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.
Family-friendly weekly boarding secures time at home each weekend with an action packed week at School. Full boarding also remains a popular option.
Prospective pupils who currently attend a preparatory or junior school in the UK and who wish to apply for a boarding place at Caterham School should follow the standard processes for admissions at 13+ or 16+. The School occasionally considers applications for 14+ candidates, should spaces be available.
International Candidates
International candidates (i.e. a prospective pupil who currently attends a school overseas) may join the School at 13+, and 16+.The School occasionally considers applications for 14+ candidates, should spaces be available. The School will also consider Deferred Entry candidates: these pupils may be assessed at age 10 or 11 with a view to joining the School at 13+ – please email our Admissions Department (boardingadmissions@caterhamschool.co.uk) to enquire about this option.
There is a five-stage admissions procedure for international applicants:
1. Enquiring
Our Admissions team is happy to answer any of your questions or to arrange for you to visit Caterham School during term time. However, we work with Registered Agents in many countries who know the School well, and they can also help you decide if Caterham is the right school for your child. Please email our Admissions Department (email: boardingadmissions@caterhamschool.co.uk) who will refer you to the relevant Agent/s. If there is no Registered Agent in your country, we can process an individual application – please contact our Admissions Department for details.
2. Application
If you would like your child to be considered for a place, please apply to us through one of our Registered Agents. This will involve completing an Application Form and paying the overseas registration fee (£200). In addition to this, the agent will supply us with other information about your child, including a school report and a report based on an interview of your child conducted by the agent.
This information must be sent to the Admissions Department by the Registered Agent by the relevant deadline: see Deadlines for Applications below.
3. Entrance Exams
Once we have received your application, we will review all the information and decide whether we can proceed further. If we are able to do so, your child will be invited to sit our Entrance Exams.
At this stage, you might like to arrange an individual visit, to tour the School with one of our prefects and to meet our teachers. Please do call us in advance to arrange this, especially if making special travel arrangements, as our visits diary is often very busy.
Academic standards are high at Caterham School and so entrance is by selection based on academic merit and an assessment of each pupil’s likely positive contribution to the School.
Caterham’s Entrance Exams are arranged by our Registered Agents and take place in either the Agents’ office or at the British Council. The below table summarises how we assess candidates at each entry point:
| 13+ | All candidates take three papers in English and Mathematics (non-calculator) |
| 16+ | All candidates take papers in English and four subjects to be studied at A-Level (five subjects if Further Maths is selected). Candidates who wish to study arts-based subjects ONLY for A-level will not be required to sit a Maths Entrance Test). |
Completed Entrance Exam papers must be sent to the Admissions Department by the Registered Agent by the relevant deadline: see Dates for Assessments below.
4. Interviews
Candidates who perform to the required standard in the Entrance Exams will be invited for interview. Interviews with International Applicants are normally conducted via Skype.
5. Admission
Pupils are offered places at the School on the basis of their performance in the Entrance Exams and interview. A place is confirmed by signing and returning an original copy of the acceptance form, along with payment of the relevant acceptance deposit. Joining information is then sent out during the summer before the pupil joins the School.
Admissions Dates* for International Applications
| Closing date for all Overseas applications (13+, 14+ & 16+) * | Thursday 11 October 2018 |
| 16+ Boarding Exam & Interview Day (specifically for overseas pupils who are schooled in the UK currently) | Friday 12 October 2018 |
| Candidates (13+, 14+ & 16+) sit Caterham School’s entrance exams (in agents’ offices)* | Saturday 13 October 2018 |
| Completed entrance exams to be returned to Caterham School for marking | By Wednesday 17 October 2018 |
| Offers made to successful applicants | Friday 16 November 2018 |
| Closing date for final decision from parents | Friday 30 November 2018 |
*If these dates present any difficulties for prospective candidates, please contact the boarding admissions team at boardingadmissions@caterhamschool.co.uk
Other information
For pupils joining us from outside the EEA (European Economic Area), we are able to sponsor a pupil’s application for a Tier 4 study visa (CAS – Confirmation of Acceptance to Study), with the UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI). 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.
For further information regarding International Applications please contact the Admissions Department –email: boardingadmissions@caterhamschool.co.uk
