Thank you for your interest in enrolling at Kimbolton School. This step-by-step guide will take you through our Admissions process for Early Years (4+) and KS1 through to Sixth Form. If you have any further questions please don’t hesitate to email our Registrar, Mrs Rosie White, or call her on 01480 862209. She will be happy to chat through any aspect of joining our school.
Academic Year Entry
Key Dates for September Entry
Key Dates for September Entry
Explore our School
You might also like to take a virtual tour of our campus, read our most recent reviews and inspections, or view our video galleries for Lower Prep, Upper Prep, Senior School, and Sixth Form.
Our website can give you a taste of what life is like at Kimbolton Prep (primary) and Senior (secondary) schools, but nothing beats a visit in person. Our Open Mornings are a great way to see Kimbolton in action, or you can arrange a visit at a time to suit you. We would be delighted to meet you, and you can be assured of a warm welcome. Kimbolton is within easy reach of Cambridge, Bedford and London, but should you wish to stay overnight, there is a wide variety of local accommodation. Please note: our Prep School (for Primary Reception, KS1 and KS2) and Senior School (Secondary Years 7-13) are at opposite ends of Kimbolton village. If you are visiting the Secondary School the postcode is PE28 0EA; for the Prep School the nearest postcode is: PE28 0JJ.
Register for Entry
If you would like your child to be considered for entry, we first require a completed Registration Form and a non-returnable Registration Fee of £100 to cover our administration expenses. Please ensure you have read our Notes on Registration. You may also wish to view our Admissions Policy.
Assistance with Fees
We offer scholarships and assistance with fees (in the form of bursaries) from age 11. We will only consider applications from parents or guardians who have already registered their child for entry and paid the registration fee (currently £100).
Bursary Application Deadlines:
Entrance Assessments
4+ entry (Lower Prep – Reception, Years 1 and 2)
All candidates for entry are visited at nursery, playschool or home by a member of the Lower Prep staff, so we can get to know them in a familiar environment. We then invite children to join in with our current children’s classroom activities for a couple of days in January. These classroom visits include age-appropriate assessments.
7+ entry (Upper Prep – Years 3 to 6)
In Year 3 we add another class. Children will be invited to join us in the classroom for one day towards the end of January, during which they will undertake fun activities and assessments. This is followed by the Saturday entrance examination. Testing encompasses English, Maths and Reasoning (Verbal and Non-Verbal).
11+ entry (First Form – Year 7)
Candidates are invited for interview in January prior to our entrance examination. The examination comprises papers in Mathematics, English and Verbal Reasoning.
Entry at 13+ (Third Form – Year 9)
Entry at 13+ for candidates from preparatory schools is via Common Entrance, which is taken in May/June. All other candidates are invited for interview in January and then sit our entrance examination (Mathematics, English and Verbal Reasoning).
16+ entry (Sixth Form – Years 12 and 13)
Candidates are interviewed in the January or February prior to entry and are made an offer of a place subject to meeting our GCSE entry requirements. These are: at least 5 GCSEs at grades at 6 or above, with passes in Maths and English. Subjects to be studied at A Level should have been passed with at least a grade 6.
Offer and Acceptance of a Place
Offers of places for all levels of entry will be sent out by February half term. The deadline for acceptance of a place is normally the first Monday in March prior to starting in September.
Preparation for Arrival
Following acceptance of a place, in May, you will receive a joining pack of information from our Registrar. This will include information on our uniform, bus service and optional music lessons, as well as forms to complete before the start of term. You may additionally like to explore our parents' area, which has useful day-to-day information about school life including Kim Club (our before and after school club), sports fixtures, extra-curricular activities, the Kimbolton School Parents' Association and much more.
Small single age group classes give our 4- to 7-year-olds a calm, happy and purposeful start to their school life, with plenty of individual time and attention
Teaching is creative and fun, with a rich curriculum of classroom and outdoor ‘forest school’ activities. As children progress, we introduce specialist teaching in many areas including languages, ICT, sports, music and swimming. Our school buses are used by children aged 4 upwards, and wraparound care is available from 7.30am to 6pm.
This is the age at which lasting foundations are laid; a wide range of early experiences stimulates enthusiasm, curiosity and a passion for learning – and gives our youngest pupils a head start in their education.
There’s a real buzz here, with high expectations of teachers and pupils alike. Children have a busy timetable and rise to the challenge of finding the right place, at the right time, with the right books and equipment. Bright minds are inspired as each child is encouraged to be independent and develop their unique strengths and skills: academic, creative, sporting and leadership opportunities abound.
Pupils are proud of what they achieve, be it an award in a national maths challenge, victory in an inter-schools hockey tournament, a saxophone concert performance or a role in a drama production. With a broad and balanced curriculum, plus over 30 after-school clubs per week, we build pupils’ confidence and independence. Kim Club, used by many families on a regular or ad hoc basis, is an important part of our school community and extends the day, opening at 7.30am and finishing at 6pm. Our coach system is used exclusively by Kimbolton pupils of all ages.
Just as success in adulthood is about achieving a work-life balance, so success at Kimbolton is about both academic and personal development. We pride ourselves in stretching and challenging each and every one of our pupils but also equipping them with strategies to cope when the pressure is on. What’s more, we encourage them to get involved in many different spheres – it’s not unusual to see the same child excelling in extra-curricular sport, music, drama and academic pursuits. It all adds up to a busy and fulfilling education.
Gain study skills and academic interests that help you stand out from the crowd and thrive amid the challenges of life today.
Add in leadership experiences, extension courses, sports, plus a myriad of extra-curricular clubs, and you'll have every opportunity to build an exciting future – as any Old Kimboltonian will tell you!
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