Senior School Admissions

Senior School

We are here to help you through every step of applying to Ipswich School, whether it’s transferring from our Prep School or joining us from another school. We will make sure that you have all the information you need to help you make this important decision about your child’s next step in their education. Do visit us, meet our staff and pupils and find out what makes Ipswich School the school of choice.

Apply online

Applications can be made online. Receipt by us of the completed application form will be taken as permission to send for a confidential report from the pupil’s present school, as part of the normal admissions process. Parents or guardians should therefore advise the pupil’s present head teacher that they are making an application to Ipswich School. Most pupils join in September but occasionally pupils are admitted to the school in the Lent and Summer Terms, please contact us if you are applying after the entry deadline. It is our policy to ensure equitable treatment of all pupils.

Individual school tours

We offer individual tours of the school with our Admissions team – you can book online here. If you would like to discuss more about an individual tour please email admissions@ipswich.school or call 01473 408328.

2023 entry

If you would like to apply for entry during the current school year, please contact our admissions department: admissions@ipswich.school.

Read our prospectus


Entrance at age 11

Admission is by means of the entrance exam which is held at the end of November prior to entry in the following September. The exam consists of a Non-Verbal Reasoning test and papers in Mathematics and English. Sample papers are available and the examination is set to assess potential. All candidates sitting the entrance exam are considered for academic scholarships.


Entrance at age 13

Assessments will be held in February 2024 for entry the following September. The assessments consist of a Non-Verbal Reasoning test, papers in Mathematics and English and a short interview with the Headmaster.

Year 9 applicants can choose to sit Common Entrance exams, run by the pupil’s current school, in early June. 

Prospective pupils may apply for scholarships in music, sport and art; all-rounder and academic scholarships are also available.


Entrance at age 16

The online registration form can be found here. Scholarship and bursary forms are sent out on request and should be completed and returned by 3 November. During November, we will request a reference from an applicant’s current school.

Academic and All Rounder Scholars will be asked to complete a questionnaire, giving further details of their current academic progress. We also ask for three pieces of marked work, in three different subjects, providing us with examples of things that the applicant is proud of. This could be a test or an essay – there are no specific requirements.


Awards

Scholarships range in value from 5% to up to 50% of day fees and are awarded on the basis of tests and assessments at 11 and 13 years. Scholarships are awarded to pupils who will make a significant contribution to the quality of art, music or sport at the school and an All-rounder Scholarship is available at 13 years of age.

Sixth Form scholarships are awarded for academic excellence, for exceptional musical talent and for an all-rounder who will do well academically and contribute outstandingly in other areas of school life such as sport or drama. Sports Scholarships are also available at 16 years of age.

Please see application forms below. We ask candidates for art scholarships to prepare a portfolio of their preferred pieces.

Means-Tested Bursaries

Means Tested Bursaries may be awarded with a value up to 100% of full fees. The purpose of a Means-Tested Bursary is to enable a pupil to take up a place whose family finances would not be sufficient to afford the fees, but who would significantly benefit from an Ipswich School education. Means-Tested Bursary holders are expected to make a good contribution to the life of Ipswich School and so they are selected based on good performance in our Entrance Examination and at interview. Bursaries are awarded subject to disclosure of family financial information, both income and assets, and potential recipients will be visited in their home for a full assessment. The means-tested remission is re-evaluated on an annual basis.

Boarding

We have two small, well established boarding houses. Many of our boarding students come from overseas, and we also have UK resident boarders who opt to weekly or flexi board. Find out more about our International Admissions here.

Acceptance of a Place

All acceptances are considered firm by the beginning of the term preceding the term of entry. In the case of withdrawals after this date, a term’s fees in lieu of notice is invariably required. The only exception to this is in cases where a pupil who has accepted a Sixth Form place does not achieve the necessary GCSE grades.