_11+ Admissions Guide (2024)

11+Admissions Guide For entry in September 2025

What does the Ibstock 11+ Process involve? Please also be aware that we are running Information Evenings on Monday 4 and Tuesday 5 November where we will also talk you through the 11+ process.

ASSESSMENT STAGE ONE

Online CAT and Learning Workshop, Saturday 23 November 2024

All registered applicants are invited to Stage One of our Assessment Process. As part of Stage One, applicants will sit an online cognitive aptitude test (CAT) here at Ibstock. This is a computer-based test that assesses Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, English and Mathematics. We use the Quest by Atom Learning CAT and further information about the assessment is set out below.

Well-turned out and well-adjusted pupils are not the products of a stressful pressure cooker but of a mixed, unbroken journey in a glorious setting.

Good Schools Guide 2023

Online CAT The CAT will be taken in one of our classrooms, on one of our school devices. The Maths and English sections are based on the National Curriculum. They assess your child's ability to recall what they have been taught and apply this knowledge to solve problems. The Verbal and Non-Verbal reasoning sections are designed to test your child’s academic potential. They assess your child’s ability to solve problems with written or visual information.

Non-Verbal Reasoning

Verbal Reasoning

Part 1

Maths

English

Reading Comprehension

Arithmetic

Vocabulary

What is being assessed?

Spatial Reasoning

Mathematical Reasoning

Pattern Spotting

Spelling

Visual Reasoning

Logic

Comprehension

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The Maths and Reasoning sections of the assessment are adaptive. This means that questions will get harder or easier as an applicant moves through the assessment, ensuring that each question is the right level of difficulty. Please note, in these sections, applicants will not be able to skip or go back to any of these questions. They will also be unable to change any of their answers. Applicants will be permitted to use blank scrap paper and a pencil/pen in all subjects for any working out. Applicants may not use any other additional materials during any stage of the assessment, e.g. thesauruses, calculators, rulers, mobile phones, etc.

Pupils at Ibstock Place are certainly nurtured to thrive.

During the assessment, applicants will see a timer on their screen showing them how long they have left for each section. It will be visible but not so large as to distract them from their work. Applicants eligible for extra time will be asked to indicate this at the point of application to Ibstock. Where an applicant qualifies for extra time, this will be automatically added to the timer visible on their screen for each section of their assessment.

Talk Education, 2023

The English Comprehension section is non adaptive. This means that applicants are able to revisit and change their answers to questions. The assessment follows the sequence of the text with each question increasing in complexity. The majority of questions will be multiple choice, with only a few questions requiring an applicant to type a single word or number. There is no extended typing exercise required, so typing speed and/or accuracy will not impact results. The assessment takes a total of one hour 10 minutes. The timings of each subject component are: Maths (20 minutes), English (30 minutes), Non Verbal Reasoning (10 minutes), Verbal Reasoning (10 minutes).

Top Tip: Read the question carefully and keep an eye on the timer.

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Preparation: We recommend that all applicants look at the familiarisation materials provided: https://app.atomlearning.com/public/taster/ibst ock-place-school The assessment will test the knowledge and skills highlighted in the Key Stage 2 National Curriculum. Children will develop these skills as part of their school education, so they will not need any special tuition or intensive practice. You may, of course, wish for your child to practise Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning if he or she has not encountered these types of tests at their current school and practice papers are available in bookshops or online retailers.

Learning Workshop Applicants will be divided into groups and will take part in a workshop delivered by our Senior School teachers. The workshop will present a fun problem-solving task for the group to complete collectively. There are no single correct answers to this task. Rather, the task will give applicants a flavour of what lessons in the Senior School are like. During the workshop, we are also looking for: How the applicant works both independently and as part of a team Whether or not the applicant engages with the task Evidence of creativity and lateral thinking.

We anticipate that applicants will be with us for approximately three hours on this date.

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ASSESSMENT STAGE TWO

English and Mathematics Examinations

Based on the applicant’s performance in the online CAT and the Learning Workshop and taking into account any contextual information provided by their parents, or confidential reference from their current school, we will shortlist applicants to return to Ibstock to sit written papers in English and Mathematics on Thursday 12 or Friday 13 December 2024 .

We write our own Mathematics and English papers and each paper will last one hour. Those candidates who qualify for extra time will be given one hour and fifteen minutes to complete each test. As with the CAT, the papers will cover the taught National Curriculum up to the end of Year 5 but with opportunities to appropriately stretch and challenge through the style and depth of the questions asked.

We expect that about two thirds of applicants proceed to Stage Two.

The Mathematics paper will cover:

Number

Shape and Space:

Fractions Decimals Sequences of numbers Positive and negative numbers Place value Whole number properties - factors, multiples, primes, squares, cubes

Properties of 2D shapes Simple reflection of 2D shapes Converting between units of metric measurement Calculate perimeter and area of shapes Solve problems with measure – length, area,

volume, mass, money, time Angle Facts and Reasoning

Addition and Subtraction Multiplication and Division Simple percentages Time

Data Handling:

Use of averages Probability

Use and interpret information from charts Use and interpret information in tables

Algebra

Simple substitution

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The English paper will cover:

Comprehension questions based on a text, asking candidates to retrieve explicit and implicit details and show understanding of word definitions/expressions as well as English grammar rules. Analysis questions based on a text, asking candidates to comment on the writer’s language choices and the effect on the reader. Creative writing based on themes covered in the text.

On assessment day, all applicants will also have the opportunity to meet ‘one-to-one' with one of our Senior School teachers so that we can get to know them a bit better. Applicants will have the opportunity to ask questions about what the School offers which might be of interest to them. This interaction will not form part of the assessment process. Parents of shortlisted applicants will be able to choose whether their child sits their examinations on Thursday 12 or Friday 13 December. We anticipate that applicants will be with us for approximately three hours and will be in touch with precise timings in due course.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Applications for 11+ Scholarships will open to shortlisted applicants. Applications can be made through Open Apply and you will be notified once the application process is open. Our Admissions Department and Head of Scholars, will host a webinar to guide you through the scholarship application process on the evening of Wednesday 4 December. We shall write to you in due course with details of how to book this event. All scholarship applications must be completed by Monday 9 December.

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TAKING CARE OF YOUR CHILD DURING THE 11+ PROCESS We recognise that the 11+ process can be a stressful time for families. We asked two of our current Senior 7s how they found the experience:

“I was really scared but when I came everyone was really friendly and there were no big surprises on the test...”.

Ethan, current Senior 7

“The teachers were really nice and explained a lot. I remember meeting Mr Said and he was really friendly”.

Ayla, current Senior 7

Tips for keeping calm

Eat the right food Opt for protein-packed snacks like yogurt, dried fruit, and eggs, which are known to help memory retention and boost energy levels. Avoid last-minute revision Attempting to absorb more than your brain can handle will hinder information retention. Try to maintain a manageable learning pace, working in chunks of no more than 30-60 minutes at a time.

Get out of the house and stay active Have fun outdoors with friends. Sport is a fantastic way to de-stress

Get plenty of rest Studying and pre-exam

nerves can make it difficult to get to sleep. Dedicate an hour or so before bedtime to relaxation and making sure you switch off for the evening.

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AFTER THE ASSESSMENTS

Offer Decisions Offer decisions, along with bursary and scholarship decisions, will be released on Friday 14 February 2025. Offer Holder Event We will invite all Offer Holders and their parents back to Ibstock in late February to meet key members of Senior School staff, and to have another look at the School before making a final decision. Offer Response Our deadline for responses to offers will be 12 noon on Monday 3 March 2025.

Senior 7 ‘Welcome Day’ Towards the end of Year 6, all those who have accepted offers and their parents will be invited back to the School to take part in some activities, meet their future classmates and get to know the School and key members of staff such as their Tutor and Heads of House. Further ‘Welcome’ events will occur in late August/early September.

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FAQs

How many places available at 11+ each year? We have approximately 80-90 places available for external candidates each year, split evenly between boys and girls, with approximately half coming from state schools. Each year we typically receive in excess of 600 applications. How many pupils move up from the Prep School into the Senior School? Out of a cohort of approximately 50 pupils in Prep 6, the vast majority join us in the Senior School, and generally make up around one third of the total Senior 7 intake. Do you recommend tutoring in preparation for 11+ entrance? We do not encourage tutoring for your child in preparation for the 11+ entrance exams. We are seeking to establish each child's natural ability to ensure they will be able to thrive in the academic environment of the Senior School.

Do you offer bursaries? A number of means-tested bursaries, reviewed annually, are available each year and range in value up to 100%. Bursary application forms are available directly from the Bursar. Do you operate a waiting list for Year 7 entry? Yes. Applicants who have been offered a place on the waiting list following the entrance process will remain on the list until the new academic year starts in September. If no place has been offered by this time, applicants are welcome to move their registration forward for occasional place entry in subsequent years.

“We are delighted that you have chosen to take part in our 11+ admissions process and wish all our applicants the very best of luck. I look forward to seeing you here at Ibstock soon”.

Mr Wolsey, Headmaster

Good Luck!

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