Eltham College 7 Plus (7+) Exam Guide

About Eltham College Junior School

Eltham College in Mottingham, fully co-educational since 2024, admits children into its Junior School at 7+ (Year 3) and 8+ (Year 4), with strikingly different formats for the two. (The senior school’s entrance exam is covered in our Eltham College 11+ guide.)

At 7+ the assessment is reading-led and partly oral; at 8+ it moves onto tablets. Parents assuming the two are the same would be wrong in almost every detail.

Key information for 2027 entry to Eltham College Junior School at 7 Plus (7+)

• School type: co-educational, Mottingham, south-east London; Junior School entry at 7+ and 8+
• 7+ assessed content: English, maths and reading
• The reading test is standardised; successful candidates usually read 12 to 18 months ahead of their age
• The 7+ maths test is administered orally, so reading ability never blocks a maths answer; it covers place value, addition and subtraction with carrying, sequencing, shapes, analogue clocks, fractions and odd and even numbers
• 7+ timeline: applications close early December 2026; taster day and assessments in January 2027; decisions before February half term
• 8+ (Year 4): a tablet-based maths and English assessment of about 2 hours in groups of 6 to 8, assessment day Tuesday 23 February 2027, registration by 4pm Tuesday 9 February 2027
• Registration fee: £234 including VAT (both entry points)
• Year 4 runs three classes capped at 24; a child who narrowly misses at 7+ may be invited to reassess at 8+
• Contact: eltham-college.org.uk

Admissions information for 2027 entry to Eltham College Junior School at 7 Plus (7+)

The 7+ cycle runs on a January rhythm: applications close in early December of Year 2, a taster day and the assessments follow in January, and decisions arrive before February half term. The school publishes its exact dates each cycle; the shape above is its stated standard timeline.

Eltham is also unusually candid about outcomes: a child who falls just short at 7+ may be specifically offered reassessment at 8+, where the test is tablet-based and sat in February (23 February 2027, registration by 9 February). The Head of the Junior School’s decision is final in all entry matters.

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

Apply through the school’s website with the £234 fee by early December 2026 for the 7+; the 8+ has its own later deadline of 4pm on 9 February 2027. The two entry points are genuinely separate processes despite the shared fee.

What is the 7 Plus (7+) assessment format at Eltham College Junior School?

The 7+ tests English, maths and reading, with two features parents should understand before practising. First, reading carries unusual weight: the standardised reading test sets a high bar, with successful candidates usually 12 to 18 months ahead of their chronological reading age, and the English assessment also covers sentence composition, oral reading fluency and expression, vocabulary and comprehension. Second, the maths test is delivered orally precisely so that reading never gets in the way of showing number knowledge.

At 8+ everything changes: about two hours of maths and English on a tablet, in groups of six to eight.

Eltham College Junior School 7 Plus (7+) top tips for your child

• Reading is the headline: daily reading aloud, with expression, is the single highest-value practice for this school
• Practise maths questions read aloud to your child, matching the oral delivery of the real test
• Cover the school’s own named maths list: place value, carrying and borrowing, sequencing, shapes, analogue time, simple fractions, odd and even
• Book the taster day; it’s built into the school’s own January timeline
• If 7+ doesn’t come off, ask about 8+ reassessment rather than assuming the door is shut

How to prepare your child for the 7 Plus (7+) Eltham College Junior School assessment

Our 7+ English and maths packs below cover comprehension, writing and every topic on the school’s maths list, with full answers. Use the English passages for read-aloud fluency practice as well as comprehension, since oral reading with expression is tested here in a way few schools match.