APPLYING TO SIR WILLIAM PERKINS’S SCHOOL
What type of school is SWPS?
SWPS is an independent co-educational day school for students aged 11 to 18, located in Chertsey, Surrey. It combines strong academic results with a warm, supportive environment.
What are your normal entry points for admission?
SWPS welcomes new students at 11+ (Year 7), 13+ (Year 9), and 16+ (Sixth Form). Occasional places may also be available in other year groups.
What is the application process?
The best way to find out more is to visit us. Open Events for both the Senior School and Sixth Form are held throughout the year. Visits at other times can be arranged by contacting our Admissions team.
The process includes:
• Online application via the SWPS admissions portal.
• Entrance assessments in English and Maths.
• School reference from your child’s current school.
• Interview with a senior member of staff. For overseas applicants, assessments can be arranged abroad, and interviews are conducted via Teams.
When should I apply for my child to join SWPS?
There is no advantage to early applications, all candidates are considered based on their performance in the admissions process. Applications can be made at any time up to the deadline of 15 October in the year prior to entry. In particular, applications seeking special consideration in assessments should be submitted in time for review by the Head of Personalised Learning. This year, applications
for entry in September 2026 should be submitted before midday on 15 October 2025.
How many places are available at 11+ and 13+?
There are 80 places available for entry at 11+ and 20 places for entry at 13+.
How will SWPS assess my child for entry at 11+and 13+?
There are three elements to each application
• Our entrance assessments: all candidates are invited to sit our academic assessments
• The school reference: we apply to every applicant’s school in late October for a reference/feedback on your child’s social and academic progress.
• The interview: each candidate will have a short one-to-one interview with a senior member of staff
Each element is explained in more detail overleaf.
“We know that the examination entry procedure can feel daunting, but we aim to make it as clear and straight-forward as possible.”
What is the format of the assessments?
Our assessments consist of Maths and English papers, each of 1 hour for Year 7 2026 and deferred entry Year 9 2028, and 1 hour 15 minutes for Year 9 entry in 2026. The Maths paper consists of a combination of Reasoning and Problem Solving and Arithmetic. The English paper is a combination of Comprehension and free writing.
How should my child prepare for the assessments?
We know that the examination entry procedure can feel daunting, but we aim to make it as clear and straight-forward as possible. Practice tests are not available and no special preparation is required. However, it is important for candidates’ confidence that they are familiar with the nature and style of the exam. Whilst a degree of practice may help children to build their confidence and to feel secure in what is expected of them, repeated practice is not encouraged.
When and where should they sit the assessments?
All candidates are invited to join us on Saturday 15 November 2025 to sit their assessments. They will sit their assessments in classrooms supervised by teaching staff. Groups are
allocated in strictly alphabetical order, so if your child knows another who will be sitting they may not be in the same room.
How do I apply for an academic scholarship?
Academic scholarships are only applicable for entry at 11+ and 13+. All candidates who complete the entrance examinations at 11+ are automatically considered for academic scholarships. Candidates joining us in Year 9 can apply for academic scholarship via the admissions portal and will sit academic scholarship papers on 15 November.
How do I apply for an Art, Drama, Music, Sport or STEM scholarship?
Applications for scholarships for those hoping to join in September 2026 will open on 1 July 2025. Your child must be registered with us before a scholarship application can be considered. You will be able to complete an application via your child’s application hub on our admissions portal. Details of our scholarships are found at www.swps.org.uk/ admissions/scholarships. Scholarship candidates must complete the academic selection stage of the admissions process prior to scholarship assessments.
We live abroad. Can our child take the assessments/interview abroad?
Yes, it is possible for candidates to take the assessments overseas. Several students join us each year from overseas and your application is most welcome.
All interviews will be conducted remotely, and we will try to schedule them to a convenient time for your time zone.
Please ask your child’s current school if they can invigilate the exam. If this is not possible, please contact the British Council in your country to see if they have suitable facilities nearby. If neither of these options are possible, please be in touch with Admissions (admissions@swps.org. uk) to discuss an alternative. We do not allow
candidates to be tested at their home, a tutor’s house or anywhere which is not considered a professional venue. We ask you to provide details of the venue arrangements to us and we will communicate directly with the venue in order to provide the assessment materials. All interviews will be conducted remotely via Teams, and we will try to schedule them to a convenient time for your time zone.
06 ADMISSIONS FAQS
Do you offer student sponsorship?
We do not offer student sponsorship at the point of admission. Applicants are required to have their own right to reside and study in the UK. This may be in the form of a dependant on the parent’s visa.
Are boarding facilities available?
SWPS is a day school with no boarding facilities available, which means we are unfortunately unable to accommodate overseas students. It is our school policy that all students must live in the vicinity of the school with their parents for the duration of their education. We would expect students to be covered as a dependant on a parent’s visa status as we do not sponsor Tier 4 visas for entrants.
How are students assessed for ad hoc places?
For in year applications and ad hoc places, registered candidates are invited to SWPS to sit two one-hour papers in English and Mathematics. As these papers are set by SWPS, we do not provide copies of past papers to schools or families. In addition, candidates will have an interview, enabling us to explore their creativity and curiosity.
Do you recommend tutoring before the assessments?
It is not necessary for students to spend lots of time practising or preparing material for these exams. We are looking for candidates to respond intuitively, and so would encourage
students to relax, try their best and enjoy engaging with the material.
Will you contact my child’s current school, if so, when?
For all entries we request a reference from the Head of your child’s current school in October preceding the entrance examination. You will not be asked to pay for a reference from your child’s school.
My child has special educational needs. Are the assessments accessible?
The SWPS assessments are accessible to all candidates with a variety of special educational needs or disabilities. Reasonable adjustments may be applied, the nature of which will depend on the candidate’s specific needs. You must inform us, when making your application, about any specific needs your child may have. There is a section on our admissions portal for this purpose and you must also upload a copy of any educational psychologist report. Where appropriate, candidates can be given additional time to complete each test element. Please inform us in good time before the application deadline of any special educational needs. We will need time to consider the documents you provide to us in order to confirm what access arrangements, if any, your child may be entitled to have. We are unable to consider any access arrangement documents submitted after the application deadline.
What is SWPS looking for?
SWPS is an academically selective school and we are looking for students who will thrive in a scholarly environment. We are looking for potential: curious students who will take advantage of the opportunities on offer at SWPS.
From which schools do students typically join SWPS?
Students join from a wide variety of both maintained and independent schools.
From what areas do students attend SWPS?
There is a wide catchment with many students travelling to school from the local area and further afield. Our coach service details can be found on our website and students attend the school from all of these areas.
How do students travel to school?
The school operates a comprehensive coach service covering the local areas. The coaches are timed so that all students are able to participate in after-school activities prior to taking their transport home. The school is also very well connected with local transport links. There are a number of public buses stop close to school: Routes 446, 461, 557 and 593. The nearest railway station is Chertsey, which is a 5 minute walk from the school .
What is your sibling policy?
We are always delighted when a sibling joins SWPS as it helps to add to the friendly-family ethos of the school. To support this, we offer families with more than one child enrolled at the school a discount on the oldest chil’s tuition fees. Please see the website for further details. However, every child is different and SWPS may be the right school for one child but not necessarily for another. Therefore, all children are assessed on their own individual merits, regardless of siblings in attendance, to ensure that they will thrive at SWPS. This approach also applies to twins.
If my child is unsuccessful in their application to SWPS, can he/she re-apply at a later date? Students who have been unsuccessful may re-apply for the following academic year or later. Please note, as the registration fee is valid for one academic year only, a subsequent application fee will be due.
How does SWPS help my child’s transition to school?
All students joining SWPS are invited to our Welcome Party in July preceding entry in September, giving them a chance to meet their Form Teacher and other children in their class.
A comprehensive New Joiners’ Information pack is sent to parents, including a wealth of
information about the school day, wrap around care, uniform, clubs and other extra-curricular opportunities, to name but a few. Parents and students will discover their House and tutor group at the Welcome Party.
What uniform is required?
UK and abroad, including Oxbridge, Russell Group universities, and prestigious institutions in the arts, sciences, and business.
OUR VISION
When will I hear if my child has been offered a place?
The school uniform requirements are outlined in the Uniform Lists. Uniform is available to purchase online and in person via our uniform supplier, AlleyCatz.
Does SWPS have a Parents’ Association?
Offers will be made on Friday 12 December 2025. The deadline to accept is Wednesday 4 March 2026 at 12 noon.
What shall I do next?
A leading independent co-educational day school: a community where every individual thrives.
Make sure you have applied to SWPS online by noon on Monday 15 October 2025 – SWPS Apply. By this date you must have paid the registration fee and, if applicable, registered for Art, Drama, Music, STEM and Sport Scholarships.
Our vision expresses our combined sense of purpose, aspiring to be an environment which promotes the success of every individual whilst recognising that individuals must work together to create a strong, purposeful community and a sense of belonging.
Yes! The Friends of SWPS (FOSWPS) is an active parent community that supports school events, fundraising, and social activities. All new parents automatically become members of FOSWPS when their child joins SWPS. To receive FOSWPS news and access information, new parents are requested to set up their Classlist profile.
What is not included in the fees?
“A wonderful example of the benefits of a focus on the individual, Sir William Perkins’s School consistently turns out capable, confident young adults.”
Talk Education
The tuition fee does not include certain books and items that become the child’s property, examination fees, optional lessons, special coaching, educational visits or school lunches.
Where do students go on to when they leave SWPS?
SWPS students go on to top universities in the
We appreciate there is a lot of information to digest, so please don’t hesitate to contact our Head of Admissions, Jackie Williams, if you have any further queries: admissions@swps.org.uk or 01932 574917
