Cheltenham Ladies’ College School Entrance Guide

A whole school open day takes place in the Summer Term, whilst open events (called ‘experience days’) for specific entry points are also available. Both events are bookable via the website. Cheltenham Ladies College has a virtual tour available on the website for those families unable to visit in person. Private tours are also available to registered families.

11+ entry to Cheltenham Ladies College is based solely on an assessment day which takes place in the Autumn Term of Year 6. Registration must be completed before the end of Year 5 and girls will then be invited to attend on a specific date. There is a ‘briefing paper’ available on the school website which outlines the content of the assessment day and suggests a reading list for girls to consider. The assessment day includes a Maths (non-calculator), English (long answer comprehension questions and a creative writing exercise), Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning test and there are also group activities and discussion opportunities with current staff. Following the assessment day offers are sent out promptly by the end of the Autumn Term and must be accepted by the end of the Spring Term. 

13+ entry to Cheltenham Ladies College takes place in Year 7, which is two years before entry. Around 50 students are admitted at this point. Registered students are invited to an assessment day at the school, with exams in Maths (non-calculator for the Mental Maths component and calculator allowed for the problem-solving component), English (long answer comprehension questions and a creative writing exercise) and Reasoning. It is possible for girls to submit evidence of recent reasoning exams which have been undertaken at their school in lieu of the CLC Reasoning test. Following the assessment day, offers for 13+ entry are sent by the end of the Autumn Term of Year 7 and must be accepted by the end of the Spring Term.

16+ entry to Cheltenham Ladies College takes place in Year 11 and is a two-stage process. Firstly, an essay must be submitted or, for non-UK applicants, a UKiset test can be done at a centre in their home country. Once this has been sent through, online interviews are arranged. The second stage is an entrance exam (candidates must specify the four subjects to be taken). Following completion of both stages, offers are sent out by the end of the Autumn Term and must be accepted promptly. 

Scholarships are available at Cheltenham Ladies College but do not carry any fee remission. At 11+ and 13+ prospective pupils who perform well on the entrance assessments are invited to sit the academic scholarship papers. 16+ academic scholarship candidates are invited for interview. Music scholarships are also available at 11+, 13+ and 16+, with the addition of an organ scholarship at 16+. These are assessed by audition, and full details of the standard expected are available on the school website.  At 13+ and 16+, art and sport scholarships are also available.

Bursaries are available at Cheltenham Ladies College for those families who would otherwise be unable to afford the educational opportunities offered. These are called ‘Beale Awards’ and are available at 11+, 13+ and 16+. They are worth up to 100% of fees for eligible families, who must be resident in the UK.