Tonbridge School: 13 Plus (13+)/Year 9 (First Year/Novi) Standard Entry
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Table of Contents
Introduction
Tonbridge School, located in Kent, is an independent day and boarding school for boys aged 13-18. It has a superb reputation, both locally and internationally, and its ethos can be summed up in two words: ‘Only Connect’, because the school encourages all sorts of connections, such as between cultures, between academic subjects and between the head and the heart.
Academically, Tonbridge School is excellent. The Novi (Year 9) Curriculum is broad and balanced, with boys studying plenty of academic subjects, including maths, English, chemistry, physics and biology. Classics are an important part of the school’s history, and Year 9 boys can study either Latin or classical civilisation, with some studying Ancient Greek too. In addition to this, all boys have lessons in art, drama, DTE and music for a term, before selecting two to continue with for the remaining two terms of the academic year.
The co-curricular programme at Tonbridge School is extensive. All pupils are encouraged to make the most of the opportunities available to them outside of the classroom by joining clubs and societies. At the beginning of every Michaelmas (Autumn) term, new pupils can attend the Societies Fair to learn about the different clubs and societies and sign up for the ones that interest them.
Pastoral care at Tonbridge School is taken very seriously. There is a Medical Centre that is open 24 hours a day and is run by qualified staff who provide medical and pastoral care to pupils. There is also a Counsellor who can offer boys and their parents confidential consultations and provide boys with strategies that will help them navigate the complexities of modern life. All Year 10 (Second Year) pupils have lessons in mindfulness. These lessons help to equip boys with the skills needed to improve wellbeing and reduce anxiety.
Tonbridge School: Contact Details and Admissions Process for 13+ (Year 9/First Year/Novi) Standard Entry
Address: High Street, Tonbridge, TN9 1JP
County: Kent
Admissions info: [email protected] or +44 (0)1732 365555
School type: Independent day and boarding school for boys
Open Mornings: Various dates throughout the year
Registration: Year 5 or 6 for standard entry
Entrance exam: ISEB Common Pre-test
Before registering, you are encouraged to attend one of Tonbridge School’s Open Mornings. This will give you the chance to listen to a talk by the Head, have a student-led tour of the facilities and meet members of staff. Your son should ideally be in Year 4 or 5 when you attend an Open Morning.
If you decide the school is a good fit for your son, you should then fill in the registration form and pay the £250 non-refundable registration fee.
For your son to be included in the first round of offers, it is advisable to complete the registration form before he finishes Year 5, with the deadline being at the start of September three years before entry. He will then sit the ISEB Common Pre-test in the Autumn term of Year 6 and be invited to an Assessment Afternoon at Tonbridge School. The ISEB Pre-test will be sat at his current school if possible. If this is not possible, he will sit it in November at Tonbridge School and have his Assessment Afternoon on the same day. Offers will be made before the end of January of Year 6.
The latest date you can register for a place via the standard entry route is mid-April of Year 6. Your son will have needed to have sat the ISEB Pre-test at least a week before the mid-April registration deadline. He will then be invited to an Assessment Afternoon in the Lent (Spring) term or Summer term. However, the majority of offers are made in the first round, so it is better to register by the earlier deadline (as outlined in the previous paragraph).
Please note that a report from your child’s current school will be requested and reviewed as part of the admissions process.
You can find out more details here, and you can contact the admissions team using the contact details given if you have any questions.
Tonbridge School: First Round of Offers for 13+ (Year 9/First Year/Novi) Standard Entry
Pupils who register before the September deadline three years before entry will receive one of the following before the end of January of Year 6:
- An unconditional offer: this is offered to the strongest candidates and means they have secured a place at Tonbridge School (as long as their final report from their current school is excellent).
- A provisional offer: this is offered to strong candidates. They will be invited back to Tonbridge School in the Spring term of Year 7 to take a maths paper and a writing paper and be interviewed. Those who perform best will then receive an unconditional offer. Again, their final report from their current school will need to be excellent. Those not given an unconditional offer after the Year 7 tests can go on a waiting list.
- No offer: if Tonbridge School feels they are not the right establishment for a candidate, they will make no offer.
To accept an unconditional offer, which you would need to do by the deadline in January of Year 7, you must complete the Final Entry Form and the Acceptance Form. You also need to pay the £2,000 non-refundable admission fee. To accept a provisional offer, you just need to complete the Acceptance Form. If the provisional offer becomes an unconditional offer after the maths paper, writing paper and interview, you would then complete the Final Entry Form and pay the admission fee.
Tonbridge School: Scholarships and Bursaries
Tonbridge School is committed to supporting individuals who would benefit from the education they offer but are unable to afford the school’s fees. A staggering sum of about £2.8m of income each year goes on fee remission for scholarships, bursaries and other awards.
For detailed information about the financial assistance that is available, please click here.
Tonbridge School: 13 Plus (13+) ISEB Common Pre-Test Exam Format
The ISEB Common Pre-test is an online test that comprises the following areas:
- English – evaluates reading comprehension, vocabulary, spelling, punctuation and grammar.
- Mathematics – tests a pupil’s knowledge of the topics from the relevant National Curriculum stage, such as fractions, decimals, percentages and geometry.
- Verbal reasoning – tests reasoning and logic using words.
- Non-Verbal reasoning – uses figures and diagrams to assess logical thinking and problem-solving skills.
In total, the four parts of the ISEB Pre-test take 2 hours and 15 minutes to administer and complete. There is no audio component to any of the tests.
Preparing for the Tonbridge School 13 Plus (13+) ISEB Common Pre-Test
Entry to Tonbridge School is highly competitive, so we recommend that you help your son prepare in advance for the ISEB Common Pre-test. Working his way through our ISEB Pre-test practice tests will help your son in several ways:
- He will get used to the online format, meaning there will be no surprises in the actual test that might negatively impact his performance.
- He will become adept at moving between the online test and written workings.
- He can learn from any mistakes that he makes, which will help him avoid making similar errors on the day.
- He will get used to working under time pressure; therefore, the time constraints of the ISEB Pre-test will not faze him.
- He will improve across all the areas that will be tested in the ISEB Pre-test, helping to alleviate nerves and build confidence before the big day.
Tonbridge School: 13 Plus (13+) ISEB Common Pre-Test 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 Pretest assessment. Read on to learn more!
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These full mock tests are designed to provide your child with highly accurate practice ahead of their ISEB Pretest 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.
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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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