deposit if you reside in the UK (one term’s fees if you reside outside the UK).
Early Route
It is worth noting that an early route (10+ pre-test) is also available for admission to Year 7 at St James Senior Boys’ School. For this route, the registration deadline is in March of Year 5, and the assessment day is in May of Year 5. The entrance exam is also an online Quest assessment. You cannot apply for a bursary if you opt for the early route admissions process, though.
St James Senior Boys’ School: Scholarships and Bursaries for Year 7 Entry
Scholarships
For Year 7 entry, academic, sports, music, drama and art & design scholarships are available. These need to be applied for by the January deadline in Year 6, except for academic (Head’s) scholarships, which are awarded based on performance on the assessment day.
You may apply for a scholarship only if your son has received an offer of a Year 7 place, and you are only permitted to apply for one scholarship. You must submit the requested supplementary evidence with your application, and your son will be given a date to attend the school for assessment in his chosen area.
For more details, please click here.
Bursaries
Bursaries are available to financially assist parents who cannot afford the full fees. They can be worth up to 100% of the fees and are means-tested, meaning your financial situation will be thoroughly assessed if you apply for a bursary.
You must let the school know by the last Friday in October of Year 6 if you intend to apply for one.
If you want more information about bursaries, please get in touch with the school’s bursar ([email protected]).
St James Senior Boys’ School: Online Quest Assessment for Standard Year 7 Entry
On the assessment day, your son will sit an online assessment produced by Quest. It will assess your son’s abilities in the following four areas:
- Maths
The maths questions will test the knowledge and skills outlined in the maths national curriculum, going no further than the end of Year 5 requirements. The topics covered will be arithmetic, number, measurement, geometry and statistics. There will be some multi-step problems that test your son’s ability to apply his knowledge and think logically.
- English
Your son will have to read a given passage and then answer questions to show that he has understood it, can analyse the author’s language and deduce meaning from context. There will also be questions assessing the standard of your son’s spelling, punctuation and grammar.
- Verbal Reasoning
Written information, such as letters and words, will be used to establish the breadth of your son’s vocabulary, as well as his ability to think logically to solve problems.
- Non-Verbal Reasoning
Visual information, such as diagrams, shapes and pictures, will be used to determine your son’s ability to spot patterns and rules, as well as his ability to think logically to solve problems. Spatial awareness will be crucial for some of the questions.
Your son will not answer the same questions as all other candidates. This is because the maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning questions are adaptive: they get harder or easier depending on whether candidates answer them correctly. Therefore, each candidate will be sitting the test at a level that is right for them.
There is no need to worry about the online Quest assessment; you can take steps to ensure your son feels fully prepared so that he can excel on the day.
How to Help Your Son Prepare for the St James Senior Boys’ School Year 7 Entrance Exam
Here are some of our recommendations to help your son through the preparation process so he can approach the online Quest assessment feeling calm and confident:
- Be positive.
Focus on the journey, not the outcome, and celebrate all your son’s achievements and efforts along the way, no matter how small.
- Harness the power of mindfulness.
Mindfulness is about being grounded in the present, not allowing future worries to affect the here and now. Practising mindfulness can be an effective way to reduce stress. You could practise mindful breathing with your son or spend mindful time together on a walk, noticing the nature around you.
- Revise key information.
Revising his maths and English schoolwork will ensure your son has the necessary knowledge for the online Quest assessment. Encourage him to write the key facts in a notebook, condensing his revision into small, manageable pieces that are easy to review.
- Read widely.
Reading a wide variety of texts is the best way for your son to widen his vocabulary and improve his reading comprehension. It will also enhance his spelling, punctuation and grammar. It’s a great way to wind down before bedtime, too.
- Play games and puzzles to develop skills.
Your son can develop his reasoning abilities, vocabulary and spatial awareness while having fun. Tangrams, jigsaw puzzles, Scrabble and Boggle are all excellent choices.
- Practise mental arithmetic and times tables.
On walks or car journeys, you can test your son’s mental arithmetic and times-table proficiency. Start with easy questions and then make them harder as your son gets better at answering quickly and accurately. Pick a time when he is not feeling tired.
- Maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Adequate sleep, nutritious food and regular exercise will all help your son’s emotional and physical wellbeing, as well as his cognitive function, leading to a more productive preparation period.
- Utilise our practice tests.
We have produced online Quest practice tests that will help your son become familiar with what to expect in the online Quest assessment. Familiarity removes any fear of the unknown. Also, your son can work through the tests to develop a thorough understanding of the types of questions that will come up, as well as get used to answering questions under time pressure. By the time he has completed the practice tests, he should feel ready and confident about the St James Senior Boys’ School 11+ online Quest assessment.
Please see the section below for details about our online Quest practice tests for entry to Year 7 at St James Senior Boys’ School.
St James Senior Boys’ School: 11 Plus (11+)/Year 7 Online Quest Practice Tests
St James Senior Boys’ School 11+ Online Practice Tests
Our St James Senior Boys’ 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, 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 James Senior Boys’ School 11+ Practice Test 1
St James Senior Boys’ School 11+ Practice Test 2
St James Senior Boys’ School 11+ Practice Test 3
St James Senior Boys’ School 11+ Practice Test 4
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St James Senior Boys’ School 11+ Skill Practice
Our Skill Practice exercises are designed to focus on one specific question type that will come up in the St James Senior Boys’ School 11+ exam. They are ideal for targeted practice and an efficient way to quickly improve your child’s scores in the relevant topic.
St James Senior Boys’ School 11+ Mathematics
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If you have any questions about our 11+ online Quest practice tests or require guidance, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re here to help your son succeed in his 11+ online exam for entry to St James Senior Boys’ 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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