Brentwood School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Guide

About Brentwood School

Brentwood School is a co-educational independent day and boarding school in Brentwood, Essex, for ages 3 to 18.

Like several schools in this guide, Brentwood teaches boys and girls separately from Year 7 to the end of Year 11 under its own ‘Diamond Model’, then brings them together for a mixed Sixth Form.

Key information for 2027 entry to Brentwood School at 11 Plus (11+)

• School type: co-educational independent day and boarding school, taught single-sex from Year 7 to the end of Year 11, mixed Sixth Form
• Entrance exam (2027 entry, per the school’s current Admissions Policy): Mathematics, English and a Writing Task, sat in one sitting; an individual 15-20 minute meeting with a senior member of staff; a school reference is also requested
• Registration deadline: 1 November 2026. Fee £125, inclusive of VAT
• Individual candidate meetings: 9-20 November 2026
• Entrance exam date: Saturday 28 November 2026
• Offer date: mid-January 2027; accept by 2 March 2027
• Bursaries: around £2m spent each year, with many pupils fully funded; small non-means-tested scholarships in Academic, Chess, Dance, Drama, Music and Sport, all sharing the 1 November 2026 deadline
• Contact details: [email protected], 01277 243243 (option 2)

Admissions information for 2027 entry to Brentwood School at 11 Plus (11+)

Worth knowing before anything else: Brentwood’s own website currently describes the Year 7 entrance test two different ways. Its admissions-process page still talks about GL Assessment’s online Adaptive Admissions Test in maths and English, while the school’s more recent Admissions Policy document, reviewed October 2025 and stated to apply ‘with effect from Entry September 2026’, describes a Mathematics paper, an English paper and a Writing Task, sat on one day. We’ve written this guide to the Policy document’s version, since it’s the newer and more formal of the two, but the older description is still live on the school’s site, so a quick call to admissions is worth it to confirm exactly what your child will sit.

Like Berkhamsted, Brentwood runs a Diamond Model: boys and girls are taught separately from Year 7 right through the end of Year 11, joining only for the Sixth Form. Pupils moving up from Brentwood Prep are assessed on standardised test scores and internal school data rather than sitting the external exam, and overseas candidates who can’t sit in person may take the UKiset test instead.

The bursary programme is genuinely substantial: Brentwood spends around £2m a year on means-tested support, with many recipients fully funded, and every Entrance Exam candidate is automatically considered for an Academic Scholarship on top.

How can I register my child for the 11 Plus (11+) exams at Brentwood School?

1. Register by 1 November 2026. The fee is £125, inclusive of VAT, and bursary or scholarship applications share the same deadline.
2. Your child attends an individual 15-20 minute meeting with a senior member of staff sometime between 9 and 20 November 2026.
3. They sit the Entrance Examination on Saturday 28 November 2026: currently described by the school as Mathematics, English and a Writing Task in one sitting, per the Admissions Policy (see the note above on a discrepancy with the school’s website wording).
4. Scholarship candidates (Chess, Dance, Drama, Music, Sport) attend shortlisting and assessment days in early December 2026 or early January 2027; exact dates are still to be confirmed.
5. Offers go out in mid-January 2027; accept by 2 March 2027.

What is the 11 Plus (11+) entrance exam format for Brentwood School?

Per Brentwood’s Admissions Policy, current for entry from September 2026 onward, the external Year 7 Entrance Examination has three parts, all on one day:

• Mathematics.
• English.
• A Writing Task.

Plus an individual meeting with a senior member of staff and a school reference. We’re flagging this clearly because Brentwood’s own admissions-process webpage describes something different: an online, adaptive GL Assessment test rather than fixed written papers. We’ve gone with the Policy document because it’s the more recent and more formal of the two, but a discrepancy like this is worth resolving with the school directly before you settle on a preparation plan, rather than guessing which version is current.

Brentwood School 11 Plus (11+) top tips for your child

• Prepare written maths and English papers, plus regular short writing practice for the Writing Task, per the current Admissions Policy.
• Confirm the test format directly with Brentwood admissions before finalising how your child prepares; the school’s own pages currently disagree with each other.
• Treat the 15-20 minute staff meeting as a real part of the process, not a formality; have your child ready to talk naturally about school and interests.
• If you’re applying for a scholarship in Chess, Dance, Drama, Music or Sport, register by 1 November 2026, the same deadline as the main exam.
• Ask about bursary support early. Brentwood’s £2m annual spend, with many fully-funded places, means it’s worth a conversation even if you assume fees are out of reach.

How to prepare your child for the 11 Plus (11+) Brentwood School exam

Preparation for Brentwood centres on written maths and English, plus regular timed writing practice for the Writing Task, following the school’s current Admissions Policy. Given the live discrepancy in how Brentwood itself describes the test, we’d also confirm the format with admissions before the autumn term, so your child isn’t practising the wrong kind of paper.

For Brentwood School 11+ preparation, we recommend the following packs: