Sussex House School 8 Plus (8+) Exam Guide

About Sussex House School

Sussex House School at 68 Cadogan Square in Chelsea is built differently from almost every other London prep: 8+ is the school’s main point of entry. There’s no reception or 7+ feeder route; boys are accepted from the age of eight, into Year 4, with 36 places, and only later if a place happens to come free.

Every boy therefore arrives cold at 8, which makes this one of the few London schools where the 8+ field is the whole field.

Key information for 2027 entry to Sussex House School at 8 Plus (8+)

• School type: boys’ prep school, 68 Cadogan Square, Chelsea SW1X
• 8+ is the main entry point, into Year 4, with 36 places; there is no earlier intake to transfer up
• Assessment: a half-day at the school combining an interview with a written exam
• Written exam covers English, maths and verbal reasoning, on paper and in person
• Registration: by the end of October in the year before entry; fee £250, non-refundable
• The exam has recently run in early January (the last published sitting was Monday 5 January); the school had not yet published its 2027-entry date at the time of writing, so confirm it directly
• A confidential report is requested from your son’s current school
• A good standard of English is required in the entry test; there’s no dedicated EAL provision, though individual tuition is arranged where necessary

Admissions information for 2027 entry to Sussex House School at 8 Plus (8+)

Registration closes at the end of October before the September your son would join, with a £250 non-refundable fee, and the school requests a confidential report from his current school. The assessment itself is a half-day at Cadogan Square: a written exam and an interview in one visit. Recent cycles have sat the exam in early January.

The school’s site had not yet published its exact dates for September 2027 entry when this guide was written, so treat the pattern above as the shape of the process and ring the school for this cycle’s exam date before planning the winter around it.

How can I register my child for the 8 Plus (8+) assessment at Sussex House School?

Register with the school directly before the end of October 2026 for September 2027 entry, with the £250 fee. Given the site’s dates lag the cycle, a phone call to confirm the current exam date and any parents’ evening is worth making at the same time.

What is the 8 Plus (8+) assessment format at Sussex House School?

Three written subjects, English, maths and verbal reasoning, sat on paper, plus an interview, all within one half-day. Verbal reasoning at 8+ is the paper most boys have never met at school, and the one where a term of light familiarity pays most.

With 36 places and no internal feeder cohort, the arithmetic is more open than at schools where most places are spoken for, but the standard is real: the school states plainly that a good standard of English is required in the entry test.

Sussex House School 8 Plus (8+) top tips for your child

• Give verbal reasoning its own slot in the practice week; it’s the unfamiliar paper of the three
• Practise English and maths on paper, in timed conditions, matching the exam’s format
• Treat the interview as conversation: books, interests, and questions he genuinely wants to ask
• Ring the school for the current cycle’s exam date rather than trusting older dates online
• Keep your son’s current school in the loop early; the confidential report is part of the file

How to prepare your child for the 8 Plus (8+) Sussex House School assessment

Our 8+ English, maths and verbal reasoning packs below match the three written papers exactly, with full answers for marking together. A steady autumn of one paper a week walks into a January exam with every question style familiar.