St Catherine’s School Twickenham: parents’ guide to Year 7 entry

St Catherine’s School is a Catholic independent day school for girls aged 4 to 18 on the banks of the River Thames in Twickenham, South West London.

The school is named after St Catherine of Siena, whose motto ‘Be who God wants you to be and you will set the world on fire’ has been adopted by the school to encourage girls to focus on their own gifts, to be ambitious and to be creative. The school’s five values are community, faith, courage, scholarship and service.

St Catherine’s School is well-known for its pastoral care and the trusting relationships that are built between pupils, teachers and parents. The pastoral structure consists of form tutors, pastoral heads of lower and middle schools, the deputy head pastoral and a qualified counsellor. Girls also enjoy an extensive co-curricular programme, with senior activities including biathlon and triathlons, dance, food technology, orchestras and a wide range of subject-specific clubs.

In 2021, 71% of GCSE grades at St Catherine’s School were 9–7 (A*–A equivalent). 49% of A level grades were A*–A, with leavers accepted onto a range of university courses including medicine, architecture, English literature, psychology, drama, business and law.

Key information for St Catherine’s School, Twickenham

• Headteacher: Mrs Johneen McPherson

• Address: St Catherine’s School, Cross Deep, Twickenham, TW1 4QJ

• London Borough: Richmond-upon-Thames

• Admissions contact: Mrs Julie Harris – [email protected], 020 8891 2898

• Age range and gender: 4–18, girls only

• Number of pupils: 441

• Number of places in Year 7: 60

• Ratio of applicants to places: Undisclosed

• Open day date: TBC – check the school website for up-to-date events

• Overview of selection procedure for Year 7 entry: Entrance exam and interview with the headmistress

• Registration opens: Registration is open now and available online.

• Registration closes: Tuesday 15th November 2022 at midday

• Assessment date for Year 7 entry: Saturday 3rd December 2022

• Scholarship assessment date: From Wednesday 7th December 2022 to early January 2023 (dependent on scholarship)

St Catherine’s School Twickenham fees and financial assistance

The current school fees at St Catherine’s School Twickenham are £5,095 per term for Years 7–13. School lunches cost £280 per term.

St Catherine’s School has a long history of providing financial assistance to pupils and their families and offers a small number of means-tested bursaries to girls who show good academic ability and meet the school’s criteria. Each case is considered on an individual basis. If you would like to apply for a bursary for your child at St Catherine’s, you will need to complete a separate bursary application form.

St Catherine’s School also offers the following scholarships at Year 7: Academic, Art, Drama, Music and Sport. The remuneration of these awards is not disclosed.

St Catherine’s School Twickenham term dates

The 2022–23 term dates at St Catherine’s School Twickenham are:

• Autumn term: 5th September – 14th December 2022

• Half term: 17th – 28th October 2022

• Spring term: 5th January – 31st March 2023

• Half term: 13th – 17th February 2023

• Summer term: 18th April – 7th July 2023

• Half term: 29th May – 2nd June 2023

Admissions process for St Catherine’s School Twickenham

If you are interested in St Catherine’s School Twickenham for your daughter, you will need to complete the online application form and pay the non-refundable registration fee of £100 by the deadline of Tuesday 15th November 2022. This is the same deadline for bursary and scholarship applications, including an expression of your interest for an academic scholarship if applying.

All candidates (and parents) will be interviewed by the headmistress during the autumn term in 2022. This is a relaxed process that is designed for the headmistress to answer any questions and to identify girls who will benefit from the education at St Catherine’s School. All candidates will then take the school’s entrance exam at St Catherine’s School on Saturday 3rd December 2022.

If your child is applying for a scholarship, there will be additional steps in the admissions process:

• Academic Scholarship: an expression of your interest will need to be submitted by the registration deadline (Tuesday 15th November 2022). Academic Scholarships will be awarded according to applicants’ results in the entrance exam.

• Art Scholarship: candidates will need to submit examples of their artistic work and a reference from their current art teacher. Shortlisted candidates will then be invited to an Art Scholarship Day, which will consist of an interview and an artistic task.

• Drama Scholarship: candidates will need to submit details of productions/activities in which they have participated and a reference from their current drama teacher. Shortlisted candidates will then be invited to a Drama Scholarship Day, which will consist of an interview and a group improvisation task.

• Music Scholarship: scholarship candidates must be at least Grade 4 standard on one or more instruments at the time of application. A reference is also required from the child’s current instrumental/vocal teacher. Shortlisted candidates will then be invited to an audition and interview on the Music Scholarship Day.

• Sport Scholarship: candidates must represent a club, region, county or country, or have a recognised ranking in their chosen sport. To apply for a Sports Scholarship, you will need to submit details of the child’s sport and level played, their sporting achievements and programme and a report from their current coach and teacher. Shortlisted candidates will then be invited to attend a Sports Scholarship Performance Session, where they will be assessed across a range of sports (including swimming) along with fitness levels.

St Catherine’s School Twickenham entrance exam format

Candidates for Year 7 entry to St Catherine’s School Twickenham will take two papers on Saturday 3rd December 2022:

• English (one hour)

• Maths (one hour) These papers are designed to bring out the skills and potential of each candidate, regardless of the curriculum emphasis in her current school. There are no practice papers available, but you may find the following resources helpful:

• How to develop your child’s reading comprehension exam skills

• Creative writing in the 11 plus: parents’ guide

• 11 plus creative writing guide for kids

• Common areas of difficulty on the 11 plus exam

How to help your child prepare for the selection process at St Catherine’s School Twickenham

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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 Year 7 entry to St Catherine’s School Twickenham:

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