How to prepare for the Bedales School 11+

The exam at a glance

For Year 7 entry to Bedales Prep, the school runs its own admissions process rather than using a national grammar-school style 11+ test. For 2028 entry, the only safe assumption is that Bedales sets its own assessment and that parents should expect school-led admissions steps rather than a standardised consortium exam.

The school’s admissions information for Year 7 entry describes a residential assessment held in January, with preliminary details of entrance tests sent to parents in the autumn term before the assessment. Bedales also offers taster events before the deadline, which can help families understand the setting and ask how the process works in practice.

What is not clearly confirmed on the school’s published page is just as important: the provider or style of any written test, the exact subjects tested, the timing of papers, and whether parts are completed on paper or another format are not set out in the material we found. Because of that, parents should work from the principle that Bedales uses its own assessment process and check the admissions page directly for the latest details once the 2028 cycle opens.

In practical terms, the day itself is likely to feel more like an independent-school assessment process than a single stand-alone exam sitting. Families should expect a school-organised assessment window, communication from admissions in the autumn term, and a January assessment point for 11+ applicants if the timetable follows the current pattern.

Registration and key dates

Bedales handles its own admissions rather than using a local-authority 11+ registration portal. The starting point is the school’s admissions page, where families can enquire and apply to Bedales directly.

For the current published 11+ cycle on the school site, the relevant dates are for 2027 entry rather than 2028 entry. Those dates are still useful because they show the usual pattern:

Bedales Prep Open Morning: 3 October 2026
Bedales Prep Taster Day: 12 October 2026
Deadline for enrolment for residential assessment: 31 October 2026
Bursary application deadline: 31 October 2026
11+ residential assessments: 4 to 5 January 2027
Places offered: week beginning 8 February 2027
Place acceptance and deposit deadline: 5 March 2027

The same page says that preliminary details of entrance tests are sent to parents in the autumn term preceding the January assessment. That is helpful for families preparing for 2028 entry: if Bedales keeps the same rhythm, you should expect practical test information in autumn 2027 and the assessment itself usually in early January 2028.

At the time of writing, we did not find a published 2028-specific timetable on the school site. So for your child’s cohort, treat the dates above as the current published pattern, not confirmed dates for 2028 entry. The safest approach is to monitor the school’s admissions page from spring and summer 2027 onwards, attend an open event if possible, and sign up for updates. You can also use Free email alerts for this school's key dates.

If you are considering financial support, note that the school publishes a bursary deadline alongside the assessment deadline. Families who may need bursary help should check requirements early, as independent-school bursary applications often need supporting financial documents.

For a quick overview page, see The Bedales School 11+ guide (format, catchment, dates).

Who can apply: catchment and admissions

Bedales is an independent, co-educational day and boarding school, and its website presents Year 7 entry as one of the school’s main entry points. The school welcomes external applicants, and we did not find any catchment area for 11+ entry on the admissions material reviewed.

That means families should think about suitability and availability rather than catchment boundaries. In contrast to many grammar-school admissions systems, there is no local-authority distance rule or published catchment map on the pages we found for this route. Instead, the process is run by the school and is open to applicants for day and boarding places.

We also did not find a published figure for the number of Year 7 places available in the material reviewed. Independent schools do not always publish this for each entry point. If places matter to your planning, ask admissions directly how many external places are typically available for the relevant year.

Competition can still be strong even where there is no catchment. A sensible parent mindset is to prepare steadily, apply in good time, and make sure your child is familiar with the kind of broad academic and school-based assessment an independent school may use. Open events and taster days can be especially helpful for understanding whether the school’s ethos suits your child.

A month-by-month preparation plan

Because Bedales does not publicly set out a detailed subject-by-subject 11+ paper specification on the page we found, the best preparation plan is broad, calm and skills-based. Work backwards from a likely early-January assessment in Year 6.

Month	What to do
January to March, Year 5	Keep preparation light: around 1 to 2 hours a week split across reading, vocabulary, neat written work and secure maths basics. Focus on routine rather than speed.
April to May, Year 5	Increase to about 2 hours a week. Build confidence in comprehension, mental maths, problem solving and writing clear answers. Start noting any weaker areas.
June to July, Year 5	Around 2 to 3 hours a week is usually enough. Introduce short timed tasks, but do not make every session a test. If possible, attend school events or start researching the admissions process.
Summer holidays before Year 6	Aim for 2 to 3 short sessions a week. Keep reading daily. Use one session for maths fluency, one for comprehension or writing, and one for mixed reasoning-style thinking if appropriate. Keep it steady and low-pressure.
September, Year 6	Move to around 3 hours a week. This is a good point to practise working carefully under time limits in short sections. If the school releases test details, adjust your plan around them.
October, Year 6	Keep work structured but manageable. Complete application steps before the deadline. Begin occasional longer practice sessions so your child learns how to sustain concentration.
November, Year 6	Use one timed paper or one substantial timed task each week if your child is coping well. Review errors properly rather than racing through lots of material.
December, Year 6	Reduce quantity and focus on confidence. Revisit methods, spelling, vocabulary and reading stamina. Avoid cramming over the holidays.
Early January, Year 6	In the final week, do only light familiar work. Prioritise sleep, routine and calm.

If your child is already busy with school, clubs and music, that amount of preparation is enough. For most children, consistency beats intensity. Independent-school assessments often reward thoughtful, adaptable children rather than those drilled through endless papers.

Subject by subject: what to practise

Bedales does not publicly confirm a full 11+ subject list on the admissions page we reviewed, so the most useful approach is to cover the core areas commonly expected at this stage and then refine your preparation once the school sends autumn details.

English

Prioritise reading comprehension, precise vocabulary, inference, and writing in clear sentences and paragraphs. Your child should be comfortable reading a passage carefully, finding evidence, and explaining ideas without overlong answers. Encourage regular reading of fiction and non-fiction, discussion of tone and character, and short pieces of writing with attention to punctuation and structure.

Mathematics

Focus on secure Year 5 and early Year 6 number skills, arithmetic accuracy, fractions, decimals, percentages, measures and multi-step problem solving. Independent-school assessments often reward method as well as answer, so practise setting work out clearly and checking for careless mistakes. Mental fluency matters, but so does calm reasoning.

Reasoning and broader thinking skills

Because Bedales sets its own assessment and does not publish a detailed specification on the page reviewed, it is sensible to include some broader thinking practice: pattern spotting, careful logic, working with unfamiliar information and explaining how an answer was reached. Keep this balanced and avoid assuming a particular exam-board style unless the school later confirms one.

Writing and communication

For independent-school entry, clear written communication can matter even when a paper is not labelled as a separate writing test. Practise planning short responses, using paragraphs, and proofreading for spelling and punctuation. If your child meets staff during a taster day or assessment process, help them become comfortable speaking politely and naturally about their interests.

Once Bedales sends the entrance-test details in the autumn term, use those instructions to narrow your focus. Until then, broad academic readiness is the safest plan.

Practice papers and mock exams

Practice papers are most useful when they are used sparingly and reviewed carefully. Start with untimed work so your child understands what is being asked. Only then move to timed practice in short sections. The goal is not to complete huge numbers of papers, but to learn how to read accurately, manage time and recover from a tricky question without panic.

A good pattern is:

Try a short section without pressure.
Mark it together and talk through mistakes.
Write down the reason for each error: knowledge gap, rushing, misreading, or running out of time.
Re-do a few similar questions a few days later.
Use full timed papers only once foundations are secure.

If your child is preparing specifically for Bedales, use school-specific materials where possible: Free Bedales School practice papers (one per tested subject, with answers).

For the wider admissions picture, keep an eye on The Bedales School 11+ guide (format, catchment, dates) and sign up for Free email alerts for this school's key dates.

Mocks can help some children, especially if they need practice sitting still and working to time. But they are not essential for every child. If you do use a mock, choose one late enough that your child already knows the basics, and follow it with a quiet review of timing, stamina and confidence.

On the day

Keep the morning simple. Aim for a normal breakfast, comfortable uniform or clothes as instructed by the school, and plenty of time to travel. Avoid last-minute drilling in the car; it usually increases nerves rather than improving performance.

Remind your child of a few practical habits:

Read each instruction slowly.
Underline or note key information if allowed.
If stuck, move on and come back.
Keep handwriting neat and working clear.
Check the easiest mistakes first at the end: missed questions, copied numbers, punctuation and signs.

If the process includes a residential element, prepare gently in advance: pack the night before, talk through what the stay will be like, and frame it as an opportunity to experience the school rather than a test to fear. Children often do best when they feel they are visiting a school community, not entering a high-pressure contest.

Most importantly, keep your own tone steady. A child who feels that this is one good option among several will usually present much better than one who feels everything depends on one assessment.

After the exam: results, allocation and appeals

For the currently published 2027 entry cycle, Bedales says that places are offered in the week beginning 8 February 2027, with acceptance and deposit due by 5 March 2027. For 2028 entry, the school has not yet published equivalent dates, but this shows the likely sequence: assessment in January, offers in February, then an acceptance deadline shortly afterwards.

Because Bedales is an independent school, the process is different from local-authority secondary allocation on National Offer Day. Offers are made by the school, and families then decide whether to accept and pay any required deposit by the school’s deadline.

If your child is unsuccessful, the next step is to speak directly to admissions. Independent schools do not follow the same statutory admissions appeal framework used by state schools, so the right route is to ask whether there is a waiting list, whether any further assessment is possible, and whether another entry point might suit your child better.

If your child is offered a place, read the offer pack carefully, especially any conditions, deposit arrangements, boarding information if relevant, and bursary paperwork deadlines.

What has changed recently

From the material reviewed, the clearest recent published update is that the school’s admissions page currently sets out specific 11+ dates for 2027 entry, including an October enrolment deadline and January residential assessments, with offers in February. We did not find a separate announcement of a new exam board, a new published test format, a catchment change or a published change in Year 7 place numbers in the last two years on the pages reviewed.

As always with independent-school admissions, the practical details can be updated from one cycle to the next, so parents applying for 2028 entry should check the school’s admissions page directly once the new round is published.

Frequently asked questions

Does Bedales use a standard 11+ exam board?

For 2028 entry, ElevenReady’s verified information is that Bedales uses its own paper. The school page we reviewed does not confirm a standard national provider or detailed paper style.

Is there a catchment area for Bedales 11+?

We did not find a catchment area on the admissions pages reviewed. Bedales presents 11+ entry as open to external applicants and mentions day and boarding entry.

When is the Bedales 11+ exam usually held?

The currently published cycle shows 11+ residential assessments on 4 and 5 January 2027. For 2028 entry, the exact date is not yet published, but the pattern suggests it is usually in early January.

How do I register for Bedales 11+?

Registration is handled directly by Bedales rather than through a local-authority 11+ portal. Start on the school’s admissions page and follow the school’s application process.

Does Bedales publish pass marks or cut-off scores?

We did not find any published pass mark, qualifying score or cut-off score for Year 7 entry. If you need the latest admissions criteria, ask the school directly.

Should my child do lots of timed papers for Bedales?

Usually no. Start with strong core skills and only introduce timed work gradually in Year 6, especially once the school releases more detail about that year’s assessment.

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Sources

Bedales School admissions: Apply to Bedales: Bedales runs its own admissions process; Year 7 is a main entry point; Bedales is day and boarding; external applicants are welcomed; preliminary details of entrance tests are sent in the autumn term; currently published 2027-entry dates: Bedales Prep Open Morning 3 October 2026, Taster Day 12 Octob
Bedales School website: Bedales is a co-educational day and boarding school for ages 3 to 18 in Steep near Petersfield.

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Written by ElevenReady from the school's published information and reviewed by a person before publishing. Last reviewed 20 October 2026. Exam arrangements change. Check the school's admissions page for the current year.