Hampton School: 11 plus entry guide

About Hampton School

Hampton School is a large independent day school for boys aged 11–18 on a 28-acre site in South West London. It's currently one of the best private schools in the country, ranked 16th in the national league tables. There are many close links with Lady Eleanor Holles (LEH) – the neighbouring independent girls’ school.

Boys at Hampton School are taught to develop a spirit of intellectual enquiry. From Year 8, pupils are encouraged to take part in the Hampton Extended Learning Project – a programme of extended learning in areas of personal interest, as well as creative projects. The GCSE curriculum is extensive; as well as traditional academic subjects, boys can choose to study subjects including Ancient History, Greek with Latin, Mandarin and Russian.

Hampton School has a varied co-curricular programme and is well known for its sporting prowess, with many boys competing at regional, national and international levels. Over 1,000 fixtures are played annually in 18 different sports. As well as thriving art, music and drama programmes, there are over 50 clubs and societies including beekeeping, coding, lego robotics, model aviation and creative writing.

• Headteacher: Kevin Knibbs

• Address: Hampton School, Hanworth Road, Hampton, Middlesex, TW12 3HD

• London borough: Richmond upon Thames

• Age range and gender: 11–18 (boys only)

• Number of pupils: 1,300+

• National league table rank (Sunday Times Parent Power): 16

• A level results: 95.9% A*–B

• GCSE results: 95.4% 9–7

Key info for Year 7 admissions

• Admissions contact: Mrs Dorothy Jones – [email protected], 0208 979 9273

• Open day: 9th May, 28th June and 23rd September 2023. See the school website for details

• Overview of selection procedure: entrance exam, headteacher’s reference and interview

• Registration closes: 1st November 2023

• Assessment date: late November 2023

Hampton School admissions process

Hampton School welcomes around 160 children to Year 7 each year. Boys join from both state primary and independent prep schools.

If you're thinking about Hampton School for your son, we recommend visiting the school first to make sure that it's the right fit for them. Visits and open events can be booked via the school website.

1. Register for Year 7 entry

To begin the admissions process, register your son for entry via the admissions portal. If you would like your child to be considered for a place in September 2024, you will need to submit the form by 1st November 2023. A non-refundable registration fee of £125 applies – if your child receives free school meals, you will be able to waive this.

After you have registered your child, Hampton School will write to his current headteacher to request a confidential reference in support of his application.

2. Entrance exam

Your son will be invited to take the school's entrance exam in late November. We've included more details about the exam format and content below.

3. Interview

Children who demonstrate potential in the entrance exam will be invited back to the school for an interview on either Friday 5th or Saturday 6th January 2024. Boys will meet separately with two teachers for around 30 minutes in total.

The interview is designed to get to know your child as an individual. As well as exploring his academic and all-round potential, staff will be looking to see if your child fits with the Hampton ethos and values.

Learn more about private school interviews

4. Offers

Hampton School will email you with the outcome of your child's application on Friday 9th February 2024. If your son receives an offer, you will have until Friday 1st March 2024 to accept the place.

How to prepare for entry to Hampton School

Here are some top tips on how to best prepare your child for Year 7 entry to Hampton School

Preparation is key: familiarisation with the question formats and known styles ahead of the exam is essential. Access to quality Hampton School mock 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.

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