Our admissions process is designed to be as stress-free as possible (for the child and family alike) and to help us to identify the potential in every applicant.
We are looking for children whose talents stretch beyond the confines of the curriculum and who will contribute to the rich life of the College and our community. This is why we don’t make offers on the strength of the entrance exam alone. We interview every child before the exams are sat, and take into consideration their personalities, talents and school reference.
YEARS 4 & 5 Open Mornings
Open Mornings are the best way to see Epsom. You get access to all parts of the College, via a personal guided tour, and the chance to hear from our Head, Sir Anthony Seldon.
You’ll see departmental showcases, visit the Lower School and take a look inside a Day or Boarding House.
Our September event sold out, but we have two more this academic year. Register your interest below.
YEARS 4 & 5 College Tours
College Tours are great for those that prefer a more intimate gathering, and who wish to see us on a normal working weekday.
Your morning will begin with a short welcome from the Head, Sir Anthony Seldon. This will be followed by a tour of the College with one of our pupils. While you won’t quite get the access you would on an Open Morning, you will gain an authentic view of life at the College.
Your morning will finish with refreshments and the chance to meet senior staff, who can answer any questions you may have.
31 OCTOBER, YEAR 6 Registration
Following a visit to Epsom, we invite parents to submit a registration form, which begins our admissions process. Your child will be interviewed, take part in entrance exams and, if relevant, be assessed for a scholarship in Drama, Music or Sport.
All you need to do before the 31 October deadline is to complete the online registration form and pay the non-refundable fee (£200 per child for UK residents, £300 per child for overseas residents).
If you are applying for a scholarship for entry in September , you will need to download and complete the relevant forms (see scholarship section below). Please return these to Epsom College by 31 October .
If you are applying for entry in or beyond, there is no need to complete scholarship forms until your child is in Year 6.
AUTUMN, YEAR 6 Interviews
All registered children will have a short interview, usually no longer than 15 minutes.
The ‘interview’ is actually more of a chat; a chance for us to get to know your child a little. We meet every child who registers and we do so before the exams in January.
We do it this way because we feel it’s important to help your child become familiar with the school, and our staff, ahead of the entrance exams. It calms the nerves a little.
It’s also helpful for us to meet each child and find out more about them, their interests and their personality. Assessments and school reports only tell us so much.
While we understand the competitive nature of applying for schools, we would advise against coaching for interviews – we far prefer to see the child’s true interests and personality.
JANUARY, YEAR 6 Assessments
The assessments takes place in January of Year 6. Children who are applying to join Year 7 will be invited to attend either a morning or afternoon session between 3-5 January .
Each child sits four papers:
Your child will be well looked after by our team. We are used to dealing with last-minute nerves, from both the child and their parents. There are plenty of breaks between papers and everyone is reunited with their parents at the end of the session for drinks and snacks.
JANUARY, YEAR 6 Scholarships
Academic scholarships are awarded on the strength of your child’s entrance exams, interview and school references. No additional exams are required.
A separate assessment is required if you wish your child to be considered for a scholarship in Drama, Music or Sport. These take place in January, with exact dates and timings to be confirmed nearer the date. The closing date for scholarship applications is 31 October .
FEBRUARY, YEAR 6Places Offered
Once all entrance and scholarship assessments have concluded, we evaluate every candidate’s performance. To do this we look at:
We also consider the make-up of the year group as a whole, ensuring a good balance of personalities, interests and talents. This is a vital part of the process, as it is important for children to thrive as part of a happy, well-balanced community.
Places are offered in mid-February and parents have one month to make their decision.
FEBRUARY, YEAR 6Offer-Holder Event
Hopefully, you will be delighted with your offer and accept it immediately. However, we know in reality that there are a number of things to consider. We give families a month to think things through, and weigh up all of the options.
We host an event for all our Offer Holders after the February half-term. Parents get the chance to hear from members of our Senior Leadership Team and to take part in a Q&A session.
Your child has the chance to meet other offer-holders and take part in some fun team-building activities.
Everyone is then reunited for food and refreshments.
For entry, the date for this event is Thursday 22 February.
MARCH, YEAR Acceptance Deadline
To accept your child’s place at Epsom, we require a confirmation deposit of £4,000. £2,000 of the deposit will be offset against the first term’s fees. The balance of £2,000 will be held in the general funds of the College in accordance with our Terms & Conditions, and will be offset against a pupil’s final account when they leave the College.
Our admissions process is designed to be as stress-free as possible (for the child and family alike) and to help us to identify the potential in every applicant.
We are looking for children whose talents stretch beyond the confines of the curriculum and who will contribute to the rich life of the College and our community. This is why we don’t make offers on the strength of the entrance exam alone. We interview every child before the exams are sat, and take into consideration their personalities, talents, and school reference.
YEARS 4 & 5 Open Mornings
Open Mornings are the best way to see Epsom. You get access to all parts of the College, via a personal guided tour, and the chance to hear from our Head, Sir Anthony Seldon.
You’ll see departmental showcases, visit the Lower School and take a look inside a Day or Boarding House.
Our September event sold out, but we have two more this academic year. Register your interest below.
YEARS 4 & 5 College Tours
College Tours are great for those that prefer a more intimate gathering, and who wish to see us on a normal working weekday.
Your morning will begin with a short welcome from the Head, Sir Anthony Seldon. This will be followed by a tour of the College with one of our pupils. While you won’t quite get the access you would on an Open Morning, you will gain an authentic view of life at the College.
Your morning will finish with refreshments and the chance to meet senior staff, who can answer any questions you may have.
31 OCTOBER, YEAR 6 RegistrationFollowing a visit to Epsom, we invite parents to submit a registration form, which begins our admissions process. Your child will be interviewed, take part in entrance exams and – if successful – be offered a deferred place.
All you need to do before the 31 October deadline is to complete the online registration form and pay the non-refundable fee (£200 per child for UK residents, £300 per child for overseas residents).
AUTUMN, YEAR 6 Interviews
All registered children will have a short interview, usually no longer than 15 minutes.
The ‘interview’ is actually more of a chat; a chance for us to get to know your child a little. We meet every child who registers and we do so before the exams in January.
We do it this way because we feel it’s really important to help your child become familiar with the school, and our staff, ahead of the entrance exams. It calms the nerves a little.
It’s also helpful for us to meet each child and find out more about them, their interests and their personality. Assessments and school reports only tell us so much.
While we understand the competitive nature of applying for schools, we would advise against coaching for interviews – we far prefer to see the child’s true interests and personality.
4-6 JANUARY, YEAR 6 Assessments
The assessments take place in January of Year 6. Children who are applying to join Year 9 will be invited to attend either a morning or afternoon session between 3-5 January .
Each child will sit four papers:
Your child will be well looked after by our team. We are used to dealing with last-minute nerves, from both the child and their parents. There are plenty of breaks between papers and everyone is reunited with their parents at the end of the session for drinks and snacks.
FEBRUARY, YEAR Deferred Places Offered
Once all entrance assessments have concluded, we evaluate every child’s performance. To do this we look at:
We also consider the make-up of the year group as a whole, ensuring a good balance of personalities, interests and talents. This is a vital part of the process, as it is important for children to thrive as part of a happy, well-balanced community.
Deferred places will be offered in mid-February and parents have one month in which to make their decision.
A deferred place is conditional on your child’s continued academic progress and satisfactory attendance and behaviour throughout Years 7 and 8. We will look at school reports, internal examination results and a final transfer reference which we request in the spring of Year 8.
FEBRUARY. YEAR 6 Offer-Holder Event
Hopefully, you will be delighted with your offer and accept it immediately. However, we know in reality that there are a number of things to consider. We give families a month to think things through, and weigh up all of the options.
We host an event for all our Offer Holders after the February half-term. Parents get the chance to hear from members of our Senior Leadership Team and to take part in a Q&A session.
Your child has the chance to meet other offer-holders and take part in some fun team-building activities.
Everyone is then reunited for food and refreshments.
MARCH, YEAR 6 Acceptance Deadline
To accept your child’s place at Epsom, we require a confirmation deposit of £4,000. £2,000 of the deposit will be offset against the first term’s fees. The balance of £2,000 will be held in the general funds of the College in accordance with our Terms & Conditions, and will be offset against a pupil’s final account when they leave the College.
FEBRUARY-MARCH, YEAR 8 Scholarship Assessments
We award scholarships for excellence in academic study, Drama, Music and Sport. Assessments take place in February and March of your child’s Year 8, with exact dates and timings confirmed nearer the time.
If your child is holding a deferred place at Epsom, you will be contacted at the start of Year 8 with further information about scholarships and the application forms.
AUTUMN, YEAR 8 Late Applications
If you missed the Year 6 exams, it may be possible to sit the Epsom College 13+ entrance examination as a late applicant.
Please note however that this is entirely dependent on the availability of places, and in recent years we have been oversubscribed and operating relatively long waiting lists. Therefore you should avoid this route if at all possible. Please contact our Admissions Team to find out current availability before submitting an application.
The exams for late applicants take place in the Autumn of Year 8 and comprise of papers in English, Maths and Verbal Reasoning. The date for the Late Applicant exam will be 6 October.
Each year we welcome around 20 new students to the Sixth Form. We are looking for young men and women who are well-rounded and academically able. We want our students to lead rich and varied lives, contribute to the life of the College and our community, and have interests that stretch beyond the confines of the curriculum.
Entry Requirements
To be considered for a place in our Sixth Form you will need a grade average of 6.5 across all your GCSEs, with at least a Grade 7 in the subjects you wish to study at A-level. You must have at least Grade 8 for the more technical subjects, such as maths, sciences and modern languages.
YEAR 10 Open Mornings
Open Mornings are the best way to see Epsom. You get access to all parts of the College, via a personal guided tour, and the chance to hear from our Head, Sir Anthony Seldon.
You’ll see departmental showcases, visit the Lower School and take a look inside a Day or Boarding House.
Our September event sold out, but we have two more this academic year. Register your interest below.
YEAR 10 & 11 College Tour
College Tours are great for those that prefer a more intimate gathering, and who wish to see us on a normal working weekday.
Your morning will begin with a short welcome from the Head, Sir Anthony Seldon. This will be followed by a tour of the College with one of our pupils. While you won’t quite get the access you would on an Open Morning, you will gain an authentic view of life at the College.
Your morning will finish with refreshments and the chance to meet senior staff, who can answer any questions you may have.
OCTOBER, YEAR 11 Registration
If you are looking for a place in Epsom’s Sixth Form for September , registrations will open again in Easter .
NOVEMBER, YEAR 11 Interviews & Scholarships
Due to the demand for places, and the volume of applications we receive, we regret that we are not able to interview everyone who applies; we don’t want to give anyone false hope where we believe there is little chance of a place being offered.
Based on the information you provide in your application, and the reference we receive from your school, you may be shortlisted and invited to attend the College for an interview with a member of our Academic Leadership Team. Interviews will take place in the second half of November on a mutually convenient date. We can also arrange a remote interview if you are unable to attend the College in person.
If you are applying for a scholarship, you will be invited for an assessment/audition as relevant. The Academic Scholarship will be held on 15 November. The assessment dates for Drama, Music and Sport will be confirmed nearer the time.
DECEMBER, YEAR 11 Conditional Places Offered
Conditional places will be offered in early December. More places may become available to those on the waiting list at any time up to the following September.
We make offers following careful evaluation of the performance of each shortlisted candidate.
We will also consider the make-up of the year group, ensuring that there is a good balance of personalities, interests and abilities. This is a vital part of the process, as we know that the success of your time at Epsom relies on you being part of a happy, well-balanced community.
AUGUST, YEAR 11 Places Confirmed
Your place will move from ‘conditional’ to confirmed as soon as we are in receipt of your GCSE grades.
We welcome applications from students who live overseas, and from those who do not speak English as their first language. Around 15% of our students are international, with around 30 nationalities represented at the College.
Please note that the application process on this page only applies to pupils for whom the following statements are true:
If English is their first language or they are studying at a UK school where they have been for three years or more
Step 1. UKise
Before you formally apply to Epsom College, you must sit the UKiset Entrance Assessment. This is an online test, taken in English. It supports your application to UK Independent Schools and provides schools with the information they need when considering an application from an international student.
Year 7 & Year 9 applicants
You must sit the UKiset exam no later than the end of October in Year 6.
Please be aware that we do not offer boarding in the Lower School (Years 7 & 8). Boarding only becomes available from Year 9.
Year 12 applicants
You should sit your UKiset exam no later than the end of September in Year 11.
Step 2. Registration
Once you have taken the UKiset exam, we will be in touch to confirm if we can proceed with your application. If we can, the Admissions team will guide you through the application process with all the relevant information you will need.
Late Applications
We are able to consider late applications, but only when we have available space. You should be aware that in recent years the number of applications has been high, and waiting lists are long. Therefore, to save any disappointment, we would strongly urge you to avoid making a late application if possible.
In all cases, please contact our Admissions Team to see if space is available before making a late application.
English Language Requirements
Pupils must be competent in English in order to keep pace with the academic and social life of the College.
To support our international students, we provide tuition in English as an Additional Language (EAL). When students arrive with us, we assess them to determine what level of support is required.
Student Visas
Epsom College is a licensed student sponsor and we sponsor non-UK boarding students from Year 9 onwards via the Child Student Visa route.
All non-British or Irish passport holders/citizens are required to have the relevant immigration status before they can study at the College. For example:
Guardians
Boarding students whose parents do not live in the UK are required to have a Guardian over the age of 25 who lives no more than two hours travelling time from the College. Guardians are responsible for pupils during Exeats, holidays or any other times when the College is closed.
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