Dragon School 7 Plus (7+) Entry Guide

About Dragon School

The Dragon School on Bardwell Road in Oxford takes day and boarding pupils from 4 to 13, and names Year 3 as one of its three main entry points alongside Reception and Year 4.

Its own guidance on the assessment is unusually direct, and worth reading before you plan any preparation: the process aims to identify a child’s potential rather than their current attainment, and no preparation is needed.

Key information for 2027 entry to Dragon School at 7 Plus (7+)

• School type: co-educational day and boarding, Bardwell Road, Oxford
• Main entry points: Reception (4+), Year 3 (7+) and Year 4 (8+)
• All prospective children over five are interviewed and invited in for a morning or day including some maths and English
• The school describes the process as not academically competitive, designed to check comfort with the curriculum
• Its own words: ‘the assessment process aims to identify a child’s potential, not simply their current attainment, and no preparation is needed’
• A confidential report is required from your child’s current school
• Registration fee £155; Year 3 fees £8,640 per term from September 2026
• The Pre-Prep runs three classes per year group, with a fourth class added at Year 3
• Bursaries are about five places a year, aimed mainly at Year 4; Year 3 applicants are considered only exceptionally

Admissions information for 2027 entry to Dragon School at 7 Plus (7+)

Your child is interviewed and invited in for a morning or day that includes some maths and English. The school does not publish fixed assessment dates for Year 3, so the visit is arranged individually through admissions.

On fee assistance, be realistic. The school offers roughly five bursary places each year and aims them primarily at Year 4 entrants; Year 3 and Year 5 applicants are considered only exceptionally. If a bursary is essential, Year 4 is the stronger application. Siblings mostly join, though admission is not automatic.

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

Register through dragonschool.org with the £155 fee and arrange a visit. A confidential report is requested from your child’s current school. Year 3 fees are £8,640 per term from September 2026, with a deposit of half a term’s fees at entry, returned on the final bill.

What is the 7 Plus (7+) assessment format at Dragon School?

Some maths and English within a morning or day at the school, plus an interview. The school is explicit that this is not academically competitive and is designed to check that a child will be comfortable with its curriculum.

Take the no-preparation line seriously. The most useful things you can do are the ordinary ones: read together daily, keep number work ticking over, and make sure your child arrives rested and relaxed rather than rehearsed.

Dragon School 7 Plus (7+) top tips for your child

• Believe the school’s guidance and keep preparation genuinely light
• Read together daily; it does more here than any worksheet
• Arrange the visit for a time your child is at their best
• If a bursary is essential, consider applying at Year 4 rather than Year 3
• Siblings usually join but are not automatic, so still apply properly

How to prepare your child for the 7 Plus (7+) Dragon School assessment

If you want structured material behind the everyday reading and number work, our 7+ English and maths packs below give age-right practice with full answers. Used gently they build the comfort with the curriculum the Dragon is actually checking for, without turning a no-preparation assessment into a project.