School Admissions - What Are We Looking For?

In recent and coming weeks, many boys and girls across the region and up and down the country are sitting entrance and scholarship exams for entry into one or more of their chosen independent schools.

Each of these schools will have its own admissions policy according to its aims and distinctive ethos. This is a real strength of the independent sector allowing parents to match their educational priorities and their child’s needs to the ‘right’ school.

At Newcastle School for Boys, we have been delighted by the high number of applicants we have attracted again this year. With record numbers applying to join our Senior School in Year 7 and also our sixth form, demand for places has never been higher. Each of our applicants sit entrance assessments and further specialist assessments where they may be applying for a scholarship.

For entrance, we are looking for boys who will be able to access our academic curriculum successfully. We do not operate a pass mark or a cut-off point in the rank order to guide selection. Each applicant is taken on his merits. We are interested in each boy’s potential, character and attitude as well as their exam performance.

Academic ability and potential is assessed through a range of age-appropriate tests. Some of these are online assessments and allow us to standardise boys’ performance so that comparisons can be made nationally and against previous years’ cohorts. Other assessments, particularly in English and Maths, are more bespoke and match to our own particular curriculum. There is also an interview which invites boys to tell us about themselves – their character, their interests and ambitions.

For boys applying for one of the various different types of scholarship award we make each year in areas as diverse as art, music and sport, boys will undertake a further specialist, often practical, assessment.

We see the admissions process very much as a two-way one. Applicants are, of course, also looking at us to decide whether we are the right fit for their sons.

Sitting entrance assessments is a a nervewracking time, but we do everything that we can to put boys (and parents) at ease. We are not trying to catch anybody out or to trip them up. Our interest is in catching boys at their best and to do the best we can to understand their potential. Good luck to all applicants in the coming weeks.