Each year, around seventy pupils join Oundle at 11+ as either boarders or day pupils. Boarders enter The Berrystead, our junior boarding House, and day pupils enter the adjacent Scott House. Both Houses share beautiful and extensive grounds and facilities, while also benefitting from their own dedicated spaces and strong pastoral teams. Around ten pupils join Scott House from other schools, enhancing the social circle and dynamic. Our focus through these two crucial years is to develop intellectual curiosity, shape academic potential and establish positive habits for lifelong learning, all while nurturing growth in independence and self-organisation. All pupils move up seamlessly to a senior House at 13+, with some day pupils choosing to move into boarding at this stage.
“At Oundle you can do anything that you want, to whatever level you want. You don’t have to be brilliant at everything but if you are a sparky child who loves school, you will love Oundle.”
Just as with 13+ entry, there is no single model of a successful Oundelian and while we are an academically selective school, we are certainly no hothouse. Eleven- and twelveyear-old children have wonderfully creative and enquiring minds: they are full of potential and develop at very different rates. We look for children who love learning and have an innate curiosity, coupled with a determination to get stuck in and make the most of opportunities. Children who have the potential to thrive on the academic breadth of our curriculum while getting involved both in the extraordinary range of co-curricular activities and in the life of their House will most certainly find their place at Oundle.
To find out more about who we are, what we offer and what life is like at Oundle, please explore our range of publications.
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OUR CURRICULUM
It is a privilege to commence our teaching journey at 11+ with our First and Second Form (Years 7 and 8). We have a bespoke and graduated curriculum, with all subjects taught by specialist teachers who teach right through to I/GCSE and A level.
This enables our younger children to gain true mastery of their subjects and builds a solid foundation for their academic lives ahead. A vast range of co-curricular opportunities complements the academic curriculum, sparking new interests while indulging existing hobbies.
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AN AVERAGE WEEK
5.15pm
Downtime and activities for boarders 4.05pm
Electives (Junior Activities)
Electives (Junior Activities) 6pm Scott House closes
6.30pm BOARDERS’ SUPPER
7.15pm
Boarders’ Prep Monday to Friday (different timings for the summer term)
OMNIA
Omnia is our bespoke Saturday programme, designed to ignite sparks in young minds, open up new opportunities and stimulate intellectual curiosity. Carefully crafted by our specialist teachers, it whets every appetite, from encouraging exploration to fostering climate champions and critical thinkers. It offers the perfect stepping stone to Third Form where all pupils have Saturday morning lessons.
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THE ADMISSIONS PATHWAY
Our aim is simple: we want to ensure that Oundle is the right school for each child who joins us. We work closely with LJS throughout the admissions pathway and set great store by the recommendation of the Head.
YEAR 4
FOCUS OUNDLE ADMISSIONS
The focus is on life at LJS and on your child adapting to the prep phase. LJS will introduce you to the Future Schools pathway.
There are no specific Oundle Admissions requirements at this stage, although parents are always welcome to visit.
YEAR 5
The focus is on deciding upon your senior school of choice, including Oundle. The LJS Head will guide and support you throughout the year, making a formal recommendation in the Summer Term.
If Oundle is your preferred and recommended school, please register with Admissions by the end of Year 5.
Michaelmas Term: Our Registrar will introduce Oundle and the Admissions pathway at an LJS Parents in Partnership session. We host a bespoke Open Day for LJS pupils, as well as individual visits throughout the year.
Summer Term: All Year 5 attend an Oundle Leadership Challenge Day, with an optional sleepover, in the early part of term. This helps us get to know the children more holistically ahead of the offer stage. In June, you will have a meeting with the LJS Head who will recommend the offer pathway best suited to your child. We are always happy to meet with parents to discuss pathways following the Head’s recommendation.
The focus is on preparation for senior school and continued academic trajectory to enable a smooth transition into Year 7. Oundle staff work with LJS to help prepare children for life at Oundle.
Michaelmas Term: Formal written place offers are made by October Half Term.
Summer Term: There will be various induction and transition opportunities, including talks from former pupils. An Entrance Exhibition will be awarded to the top performer(s) in the end of year examinations.
OUNDLE OFFERS
EARLY UNCONDITIONAL PLACE OFFER
EARLY TAILORED PLACE OFFER
Made by October Half Term of Year 6.
Offered to those children on a clear trajectory and for whom Oundle is absolutely the right school.
No requirement to sit the 11+ assessment.
Made by October Half Term of Year 6.
Offered to those children for whom Year 5 is too early a stage for the trajectory to be clear, but whose potential we fully anticipate being fulfilled given a little more time. Every child develops at a different rate and some do not fully blossom until the latter years of a prep education.
We commit to working closely with all involved to identify areas of focus and to support a smooth and successful transition into Year 7. In rare cases if required, a review will take place at the end of Year 7 as to whether Oundle is the right onward fit into a senior House at 13+.
No requirement to sit the 11+ assessment.
11+ ENTRANCE EXAMINATION
Where LJS advises that Oundle is not the right school, we are always happy to meet with families as needed to offer further insight.
Should Oundle remain a desired option, your child may sit the 11+ competitive assessments in January of Year 6.
Any pupil joining LJS from Summer Term of Year 5 onwards will sit the 11+ Entrance Examination in Year 6.
Before registering your child, we highly recommend that you visit us in person, not just to see the different aspects of the School but more importantly to meet the people who shape it. Please contact the Admissions Office for more information on visits: we would be delighted to welcome you.
CONTACT ADMISSIONS
Sarah Johnson, Registrar E: admissions@oundleschool.org.uk
T: 01832 277 122
Follow @oundleschool on Instagram for a deeper insight into our community.
AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS
Oundle awards a limited number of Entrance Exhibitions upon entry in recognition of outstanding academic achievements and effort. For external candidates, these are based on the 11+ Entrance Examinations. For LJS pupils, these are based predominantly upon performance in the end of Year 6 examinations, as well as academic trajectory throughout Years 5 and 6.
We do not offer formal Scholarships at 11+ entry, as we recognise that children at this age develop at different ratesacademically, emotionally and physically. We want pupils to have the space to grow without pressure. With that in mind, a wide range of Scholarship opportunities are available from 13+ onwards, including Academic. Each award comes with a tailored programme to support ongoing development.
BOARDING AT 11+
Boarding at Oundle from age 11 offers something increasingly rare: a full-boarding experience shaped around the needs of our youngest pupils. The Berrystead is home to a lively, close-knit and well-supported community, where children enjoy the rhythms of boarding while beginning to grow in independence and responsibility.
There are over 50 pupils across the two year groups in The Berrystead. While most are full boarders, weekly and three-day options are also available, recognising that some children at this age need a little more time to adjust. For those who ultimately want to board but aren’t quite ready for a seven-day model, these more flexible options offer a gentle and effective stepping stone to full boarding in our senior Houses.
Evening and weekend life is active, varied and full of fun. A dedicated Head of Junior Boarding Adventures ensures there is always something to look forward to, from team challenges and baking to film nights and outdoor pursuits. Pupils form strong friendships and settle quickly into boarding life. By the time they move up to senior Houses at 13, they carry with them a strong sense of belonging and a ready-made network of familiar faces across the School.
