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Boarding Admissions

Caterham School has a thriving boarding community. An experienced and dedicated team of boarding staff ensures a warm and caring atmosphere across all of our boarding houses.

Boarding at Caterham remains popular with a range of options available to you: we offer Full, Weekly and Half-Weekly boarding options to suit all families.

We highly encourage families to get to know us before applying. Please see here for our Open Days and Events, including our Sixth Form Options Evening and many virtual events, or book a private tour of the School and Boarding House here. We also attend Boarding Schools Fairs internationally and would be pleased to meet you at one. In addition, our registered agents will advise you about the School and guide you through the boarding admissions process. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch should you have any questions.

TypEs of Boarding & Entry points

Full and Weekly Boarding: our entry points are 13+, 14+ and 16+. Candidates apply in the Autumn prior to the year of entry. We are pleased to sponsor student visas for Weekly and Full Boarding pupils.
Half Weekly Boarding is available at 11+ and 13+ deferred entry. Please note that we do not sponsor child student visas for these places.
Families based in the UK can also apply for boarding places via 13+ Deferred Entry (see here).

Half Weekly Boarding. In response to family demand, we are excited to be offering Half Weekly Boarding for 11+ and 13+ deferred entry applicants. Pupils spend the same two or three nights a week in the boarding community, either staying on Monday & Tuesday nights (with the option of Sunday) or Wednesday & Thursday nights (with the option of Friday). Half Weekly Boarders spend less time commuting and more time being fully immersed in the fun and activities of boarding life, having the same room each week and same room mates. To make an application for Half Weekly Boarding, please contact [email protected].

Making a 13+, 14+ or 16+ application

Families living in the UK. Please contact Alison Hill, Assistant Registrar (Boarding) at [email protected] for a link to our Application Form. We highly recommend visiting the school for a tour, and Mr Wood, Deputy Head (Admissions) will be pleased to meet with you.

Families living overseas. Families usually apply through one of our registered agents. Please get in touch for a list of our agents in your region. For further guidance on how to apply and a link to our boarding application form, please contact Alison Hill via [email protected].

the application process

Prospective boarding families are warmly invited to attend our Virtual Visitor Event on Tuesday 8 September, which is designed specifically to introduce life as a boarder at Caterham School and answer any questions you may have about the experience.

Please click here to reserve your space for Tuesday 8 September at 10am (UK time)

Assessment. Academic standards are high at Caterham School, with selection based on academic merit and on an assessment of each child’s likely positive wider contribution to the School. Though we are happy to receive other assessment results (e.g. UKiset), applicants will take our own paper assessments.

Our assessments are taken here, or arranged by our registered agents either at the agents’ office or at the British Council. The below table summarises how we assess applicants at each entry point:

13+ and 14+	All applicants take papers in English, Mathematics (non-calculator) and Critical Thinking.
16+	All applicants will take two papers appropriate to their desired A Level choices in addition to a Critical Thinking paper. Some subjects require portfolios.

Please see below for dates of our Entrance Exams.

Interviews and References. Usually, all applicants are interviewed either before or after assessments are taken. The interview is designed to assess a student’s suitability and their likely positive wider contribution to the School. Overseas applicants are most often interviewed via a virtual platform. Interviews are complemented by school reports or references for those schooled in the UK.

Offer and Welcome. For Weekly and Boarding Admissions, pupils are usually offered unconditional places at the School on the basis of their performance in the Entrance Assessments and interview. After acceptance, we organise a range of opportunities for families and pupils to meet with key staff and attend Pre-Induction events.

13+, 14+ & 16+ Admissions Dates for Applications (2027 ENTRY)

Closing date for 13+, 14+ & 16+ Boarding applications	Monday 12 October 2026
Entrance assessments for those living overseas	To be taken between September and Saturday 7 November 2026
Entrance assessments for those schooled in the UK, taken at Caterham School	Saturday 7 November 2026
Decision letters to be emailed to families	Monday 30 November 2026
Closing date for acceptance	Two weeks after the offer date

Other information

Detailed information about Child Student Visas can be found here.

International students who have EUSS status, a Dependent Visa, Right of Abode, Leave to Remain or other visa, which allows the student to live and study in the UK, should upload a copy of the visa when completing the application.

If your child does not have British or Irish nationality, Settled/Pre-Settled Status or the right to reside in the UK they will need a Child Student Visa to attend Caterham School.

We are a UKVI Sponsored School and can sponsor a pupil’s application for a Child Student/Student visa, but please note that we cannot provide immigration advice. There is a £400 charge for the CAS process that is added to the first term’s bill. The Admissions team will guide you through the visa application procedure and are happy to assist you with any queries you may have. For further details, please see the UK Government website here.

All applicants to the School for whom English is not a native language will be required to attend lessons at our specialist EAL Department until the Head of EAL is satisfied that the pupil has reached the standard of English necessary to study at a UK university.

WORKING WITH EDUCATION Agents

Applying to a UK boarding school from overseas involves a number of important steps — from understanding entry requirements and preparing for assessments, to navigating the student visa process. For this reason, many international families find it helpful to work with a professional education agent, and we warmly encourage this where it suits your circumstances.

Caterham works with a carefully selected network of registered agents across the world. Our agents are trained by us, know the School well, and are well-placed to advise on the full application process, including student visa requirements. We review all agent partnerships annually to ensure that the service provided continues to meet our standards and that agents continue to operate in line with our expectations and the principles of ethical international student recruitment. All registered agents are required to adhere to the The national code of ethical practice for UK Education Agents and support the principles of the UK Agency Quality Framework (AQF).

If a pupil enrols at Caterham through a registered agent, the School pays the agent a commission. This commission is paid by the School and does not affect the fees payable by families.

Families are equally welcome to apply directly to the School, and applying through an agent has no bearing on how an application is assessed. Agents cannot offer alternative entry requirements, admissions decisions or application routes beyond those available to all applicants.

To find out whether we have a registered agent in your region, please contact our Admissions team at [email protected]. We also recommend reading A student and parent guide to choosing an education agent, which sets out clearly what families should expect from an agent working with UK-bound students.

If you have any concerns regarding the conduct of an education agent, please contact us at [email protected]. We take such concerns seriously and will investigate any issues raised. Families may also seek advice from the Boarding Schools’ Association at [email protected].

FOR Agents

We welcome applications from non-registered agents and family representatives. However, commission is paid only to agents with whom the School holds a formal agency agreement.

We do not currently anticipate entering into additional agency agreements. For further information, please contact [email protected].

Please note that applicants applying through non-registered agents or family representatives are required to sit Caterham School’s entrance examinations at a British Council office or another approved examination centre.

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