Contents
Considering Ibstock Place School for your child? We’ve collated everything you need to know about 11+ entry. Learn how to apply, what’s on the entrance exam, and how to help your child prepare for success.
Key information for Ibstock Place School
Address: Ibstock Place School, Clarence Lane, Roehampton, London SW15 5PY
Age range and gender: boys and girls aged 4–18
Type of school: independent day
Number of students: 1,000+
Admissions contact: [email protected]
11+ open days: September and October in Year 6
11+ selection criteria: online ability test, group problem solving task, English and maths papers, school reference
Financial assistance: means-tested bursaries
11+ scholarships: academic, art, music, dance drama, design technology, community commitment
About Ibstock Place School
Ibstock Place School is an independent day school for boys and girls aged 4–18 in southwest London. The senior school is for children aged 11–18. Ibstock offers an ‘incredible place with room to grow’.
The school provides a warm, friendly and positive environment for all pupils. The ‘rigorous and imaginative’ curriculum is deliberately broad, giving students room to develop and discover their passions. Academic results are consistently high. According to the 2022 ISI Report, 'pupils' success in formal assessments and external examinations is excellent and reflects the success-driven school culture'.
Ibstock Place is set in beautiful grounds with excellent facilities. There are over 100 co-curricular societies and activities on offer. Some of these are led by students themselves. Ibstock has an award-winning student magazine called ‘The Wall’. Students also host a podcast recorded and edited in the school’s state-of-the-art Innovation Centre.
The Good Schools Guide states that at Ibstock, '...well-adjusted pupils are not the products of a stressful pressure cooker but of a mixed, unbroken journey in a glorious setting.' With its London location, pupils benefit from easy access to transport links across the capital and beyond.
Dates for your diary
Registration closes: end of October in Year 6
Admissions information evening: beginning of November in Year 6
First–stage assessment: November in Year 6
Second–stage assessment (English and maths papers): December in Year 6
Offers of places: February in Year 6
Acceptance deadline: March in Year 6
Ibstock Place School 11+ entrance exam
Children applying for 11 plus entry to Ibstock Place School have a two-stage entrance process. The first stage consists of a online ability test and a group problem-solving task. The second stage consists of English and maths papers, which are created by the school.
Stage 1: Online ability test and group activity
The first stage exam for entry to Ibstock Place School is an online ability test. Your child will take this test on a computer at the school. It consists of multiple-choice questions spanning four subjects:
Your child will also be invited to take part in a group activity with other applicants. This activity is designed to assess how well your child can solve problems, think laterally, and work on their own and with other pupils.
Stage 2: English and maths tests
Shortlisted children are invited back to the second stage of the Ibstock School 11 plus entrance process. This consists of:
A one-hour English paper, written by the Head of English. This covers material taught on the national curriculum up to the end of Year 5. The paper might include reading comprehension and/or creative writing sections.
A one-hour maths paper, written by the Head of Maths. This is also aligned to the national curriculum up to the end of Year 5.
A short meeting with an Ibstock Place teacher. This is not assessed, but an opportunity for your child to learn more about the opportunities at the school.
Atom’s top tips for applying to Ibstock Place School
Ibstock Place School is a selective school, and competition for places can be high. Here are our top tips to help your child prepare for the selection process.
Bitesize learning
It’s important to build a good knowledge base before school entrance exams. Your child should have a good understanding of the content they’ve been taught at school before testing their knowledge with practice tests.
Using a ‘little and often’ approach when learning is key – our brains encode new information more effectively when dealing with smaller ‘chunks’ of information. For children aged 10–11, child psychologists recommend regular study sessions of 20–30 minutes.
With Atom Home, you don’t need to worry about creating a study schedule. When you enter your target schools, you’ll get a bespoke learning plan tailored to your schools’ entrance exams. Know exactly what your child needs to do each week to confidently pass.
Read widely
Entrance exams test children’s ability to analyse and interpret written information. Regular reading is a great way to help your child build these skills.
Encourage them to read books from different genres and by a diverse range of authors. Increasing the variety of your child’s reading will help them understand different styles, tones and purposes. Meanwhile, reading a little every day will help widen their vocabulary, sharpen their analytical thinking, and enhance their imagination.
Looking for reading inspiration? Check out our Key Stage 2 reading list.
Hone curiosity
Selective schools are often looking for children who are interested in learning. You can help by supporting your child’s broader learning, their intellectual curiosity, and their passion for developing an understanding of the world.
Talk to your child about the world we live in and inspire an interest in current affairs with age-appropriate journalism. It’s also a good idea to make sure they’re benefitting from a rich variety of experiences, such as visiting libraries, museums and galleries.
Refine exam technique
When your child feels confident with their knowledge of the exam topics, they’ll be ready to put their knowledge to the test.
Mock tests can help your child develop problem-solving skills and refine exam technique. They’re also a great way to consolidate learning, while highlighting any knowledge gaps they might want to tackle before exam day.
When you set Ibstock Place School as a target school on Atom Home, your child will get mock tests as part of their learning plan. Know what to expect on exam day.
Celebrate progress
Setting regular, achievable goals and celebrating your child’s progress – no matter how big or small – will help keep their motivation high.
Make sure to encourage a growth mindset. This means celebrating effort, as well as achievement! When your child makes mistakes or struggles to understand a particular topic, help them understand that they’ll improve through practice. Regular praise will help your child improve their resilience when tackling new and challenging topics.
Tailored exam prep for Ibstock Place School
Get your child’s roadmap to success with Atom Home. Atom has everything you need to get prepared, in one package.
Know what to revise with clear weekly plans tailored to your target schools
Enjoy learning with 90,000+ questions and 500+ hours of videos
Refine exam technique with mock tests that replicate your target school's exams
See your child’s performance compared to other candidates
School offers – easy with Atom.
In 2024, 91% of Atom kids got offered a place at their top-choice school. Your child could be one of them. Get started with Atom for free today.
Contents