Durston House Year 3 (7+) Entry Guide

About Durston House

Durston House in Ealing has been co-educational since September 2023, following its merger with Harvington School. Year 3 entry runs through the school’s general Years 1 to 8 admissions route rather than a separately branded 7+ exam day.

One genuinely useful distinction: unlike several London preps, Durston House bursaries explicitly cover children joining in Years 3 to 7.

Key information for 2027 entry to Durston House at 7 Plus (7+)

• School type: co-educational since September 2023, Ealing, London W5
• Year 3 entry runs through the standard Years 1 to 8 process, not a distinct 7+ round
• Assessed: a written assessment, an interview, and a reference from your child’s current school
• The subject breakdown isn’t published, so confirm it with admissions
• Assessments for Year 3 entry are typically held in November of the year before entry
• Registration fee £180
• Means-tested bursaries of up to 100% of fees are available to children joining in Years 3 to 7
• Siblings are given priority, though admission is not automatic
• The school’s own pages give two different acceptance-deposit figures, so confirm that before committing

Admissions information for 2027 entry to Durston House at 7 Plus (7+)

Assessments for Year 3 entry are typically held in November of the year before entry, though the school doesn’t publish an exact date, so confirm it with admissions after registering.

The bursary position is the standout. Means-tested support of up to 100% of fees is explicitly open to children joining in Years 3 to 7, which puts Year 3 firmly in scope; several comparable London preps start their support years later. One caution: the school’s own pages quote two different acceptance-deposit figures, so get that number confirmed in writing before you commit.

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

Register through durstonhouse.org with the £180 fee. Ask admissions for the November assessment date, the subject breakdown, and the current acceptance deposit, since the published figures disagree.

What is the 7 Plus (7+) assessment format at Durston House?

The school describes entry for Years 1 to 8 as a written assessment, an interview and a reference from the current school, intended to establish whether a child is academically suited to the school. It does not publish which subjects the written assessment covers.

With the detail unpublished, prepare the core that every prep-school assessment rests on: comfortable Year 2 English and maths, plus enough experience of a timed paper that the format itself is not the difficulty.

Durston House 7 Plus (7+) top tips for your child

• Ask admissions which subjects the written assessment covers; it isn’t published
• Prepare core English and maths and treat anything else as a bonus
• Apply for a bursary if relevant; Year 3 is explicitly within scope here
• Get the acceptance deposit confirmed in writing; the published figures conflict
• Expect a November assessment and work back from there

How to prepare your child for the 7 Plus (7+) Durston House assessment

Our 7+ English and maths packs below give structured practice with full answers at exactly this level, which is the sensible preparation while the subject list is unconfirmed. A weekly paper from September reaches a November assessment comfortably.