City of London School: 11 plus entry guide

About City of London School

City of London School provides a leading private education to boys between the ages of 10 and 18. It's partnered with the City of London School for Girls – with which the school enjoys strong co-curricular links – and the City of London Freemen’s School in Surrey. The school consistently tops national league tables and is currently ranked within the top five boys' schools in the UK.

City of London School is defined by its iconic location – situated on the banks of the River Thames, in the shadow of St Paul’s Cathedral and opposite the Tate Modern. Links with the capital’s cultural, political, educational, business and professional institutions provide pupils with unique and excellent opportunities to prepare for modern life. Students enjoy regular and ongoing partnerships with King’s College London, University College London, London Youth Choir, IntoUniversity, and the City of London Academies.

There is an extensive range of subjects on the curriculum, including Linguistics, Mandarin, Russian, Greek, DC&R (Design Computing and Robotics) and CLaSS (Core Learning and Survival Skills): a course covering organisation, information processing, time management, handwriting, touch typing, study skills and routine. Enrichment opportunities include essay competitions (such as Trinity and Erasmus), science Olympiads, LAMDA qualifications and Model United Nations events.

• Head: Mr Alan Bird

• Address: City of London School, 107 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4V 3AL

• London borough: City of London

• Age range and gender: 10–18, boys only

• Number of pupils: 1,000+

• National league table rank (Sunday Times Parent Power): 11

• A level results: 96.6% A*–B

• GCSE results: 96.8% 9–7

Key info for Year 7 admissions

• Admissions contact: Mrs Vanessa Haley – [email protected], 020 3680 6300

• Open day: 28th September and 4th October 2023. Book online

• Overview of selection procedure: two rounds of written exams, interview and school reference

• Registration closes: Friday 3rd November 2023

• Assessment date: Friday 1st December 2023 (round 1), Wednesday 13th December 2023 (round 2)

City of London School admissions process

11 plus (11+) is the largest entry point at City of London School, with boys welcomed from schools all over London. Children who are offered a place at 11 plus entry will start school in the First Form (Year 7).

If you are considering City of London School for your son, it's a good idea to visit the school at one of its open events first. Open events are a great opportunity to explore the school site and facilities, talk to current staff and pupils, and ultimately decide if the school is the right fit for your child.

1. Register for Year 7 entry

The admissions process begins when you register your child with the school. To register your son for entry in the First Form, complete the online application form before Friday 3rd November 2023. You will also need to pay a registration fee of £160, which is non-refundable.

2. Entrance exam

Your child will be invited to take the City of London School entrance exam on Friday 1st December 2023. We've included more details about the format and content of this exam below.

3. Tests for shortlisted candidates

The results from the first entrance exam will be sent to parents by Thursday 7th December 2023. If your child has performed well in this exam, he will be invited to take the school's reasoning tests for shortlisted candidates on Wednesday 13th December.

4. Interview

Shortlisted candidates will also be invited to an interview in January 2024. Interviews last between 15 and 20 minutes and provide a two-way opportunity for the school to find out more about your child, and for your child to learn more about the school.

Find out more about private school interviews

5. Offers

Offers are made on the basis of your child's performance in the two entrance exams and the interview, in addition to a confidential reference from your child's current headteacher.

City of London School will let you know whether your child's application has been successful in mid-February 2024. If your child has been offered a place, you will have until early March to accept.

How to prepare for entry to City of London School

Here are our top tips for how to best prepare your child for the City of London School 11 plus.

Preparation is key: familiarisation with the question formats and known styles ahead of the exam is essential. Access to quality City of London School practice tests ensures confidence when tackling the exam.

Achieve mastery quickly: school entrance exams are designed to identify the children working at the very top of the ability range in their year group, so they assess a huge amount of content. Atom's adaptive algorithm creates your child's personalised learning journey specific to your target schools, with over 90,000 expert, teacher-created resources to support your child to fully master each topic.

Access to instant support: learners need clarification to address any misconceptions and become truly secure in their understanding of a topic. Access to videos, help sheets and engaging examples for each question builds confidence and competence in all areas covered in the exam.

Engage with their progress: celebrate their improvements in their areas of challenge together! An accurate, ongoing assessment of your child’s strengths and development areas is instrumental for preparing efficiently. Atom's Parent Portal gives you data-driven insights into your child’s areas of strength and development.

All-in-one exam prep platform

Wondering how to make sure your child effectively recaps the Key Stage 2 curriculum, stays on track with their progress, and gets help when they're stuck? Online learning is a particularly efficient, cost-effective (and fun) way to do this!

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Children work independently through over 90,000 interactive practice questions in English, maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning. Teacher-created helpsheets and videos help them discover new concepts and consolidate their learning.

Atom's algorithm keeps children on their ideal learning path, tailored to their unique learning style and pace to keep them challenged and motivated.