How to get into City of London School at 11 Plus

Introduction

City of London School has a significant intake at 11 Plus, with up to 60 students joining at this point.

Please note that the school also has a significant entrance point at 10 Plus.

Places are awarded on the basis of performance in a two stage process. The first stage consists of online assessments and a creative writing assessment. The second stage is an interview and group activity.

Registration

Parents must register their sons by the November of Year 6. Contact the school for further information.

Pre-testing

City of London School do not use pre-testing at 11+.

Entry Examinations to City of London School

These will take place on Friday 28th November 2025. They will include online assessments in English, Maths and Reasoning, and a creative writing assessment. More information can be found here.

The City of London 11 Plus Interview

Students who do well on the 11+ examinations are invited in for interview in late January or early February of Year 6.

City’s interview at 11+ will take around 20 minutes. There is often a lot of fear around the interview process, but essentially, the school wants to know if your child is going to be happy and do well there. The school expect no special preparation to be made for the interview. In the words of one of our top school entrance tutors:

“The interview is a conversation with a purpose, designed to establish whether the school will suit you and you will suit the school. Ask your child to think about why they want to go there, what the school can offer them and what they can offer the school. Can they play an instrument, act, contribute to term sports, play chess, instigate a new club? Tell them!”

Scholarships and Bursaries to City of London School

City of London School offers around 30 scholarships for each year group. These are worth up to 25% of the school’s fees.

Scholarships

Academic scholarships are offered on the basis of performance on the school’s entrance test. Contact the school to find out more. All students sitting the entrance exams are considered on the basis of performance in these exams.

Music scholarships are awarded on the basis of performance in an audition. Applicants must have already passed the main examinations and have been invited to interview, must be at grade 5 or above in at least one instrument, and must play a secondary instrument.

Sports scholarships are awarded on the basis of performance in a special trial. Applicants must have already passed the main examinations and have been invited to interview, and must be at a high enough standard to represent the school in at least two team sports played by the school, especially football.

Bursaries

The school offers full-fee bursaries. These are offered when total annual parental income is below £45,000, and capital assets will be assessed. Applicants must sit the computerised screening exam in January, and parents must complete a financial statement. If an applicant is already at a fee-paying Prep school without a full bursary they are not eligible. You can find more information about bursaries here.

Fees

School fees for the academic year 2025-2026 are £8,996 per term meaning the total cost of the first year will be £26,988. It is worth remembering that school fees rise each year (usually by around 4-5%).

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