16+ Entry FAQs

Registration

How many applicants are there for 16+ entry?
Around 600 – 650 applicants.
How many applicants are interviewed and offered a place for 16+ entry?
Approximately 180 candidates are invited to interview and we offer between 75 and 85 places, with a waiting list.
How many girls apply compared with boys?
The great majority of candidates are girls but we have a significant number of boy applicants. Applications from girls and boys are treated in exactly the same way.
Is it easier to gain entry by applying for a boarding or a day place?
No. Selection is based upon academic criteria.
How do I apply for a Bursary (financial support)?
The Bursary application is included in the Sixth Form registration online. You will need to register for Sixth Form entry to begin the bursary application. You will be asked to complete a Part A (initial assessment) Form, once you have submitted this, the Bursar’s department will be in touch to say if you need to pay the registration fee (£300) or not.

They will then ask you to complete the Part B (in-depth assessment) form. Both forms must be submitted by the Bursary application deadline, 23 September. You can find the bursary eligibility criteria under ‘Policies’ on our Policies and Reports page.
How do I apply for a King’s Scholarship?
There are up to six King’s Scholarships awarded to pupils entering Sixth Form each year. The application for a King’s Scholarship is included in the 16+ online registration form. The selection is based on the overall performance in the Sixth Form Entrance Exams and interviews. For further information, please see our Scholarships and Bursaries page.
How do I apply for a Music Scholarship?
There are up to four Music Scholarships available at 16+ entry each year. These are each worth 10% of the day fee, irrespective of day or boarding status. They include free tuition on up to two instruments. The application for a Music Scholarship is included in the 16+ online registration form.

Auditions for the 16+ Music Scholarship will be held in November for those invited back to interview. For further information, please contact the Music Administrator (+44 (0)20 7963 1017).
How do I apply for the Henry Purcell Organ Scholarship?
The Henry Purcell Organ Scholarship is awarded biennially to a pupil at Westminster School. The Scholarship is worth 10% of the day school fees and will additionally offer free instrumental tuition on up to two instruments, including weekly organ tuition with the School Organist.

The application for the Organ Scholarship is included in the 16+ online registration form.
My son/daughter is diagnosed SEND: what information do you need?
In the online registration form, you will be asked to upload an assessment report by a specialist assessor, carried out no earlier than Year 9 AND a letter from the school to confirm that extra time and/or use of a laptop is the pupil’s normal way of working.

For further information, please see our Special Educational Needs Policy.

A Level choices and entrance examinations

How do you set exam papers when only one year of the (I)GCSE syllabus has been covered?
Be assured that we do take this into account when we set the papers. For information about specific examinations, please refer to the Sixth Form Subject Choices page on our website.
I haven’t studied the subject before, how will I cope with the exam?
The exams in Economics, History of Art, and Theology and Philosophy are based on the assumption that candidates will not have studied these subjects before. They are not offered at (I)GCSE level at Westminster, so all Westminster pupils moving up from Year 11 will be starting from scratch.

There is also a Russian examination for those who have never studied the language. Further information can be found on the Departments pages of our website.
Are past papers available?
No, but look carefully at the information about the examinations by referring to the Sixth Form Subject Choices page on our website.
What if the A Levels I want to take don’t fit into your four teaching blocks?
Read the notes on the Sixth Form Subject Choices page on our website. If your question is not answered there, please email the Deputy Head (Academic): clare.leech@westminster.org.uk.

The subjects appear as they do in the blocks because these are the subject combinations that suit most Westminster pupils, and which allow most Westminster pupils to go to their first-choice universities to read the subjects, in which they are most interested.
What happens if I change my mind after selecting the A Levels I want to study?
We expect pupils to study their entrance examination subjects when they arrive at Westminster. Pupils who wish to make changes to their choices should discuss this with the Deputy Head (Academic), who may require them to sit an examination in the relevant subject(s).
Can I study more than four A Levels?
In general the answer is no. For more information, please refer to the Before you decide section on our website. Studying for more than four A Levels does not give pupils any advantage in university applications and may result in lower grades across the board.
What (I)GCSE grades should the pupil expect to achieve?
The offers we send out are conditional to pupils achieving eight A/7 grades at (I)GCSE, of which four are A*/8-9’s in the subjects they wish to take at A Level. If the pupil is studying for alternative qualifications to (I)GCSE, this offer is conditional on satisfactory academic progress and we should be sent copies of any further public examination results.
I live overseas, can I sit the entrance exams in my country?
Overseas candidates have the option to sit their entrance exams at their local British Council.
There’s no British Council in USA, where can I sit the exams?
On the US British Council website, they suggest alternative locations for entry exams.
Can I sit my interviews online?
Unfortunately, all candidates invited to interview must attend Westminster School in person. It is not possible to take the interviews online.

Visiting the School

How do I book on to an Open Day?
There are two Open Days for Sixth Form entry each year: one in June and one in September. The online booking form opens on 1 April.
If I can’t make an Open Day, how else can I visit the School?
Please email the Admissions Department to arrange to join one of the 13+ tours of the School. You should be aware, however, that the other families on the tour will probably be interested in 13+ entry and you will not have the opportunity to speak to subject teachers.

These tours also get booked up weeks in advance so do come to the Open Day in June or September if you can.

International Candidates

Do I need to take a UKiset test?
In order to cope with both the social and academic demands of being at Westminster, pupils should be fluent English speakers. We, therefore, require the UKiset testing profiles for those with English as their second language and who have been taught in an English speaking school for less than the last three years.

To arrange a test, you must first register online. This must be taken before the application closing deadline, 30 September.
I will need a Child Student visa to study in the UK, does Westminster School offer sponsorship?
Yes, we offer sponsorship (CAS) for Child Student visas at 16+ entry. We require a UKiset or IELTS Academic report for candidates that require Child Student visa sponsorship from Westminster School when they enrol.
Do I need a UK Guardian?
All pupils at Westminster School whose parents live abroad must have a suitable UK guardian. Westminster School, although a boarding school, is not suitable for overseas pupils who do not have family or close family friends who will act as guardians living in the UK. It is expected that the Parents will appoint a UK guardian who is either a family member, close family friend or via a reputable organisation. If the School considers guardianship arrangements to be unsatisfactory, the pupil will be prohibited from boarding until suitable arrangements have been made. Please note that the School does not recommend any specific agency and will not arrange the appointment of a guardian. Parents are responsible for checking the suitability of any guardianship agency. Please see the Guardianship Policy for further information.