Bute House Preparatory School 7 Plus (7+) Assessment Guide

About Bute House Preparatory School

Bute House Preparatory School in Hammersmith teaches girls from Reception to Year 6, and works differently from every other school in this series. Entry at 4+ is by ballot, literally names drawn from a tombola box, while 7+ is the school’s main entry point, filled by a graded assessment with 40 to 45 places.

There are no traditional exam papers. Around 200 girls are invited across two assessment mornings of activities, work samples and play, and the school is explicit that it does not want candidates coached for it.

Key information for 2027 entry to Bute House Preparatory School at 7 Plus (7+)

• School type: girls’ prep school, Luxemburg Gardens, Hammersmith, W6
• Places at 7+: 40 to 45, the school’s main intake (larger than its 4+ ballot)
• Around 200 girls invited to assessment mornings, grouped by month of birth
• Format: a morning of activities with 3 or 4 staff, including a maths paper, a practical maths activity, reading and comprehension, a written activity, a practical group task and free play
• Pitched broadly at Year 2 level; assesses reading, writing, maths, reasoning and problem solving
• Interview: a subset of girls returns in January for a one-to-one with the Head or a senior teacher
• Registration deadline for 2027 entry: 31 October 2026, or earlier if 200 candidates confirm first
• Fees: £180 registration plus a £150 assessment fee, payable by the deadline
• 2027 assessment and offer dates: not yet published (the 2026 cycle assessed on 6 and 7 January with offers by early February)
• The school publishes no sample papers and asks parents not to arrange 7+ coaching

Admissions information for 2027 entry to Bute House Preparatory School at 7 Plus (7+)

Bute House caps its assessment list at 200, and registration closes on 31 October 2026 or as soon as 200 candidates have confirmed, whichever comes first. For an oversubscribed Hammersmith girls’ school, that means registering early genuinely matters.

The school’s coaching position deserves quoting in full, because it comes with teeth: ‘children should not be given any specific 7+ exam coaching or tutoring before the assessment, as this gives a false impression of their capabilities’, and if the school discovers undisclosed coaching ‘this may affect our decision’. A subset of girls is invited back in January to meet the Head one-to-one while parents meet the senior team. Sibling arrangements are narrower than rumour suggests: a younger sister only gets an automatic Reception place if that year’s 4+ ballot hasn’t yet been drawn.

How can I register my child for the 7 Plus (7+) assessment at Bute House Preparatory School?

Register on the school’s website with the £180 registration fee; the separate £150 assessment fee is due by the 31 October 2026 deadline. The school hasn’t yet published its January 2027 assessment dates or offer date for this cycle; the previous cycle assessed on 6 and 7 January with offer letters by early February, and the school posts each year’s dates on its admissions pages.

What is the 7 Plus (7+) assessment format at Bute House Preparatory School?

Not an exam morning in the usual sense. Girls come in small groups, sorted by month of birth, and spend the morning with three or four staff moving between a short maths paper, a practical maths activity, reading and comprehension, a written activity, a practical group task, and time to simply play and chat. The school frames it to parents as visiting a school and doing enjoyable activities, with a snack and a tour included.

Underneath the gentle format, staff are assessing reading, writing, mathematical thinking, reasoning and problem solving at Year 2 level. There are no sample papers, and the school asks that girls not be coached for it.

Bute House Preparatory School 7 Plus (7+) top tips for your child

• Register early; the 200-candidate cap can close registration before 31 October
• Respect the no-coaching request, and disclose any tutoring your daughter already has if asked
• The best preparation is ordinary: daily reading together, writing for fun, board games and number talk in daily life
• Practise working alongside other children on shared tasks, which is half of what the morning observes
• Frame the day to your daughter as a visit to a lovely school, which is exactly how the school itself frames it

How to prepare your child for the 7 Plus (7+) Bute House Preparatory School assessment

Bute House asks parents not to coach for its assessment, and we’d take them at their word. Where our materials fit is upstream of any one school: the 7+ English, maths and verbal reasoning packs below are structured practice in reading, writing, number work and thinking skills at Year 2 level, useful for building everyday confidence, and for any parallel 7+ applications to schools that do set formal papers.