Joining the Senior School

Key Facts

• The assessment will be taken as an online assessment. In Channing, we will provide each candidate with a Chrome book.
• Candidates eligible for additional time will be granted this in accordance with JCQ rules, if the request is made and evidence is provided before the application deadline.
• Candidates will either sit the assessment in their current school or at one of the Consortium schools to which they have applied, if their current school is unable to provide this facility.
• The onus is on the applicant family to ask their current school if they are hosting the assessment and to find out the arrangements. Channing will provide the applicant’s Headteacher with a unique access code for their daughter to be able to sit the assessment at her current school.
• We recommend all applicants practise the London 11+ Consortium Familiarisation Test to understand the six different areas of the assessment. The six different areas of the assessment are: Maths; Non Verbal Reasoning; English; Verbal Reasoning; Puzzles and Problem Solving and Creative Comprehension.
• Candidates can only sit the assessment once, irrespective of the number of Consortium schools to which they are applying.
• If the applicant is sitting at a Consortium school, the applicant may have either a morning or an afternoon assessment. Consortium Schools will advise their applicants of the exact date and start time for their sitting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Tell me more about the assessment?

The assessment designed for the Consortium is almost entirely bespoke and designed in partnership with a group of primary and secondary curriculum specialists in Consortium schools.

How long will the new Consortium exam take? How will candidates manage their time?

The assessment will be 100 minutes long (1 hour 40 minutes). There will be a 30-minute break in the middle. During the exam, candidates will see a clock on their screen that will count down in minutes 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. We have deliberately chosen for the clock not to count down in seconds as we thought this might distract some candidates.

They will not be given any additional time warnings.

What about candidates eligible for extra time?

Candidates eligible for extra time will be asked to indicate their entitlement and attach relevant reports, at the point of application to Consortium schools. We can only consider extra time requests using information that has been provided to us up to the application closing date. Admissions teams will then ask families to provide evidence of this entitlement, in accordance with JCQ rules. Candidates eligible for extra time will be granted their extra time on each section of the exam. The extra time will automatically be added to the candidates’ individual exam clock. Extra time candidates sitting the test in Channing, are in a room together away from non-Extra Time candidates.

What will be tested in the new entrance examination?

There will be six distinct components, taken in the following order:

Part 1: (Adaptive)

• 20 minutes for Maths
• 10 minutes for Non-Verbal Reasoning
• 20 minutes for English comprehension
• 10 minutes for Verbal Reasoning

Break: 30 minutes

Part 2: (Non-Adaptive)

• 15 minutes for Puzzles and Problem Solving
• 25 minutes for the Creative Comprehension

Is the assessment adaptive or non-adaptive? What does this mean?

Part one of the examination will be adaptive. The adaptive nature ensures every child can have a good experience completing the assessment as the questions will be tailored to their performance. Adaptive assessment is a tried and tested method of assessment that yields reliable results, especially in assessing cognitive reasoning ability. Part two of the examination (Puzzles and Problem Solving & Creative Comprehension) will be nonadaptive, meaning all candidates will see exactly the same questions. The English comprehension passage will also be the same but questions will be adaptive.

I would like to know more about each section. What can you tell me?

You should look at the London 11+ Consortium Familiarisation Test

We hope the information below is helpful to learn a little more about each section:

Maths section: The questions will be based on the National Curriculum for Year 5 and we will not test anything on the Year 6 curriculum. This is to make things fair as different schools will teach the Year 6 curriculum in different orders. Because we have many very able candidates taking the Consortium exam, we will provide stretch and challenge through the style and depth of the questions we ask. This section is adaptive, with questions suited to the performance of each candidate.

Non-Verbal Reasoning (NVR): This will involve assessment of the candidate’s ability to identify patterns and think logically. NVR is a tried and tested component of many cognitive reasoning assessments. The questions can seem strange to candidates who have never seen those sorts of questions before, so we recommend that all candidates look at our familiarisation materials. We do not, however, recommend intense preparation as any gains quickly become very marginal. This section is adaptive (see above for an explanation).

English Comprehension and Verbal Reasoning: The text will be a piece of fiction specially written for the Consortium examination. Questions will be adaptive depending on a candidate’s performance. There will be no extended writing required. Candidates should not be thrown by vocabulary they do not know as one of the things we are assessing is the ability to infer meaning from context. The questions are adaptive. Comprehension will be followed by an assessment of a candidate’s ability to identify the correct use of standard English in context. This section will not require any recall of grammar, and candidates who read widely will be well prepared for this section.

Puzzles and Problem-solving: This section tests the ability of candidates to use words and numbers to solve multi-step problems. The section is non-adaptive but candidates are likely to complete different numbers of questions in the time available.

Creative Comprehension (Analysis component): Candidates have to use information from a variety of different sources to answer questions. The information provided will be given to them in a range of different formats and they may have to look at several different sources simultaneously to answer questions. The context is likely to be unfamiliar to all candidates but in the event of a candidate being familiar with the context, this will not confer any advantage on them. This section is non-adaptive.

Why is the entrance examination online? Will this not put candidates unused to typing at a disadvantage? What type of device will candidates use?

Many secondary schools are now running online assessments, so we are not unusual in this respect. There is no extended writing required for our exam so typing ability will not impact on results. Putting the assessment online significantly reduces the risk of human error, leading to results all our Consortium schools can trust. Even GCSE examination boards are now piloting online assessments and we believe this is where the future of assessment lies. The entrance exam can be taken on many different types of devices including iPads, PCs, laptops and chrome books. At Channing all candidates will be given a chrome book. The device used should not make any difference to a candidate’s performance.

Why is the Consortium offering three test dates? Why are all candidates not sitting the test on the same day? Why are you not allowing the test to be taken within a certain timeframe?

Because some elements of our London 11+ Consortium assessment are non-adaptive, we cannot allow candidates to take the test whenever they wish. They have to take it on one of three selected dates – Friday 29 November, or Tuesday 3 December, or Thursday 5 December 2024. We have allowed three dates to enable as many primary and prep schools as possible, to host the tests themselves, giving them flexibility to work around their calendars. To ensure security, different non-adaptive content has been produced for each of the three sitting dates. Our Consortium schools will accommodate pupils who cannot take the exam in their own school. Channing will host the assessment on Thursday 5 December 2024 only.

Why are you allowing some candidates to take the exam in their own school and some in Consortium schools? Is this fair?

All schools will have to abide by strict rules set out by the Consortium to make things fair for all candidates:

• The exam must start within a certain time frame within the day. This is to preserve the security of the exam.
• The exam can only be taken on three selected dates – Friday 29 November, or Tuesday 3 December, or Thursday 5 December 2024.
• The break must occur at the same point for ALL candidates. Candidates must resume the exam after a specified break duration of 30 minutes.
• Only Consortium schools will be allowed to run afternoon sittings. We are allowing this to increase capacity for candidates to take the assessment at Consortium schools if required, and because our schools will ensure there is no possibility of afternoon candidates finding out the questions from morning candidates.

Will the exam be the same on each of your three exam days?

The adaptive sections change for each candidate as they work their way through the relevant section of the examination. This means that every candidate will answer different questions on the adaptive parts of the assessment. The adaptive parts of the assessment are therefore intrinsically secure.

As a reminder these are: the Maths section, the Non Verbal and Verbal Reasoning section, as well as the questions (but not the passage) on the English comprehension.

The non-adaptive sections will change for each of the three sittings of the exam: the comprehension passage, the problem-solving and the Creative Comprehension. This is to ensure that candidates do not gain any advantage by sitting the test on a later test date. Results will be standardised across the three sittings to ensure parity between candidates taking the assessment on different days.

My daughter’s school cannot offer her the facility to take the exam. What should I do?

Please do not worry! Whilst we hope that many schools will offer this facility as they did previously, we recognise that not all schools have the capacity or time to do this. Consortium schools will ask ALL families to indicate where their daughter will sit the assessment.

The location at which a candidate sits the exam has no bearing on the outcome of the application. Candidates should not be at any advantage whether sitting at a Consortium school or in their own school. If sitting at a Consortium school, we do not mind which Consortium schools a family selects.

My daughter’s school is offering the facility to take the exam there but I would rather she sat at a Consortium school. Is this possible?

No. If your daughter’s school offers the facility for her to take the exam there, for important logistical reasons we ask that you take up this facility. The ability to run an effective online assessment is dependent on the number of available devices in each school, including in Consortium schools. We need to keep our exam sittings free for those who can only take the exam in a Consortium school.

My daughter is an overseas applicant. Where will she take the exam?

Your daughter is welcome to travel to sit the test in one of our Consortium schools and please indicate to us if she can do this. If you would prefer your daughter to sit the exam overseas, please contact the Admissions team at one of the Consortium schools you have applied to, to find out how to proceed.

What if my daughter is ill on the day of the exam?

If your daughter is unwell on the day of her exam, please alert the Consortium schools to which she has applied as a matter of urgency. A medical certificate will need to be provided to all the Consortium schools to which she has applied. We will aim to organise for her to sit the exam on one of the other exam dates. If this is not possible (for example because her test date was the last of the three possible dates), we have contingency plans in place and you should liaise with the Consortium schools to which she has applied to make arrangements.

What if my daughter is late on the day of her exam?

You should ensure you leave plenty of time for travel as we cannot guarantee being able to give your daughter the full assessment time she needs if she arrives late. However, we do understand that sometimes even the best-laid travel plans can go wrong and we aim to show kindness and flexibility wherever possible.

Will the results affect whether my daughter is invited to interview at the schools to which she has applied?

Some Consortium schools select for interview, and some do not. You need to check the details on the individual schools’ websites. If the school selects for an interview, how they make their decision and how many candidates they invite to interview are matters at their discretion.

At Channing all candidates are interviewed regardless of their 11+ assessment result.

How much preparation does my daughter have to do for the Consortium entrance examination?

We recommend that all candidates look at the familiarisation materials, which are available on our website. Beyond that, our exam will test knowledge of the Year 5 Maths National Curriculum, and candidates will need to know how to read an extended passage of fiction and answer questions on it. These are all skills that your daughter will be developing in school anyway, so your daughter does not need special tuition or intensive practice for this assessment. We actively discourage preparation for the interview. Our interviewers can easily identify the candidate who has been coached for this part of the process. They are also experienced in putting nervous candidates at their ease. We are looking for evidence of creative and independent thinking, and suitability for our schools.

Choosing an independent senior school for your child is one of the biggest investments most parents will make after purchasing a house, and in fact there are a lot of similarities. On paper they’ve got the same basic attributes – a number of bedrooms, a nice kitchen, a garden; great results, lots of extracurricular activities, lovely facilities – but we all know you need to get in and behind the facade to truly get the feel for it. Sometimes you know just from walking through the front door whether it’s the place for you (that’s true for both houses and schools!) and I’d argue the main consideration has to be that the ethos, values and culture of a school match yours.

Let’s start by considering some of the questions you might ask yourself in deciding on your main objectives for a senior school. I am going to take as a given that your child being happy is your first priority – although sadly there are parents who choose schools on name and perceived bragging rights, rather than considering what will fit their child. As I regularly say at Channing, happy girls learn best. I’d suggest you begin by thinking about your daughter, her attributes and characteristics. For example:

• Is she academically able and motivated by challenge? Bearing in mind that the vast majority of secondary schools are academically selective, it’s the level of selection that is useful to understand.
• Would she be happy at an overtly academic school and enjoy that competition? That might demotivate some girls, who compare themselves unfavourably to others – they may be better off in a school with a steadier pace where they can feel that they’re near the top of the class.
• Some children will suit a hands-off school where they are independent and need to have plenty of self-motivation to get involved. I’ve seen those children with a fistful of early lunch passes to get to their 14 clubs and activities, beetling about with enormous rucksacks like Everest climbers, and loving every moment of it. Other children would suit somewhere they feel well-known and are encouraged and supported – enjoying success without undue pressure.
• Does she have particular interests or talents which would be suited by a certain school’s specialism e.g. in music, sport, art or drama? Or would she suit a school where she can dip in and out of everything, follow new interests and try all sorts of activities?
• Would she suit single-sex or a co-ed environment? The benefits of single-sex include a lack of gender stereotyping and the freedom to be yourself. In a girls’ school all the leadership roles are for girls which sets a confident precedent for life that there are no bars to achievement from being a woman – at Channing that’s all about being 10% braver. It’s your daughter’s character and personality which should help guide your decision here.

You will also want to think about the practicalities:

• Do the location and transport options work for your family? Can your daughter get to and from school easily, especially if she attends after-school clubs or evening events?
• Will she be able to make local friends? For example, 90% of Channing families live within 3 miles of the school.
• If you have other children, where do they go to school? To be clear, you should ask that question not because convenience matters but because having children at the right school for them is what matters most – and if you rightly want your children at different schools, how will that work?
• Do the finances work for you? Do check school websites for information about financial support if that may be necessary: at Channing we have always done our best to ensure that children who would benefit from an education at the School are not excluded for financial reasons and offer means-tested financial support with the payment of school fees to parents/guardians who would otherwise be unable to afford them. You can access this information here LINK to understand what is involved.

And then the fundamental question: what are the ethos and values of the school, and do they match yours? It’s important that your child is at a school where you support the aims and attitude of the Head and the staff – otherwise you will find yourself at loggerheads with them and the aim is to be working in partnership for the good of your child. Listen carefully to what they have to say and ask questions: you’re not being a pain, you’re making a significant investment and need to be sure!

So where do you start? Ideally you want to tailor an initial longlist down to 2 or 3 main contenders.

Initially you should visit all the schools or book onto virtual open days if you can’t attend in person.

What should you look for?

• Look at academic and co/extra-curricular activities, especially in the areas where you/your daughter have a particular interest e.g., language provision, science and computing, sporting opportunities
• Find out about the selection process and how your daughter should prepare for it.
• Find out about the induction process; how does the school help the pupils settle in at the start of Year 7?
• Find out about their remote provision – it gives you an idea of how adaptable the school is and what they consider important about education, and the likelihood is that all education is going to involve some level of blended learning in the future. Our experience with Channing Virtual School is that some of the additional capabilities afforded by technology are too good to let go.
• Go armed with some questions based on what you saw on the website in case you forget on the day. Don’t be afraid to come back with more questions as they occur to you as you may not think of them until after the event.
• Make sure you talk to the teachers: are they receptive and easy to chat to? Are they excited and enthusiastic about their subject and their school? Are they specialists in their subject?
• Talk to as many of the pupils as you are able – often they will be leading the tours. Sometimes these will be Sixth Formers who have been all the way through the school and can tell you about their experience to date, as well as their plans for what comes next. Some schools use second year students to take tours, who can tell you what it was like to join the school.
• Try and chat to a member of the Parents’ Association if they are available. You need to be sure that after the active social life most parents experience at junior school the same will be on offer at senior school, if this is important to you. Members of the PA will also be able to give you the lowdown about the basics – travel, food, uniform etc.
• And finally – is the ethos clearly explained and does it resonate with you? What are the Head’s future plans and vision for the school – is it a development of what exists and even more appealing to you, or will it take the school in a very different direction?
• Try to narrow it down to 2-3 schools at most: a couple of first choices and then a good insurance choice that you and your child would still be happy with. Talk to your current Head about these choices if they are receptive: are they academically realistic? What more can they tell you about the schools you like? Do they see your choices as a good fit for your child?

A final plea from a Head who has to spend the next 5 years dealing with pupils’ fear of tests – please don’t put your child through lots of 11+ exams! And please do consider your daughter’s wellbeing in the process. It’s important that both you, and she, are calm and confident that there will be a positive outcome – and that wherever the 11+ might take them in the future she will flourish into a happy and confident young person.

Lindsey Hughes
Headmistress

Can I make an application from overseas?

Yes. Overseas applicants are very welcome to apply to Channing School.

What happens after I have returned my application form and fee?

You will receive an acknowledgement and your daughter will be registered for the entrance exam. We will also request a reference from the Head Teacher of your daughter’s current school. We will send you various communications regarding the assessment and interview. Please ensure that the admissions@channing.co.uk email account is in your contacts and our correspondence does not go into the parent’s Spam or Junk folder in their email account.

Will my daughter have an interview?

All Channing applicants are invited to attend an interview in January 2025. Candidates will meet our Head of Year 7 and take part in team building activities, followed by an individual interview with a senior member of staff for approximately 20 minutes. The team building activities are not scored and do not contribute to the outcome of the application. There is no need for candidates to do any preparation prior to their interview or to bring anything with them.

Do you offer Scholarships and Bursaries?

All applicants who sit the 11+ entrance examination are automatically considered for an Academic Scholarship (10% of the fees). No separate application is required.

If you wish to apply for a Music Scholarship you must complete the Music Scholarship Application form before the application deadline, in addition to the Year 7 application form. The selection process for Music Scholars has two stages, with applicants asked to submit filmed recordings of a performance as well as music teacher references. Successful candidates will be invited to attend a music audition in January 2026. Music Scholarships are awarded for up to 50% of the tuition fees as a result of the audition and qualification in the academic examination. Those candidates who complete a Music Scholarship application will be provided with more information.

Bursaries can be awarded for up to 100% of tuition fees on entry to Year 7. In order to assess financial criteria, applicants will be asked to complete an application and include a Statement of Financial Circumstances. When considering applications the full family circumstances, not just income, will be considered.

Are applicants with a sibling already at Channing always offered a place?

We have a large number of applicants for every available place at Channing. If we have to choose between two or more candidates who are equally suited to life at Channing and equally likely to flourish then we will give preference to a girl who already has a sister in the school. Otherwise we do not have a sibling policy that automatically gives a sibling a place.

When will I know the result of my daughter’s application?

Results will be emailed to parents in February 2025. Please note, if your daughter is placed on the Waiting List, information about her position on the Waiting List is not given. All girls on the Waiting List are considered to have qualified for entry should a place arise before the beginning of Year 7. Be assured the Admissions Office will be in contact with a family if a place arises and parents are not required to keep in regular contact with the school to reiterate their interest.

What sports are offered to pupils ?

In year 7, 8 and 9 students are able to try a wide variety of sports including netball, football, athletics, volleyball, gymnastics, trampolining, cricket, rounders, tag rugby, cross country and health and fitness. In Year 9 the students also get the opportunity to complete part of their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh in their PE lessons. From Year 10 girls have the opportunity to go skiing.

What opportunities are there to get involved in Music or Drama?

The Music School provides a friendly, enthusiastic and stimulating environment in which musical excellence is encouraged and celebrated. We help our students develop their musical potential and respond to a variety of musical challenges. Students are given the opportunity to perform individually and in ensembles – irrespective of age or musical ability.

Our facilities are fabulous and include 13 practice/teaching rooms. Often all rooms are in use, and the place literally ‘buzzes’ with musical activity, even as early as 8 o’clock in the morning! All our rooms are equipped with high quality upright pianos, mainly Yamaha or Kawai models. Our fully soundproofed percussion studio is a superb place for our rock bands to make music and, for those interested in technology, our Music Technology room is equipped with 25 iMacs and full-size Yamaha keyboards. Each week, we have 24 co-curricular musical activities from Theory Club to Jazz Band and on most Fridays, we have ‘Music at Lunchtime’, in which pupils of any standard have the opportunity to play or sing a solo, whether they have their music lessons in or out of school.

There are a number of ways for girls to be involved in drama throughout the school – either by participating onstage, or by helping out backstage and with the technical elements.

There is a Year 7 and 8 Drama club after school and a whole-school production every year. Enthusiastic Sixth Formers run the KS4 drama club. There is also the opportunity for girls to organise and produce productions on their own.

What languages do pupils study?

Pupils can choose between French, German and Spanish in Year 7. If the child is a native speaker of a language, they should not choose that language as their Year 7 choice. Ahead of moving into Year 8 they can choose a second modern language (French, German or Spanish) and continue to study two languages in Year 9. In addition all pupils in Years 7, 8 and 9 study Latin. In Year 10 pupils choose at least one modern foreign language to study at GCSE level.

Do you provide a school bus service for pupils?

We are very well served by public transport with many bus routes passing the school and we are close to two tube stations. Please go to our website to see the range of transport links to the school. Many pupils walk to school and we encourage pupils to cycle if they can. As well as being good for general health, it is good for the environment. We do not therefore currently provide a school bus service for pupils.

What clubs and extra-curricular activities do you offer?

Channing girls enjoy Sports, Music Concerts and a range of clubs from Chess to French Poetry, to science dissections. Clubs are offered in the morning before school, at lunch time and after the school day. Please visit our website to see the wide range of clubs and activities on offer to our pupils: Extra-curricular activities at Channing.

What is the best way to stay updated on the latest news and achievements at Channing?

You can read Word from the Head, our weekly newsletter, or follow us on social media (Facebook and Instagram).