Welcome to our 13+ Admissions page. Your application journey starts here.
Key Dates
| 13+ Registration closing date | Thursday 31 October 2024 |
| Closing date for Bursary applications | Thursday 31 October 2024 |
| Closing date for Art, Drama, Sport and STEAM Scholarship applications | Thursday 31 October 2024 |
| 13+ Offer letters emailed | Friday 14 February 2025 |
| Closing date for 13+ Acceptance | Wednesday 27 February 2025 |
Visit us
Most families begin their educational journey with us by attending one of the School in Action open mornings. Our open morning offers you a firsthand glimpse into our ethos, values and educational philosophy. You will also have the opportunity to speak with pupils and staff, including members of our Senior Leadership Team and Admissions department.
Registration
Registration is the next step for parents who wish their child to be considered for a place at John Lyon.
A registration fee is payment towards the administration of your child’s application and their entrance examinations. This fee is non-refundable. When completing your online registration form, you will be asked to upload a copy of your child’s passport and their latest School report. This will preferably be your child’s end of Year 5 School report.
Entrance examinations
To join us in Year 9, your child must be 13 years old by 1 September in the year they are due to start.
Shortly before or just after the registration closing date, you will receive an invitation for your child to come to the School for an entrance exam day. This assessment will take place in November or December, when your child is in Year 8.
13+ Examinations consist of four compulsory papers
- English written examination (90 minutes)
- Mathematics written examination (60 minutes)
- French/ Spanish written examination (45 minutes)
- Optional Latin paper (45 minutes)
Group Discussion
Your child will take part in a group discussion about a specific topic. The topic may be academic, based on current affairs or similar. It is an opportunity for your child to tell us more about their interests and aspirations and ask us questions. This is tailored to be an enjoyable experience for your child. Our experience is that many pupils have fun in our group activity and discussions and leave us smiling!
No preparation is required for the group discussion.
Sample Papers
Our sample papers are of a similar format and difficulty level to our actual exam papers. They cover a wide range of subjects and topics, providing pupils with valuable practice and insight into exam expectations.
School Reference
We request a confidential reference from your child’s current school as part of our Admissions process.
Offers and Acceptances
We email our 13+ offer letters just before February half term and invite successful candidates and their parents/guardians to attend our Offer Holder event before the 13+ acceptance closing date.
If an offer of a place is made and you wish to accept your child’s place, you will be asked to read our Terms & Conditions, complete the Confirmation of Acceptance form and pay the Confirmation of Acceptance fee. There may be some additional forms to complete, depending on the year and type of entry. These will be included along with your offer letter. The Confirmation of Acceptance fee is refundable when your child leaves the School.
Full terms and conditions are set out in the Parent Contract and Annual Update of Fees and Optional Extras, which are both available on request from our Admissions team.
Admission fees
| Registration fee | £150 |
| Confirmation of Acceptance fee | £1,000 (UK Resident) £3,000 (Overseas resident) |
How has the co-ed move worked out?
The move has been very positive, for all our pupils and entire community. Pleasingly, from an academic perspective, girls and boys are thriving in our co-ed environment. They are also flourishing in extra-curricular and co-curricular activities such as Sports, Drama and Music. Our concerts and drama productions now have a wider variety of participants, which has been enriching, and we are also able to enter a number of Sports fixtures as we have boys-only, girls-only and mixed co-ed teams. Higher education, the workplace and indeed life is diverse and rich. We believe that school shuld be the same and we are preparing children to succeed here and beyond their studies.
Can I apply for both scholarship and bursary?
Yes, you can apply for both at the time of registering your child.
Can I apply for more than one scholarship?
Yes, please see scholarship application forms for criteria.
When will 11+ examinations take place?
For 13+, candidates are assessed in the autumn term, when they are in Year 8.
What are your selection criteria?
13+ selection is based upon performance in our entrance examinations, school reports, school reference and group discussion/interview.
When will I hear about results/offers?
We will email the results to you in the second week of February.
Is lunch included in the school fees?
Yes, unlike most other schools in the area, we do not charge extra for lunch.
If my child is unsuccessful in securing a place at 11+, can they reapply at 13+?
Yes, we encourage families to try again at 13+.
Do you offer deferred entry?
No.
If my child is unsuccessful in their scholarship assessment, will there be another opportunity for them to apply?
Yes, once they become a pupil, teachers can recommend them for the scholarship.
Do the candidates get assessed in verbal and non-verbal skills?
No.
How do I get access to sample papers?
Sample papers are available on our website here.
Do you offer a coach service?
We offer a comprehensive coach service, which is heavily subsidised by the School and takes pressure off families at drop-off and pick-ups. We encourage use of our coaches for not only your convenience and ease, but also for our collective sustainability efforts. To read more, please click here.
We provide a wide range of sporting activities and opportunities for all pupils.
At our Prep School we concur with educational theorists who emphasise the importance of the creative mind and ‘emotional intelligence’ and ‘wellbeing’ – the need to develop the whole personality and our pupil’s imaginations especially. Drama has the power to liberate the mind.
We encourage our pupils to become healthy, independent and responsible members of society. 
At our Prep School, Computing covers the use of electronic technology in all its forms, including computers and other communication devices.
• What is religion?
Art is an integral part of our Prep School’s curriculum, providing our pupils with a unique means of expressing their ideas by allowing them to explore new thoughts and give life to their creative minds.
History is taught throughout the School and pupils are encouraged to find out about events and peoples.
Planet Earth is our only home. It is an mind-blowing, diverse and constantly changing place of awesome beauty and power. 
French is the language of our nearest neighbours, probably the easiest foreign language for English speakers to learn and, after English, one of the most widely-learned languages worldwide.
The core of every science lesson at our Prep School is about developing every pupil’s curiosity in the world around them. 
Mathematics is a key subject for children of all ages at our Prep School.
English is taught using lively and creative methods through a variety of texts and resources incorporating ICT from Pre-Prep onwards.