Prior's Field: parents’ guide to Year 7 entry

Prior’s Field is a small independent day and boarding school for girls aged 11–18 located on a 42-acre green site in Godalming, Surrey. It was founded in 1902 by Julia Huxley, who was a pioneer in girls’ education and established Prior’s Field as a progressive school which allowed its pupils to develop an unusual freedom of thought and expression.

The school is focused on the development of unique individuals, which it achieves through its small student population (compared to most independent schools) and its strong family ethos. Motivation, self-belief and enjoyment are at the heart of the educational philosophy at Prior's Field, with strong pastoral support and positive wellbeing integral to its approach. The heads of year and a wellbeing coordinator support girls as they become young adults, while all girls undertake a nine-week accredited course from MISP (Mindfulness in School Project).

Beyond the classroom, pupils at Prior’s Field have plenty of co-curricular opportunities available through active and creative life programmes. Pupils are encouraged to develop resourcefulness and leadership skills in activities such as the Duke of Edinburgh Award, World Challenge and Young Enterprise, while teamwork and personal achievement can be found through a wide range of sports including riding, rugby and basketball. Creativity and cultural pursuits are also on full display; LAMDA and RADA classes are popular, while every pupil is encouraged to take part in music – whatever their ability.

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Key information for Prior's Field

• Head: Tracy Kirnig

• Address: Prior's Field, Priorsfield Road, Godalming, Surrey, GU7 2RH

• County: Surrey

• Admissions contact: Hayley Jeffels – [email protected], 01483 813402

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

• Number of pupils: 387

• Open day date: several throughout the year – no official dates released for 2023, but private tours and meetings with the head can be booked through the admissions office

• Overview of selection procedure: group activities and challenges, interview and 11 plus entrance exam

• Registration closes: mid-October in Year 6

• Assessment date: early December in Year 6

Prior's Field fees and financial assistance

The fees at Prior’s Field from January 2023 are:

• Years 7–8 (day education): £6,900 per term (including catering)

• Years 7–8 (weekly boarding): £10,350 per term

• Years 7–8 (full boarding): £11,200 per term

• Years 9–13 (day education): £7,050 per term (including catering)

• Years 9–13 (weekly boarding): £10,700 per term

• Years 9–13 (full boarding): £11,500 per term

As part of a move to widen access to the school, Prior’s Field is able to offer a limited number of means-tested bursaries (financial assistance) to girls who meet the entrance criteria, but whose parents would not otherwise be able to afford the fees. Bursaries may be up to 95% of day fees, and limited funding is available for help where parents have experienced unforeseen financial hardships.

Children applying for 11 plus entry to Prior’s Field may also apply for a scholarship, which is not means-tested but awarded based on talent and skill in a particular area. Academic, art, music, drama, and sport scholarships are all available and are valued at between 5% and 20% fee remission.

Prior’s Field also offers the following fee discounts:

• Armed Forces and FCO: pupils who have a parent serving in the armed forces or in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are eligible for a 20% discount on boarding fees only.

• Old Girls: pupils will have a 10% reduction applied to their day fees if their mother is a former pupil.

• Siblings: when three or more siblings are at Prior’s Field at the same time, the eldest daughter will have a 10% reduction applied to her day fees.

Prior's Field term dates

The term dates at Prior's Field for 2022–23 are:

• Autumn term: 7th September – 14th December 2022

• Half term: 21st October – 6th November 2022

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

• Half term: 10th–19th February 2023

• Summer term: 17th April – 7th July 2023

• Half term: 25th May – 4th June 2023

The confirmed autumn term dates at Prior's Field for 2023–24 are:

• Autumn term: 5th September – 15th December 2023

• Half term: 20th October – 5th November 2023

Admissions process for Year 7 entry to Prior's Field

The admissions process for Year 7 entry to Prior's Field in 2023 is now closed. The next admissions cycle for Year 7 entry to Prior's Field is for 2024.

If you would like your daughter to begin her secondary education at Prior’s Field in 2024, you will need to complete the registration form and return this, along with a £125 registration fee (UK applicants), to the admissions office at Prior’s Field. The deadline for this is usually just before October half term in the year before entry.

The admissions office will write to your daughter’s current school to obtain a confidential written reference about your child, as well as a recent school report. Meanwhile, all registered children will be invited to attend the school’s Preview Day in November of Year 6, which will involve activities, challenges and one-to-one interviews. Girls who have applied for a co-curricular scholarship will also undergo scholarship pre-screening at this event.

All girls will then be invited back to Prior’s Field in early December to take the school’s 11 plus entrance exams. Shortlisted scholarship applicants will be called back to the school for interviews with departments in December and January.

The 11 plus exam at Prior's Field

Children who are registered for Year 7 entry to Prior's Field in September 2024 will take academic assessments in early December 2023. They will take three written tests:

• English: a written exam based on the Key Stage 2 national curriculum. Prior's Field does not provide many details about this exam, but your child will likely be set tasks in reading comprehension and/or creative writing.

• Maths: a non-calculator paper which will assess your child’s knowledge and application of Key Stage 2 maths. This includes the main topics of number, measurement, geometry, statistics and algebra.

• Non-verbal reasoning: your child will be assessed on their ability to analyse visual information and solve problems using shapes, diagrams and pictures. This subject is not taught at school, but you can find more information in our guide to 11 plus non-verbal reasoning.

How to prepare for entry to Prior's Field

Build foundational knowledge

The 11 plus exam at Prior’s Field will assess your daughter’s knowledge of the Key Stage 2 national curriculum for English and maths, as well as their logic and problem-solving skills (assessed through a non-verbal reasoning paper).

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Familiarisation with the question formats and known styles ahead of the exam is essential to help your daughter build exam confidence.

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Your child can take mock tests that replicate English, maths, and non-verbal reasoning 11 plus exams as many times as they like without repeatedly seeing the same questions. Meanwhile, you’ll be able to see their results instantly, including their performance compared to peers and suggested areas for improvement.

Access to immediate support

When working through challenging topics, your child will need immediate clarity with any misconceptions so that they feel truly secure in every topic. Atom Nucleus includes video tutorials, help sheets and examples with every question to help your child build confidence and competence across all the areas assessed.

Engage with their progress

Celebrate your child’s improvement in areas of challenge together. An accurate and ongoing assessment of their areas of strength and development is helpful.

As an Atom subscriber, you’ll have a parent dashboard which offers data-driven insights into your child’s progress. You can use this effectively to help your child set targets, see a detailed breakdown of their progress by subtopic and set custom practices to target those they find most challenging.

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It’s our mission to help your child feel prepared and confident before the exam day. Begin your free 5-day free trial of Nucleus today to help your child succeed.

We know how crucial this time is, so our team is on hand to support you and your family every step of the way. You can book a call with one of our Education Experts to ask any questions you might have about 11 plus entry to Prior's Field:

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