d'Overbroeck's: parents’ guide to Year 7 entry

d’Overbroeck’s is an independent day and boarding school for boys and girls aged 11–18 just north of Oxford city centre, and Oxford’s only fully co-educational independent school from age 11 through to the sixth form. The school occupies three sites – Years 7–11 (day education only), the sixth form (day and boarding education) and the international school (mainly boarding).

d’Overbroeck’s has been described as “a school of energy, laughter and achievement”; teachers and students refer to each other on a first-name basis and students are taught in classes of up to 15, encouraging them to ask questions and discuss their work openly. Uniquely, the uniform is ‘light touch’ to allow pupils to be themselves and express their identity.

Pupils in Years 7–11 enjoy an action-packed timetable. In Year 7, pupils study the core subjects in addition to French, Latin, art, geography, history, computing, music, drama, religious studies, sport and PD (personal development). d’Overbroeck’s has been recognised as the top school in Oxfordshire for progress at A level since 2018 – putting the school within the top 1% of all schools in England. In 2022, 87% of A level grades were A*, A or B and 63% of GCSE grades were 9–7.

In recent years, the Years 7–11 school has received local and national acclaim for many co-curricular engagements, including public speaking and debating, the Oxford Youth Parliament and charitable fundraising efforts. There are representative teams in football, netball, hockey, rugby, cross-country running, swimming, softball and athletics. Beyond the taught sports on the curriculum, pupils can also enjoy further sports in the activities programme, such as trampolining, archery, fitness, judo, sculling, lifesaving (swimming), and squash.

Key information for d'Overbroeck's

• Principal: Mr Jonathan Cuff

• Address: d’Overbroeck’s, 333 Banbury Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX2 7PL

• County: Oxfordshire

• Admissions contact for 11 plus entry: Sara Hamze – [email protected]

• Age range and gender: 11–18, boys and girls

• Number of pupils: 744

• Open day date: Saturday 1st October 2022, Saturday 25th February 2023 and Thursday 11th May 2023. Register for a place online

• Overview of selection procedure: assessment day and school reference

• Registration opens: currently open for 2023 entry – register your child online

• Registration closes: Monday 31st October 2022 (2023 entry)

• Assessment date: Saturday 12th November 2022

d'Overbroeck's fees and financial assistance

The current tuition fees at d’Overbroeck’s for pupils in Years 7–11 are £6,650 per term. This includes the cost of school lunch.

d’Overbroeck’s has two types of bursaries (means-tested financial assistance) available to families of UK-based students who wish to join the school, but might not otherwise be able to afford the full fees. General bursaries are fully means-tested via a thorough financial assessment process and can provide support towards tuition fees. d’Overbroeck’s Foundation Awards are partially means-tested and available for families of day students who may require an emergency award or a limited amount of financial support (up to 25% of tuition fees).

Academic, art, drama and music scholarships are also available for candidates applying for entry to d’Overbroeck’s in Year 7. The maximum value of these scholarships is up to 20% of tuition fees.

d'Overbroeck's term dates

The term dates at d'Overbroeck's for 2022–23 are:

• Autumn term: 5th September – 14th December 2022

• Half term: 21st–31st October 2022

• Spring term: 5th January – 24th March 2023

• Half term: 11th–19th February 2023

• Summer term: 17th April – 5th July 2023

• Half term: 27th May – 4th June 2023

Admissions process for Year 7 entry to d'Overbroeck's

Before applying to d’Overbroeck’s, you are encouraged to enquire for more information and visit the school, either in person or online, by booking onto an open event.

Once you are ready to apply, you will need to register your child through the online application form and pay the registration fee of £125. The deadline for applying is 31st October 2022 for Year 7 entry in 2023 – this is the same deadline for bursary and scholarship applications.

Registered candidates will be invited to a taster day during the week commencing Monday 7th November 2022 to give them an experience of life at d’Overbroeck’s. They will be looked after by a student ‘buddy’ and will meet their potential teachers. At the end of the week, all students will be invited to the school’s assessment day on Saturday 12th November, where they will sit two tests which take approximately 2 hours to complete. The admissions team at d’Overbroeck’s will also request a reference from your child’s current school around this time.

If you have applied for a scholarship for your child and they have been successful in the main entrance exam, they will take additional assessments (invitation only):

• Academic scholarships: eligible candidates can demonstrate outstanding potential and a high level of academic achievement to date. They will sit exams in a range of subjects (usually English, maths, science, and humanities) on a date during the week commencing Monday 28th November 2022.

• Art scholarships: eligible candidates can demonstrate outstanding talent in the visual/fine arts, which will be demonstrated by a portfolio of work. They will be invited to spend half a day at d’Overbroeck’s school between Wednesday 16th and Friday 18th November 2022; this will include a creative task and a short interview about their portfolio.

• Drama scholarships: eligible candidates can demonstrate outstanding dramatic talent and commitment to school productions and other performing arts activities. Candidates will be invited to a drama scholarship assessment between Wednesday 16th and Friday 18th November 2022.

• Music scholarships: eligible candidates show exceptional musical ability and achievement. They’ll need to demonstrate commitment and play a very active role in school concerts and other performing arts activities. Candidates will be invited to a music scholarship assessment between Wednesday 16th and Friday 18th November 2022.

An offer of a place is based on a combination of factors, including the taster day, assessment, and current school report/reference. d’Overbroeck’s will send you the outcome of your child’s application on Friday 9th December 2022 and, if successful, you will have until Friday 13th January 2023 to accept the place.

d'Overbroeck's 11 plus exam

Children who are registered for Year 7 entry to d’Overbroeck’s in 2023 will take the school’s own entrance exam on Saturday 12th November 2022. They will take two tests which take approximately two hours to complete in total:

• English: a bespoke exam set by the school. Candidates are assessed on their knowledge and application of Key Stage 2 English, which may include reading comprehension and/or creative writing.

• Maths: candidates will complete a GL Assessment maths booklet. They will be assessed on their knowledge and application of Key Stage 2 maths, which may include skills in number, algebra, geometry, measurement, and statistics.

How to help your child prepare for the selection process at d'Overbroeck's

Build foundational knowledge

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Engage with their progress

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