Admission Procedures

The main points of entry are at 11, 13 and 16, although places are also usually available in other year-groups, subject to space.  There are currently approximately 125 places at 11, a dozen at 13 and about 30 at 6th Form level. There are boarding places in two boarding houses.

In all cases regardless of age, application in the first instance is by completion of the Registration Form.

The 11+ and 13+ Entrance Exam date for entry in September 2011 will be published in September 2010

 

At 11
During October the school will write to all those who have been registered for entry the following year to outline the Entrance Examination, which is held on a Saturday morning in January and which includes papers in English, Mathematics and General Reasoning.  Sample papers are sent at this stage. 

 

The school will ask for a report on the candidate from his/her current school, which will be taken into account alongside their performance in the exam.

 

The results of this exam are sent out together soon afterwards. Because offers of Scholarships and Assisted Places are involved, the dates and deadlines coincide with those of Truro High School by agreement.

Parents are then given a fortnight in which to respond to any offer made.  If an offer is accepted, parents are asked to complete a full Acceptance Form.

 

The 11+ intake of new pupils is invited to spend half a day in school during the Summer Term by way of an introduction to life at Truro School.

Candidates who are abroad or otherwise unable to attend in January are given the opportunity to sit the first two papers at their own school or home.  (The Reasoning paper is a standardised test which has to be administered by the school.)  Otherwise they may be given an opportunity, along with late applicants, to take the three papers here in school at a later date.

 

Children of 10 years old are sometimes accepted into the First Year of the school if they are sufficiently mature to cope with the academic and social demands of the school.  Over-aged pupils may also be accepted.

 

 

At 13
Admission will normally be by Truro School examination which is taken at the school in January, together with current school’s report and interview.  Those taking Common Entrance need to know that the placing of new pupils in subject sets will be strongly influenced by their performance in this later exam.  Offers of places will be made conditional on performance at Common Entrance, where appropriate.

 

At 16

Admission is based on school report (which will include predicted GCSE performance) and usually an interview.  Those who wish to apply for a scholarship or Assisted Place are required if practicable to visit the school for an interview and to sit a standardised General Reasoning test lasting just under an hour.  This is deliberately not knowledge-based and cannot be prepared for. Arrangements can be made with the Registrar, Mrs Grigg (01872 272763 or jeg@truroschool.com). This can be combined with a visit to the 6th Form Open Morning in the autumn term.

Offers are made at the end of November.  There is some flexibility about deadlines for acceptance of these.  Offers are made conditional on achieving six passes at A* to C grade at GCSE, preferably with at least B grades in the subjects to be studied at AS-Level.

 

 

At other ages
This is usually based on interview and school report, although the school may ask candidates to sit papers in one or two subjects, particularly if it will help place the pupil in the right set for those subjects.

 

 

See Financial Help page for information on Scholarships and Bursaries including important Dates and Deadlines. All Scholarship and Bursary applicants must be registered to sit the entrance exam.

 

 

Support for pupils for whom English is a secondary language

Admission depends upon the prospective pupil meeting the academic criteria to ensure they will thrive at Truro School. The academic criteria include fluency in English. Occasionally the school finds that fluency in English is below the level expected. In such cases support is given by a teacher with appropriate qualifications. The support may be provided during the school day or out of normal school hours. Parents are charged for these additional lessons.

 

Terms and Conditions of Acceptance of a Place