Emanuel School entrance guide

10 plus and 11 plus Entrance Guide to Emanuel

One of our experienced 11 plus tutors, Ally, shares her thoughts on preparing for the 10 plus and 11 plus entrance examinations at Emanuel:

Emanuel is an academically selective independent school in southwest London. It is one of the few independent schools in South London that offer a co-educational school experience and describes itself as a happy, well rounded, and positive learning environment. Founded in 1594 and moving to its current site in Wandsworth in 1883, it now educates around 1000 pupils, approximately half boys, half girls. 

In terms of admissions, Emanuel uses its own entry process which consists of an exam in the following: English, Maths and Verbal reasoning. Entrance to the secondary school can be taken at 10 plus (end of Year 5) and 11 plus (end of Year 6). Around 45 pupils join at the start of Year 6 and around 100 pupils join at the start of Year 7.

Below you will find a guide outlining admissions to the school as well as our tutors who have supported students to Emanuel. As the 10 plus and 11 plus process is so similar, specific timings have been included below to help you, depending on which entry point you are considering. It is also important to note that if you child is unsuccessful at 10 plus, Emanuel does give them the opportunity to resit for 11 plus. 

Emanuel’s 10 plus and 11 plus entry process

If you are applying for your child to enter Year 6 at Emanuel, the process starts at the beginning of Year 5, when the application must be made (the deadline is the middle of October) and the child's Year 4 report must be sent to the school by the parent. For entry at Year 7, the process moves forward one school year. Often schools request reports themselves, but Emanuel does not - the parent takes responsibility for this. If you are applying for a bursary or scholarship (please see below), this must be submitted by the middle of November. 

10 plus and 11 plus entrance exams at Emanuel

The exams take place in December of Year 5 for entry into Year 6 at Emanuel and at the same time in Year 6 for entry into Year 7. There are three papers: Maths, English and Verbal Reasoning. The English paper consists of a comprehension (short and long answers, not multiple choice) and a creative writing which asks the child to continue the story from the comprehension passage. The Maths paper (non-calculator) starts with simple calculation questions and then moves on to more challenging problem-solving style word problems. Both papers are one hour. The verbal reasoning paper will be based on standard VR assessments for that age and is 45 minutes long. 

10 plus and 11 plus interview and group experience days at Emanuel

Emanuel have changed their interview process within the last few years to include an interview and experience day only for those children who pass the entrance exams. This takes place in January of Year 5 (Year 6 for 11 plus) and invites are sent out in early January following the entrance exams in December. During this day, children will work in a team to undertake problem solving tasks, and demonstrate their creative skills. At this stage your child may also be invited to apply for an academic scholarship, in which case they will have an extra interview with a member of academic staff. Offers are sent out at the beginning of February. 

Applying for a bursary or scholarship to Emanuel at 10 plus and 11 plus

It is possible to apply for a scholarship once the registration form has been completed. Emanuel offers academic, music, sport, art and drama scholarships. These range from 10% fee remission to 50%. Bursaries are available based on financial need, up to a value of 100% fee remission; they can also be combined with scholarships. It is essential if applying for a bursary or a scholarship that the form is returned in good time, normally by the middle of November. Academic scholarships are by invitation following the entrance exams detailed above. Other scholarships involve a separate application process, shown below. 

Art Scholarships at Emanuel at 10 plus and 11 plus

Children applying for an art scholarship have to submit a portfolio of their work and also sit an entrance assessment and interview in the art department at Emanuel. The portfolio will include a reference from the child's art teacher and is an extensive submission with 15 pieces of work required. 

Music Scholarships at Emanuel at 10 plus and 11 plus

Children applying for a music scholarship are generally, unless of a very high standard on one instrument, expected to offer two instruments (which may include voice). There will be an audition process which is very much like an Associated Board or Trinity College examination, with aural tests and sight reading, plus the performance of a piece on their main instrument. Music scholars receive free music lessons on two instruments and are expected to commit fully to the musical life of the school, including undertaking to study GCSE music when they reach Year 10.

Drama scholarships at Emanuel at 10 plus and 11 plus

Children applying for drama scholarships must submit two pieces of written work, one review of a recent performance they have been to see, and one statement expressing their interest and commitment to being a drama scholar. Multiple references (from inside or outside school) may also be submitted. Following this, selected children will be invited through to the audition process, which takes around one hour and involves the preparation of a one to two minute piece, followed by individual questions and group drama work. 

Sports scholarships at Emanuel at 10 plus and 11 plus

If your child is applying for a sports scholarship they should submit the application including references from inside or outside school. Following this, selected children will be invited to an assessment day, and decisions on the award will be made based on both the application and assessment day. Sports scholars will be expected to play in at least two teams whilst at Emanuel and commit fully to the sporting life of the school. 

In conclusion

If applying at 11+ it’s going to be essential that your child has a solid grasp of all the curriculum they covered in year 5 and beyond into year 6. Your child’s school will have been preparing their pupils for this and hopefully have all this in hand. Keep on top of reports and follow up on any guidance for improvements with your child’s teachers and/or tutors if you are enlisting support.

Step 1: This step will take place in the summer of year 4 and will involve ensuring that all gaps in knowledge are closed. So that skills and knowledge in the curriculum are either secure or being exceeded. Work on areas of weakness in small and manageable bitesize chunks (e.g., 10-15 mins per day of descriptive writing skill development or 10-15mins per day of fractions).

Step 2: Practice exam level material – You may wish to use a combination of the following at this stage:

• Your child’s usual homework
• Specific 11+ textbooks (e.g., Galore Park) that cover the exam material
• Sessions delivered by an experienced tutor who can tailor lessons to your child’s needs.

Step 3: Practice exam level material in timed conditions. This stage is when specimen papers are useful. Preparing your child for success will involve recreating the conditions in which your child will sit the exam in. Getting used to working under timed pressure will ensure that they are not thrown by the exam day and support them to perform their best. Similarly, preparing for interview will require some preparation in terms of ensuring that your child feels confident speaking and presenting themselves and giving well-reasoned answers to questions on the spot. You will want to avoid having prepared answers, but interviewing is quite an unusual situation for a 10/11-year-old, so familiarity with questioning and speaking publicly will be of great benefit.

I’d never want children to feel stressed by this process, so making sure that preparation is timely, and part of your routine will support your child to feel confident rather than overwhelmed by the process. I would always encourage families to value the process rather than getting fixated on the outcome to support the wellbeing of the family.

Good luck with your journey!