Colfe’s School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Guide

About Colfe’s School

Colfe’s School is an independent day school in Horn Park, south east London, for pupils aged 3 to 18. Entrance to the senior school is by academic selection into Year 7.

The average year group is between 120 and 140, with classes of around 24. About a third of each year group comes up from Colfe’s Junior School, so external candidates are competing for the remaining two thirds rather than the whole intake.

Key information for 2027 entry to Colfe’s School at 11 Plus (11+)

• School type: independent day school, ages 3 to 18
• Senior entry: academic selection into Year 7 (11+)
• Year group size: 120 to 140, with classes of about 24
• Internal intake: roughly a third of each year group comes from Colfe’s Junior School
• Assessment: a full school day. Written English and maths papers plus a group interview in the morning, taster lessons in the afternoon
• Application deadline: 5pm on Friday 13 November 2026
• Entrance assessment: Tuesday 5 January 2027
• Offer date: Friday 12 February 2027
• Acceptance deadline: 12pm on Wednesday 3 March 2027
• Scholarships: academic and co-curricular in creative art and design, drama, music and sport
• Contact details: colfes.com, [email protected], 020 8463 8110

Admissions information for 2027 entry to Colfe’s School at 11 Plus (11+)

Colfe’s assesses over a full school day rather than a two-hour exam session, which is worth preparing your child for as much as the papers themselves. The morning is the written English and maths assessments and a group interview. After lunch, candidates go to taster lessons in different subjects.

Academic scholarship candidates are interviewed separately in the weeks after the assessment, so a scholarship application means a second visit rather than a longer first one.

Fee assistance is more common here than at many schools: Colfe’s expects around a quarter of a typical year group to benefit from merit-based or means-tested support. Access arrangements are available, supported either by a written recommendation from an appropriately qualified medical professional or by a signed file note from the SENDCo at your child’s current school confirming their normal way of working.

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

1. Apply online. Applications for Year 7 entry in September 2027 are open.
2. Submit by 5pm on Friday 13 November 2026.
3. Request access arrangements with the supporting evidence the school asks for: a medical professional’s written recommendation, or a signed SENDCo file note from the current school.
4. Attend the assessment day on Tuesday 5 January 2027. Your child is at the school for a full day.
5. Scholarship candidates are interviewed separately in the weeks that follow.
6. Offers are made on Friday 12 February 2027 and must be accepted by 12pm on Wednesday 3 March 2027.

What is the 11 Plus (11+) entrance exam format for Colfe’s School?

The assessment day has three academic parts:

• A written English paper. Comprehension, spelling, punctuation and grammar, and creative writing.
• A written maths paper.
• A group interview, rather than a one-to-one interview.

Both papers are written on paper, not on screen. There is no computer-adaptive element and no separate verbal or non-verbal reasoning paper, which makes Colfe’s noticeably different from the London independents that use an online pre-test.

The afternoon taster lessons are not assessed in the same way as the papers, but your child is at the school all day and the group interview is a real part of the process. Being comfortable working alongside children they have never met matters here more than it does at a school that interviews one to one.

Colfe’s School 11 Plus (11+) top tips for your child

• Practise written English and maths on paper. Nothing in this assessment is on screen, so handwriting stamina and clear working both count.
• Include creative writing in your plan. It sits inside the English paper alongside comprehension and grammar.
• Prepare for a group interview, not a one-to-one. Listening and building on what other children say is the skill being watched.
• Get your child used to a long day. A full school day of assessment and taster lessons is tiring in a way a short exam is not.
• Skip verbal and non-verbal reasoning. Colfe’s does not set either.

How to prepare your child for the 11 Plus (11+) Colfe’s School exam

Preparation is narrower than for a reasoning-based 11+: written English, including creative writing, and written maths. A January assessment means the autumn of Year 6 is the working window, and working on paper throughout is the closest match to the day itself.

For Colfe’s School 11+ preparation, we recommend the following packs: