Jan 31, 2023, 2:06 PM
Are you considering KCS Wimbledon for your son? We've collated everything you need to know about applying for a place in Year 7. Learn about key dates, what's covered on the entrance exam, and how to help your son prepare.
King’s College School Wimbledon, known as both KCS and King's, is a private day school for boys aged 11–18 and girls aged 16–18 in Wimbledon, southwest London. It's often listed as the top boys' or co-educational school in the country based on pupils' outstanding exam results.
Pupils at King’s enjoy a fulfilling co-curricular programme. Extended lunch breaks on Tuesdays and Thursdays and no timetabled subjects on Friday afternoons allow pupils to nurture existing interests and enjoy new challenges. There is a significant investment in music, sport and drama, with outdoor pursuits including the Combined Cadet Force (CCF) and Duke of Edinburgh Award. King's also has an extensive outreach programme – there are partnerships with over 20 state schools and pupils get involved in weekly projects within the local community.
King's has an excellent record of achieving university success. In the last seven years, almost 25% of leavers have secured places at Oxford and Cambridge universities and many more on to study at top destinations in North America, including Brown, Harvard, Cornell, Stanford, and Yale.
Headteacher: Dr Anne Cotton
Address: King’s College School, Southside, Wimbledon Common, London SW19 4TT
London borough: Merton
Age range and gender: 11–18 (boys 11–18, girls 16–18)
Number of pupils: 1,100+
National league table rank (Sunday Times Parent Power): 3
A level results: 99.3% A*–B
GCSE results: 97.7% 9–7
Admissions contact: [email protected], 020 8255 5329
Open day: 14th June 2023. More details are available on the school website
Overview of selection procedure: entrance exam, interview and school reference
Registration closes: 31st October 2023
Assessment date: early December 2023
The term dates at King's College School in 2023–2024 are:
Autumn term: 4th September – 14th December 2023
Half term: 16th–27th October 2023
Spring term: 9th January – 26th March 2024
Half term: 12th–16th February 2024
Summer term: 17th April – 3rd July 2024
Half term: 27th–31st May 2024
The termly fees at King's College School in 2023–2024 are £7,805 for pupils in Years 7–8, and £8,630 for pupils in Year 9 and above. Lunch is charged separately and usually starts at £300 per term (charges are higher for longer school terms).
### Financial assistance
The school is able to provide means-tested financial assistance, known as bursaries, to bright boys whose families would not otherwise be able to afford the school fees. Bursaries can provide up to 100% discount on tuition fees and may also include provision for extras such as school trips and uniform. Find out more on the school website.
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If you're thinking about registering your son for a place at King's, it's a good idea to visit the school in person first at an open event. This is a great way to familiarise yourself with the school, see the facilities available, talk to current staff and pupils, and find out more about the admissions process.
We also recommend talking to your child's current teacher first before beginning an application. King's is a highly selective and competitive school, with around 10 applicants per place. Children who are offered places are normally working at the very top ability range in their year group.
To begin your child's application for entry at 11 plus, complete the online registration form before 31st October when they are in Year 6.
You will also need to upload scans of your son's passport, a photograph of your son, his end of Year 5 report and a brief outline of his academic and co-curricular interests and achievements. A non-refundable registration payment of £150 is required.
Your son will be invited to the King's College School 11 plus entrance exam in December when he is in Year 6. We've outlined more details about the entrance exam below.
Boys who perform well in the entrance exam will be shortlisted and invited back for an interview in January. Interviewers will be looking at your son's academic nature, personal qualities, and ability to make an all-round contribution to life at the school. This is a great opportunity for your child to discuss his interests and ask any questions he might have about King's.
Read our top tips for private school interviews
King's will email you in mid-February to let you know whether your son has been offered a place. You will then have until early March to accept.
All boys who are offered places in Year 7 will be invited to an induction day in the summer term so that they can meet their teachers and other pupils in their year group before starting in September.
The 11 plus entrance exam for King's College School takes place in early December when your son is in Year 6. Children take three written papers:
The English exam lasts 50 minutes. The first section is a reading comprehension task – boys will need to spend around 30 minutes reading the text and answering questions to demonstrate their understanding.
The second section tests creative writing ability. Your child should spend around 20 minutes continuing the passage of text. Examiners will be looking for accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar and imaginative ability.
The maths test also lasts 50 minutes. Children will be tested on their understanding and application of the Key Stage 2 national curriculum, with questions assessing their ability with numbers, mathematical operations, measurement, geometry and basic algebra.
The verbal reasoning test uses similar questions to the papers set by major exam boards (such as GL Assessment). Children will be tested on their understanding and ability to solve word-based problems.
Here are Atom's top tips for helping prepare your son for King's College School entrance exam.
Preparation is key: familiarisation with the question formats and known styles ahead of the exam is essential. Access to quality King's College 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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Atom's algorithm keeps children on their ideal learning path, tailored to their unique learning style and pace to keep them challenged and motivated.
With Atom Nucleus you'll unlock online mock tests tailored to the King's College School 11 plus exam, so your child will go into the exam knowing exactly what to expect.
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Begin your son's journey to King's College School today.
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We understand how important this next step is for them, and for you. Please don't hesitate to get in touch with any questions you may have about applying to King's College School or other selective schools.
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