Application Process

If your child’s birthday falls between 1 September and  31 December, you have the option for them to join our January intake into a small Nursery class of up to 16 pupils, in Nursery A. These pupils automatically transfer into the main Nursery classes in the September of the same year.  Children eligible for the January intake may wish to be assessed instead for the September intake. However, if children attend the assessment for the January intake and are unsuccessful, they will be unable to be reassessed for the following September entry.  Places offered for a January start cannot be deferred to a September start.

If your child’s birthday falls between 1 September and 31 August your child is eligible for entry in September into our two Nursery classes, NB and NP.

We offer pupils joining our Prep in Year 3 and above, a rich and broad curriculum and excellent preparation for the 11+ and senior school entrance exams. As part of the Eltham College Family of Schools, our Prep pupils also benefit from a priority assessment process for places at Eltham College for those who choose it as their preferred senior school. This enables our pupils to sit the entrance exam and receive offers ahead of other feeder schools. Pupils who accept an offer of a place are then able to withdraw from the 11+ process.

For our families who wish to explore a range of senior school options, we provide excellent preparation and advice throughout the process, supporting applications to a wide range of senior schools in London, Kent and further afield.

Nursery assessments take place in the morning, as part of a play-based session in a small group of children. Our aim is for your child to have a positive experience with us, in a warm and friendly environment, with adults that are kind and responsive to their individual needs and interests.  All staff engaging with your child during the play session are highly experienced and will take into account the month in which your child was born. If your child’s first language is not English, this will also be considered, as will any developmental delays. There will be an opportunity for you to make us aware of any additional information prior to the assessment.

On The Day 

One of our experienced staff will greet you and your child and walk with them over to our Nursery classroom where the play session will be held. It is our experience that children settle quickly and interact more fully, without a parent present. However, should your child feel daunted by the experience, especially those children that are younger, you are welcome to come in and settle them, leaving as quickly as possible.

• • Talk to your child about what to expect. Explain to them that they will be in a room that has been set up with activities and toys, ready for them to have fun and explore.

• • Make sure your child is well rested and has had enough to eat that morning. Arrive as close to the time as possible, as waiting too long before the session can unsettle your child.

• • The assessment process will take one hour, during which time refreshments will be provided for waiting parents and there will also be the opportunity to meet our Head and members of the Senior Leadership Team.

The play session

• • The Nursery space will be set up with a selection of activities aimed at engaging children’s interests. These will include construction, small world play, malleable play, drawing and puzzles.

• • Each child will be encouraged to complete an activity working 1:1 with an adult during the play session.

• • We will be looking to see how curious the children are and how well they engage with the activities provided. We will also observe how the children focus on the activities and how well they engage and communicate with the adults and children working alongside them.

• • We will conclude the session with a story read to the group.

Our 7+ Assessment Day is designed to bring out the very best in prospective pupils. We ensure that candidates feel at ease so that our assessments can accurately reflect their ability and potential. Prospective pupils will be assessed in maths, reading, writing, speaking and listening. No preparation is required and past papers are not available. Typically, successful candidates will be working above age related expectations for their year group.

On the day

Reading Comprehension – Prospective pupils will be required to read a short passage and answer a series of questions on the text. They should be able to read an age-appropriate passage independently and be able to extract information from the text to answer questions.

Writing – Candidates will be given a choice of prompts to write about. They should be able to write simple sentences with attention to capital letters, full stops, word spacing and accurate spelling of High Frequency Words appropriate to their year group. As part of a group, candidates will take part in an informal discussion and/or oral problem solving task with one of our Senior Leaders.

Speaking & Listening – As part of a group, candidates will take part in an informal discussion and/or oral problem solving task with one of our Senior Leaders.