OUNDLE AT 11+
WELCOME
“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.”
Oundle School has long been associated with the very best of modern independent education, especially boarding education. Our School community is made up of talented and open-minded pupils from countries all over the world and from all corners of the UK. There is no single set model of a successful Oundelian; we look for pupils with open, curious minds and an appetite to make the most of School life. Academic excellence is acknowledged, pursued and rewarded at every opportunity.
The challenges our pupils will face in the world beyond School will require of them adaptability and emotional intelligence, as well as the best academic qualifications of which they are capable. We take seriously our responsibility to our pupils so that they can emerge as decent, open-minded adults: ambitious about what they can go on to achieve and contribute, but never arrogant.
Oundelians are intellectually curious, energetic, resourceful: they are able young people who love school and value friendship. What I also see in Oundelians however, is a sense of decency that gives a solid foundation for their other qualities. Oundelians do not strut but make the most of themselves and the opportunities they have around them.
We are fortunate in our location at the heart of a beautiful market town, not least because for over 450 years the School and town have been part of the same community. Our pupils take their place within this community, not isolated from it.
Sarah Kerr-Dineen Head of Oundle School
MODERN BOARDING
If you talk to our senior pupils, what they will say again and again is that boarding has taught them tolerance. It has taught them how to live with people who are different from them. That is invaluable in the world beyond school.”
Click to discover our modern boarding ethos
OUR PUBLICATIONS
To find out more about who we are, what we offer and what life is like at Oundle, please explore our range of publications.
Click here to read and download our publications
OUNDLE AT 11+
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.
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.
Joining Oundle at 11 opens a window to the extensive opportunities and facilities offered by a large boarding school, with the added appeal of being part of a thriving market town in the heart of glorious countryside. For those seeking to board, Oundle is within easy reach of London and under an hour from Cambridge.
OMNIA
Saturdays at 11+ are something rather different and exciting at Oundle. In our experience, a six-day week with lessons on a Saturday has the potential to be exhausting rather than enriching for many eleven-year-olds. We therefore run Omnia, a programme wholly bespoke to Oundle and designed to ignite sparks in young minds, open up new opportunities and stimulate intellectual curiosity.
Carefully crafted by our own specialist teachers, it whets every appetite, from encouraging exploration to fostering climate champions and critical thinkers. It also offers the perfect stepping stone to Third Form where all pupils have Saturday morning lessons.
Click here to discover
“Omnia reflects our commitment to ensuring that our youngest pupils develop a wide range of skills and character traits beyond the academic curriculum.”
Omnia
BOARDING AT 11+
Boarding at 11+ is a wonderful opportunity to develop independence and responsibility. All our junior boarders are part of a large, extended family, teaching them to live in harmony and to develop a better understanding of the opposite gender with regard to feelings, reactions and approaches. A vibrant programme of activities, supported by the Head of Junior Boarding Adventures, is offered throughout the week and at weekends, enabling the formation of lifelong friendships and shared experiences.
We have 40+ boarders across the two year groups, the vast majority of whom are full boarders. We also offer weekly boarding and a 3 day model at 11+, recognising that some children at this age need a little more time to adjust to full boarding. For those pupils who ultimately want to board but don’t feel quite ready yet, these options provide an ideal stepping stone to full boarding in our senior Houses.
11+ ENTRY AND SCHOLARSHIPS
11+ Entrance takes place in January of Year 6. Pupils sit entrance papers in Mathematics, English, Science and a Cognitive Ability Test, alongside an interview to ensure that we get to know and understand the whole child. Boarders are invited to stay the night and experience the thrill of boarding at 11+. We offer Music Scholarships at this stage, as well as Entrance Exhibitions in recognition of outstanding academic achievement and effort in the entrance papers.
Children, especially at 11+, develop at different stages and once at Oundle, may go on to develop an enhanced level of confidence and skill relative to their year-group. We therefore offer further Scholarship opportunities from 13+ upwards across a wide range of disciplines, including Academic. Each Scholarship Award comes with a tailored pathway to support continued development in that discipline.
Oundle is founded on philanthropy and we are proud to offer assistance with fees through a strong means-tested bursary programme.
ADMISSIONS TIMELINE
Every admissions journey will be slightly different, but we recommend registration by the end of Year 5 at the latest. We believe in working in partnership with our families; the earlier you register, the more time you have to get to know Oundle and the more time we have to get to know your child ahead of the 11+ Entrance assessment.
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. We offer tailored 11+ Open Days throughout the year, as well as individual visits. Please contact the Admissions Office for more information; 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.
OUR CURRICULUM
It is a privilege to commence our teaching journey at 11+ with our First and Second Form (Years 7 and 8). Eleven- and twelve-year-old children have wonderfully creative and enquiring minds: the enthusiasm that they bring to their learning makes them a joy to teach.
We have a bespoke and graduated curriculum, with all subjects taught by specialist teachers who teach through to
AN AVERAGE WEEK
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.
Northamptonshire borders eight other counties including Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire and Bedfordshire.
Central London is just 45 minutes away by train from nearby Peterborough.
We
proud to welcome pupils from over 120 feeder schools all across the UK and from 30+ countries around the world.
Glous.
Lincolnshire
Cheshire
Notts.
Oxon