This Week at Edge Grove

As we wrap up the penultimate week of the 2024/25 academic year, our thoughts turn to the exciting final days ahead. This week, one of the highlights was our Transition Day, always a much anticipated day. It was a joy to watch the children step into their new forms for the morning, and the beaming smiles on their return said it all: they are ready and eager for the next chapter of their school journey.

We were also delighted to welcome our new families to the school community. It was a pleasure to offer them a glimpse into what makes our school such a nurturing and inspiring place to grow.

Some of you may have noticed a few key absences during our Transition Morning this week. As part of our necessary restructuring and redundancy processes within the Junior Department, we will be saying a fond farewell to Mrs Aldridge, Miss Moore, and Miss Booth.

I will speak more about their departures at Speech Day, when we come together to celebrate and thank them for their incredible hard work and dedication throughout the year.

I’ve spent much of this week in and out of classrooms. It’s always a privilege to see learning in action, hands up, heads down, and those lightbulb moments that remind us what education is really about.

While academic outcomes are just one part of a much wider picture, they do offer a window into how our children are growing and thriving. I’m pleased to share that, from Reception through to Year 2, the children’s progress in both Maths and English has been exceptional, with average scores well above national expectations with averages considerably higher than those of last year. This reflects not only their hard work, but also the dedication and care of our teaching staff.

More importantly, these results sit alongside something even more valuable: children who are confident, engaged, and excited about their learning. At our core, we are a school that champions the individual, nurturing each child’s unique strengths and supporting them to flourish, both academically and personally.

I very much look forward to seeing you at our Junior Department Prize Giving tomorrow. Wishing you all a ‘happy weekend.’

Mrs Wynne
Assistant Head (Junior)

Nursery

We are so proud of how well our nursery children flourish during their transition day. Whether it be meeting their new class teacher in Reception, or making new friends in another year of nursery, they all rose to the occasion brilliantly and settled in well to their new surroundings. 

This week, we introduced the letter ‘r’ for ‘Reception,’ and the children have been drawing themselves as Reception children.

Following the children’s interests and passions, we have also been exploring different vehicles this week, discussing alternative methods of transport across the roads, skies and seas. The children enjoyed making tyre paint texture pictures, creating different vehicles for small world play in the garden and running their own car wash business. 

Finally, we have been preparing the children for their very first speech day celebration. They children have been exploring the new big tent that has been erected on the lawns, and practised singing a very special song for the big day! We are so proud of all of them and how far they have come this year!

Reception News

After the energetic week we had last week, it has been lovely to ease back into a bit of a routine. The children have, as always, amazed us with their curiosity and enthusiasm!

There’s been lots of excitement (and a few butterflies!) as the children have been asking questions about Transition Day. It’s hard to believe they’re nearly in Year as it feels like only yesterday they first walked through the Reception doors with wide eyes and big smiles.

In phonics, we’ve been learning the sounds “oi” and “ear”, and the children have enjoyed hunting for rhyming words to go with them.  see how many you can find together at home! In maths, we’ve been consolidating our learning, with a focus on counting in 10s and working our way all the way up to 100, a big milestone!

As we chatted about the upcoming holidays, the children shared some brilliant ideas for summer fun, from playing football and riding bikes to the all-important task of eating biscuits!

All roads now lead to Speech Day, and we are so looking forward to celebrating our wonderful Reception children, soon to be Year 1s! We’re incredibly proud of all they have achieved and can’t wait to mark the occasion.

Well done, Reception, another brilliant week filled with learning and laughter!

Year 1 News

Our penultimate week in Year 1 has whizzed by! 

In science, we enjoyed exploring about how rainbows are formed and learnt the rhyme to help us remember the order of the colours. The children produced some lovely pastel art work to complement this. 

In maths, we have been exploring numbers to 100 this week and using dienes to partition and break up the numbers into hundreds, tens and ones. We are getting very confident with this method and are now using it to help add and subtract bigger numbers. 

The highlight of the week was Transition Day. They got to spend the morning with their new classmates, teachers and learning assistants and completed some activities ready for display in their new classroom. The children rose to the occasion and they were absolutely buzzing with excitement when they returned to us after their morning in Year 2. 

We are beyond proud of all our Year 1 children for the progress they have made this year. This was highlighted in their recent PTE and PTM scores where there has been huge achievement and progression. This is testament to all their hard work, determination and perseverance with challenges this year. A huge congratulations to you all! We look forward to celebrating all the children at tomorrow’s Speech Day. 

Year 2 News

It has been a busy and exciting week here in Year 2 and we are thrilled to share some updates and upcoming events with you.

In English, we are continuing our journey with our Focus Text, “The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark.” The children have been exploring a variety of punctuation marks and expanding their vocabulary by examining unfamiliar words. It’s been a delightful adventure in reading and comprehension!

Our Science lessons have been equally engaging. The children have been investigating animals, their habitats, and learning to classify things as dead, alive, or never alive. Their curiosity and enthusiasm for understanding the natural world around them have been inspiring.

Our Transition Morning was a wonderful experience for the children. They met their new Year 3 teachers, discovered their new classroom, and explored their new learning environment. The morning was filled with excitement and enthusiasm as the children began building connections with their future classmates and teachers.

We are diligently preparing for our upcoming Speech Day, a significant and celebratory event for our school community. Our pupils have been practising for this special day, where we will also be holding our Prize Giving ceremony. We can’t wait to recognise the hard work and achievements of all our pupils!

Dear Parents,

The final week of the term is finally upon us, and we’re now thankful for the shorter Easter break, as it means our 4th July finish has crept upon us sooner – and it means I get 2.5 weeks of tranquility before my own children break up from school.

My final week at Edge Grove School promises to be a jam-packed one. 

We are excited to invite children in Years 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8 to Year 5’s Young Enterprise Event – a fantastic opportunity for the Y5 students to explore entrepreneurship through a fun and engaging carnival-style experience together with a charitable end-goal. This will take place on the morning of Tuesday 1st July at School.

This special one-off event will give Middle and Senior children the chance to take part in a variety of minigames and activities, completely designed and managed by the Y5 students themselves. It’s a brilliant way for Y5 to learn about teamwork, budgeting, and business skills in a hands-on and enjoyable way, whilst raising money for their chosen charities.

Some of the exciting activities on offer will include:
Unlock the Box
Beat the Goalie
Hole in One
Lucky Dips
…with plenty of prizes to win, too!

To take part, we kindly ask that each child in Years 3, 4, 6, 7 & 8 brings in a £5 donation on Tuesday as an entry fee, which will be donated to the charities nominated by each Y5 team. In return, each child will receive 10 blue tokens to spend at the event on the minigames and stalls. 

Thank you for your support in this fundraiser and we look forward to seeing the Edge Grove children learn through this enriching enterprise experience!

On Thursday, myself and Mrs Hodge are taking Y5 pupils Garv, Luke and Jasmine to the STAHS Debating Shield competition, and we are hoping to debate our way to medalling success in this prestigious public speaking event. 

Finally, I hope the children have enjoyed the transition activities this past Thursday. They were abuzz with excitement at finding out their new form remixes and class teachers. 2025/26 promises to be a magnificent 90th year for the school. 

Mr Thorne
Assistant Head (Middle Department)

From the Year 3 Team: Mrs Fox, Miss Corin and Mrs Senghani 

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of adventure, energy, and outstanding sportsmanship. We could not be prouder of how Year 3 have embraced every opportunity with enthusiasm and maturity.

Last week’s Enrichment Week was exactly that, enriching and full of memorable experiences, thanks to the wonderful efforts of Edge Grove staff and the fantastic Outdoors Company. Highlights included crafting slate pendants using Stone Age tools and sipping hot chocolate made from water the children carefully purified themselves. From thrilling dodgeball matches with Roman shields to bravely sampling ‘bug-buns’, there was no shortage of excitement or courage.

Campfires were lit, marshmallows toasted, songs sung, and tents filled with sleepy heads—at least until the dawn chorus and golden sunlight nudged everyone awake.

Following this action-packed residential, the energy continued this week with a sun-soaked swimming gala. The resilience, team spirit, and determination the children displayed was inspiring, and the way they cheered each other on truly captured the spirit of the event. It was one of those magical afternoons that will stay with them for years to come. Watching their sporting skill matched by their emotional intelligence was a powerful reminder of just how special this year group is.

Sports Day was another brilliant event. We especially loved seeing the children come together for the Grand Dash finale, a moment of joyful camaraderie that summed up the week perfectly.

Thursday brought a mix of emotions, as the children enjoyed their transition sessions, meeting new teachers and, for those moving on, exploring exciting next steps. While change can feel bittersweet, it was a joy to see their excitement and positivity.

We now look forward to Speech Day on Saturday, a chance to celebrate the children’s achievements and come together as a community to mark a fantastic year. A gentle reminder: children should arrive in blazers for the occasion.

Well done on a wonderful penultimate week, Year 3!

From the Year 4 Team: Mrs Furterill, Miss Lundrigan and Mrs Warnes

We feel as though we say it every week, but what an incredible week we have had at Edge Grove School. Our wonderful Year 3 teachers have expertly given a synopsis of events this week. We are so very proud of the children for their efforts over the past few weeks. 

Our residential trip was such a highlight of the year. Year 4 students had such a wonderful time at Go Ape exploring the forest and the treetops. Everyone, including the teachers, enjoyed zooming down the zipline and crashing on to the soft bark below. The students were so brave! We had a few nervous students who really battled with their fear of heights and those who had never done something like this before. 

Two days later, we all packed our bags and teddies and headed to school for a camping trip to remember. A birthday made the event even more special. Hamza received a raucous rendition of Happy Birthday from all of Year 3 and 4 followed by cake and a mini party. Our events during the two days were very enjoyable, from fire making to flag raising. Ultimately, we enjoyed one another’s company immensely. 

This week, we’ve had the pleasure of Sports Day, the Swimming Gala and Transition Day! And now we look ahead to Speech Day – a day of reflection and celebration and we can’t wait to share it with you all!

Mrs Allen writes:

What a week and it’s still not over!

I’m so looking forward to seeing you all at Speech Day tomorrow as we come together to celebrate a year full of achievement and growth.

Following last week’s energetic and enthusiastic Enrichment Week where the pupils had the best time at Norfolk Lakes, it’s been non-stop.

This week, we’ve enjoyed blazing sunshine for both the Swimming Gala and Sports Day, and it’s been so lovely to see the school community thriving outdoors together. The maturity and positivity shown by every Year 5 pupil on Transition Day has been especially impressive.

I was incredibly sad to say goodbye to 5A yesterday morning for Transition Day, but I’m absolutely delighted to be continuing the journey and ‘moving on up’ with this special year group as the Year 6 Pastoral Lead next year.

Congratulations to all our pupils for a brilliant 2 weeks – I can’t wait to celebrate with you all at Speech Day tomorrow!

Mr Russell writes:

What an incredibly busy and rewarding week it has been! I want to express how immensely proud I am of every single child in 5R for their outstanding efforts across a huge range of activities.

This week, the children have truly demonstrated their incredible resilience and spirit. They enthusiastically tackled the Swimming Gala, showcased their athletic prowess at Sports Day, embraced new beginnings during their Transition Morning, and diligently practiced for Speech Day rehearsals. That is a lot to take on and participate in, but as always, the children of 5R have led by example and brought great pride to our form.

We are looking forward to celebrating all their achievements together at Speech Day on Saturday. We will then enjoy our final week together in Year 5 of what has been a truly memorable year, and one that I will always cherish as a teacher.

Thank you for your ongoing support. Have a lovely weekend.

From Enrichment Week we jumped straight into another busy, fun-filled week and today we have been putting the finishing touches on Speech Day which promises to be a wonderful celebration of all our Year 6-8 pupils.  We are so proud of all of them and we can’t wait to celebrate with you all tomorrow.

We have created a fantastic Summer Reading Challenge for all pupils to get involved in. Find out more details here.

Queenswood comes to Edge Grove!

Edge Grove Performing Arts Ignite pupils had a fantastic time on Monday afternoon at a drama workshop, hosted by the talented Queenswood Drama Scholars in our Theatre.

The session explored naturalism and melodrama, and our pupils truly impressed the Year 12 students and staff from Queenswood with their enthusiasm and creativity.

Mr Booth from Queenswood sent Mrs Allen the following email: 

“What a great day! We really enjoyed it, and the girls were all raving about how brilliant all of your students were!”

It was a joy to collaborate with a senior school on such a dynamic workshop and we’re already looking forward to the next one!

Huge thanks to Mr Booth, Ms Newby, and the brilliant Year 12 Queenswood scholars.

Year 2 Showcase

Amid the excitement of Enrichment Week last week, our brilliant Year 2 pupils lit up the stage with their joyful Summer Showcase!

With boundless energy and big smiles, they sang, danced, and performed their hearts out, delighting everyone in the audience. Their confidence, creativity, and teamwork truly shone through – a proud moment for pupils, staff, and families alike.

We can’t wait to see a few highlights reprised at Speech Day this Saturday!

Bravo, Year 2, you were sensational!

God of Mischief: Filming Opportunity – Child Extras for Short Film at Edge Grove

Pupils enjoyed a fascinating assembly on Monday morning with Edge Grove old boy, Christian Stevens. Christian is now a filmmaker and has written a short film which will be shooting here at Edge Grove in August.

Excitingly, he is looking for 12 children to appear as extras in the film, and would love to involve some of our pupils. Please see the casting call details below:

At this stage, we are simply gathering interest from families who are available over the August Bank Holiday weekend and would like their child to be considered for this opportunity which you can read more about here: https://www.notthoughtthrough.co.uk/godofmischief

If your child is available and would be keen to take part, please email jallen@edgegrove.com to register your interest. Further details will follow in due course.

What a Fantastic Week in the Sports Department!

It’s been a week full of energy, determination, and team spirit at Edge Grove!

We kicked things off on Tuesday with our annual swimming gala, basking in the sunshine. A big congratulations to Sarnesfield for taking the win — Woowoo Sarnesfield!

On Wednesday, we jumped straight into our Middle and Senior Department Sports Days, which truly showcased the very best of Edge Grove athletics. From sprints to relays, the effort and enthusiasm on display were second to none.

🏆 Winning house to be announced soon — stay tuned!

Looking ahead, we’re excited to welcome you to two more fantastic events:

• Reception to Year 2 Scoot Dash – Monday afternoon
  
• Middle and Senior Departments Triathlon – Wednesday

We hope you all enjoy a well-deserved rest over the weekend… but not before Speech Day! See you there!

ESSA Primary Schools’ Team National Championships

On Saturday 14th June the 29th ESSA Primary Schools’ Team Championships took place and Edge Grove School made a significant splash. The fantastic team of Freya, Josh, Kiersten, and Tommy showcased incredible talent and determination on a national stage: facing fierce competition from schools across the UK, Edge Grove’s “Sheffield Four” demonstrated what it truly means to compete at the highest level.

4x25m Freestyle Relay

The day began with the Medium Schools 4x25m Freestyle Relay heats. The Edge Grove quartet delivered a strong performance, securing 12th place overall with a time of 1:04.01. This powerful swim earned them a spot in the B Final.

In the B Final, the team elevated their game, pushing themselves to an outstanding 2nd place finish with a time of 1:04.20. Their combined efforts in this event were truly remarkable, ultimately placing Edge Grove School 10th in the country for the 4x25m Freestyle Relay.

4x25m Mixed Stroke Relay

Following their freestyle success, the team returned for the Medium Schools 4x25m Mixed Stroke heats. Here, they showcased their versatility and technical skill, clocking in at 1:17.16 and securing 16th place, which was enough to progress to the B Final.

In a highly competitive final, Edge Grove once again rose to the occasion, finishing a commendable 8th place with the same impressive time of 1:17.16. This outstanding performance in the mixed stroke event solidified their position as one of the nation’s best, ranking them an incredible 16th in the country.

A Hugely Commendable Achievement

Considering there are approximately 16,764 primary schools across the UK, Edge Grove’s achievements are nothing short of phenomenal. To be ranked 10th nationally for Freestyle and 16th for Mixed Stroke is a testament to the dedication, hard work, and raw talent of Freya, Josh, Kiersten, and Tommy.

A massive well done to the “Sheffield Four” – you have done Edge Grove School incredibly proud!

Year 3 & 4 RMS Athletics 

Year 3 – 3rd
Year 4 – 2nd

A Fantastic Afternoon of Athletics at RMS!

What an incredible afternoon of athletics for our Year 3 and 4 girls at RMS on Thursday! After an already action-packed week, including the swimming gala and Sports Day, you might have expected the girls to be tiring, but not our unstoppable Edge Grove athletes!

The girls took part in a wide range of track and field events, from high jump to hurdles, and gave it their all in every discipline.

We’re proud to share that the Year 3 squad finished 3rd overall, and the Year 4 squad came 2nd — a brilliant achievement!

A huge well done to Alice R, who came 1st in both the Yr 4 hurdles and cricket ball throw, Bella S, who placed 1st in Yr 3 150m race and the cricket ball throw, Iyla who placed 1st in the Yr 3 hurdles and Isabella A, who showed amazing determination by overtaking two competitors at the very end of the 600m race

A fantastic afternoon all round — well done, girls! 👏

We have enjoyed some brilliant house competitions this week with Sports Day and the Interhouse swimming gala and next week we have the Scoot Dash and Triathlon where pupils can earn some more valuable house points!  We will crown this year’s winner of the House shield in final assembly next week!

As our Year 6 pupils move into the final phases of their chosen senior schools’ admissions processes, parents with pupils in lower year groups may be starting to think more about the journey that they and their child will be embarking on in the not too distant future. If your child is in Year 5 or below and you would like to meet to discuss their academic profile and next steps, please book an appointment via Mrs Thomas, Head’s PA on futureschools@edgegrove.com 

The Future Schools Presentation to Parents is now available to view on the Future School Documents section of the app.

INFORMATION FROM SENIOR SCHOOLS

ABINGDON SCHOOL

Abingdon Senior School will start to welcome girls to our First Year (Year 7) and Sixth Form from September 2026. We will therefore welcome girls at the 13+ stage in 2028.  

We have a number of events for prospective families running throughout the course of this term and next – all of which can be booked online via this link.

ABBOT’S HILL SCHOOL

13+ Scholarship Opportunities

We have recently launched some new Scholarship opportunities. Scholarships will be available in the following areas:

Sport
Music
Drama
Art+Design

Enquiries to  https://www.abbotshill.herts.sch.uk/scholarships/ or email admissions@abbotshill.herts.sch.uk

AMBLEFORTH COLLEGE

Ampleforth Entrance Assessments – Thursday 27th and Friday 28th November 2025

This is for families applying for Year 9 entry in September 2026 whose child has not previously sat the Ampleforth Entrance Assessment in either Year 6 or Year 7. This will include online assessments in Maths, English and Non-Verbal Reasoning and an interview with our Registrar. There will also be an opportunity to take part in the taster boarding night and a range of co-curricular activities with their future peers. This is an integral stage in the admissions process as successful completion enables us to offer a place.

13+ Basil Hume Scholarship Application Closing Date – Thursday 20th November 2025

Applications for 13+ Art, Academic, Dance, Drama, DT, Music & Sport Scholarships should be submitted by 20th November at the very latest. Scholarship brochures will be sent by post later this term, however, digital brochures, application forms and details of how to apply can be found on our website under Admissions/Scholarships.

13+ Basil Hume Scholarship Assessments – Thursday 27th and Friday 28th November 2025

On Thursday 27th and Friday 28th November, students will sit a series of assessments and an interview relevant to the award for which they are applying. Students will board overnight between the two days in a senior boarding house.  

Year 9 Entrance Assessment Day for September 2027 & 2028 entry – Saturday 17th January 2026

Children currently in Year 6 and Year 7 are invited to complete their entry assessments and interviews in the morning, and then take part in a range of engaging, co-curricular activities in the afternoon.

Open Morning – Saturday 13th September

Ahead of our admissions process, families are very welcome to join us for our upcoming Open Morning during which guests will hear from our Headmaster, take a tour of the school, enjoy lunch and can join to spectate our Sports fixtures in the afternoon. It is a wonderful opportunity for families to discover what makes an Ampleforth education a Compass for Life; a transformative education which broadens horizons and offers so much more, not at the expense of academics.

ALDENHAM SCHOOL

The deadline for registering for an 11+ 2026 entry place at Aldenham School is Thursday 13th November 2025.

Please note the following:
Entrance Assessment
The entrance assessment ideally takes place at your child’s current school within the two week assessment window, on a date of their choosing. We will contact your child’s current school to see if this is possible but you may wish to contact them directly too, to find out which date (if any) they will be offering it on. If they are unable to facilitate this, we will be hosting the assessment at Aldenham on Saturday 29th November.

Interview
Interviews are offered during the autumn term. Once these are fully booked, a new schedule of interviews for January 2026 will be released and offered only to those who perform sufficiently well in the entrance assessment. We will send a link to book your interview nearer to the start of the autumn term.

Scholarships
If you have applied for a scholarship, you will receive a separate application form for completion and will be asked to provide appropriate references. We have introduced some new scholarships (see list above), so if you now wish to apply for any of these please let me know.

SEN Needs
In order for us to know how best we can support your child if they join us, and to make any special arrangements for the entrance examination, families of those with additional needs are requested to provide a copy of the most recent Educational Psychologist report and/or Diagnosis Letter, along with any learning support specific comments from your child’s school reports.
In secondary schools all access arrangements for examinations are governed by an external body called the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) who have oversight of all GCSE and A Level examinations. Our SENCO is required to evaluate EP and other SEN reports against JCQ rules in order to make an informed decision about access arrangements (eg extra time and rest breaks) for both our entrance exam and future external exams. We will apply exam access arrangements only where these are warranted by these reports, thus ensuring a level playing field for all candidates.

Bursary (financial assistance)
Bursary applications involve means testing by a third party, independent company, which then gives advice to the school about the level of need. This process takes place during the autumn term of 2025. Applicants will be contacted directly by our Finance department to provide their financial details.

Deferred entry for 13+
Please note that an offer for 11+ entry will not be deferred to 13+ entry. All students wishing to apply for 13+ entry have to take the entrance assessment in their Year 7 with the rest of the cohort.

BISHOPS STORTFORD COLLEGE

Whole School Open Event – Saturday 20th September

11+ entry in September 2026. 

Application Deadline for entry to the College in September 2026: 

Monday 3 November 2025

Scholarship Assessment Days:

Tuesday 11 November 2025 (11+ art and music) 

Wednesday 12 November 2025 (11+ sport)

11+ Entry Testing Day:  

Saturday 15 November 2025

Outcomes sent to parents:

Friday 28 November 2025

CANFORD SCHOOL

We are no longer using ISEB assessments as part of our admissions process.  Going forward we will be using a combination of Quest  and a creative writing task.

 Quest gives us a more up-to-date and flexible way to assess candidates, and we have been really pleased with how the trials have gone over the past academic year.

 The major benefit to our feeder schools is that pupils taking Quest tests will undertake them at Canford as part of our assessment day.  Schools will not be required to invigilate any pre-testing and there will be no pre-filtering of candidates.  All those registered by our registration deadline will be invited to Canford for a full assessment day.  This will also include creative writing, group and individual interviews as per our current tests.  We will also continue to request full references including, where possible, CAT 4 or other standardised scores taken at school.

 Please do update your records, and if you have any questions about Quest or the process going forward, please do get in contact.

CHANNING SCHOOL

Here are the Channing 11+ (2026) key dates for your diary:

11+ Application Deadline: Friday 7 November 2025

Bursary and Music Scholarship Application Deadline: Friday 7 November 2025

Channing offers both bursaries and Scholarships for Year 7.

Please do not hesitate to contact us at admissions@channing.co.uk if we can be of further assistance.

CITY OF LONDON SCHOOL FOR GIRLS

11+ Admissions Brochure

 For more information and to book, visit www.clsg.org.uk

ETON

Reminder of Registration Deadline – 2028 Entry to Eton

The registration deadline for 2028 entry (boys currently in Year 5) is 30th June 2025.

The registration form can be found by clicking on the following link – https://application.etoncollege.com/.

Please note 30th June 2025 is a strict deadline. There may still be the option for boys to apply for a scholarship as a non-registered candidate when they are in Year 8, however these places are very limited.

If any prospective families have not yet visited and wish to do so, we ask that they please get in touch and we will send them our Admissions tour dates. We usually run tours twice a week throughout term time, however there are limited spaces and they are first come, first served. We therefore recommend families book a tour as soon as possible to avoid any potential disappointment.

HAILEYBURY

We are always happy to welcome any interested families to come and visit us; this can be done in a number of ways:

• Families can book onto one of our Open Events. Please encourage prospective families to book their place via the School’s website. 
• Contact the Admissions department (admissions7to9@haileybury.com / 01992 706353 ) to arrange an individual family visit during term time.

Once a family has decided to proceed with an application to Haileybury, we encourage them to register with us by completing our online Registration Form.

HARROW

Scholarship Information for 2026 entry

Please visit our Scholarships page on our website (https://www.harrowschool.org.uk/admissions/scholarships) should you have any queries about scholarships at Harrow.

Please note that attendance at our scholarship assessment days is by invitation only and that a candidate’s eligibility to apply for a scholarship must first be determined by the relevant Director of Subject.

Please pay particular attention to the following changes to the 2025/2026 assessments:

• Sports Scholarship candidates will now be assessed in the Autumn Term prior to entry.
• This year, the Sport Scholarship assessment day will be held on Friday 31 October 2025, with additional days for cricket and football.
• The deadline for candidates to apply for a Sport Scholarship is Tuesday 30 September 2025.

Our Academic Scholarship exams take place next February.

Parents are encouraged to contact the Directors of Art, DTE, and Drama via scholarships@harrowschool.org.uk for more information on these specific scholarships. Potential Music Scholars should have already contacted the Director of Music for a pre-audition.

JOHN LYON SCHOOL

Admissions Brochure

To book a School in Action Open Morning please contact admissions@johnlyon.org

THE LEYS

Information on small group visits can be found here and, in addition, we’re always pleased to discuss the possibility of a private visit with families too.

LONDON 11+ CONSORTIUM

Information regarding the Consortium can be found on our website.

These are the key dates:

Closing date for registrations: Friday 7 November 2025

Consortium Assessment dates: Friday 28 November, Tuesday 2 December and Thursday 4

December 2025

Offer date: Friday 13 February 2026

Deadline to accept: Wednesday 4 March 2026 – 12 noon

MILL HILL

Visit Our School | Senior Admissions North London | Mill Hill

MILL HILL COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL

APTITUDE TEST DATES FOR YEAR 7 ENTRY FROM SEPTEMBER 2026

Registrations for Aptitude Tests will open on Friday 21st March 2025 and close at 3pm on Friday 9th May 2025. Registrations for Aptitude Tests are to be made online via the Mill Hill County High School website

https://www.mhchs.org.uk/1763/apply-for-aptitude-tests-4

QUEEN’S SCHOOL 

Open Evening on Thursday 3 July, between 4.30 – 7.30pm. This date will replace the traditional timing of Open Evening in response to stakeholder feedback. Open Mornings will continue in October from 9am – 10am.

The Headteacher, Mr Morrell, will be making formal presentations across the evening to parents/carers at 4.30pm; 5.30pm; 6.30pm. Due to the high demand for places, these presentations are by ticket only. Please click on the link below to reserve your place or visit the school website. The whole school is open to view at any time that evening.

https://queensopenevening2025.eventbrite.co.uk/

RADLEY COLLEGE – 2026 ENTRY INFORMATION

All the details of our Open Days can be found on our website here. 

All 2028 entrants, regardless of their route of entry, will need to sit the ISEB Common Pre-Tests by 28 November 2025 .Parents need to register their children directly with the ISEB to sit the Common Pre-Tests via the ISEB Parent Portal. Parent Registration will open on 10 June 2025. 

Boys who have been shortlisted following receipt of the ISEB Common Pre-Tests results and Head’s report, will be asked to attend one of the following Assessment Days:

13, 15, 20, 22, 27 January & 3, 5 February 2026.

RMS – PRIVATE TOUR OF RMS FOR GIRLS – Contact Admissions to book a tour

 Do not hesitate to contact our friendly Admissions Team who will happily arrange a private tour of the School at a time convenient for you.
Please contact admissions@rmsforgirls.com 

SHREWSBURY SCHOOL

We are always delighted to welcome families to our Open Days, when they can get a sense of our beautiful campus site.  Each Open Day starts with a presentation from the Headmaster and other senior staff, followed by a Q&A session with pupils.  Families visit one of our houses and then enjoy a school tour with pupils, followed by lunch.  Open Days & School Tours | Shrewsbury School

The Director of Admissions, Martin Cropper (mc@shrewsbury.org.uk), is always pleased to talk to parents and to offer advice on our Admissions process.  We welcome applications for September 2026 onwards, and a small number of places for September 2025 have recently become available.

SOUTH WEST HERTS CONSORTIUM – Secondary Transfer 2026

This year, registration for the tests spans a period of almost ten weeks, from Tuesday 1st April to Friday 6th June 2025. As previously, no late registrations will be accepted. If a parent has extenuating circumstances for failing to register for the tests, this may be cited as part of an appeal to an independent panel at a secondary transfer appeal hearing.

The Test Administration Team can be contacted via email only at info@swhertsschools.org.uk. There is no facility to telephone.

Key testing dates can be found in the image at the bottom of this section.

TONBRIDGE SCHOOL

The School has numerous Open Mornings taking place. These are a great opportunity for families to discover what a Tonbridge education can offer their son, as well as the chance to meet boys and staff.

Come along and find out what makes us the top boys’ boarding school in the country as well as the best boys’ school in the South-East, as ranked by The Sunday Times’ Parent Power table.

Book your place using this link.

UPPINGHAM SCHOOL

Uppingham’s Visiting Days Families can sign up to attend via our website or contact Sarah Heading (sch@uppingham.co.uk). 

Tea Towels

https://foeg.edgegrove.com/events/tea-towels/

Please note that we have extended the deadline.

To order, click through and just before you pay, it will ask you what year group tea towel you are wanting to purchase! All profits go towards FOEG.

This week Tooled Up celebrated the milestone of recording its 200th podcast to make available to you, our Tooled Up community!

The ever-growing library always features experts in their field, providing authoritative and compassionate insight, advice and support on the issues that matter the most in family life.

Podcasts are an easy and convenient way to engage with Tooled Up resources whether you are at home or on the go.  Here is a selection of some of our favourite podcasts for parents.

Our most-listened-to podcast is one that was recorded all the way back in 2020! But parents of young children won’t be surprised that Sleep Difficulties in Primary Aged Children is a topic of interest to many of our members!

For something more recent, the most popular podcast of 2025 so far is Taking Action on Distraction with Dr Gemma Goldenberg. This explores the science behind getting and keeping young people’s attention and helping them to focus better for longer. Whilst the podcast talks about primary settings, many of the strategies discussed also apply to much older children.

And to finish with something a bit different, how about a look at the research on fun? In this podcast, Professor Mimi Tatlow-Golden discusses The Importance of Fun and how it links to children’s friendships, confidence and crucially, their self-esteem.