Sherfield School

Admission Process

We offer rolling admissions and welcome applications from parents throughout the school year for children from 3 months to 18 years old.   Tour and Meeting with a member of our Senior Leadership Team The admission process begins with a tour and meeting with an appropriate member of our SLT. We also offer Open Days as a more information way to tour the school and meet our staff. We have one upcoming Open Morning for entry into Year 7 September 2024 on Friday 12 May. This is now fully booked however and we will be announcing further Open Mornings in the Autumn Term. If you are interested in entry into any year group please use the form below to book a bespoke, private tour of the school. We can also offer video calls with our Executive Head and members of our Senior Leadership Team if you would prefer.  We hope that our video tours, virtual tour, testimonial videos, information and images on the website and our social media will give a good indication of the warm, family-friendly atmosphere of the School.    Registration Once you have finalised your decision, our Admissions Team will send you a Registration Form to complete, which will enable you to book a 'taster' session/day at the school. You will also be required to pay the non-refundable registration fee of £100 or, for those needing a Child Student visa, £150.   Taster Days Once registered, we offer 'tasters' for children joining Reception up to and including Sixth Form. These range from a few hours to a full day, with overnight stays for prospective boarders. Snacks, refreshments and lunch are provided. We offer short feedback meetings for parents at the end of all tasters, and in instances where this is not possible, we provide telephone feedback. Mini tasters  For Reception places, mini tasters are offered during the year before a child formally starts school, and most occur between September and December.  Children join our Pre-Reception for a few hours to experience and explore our setting, interact with our staff and with pupils of a similar age that will be moving up to Reception. This is also an important opportunity for us to observe a child's 'readiness' for Reception, such as their ability to follow simple routines, respond to teachers and play with others.  Sometimes, for example, where a child struggles to settle without their parents or can feel overwhelmed by a new environment, we organise an additional taster. This can be in close succession to the first taser or we may recommend leaving a longer period to give a child more time to reach some developmental milestones and organise a follow up taster towards the end of the Spring term (March-April). Full day tasters  For places in Years 1 and 2, children spend the school day (8.30am - 3.15pm) with their current year group and experience a variety of lessons, which can include subjects such as PE, Dance and Outdoor Education. Informal assessments in Maths and English are interspersed with lessons and activities.  For places in Years 3 upwards, the school day is longer and runs from 8.30am - 4.15pm. Again, the focus is on a child experiencing a typical day at Sherfield with the opportunity to engage in the subjects and activities that they most enjoy, and to learn and socialise with pupils who would be in the same year group if they were to join Sherfield.  For Years 3 and 4, informal assessments in Maths and English form part of the taster day.  From Year 5 upwards, a student's taster day includes a CAT4 test, which is a cognitive ability test, where no preparation is required  Often, children are familiar with these standardised tests as they are widely used in primary and secondary schools. In some instances, children are invited to come on a separate morning to sit the test. If a student has sat the CAT4 test recently in their current school, we may instead request the results from the school. For Sixth form entry, we offer a taster in Sixth form, joining classes that include the student's preferred course choices. Students living overseas are invited to come to the UK for a taster including an overnight stay in our boarding house, if prospective boarders. If this is not possible, we provide a virtual tour of the school and organise a virtual meeting with the Headmaster. For students where English is their second language, they undertake a Maths test and PASSWORD English test to gauge their levels in both subjects, under exam conditions, invigilated by their current school or where applicable, an Agent. This is followed by a virtual interview with the Headmaster.  Meeting with the Headmaster is an important opportunity for the student to learn more about Sherfield and for the Headmaster to gain a sense of a prospective student's character and aspirations as well as their academic potential, interests and talents. Pre-taster We want to make sure that a child can access the curriculum fully and thrive in all aspects of their education and life at Sherfield.  Ahead of any taster, we require school reports, and references, where applicable, and all supporting information such as specialist reports and assessments, relating to any additional needs, including Learning Support.  This information should be translated into English, for students from overseas. For entrance into Sixth form, we also request predicted grades in GCSE or equivalent examinations.   Offer a Place Successful applicants will be offered a place in writing. After this offer of a place you would like your child to join Sherfield School we will ask you to complete our admissions forms. A deposit of £400 or, for boarders, £2500 (plus one term's fees for Non-UK residents) will be requested when the place is confirmed.