Contents
Considering Merchant Taylors' 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 Merchant Taylors' School
Address: Merchant Taylors' School, Sandy Lodge, Northwood, Middlesex, HA6 2HT
Age range and gender: boys aged 11–18
Type of school: independent day
Number of students: 1,100
Admissions contact: [email protected]
11+ open days: September
11+ selection criteria: entrance exam and interview
Financial assistance: means-tested bursaries
11+ scholarships: academic, art, drama, design, engineering & technology, music, and sport
About Merchant Taylors' School
Merchant Taylors’ School (MTS), founded in 1561, is a prestigious boys’ school located on the edge of northwest London. The school has a rich history that spans over 450 years. It was founded in the City by the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors – a livery company – to provide an education rooted in classical learning. In 1933, the school moved to its present 285-acre site. The expansive groups include state-of-the-art facilities for academics, sports, and extracurricular activities.
MTS is renowned for its rigorous curriculum and achieves outstanding examination results. Students go on to top universities in the UK and abroad, including Oxbridge and Ivy League colleges. In addition to academic excellence, the school ethos emphasises character development. Boys are encouraged to become well-rounded individuals who contribute positively to society.
Beyond the classroom, students can get involved in a wide variety of extracurricular activities. These include sports, music, drama, and various clubs, fostering individual talents and interests. The school has a strong tradition of public service, with students participating in community service and charitable initiatives.
With its combination of tradition and modernity, MTS is a leader in British education.
Dates for your diary
Registration closes: end of October in Year 6
Entrance exam: November–December in Year 6
Interviews: January in Year 6
Offers of places: mid-February in Year 6
Acceptance deadline: early March in Year 6
Merchant Taylors' School 11+ entrance exam
Boys applying for 11+ entry to Merchant Taylors’ School take an entrance exam in the autumn term of Year 6. This is either in late November or early December. Your son will be allocated an exam date depending on his home postcode.
The Merchant Taylors’ School entrance exam consists of three written papers:
English: a one-hour paper in two parts: reading comprehension and creative writing. Your child should spend around 30 minutes on each section.
Maths: a one-hour paper which tests the mathematical skills and concepts taught in Key Stage 2 maths.
General paper: this paper is unique to Merchant Taylors’ School. It’s designed to test a range of skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving and creativity.
Children who achieved the top results in the entrance exams are invited back to the school for an interview in January. This will be with a member of the admissions team or a senior member of teaching staff. The interview is an opportunity for your child to talk about their goals, interests, hobbies, and areas of interest at school. For more top tips and an exclusive interview preparation resource, take a look at our guide to senior school interviews.
Free exam prep resources
Atom’s top tips for applying to Merchant Taylors' School
Merchant Taylors' 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 Merchant Taylors' School as a target school on Atom Home, your child will get tailored mock tests for Merchant Taylors' School 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 Merchant Taylors' 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 for your target schools
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