How to prepare for the Kew House 11+ exam

The exam at a glance

Kew House School is an independent co-educational senior day school for pupils aged 11 to 18, with main entry points at Year 7 and Year 12. The school says Year 7 admission is based on exams and interviews.

For September 2028 entry, ElevenReady’s verified information is that Kew House uses its own assessment. At the time of writing, the school pages we found do not clearly publish the exact test format, subjects or delivery method for 2028 entry, so it is best to treat the assessment details as school-set and to check the admissions page directly for the latest arrangements.

What parents can say to a child now is simple: there is likely to be an assessment stage followed by an interview stage for shortlisted applicants. Because the school has not clearly published a full familiarisation specification on the pages we found, preparation should focus on secure core skills, careful reading, clear written work, accurate maths and calm interview readiness rather than trying to second-guess a paper style.

Board: school’s own assessment
Format: not clearly published on the official pages we found
Subjects: not clearly published on the official pages we found
Delivery: not clearly published on the official pages we found
Selection process: exams and interviews

On the day itself, independent-school assessments often involve a short check-in period, one or more papers or tasks, and then later-stage interviews for selected candidates. For Kew House specifically, parents should rely on the school’s invitation email and admissions instructions rather than assumptions based on other schools.

Registration and key dates

Kew House handles its own admissions. The school’s admissions pages direct families to make an enquiry and contact the admissions team, and the school website currently states that applications are open for Year 7 entry in September 2027. The same homepage also advertises an open event on Thursday 8 October at 5pm.

Because you are planning for September 2028 entry, you should expect the 2028 cycle to open later, but the school pages we found do not yet publish a full set of 2028 dates. We therefore cannot state a verified registration opening date, deadline, assessment date or results date for 2028.

What to do in practice:

Visit the school’s admissions page and submit an enquiry or application as soon as the 2028 cycle appears.
Join the school’s mailing list or contact admissions directly so you receive the next open evening and assessment information.
Use ElevenReady’s Free email alerts for this school's key dates so you do not have to keep checking manually.

Documents commonly requested by independent schools can include a recent school report, the child’s details, parent contact details and sometimes a reference process through the current school. However, because Kew House’s published 2028 checklist is not yet available on the pages we found, it is sensible to wait for the school’s own instructions before gathering anything more specific.

At this stage the safest wording is:

Registration opens: not yet published for 2028 on the pages we found
Deadline: not yet published for 2028 on the pages we found
Exam date: not yet published for 2028 on the pages we found
Results: not yet published for 2028 on the pages we found

For a current overview page, parents may also find The Kew House 11+ guide (format, catchment, dates) useful alongside the school’s own website.

Who can apply: catchment and admissions

Kew House is an independent school, so admission is not run through the grammar-school 11+ system and the school’s own admissions process is the key one to follow.

From the official pages we found, Kew House is a senior day school for ages 11 to 18 and entry is at Year 7 or Year 12. The school states that admission is based on exams and interviews.

We did not find an official published catchment rule, distance priority, published number of Year 7 places, published oversubscription statistics or a published lowest offer threshold on the pages fetched for this guide. That means parents should not assume there is a catchment area, but should instead check the current admissions policy and fee information directly with the school.

In practical terms, if you are considering Kew House for 2028 entry:

Check whether the school asks for registration before assessment booking.
Ask admissions whether there is any geographical priority or whether places are offered purely through the school’s selection process.
Ask when references, reports and interviews normally take place.
If you are applying to both independent and state schools, keep a separate calendar for each system so you do not miss deadlines.

Because Kew House has not clearly published all of these admissions details on the pages we found, it is worth emailing admissions early with a short list of questions rather than relying on forum comments or older advice.

A month-by-month preparation plan

Because the exact paper format is not clearly published, the most sensible preparation plan is one that builds strong all-round Year 5 skills first and only becomes more formal once the school releases details. For most children, steady work is better than long sessions.

Month	Focus
January to March in Year 5	Keep preparation light: around 1 to 2 hours a week. Build reading stamina, arithmetic fluency, vocabulary, spelling accuracy and neat written work. Read widely and talk about books, articles and ideas.
April to May	Increase to 2 to 3 hours a week. Add short comprehension tasks, mental maths, problem solving and a little written composition. Start practising careful checking habits.
June	Keep to 2 to 3 hours a week. Introduce short timed sections only if your child is comfortable. The goal is not speed for its own sake, but calm pacing and accuracy.
July	Use 3 hours a week at most. Mix skill practice with a few longer pieces of work so your child gets used to sustaining concentration. If interview is likely, begin light conversation practice: opinions, hobbies, books and school life.
August	Work in short bursts, about 3 to 4 hours a week across several days. If the school has by then published format details, switch preparation towards those requirements. If not, continue with balanced English and maths practice and one gentle interview session each week.
September	If the assessment is in the autumn, use 3 to 4 hours a week, mostly revision and timed practice rather than new content. Keep the final week calm and reduce workload slightly.

When should timed papers start? For a school with an unpublished format, there is little value in starting full timed papers too early. It is usually enough to begin with short timed sections in late spring or early summer of Year 5, then use fuller practice in late summer once your child has secure basics.

A good weekly rhythm for many children is:

Two short English sessions
Two short maths sessions
Regular reading every day
One light conversation or interview-style chat at the weekend

If your child is tired or becoming anxious, reduce the volume. Consistency matters much more than intensity.

Subject by subject: what to practise

Because Kew House’s official pages do not clearly publish the exact tested subjects for 2028 entry, use the guidance below as core preparation rather than a claim about the final paper content. These are the areas most worth securing while you wait for the school’s confirmed information.

English

Prioritise reading comprehension, vocabulary, inference, spelling, punctuation, grammar in context and clear written expression. Children should practise answering in full sentences, selecting evidence from a text and explaining their reasoning briefly but clearly.

Useful habits include reading a broad range of fiction and non-fiction, summarising paragraphs, learning unfamiliar words in context and writing short responses under light time limits. If there is any creative or discursive writing element, neat paragraphing, accurate basic punctuation and staying on task matter a great deal.

Mathematics

Focus on secure arithmetic first: the four operations, fractions, decimals, percentages, ratio basics, averages, place value and standard Year 5 problem solving. Independent-school assessments often reward children who can set work out clearly and choose an efficient method.

Good practice includes mixed-topic questions, mental maths, multi-step problems and checking whether an answer is sensible. Encourage your child to show method neatly and avoid rushing easy marks away.

Reasoning and thinking skills

The school has not clearly confirmed whether any verbal, non-verbal or other reasoning elements are included, so do not over-specialise too early. A better use of time is to build transferable thinking skills: pattern spotting, careful reading of instructions, comparing options, working systematically and checking answers.

If the school later confirms specific reasoning components, you can then add targeted practice. Until then, strong literacy, numeracy and puzzle-based thinking are enough.

Interview readiness

Kew House states that admissions are based on exams and interviews, so it is wise to prepare gently for conversation as well as written assessment. This does not mean rehearsing speeches. It means helping your child speak naturally about books, interests, activities, school subjects and why they are interested in the school.

Practise eye contact, listening to the whole question, answering honestly and asking for a question to be repeated if needed. Short, friendly conversations at home are far more effective than intense drilling.

Practice papers and mock exams

Where a school’s exact paper format is not clearly published, practice papers are best used to strengthen fundamentals rather than to imitate a paper that may not match the real assessment exactly.

A sensible approach is:

Start untimed, so your child learns method and accuracy first.
Move to short timed sections once confidence is steady.
Review every mistake carefully: was it knowledge, vocabulary, misunderstanding or rushing?
Keep an error log and revisit weak areas after a few days.
Do not do too many full papers back to back. One well-reviewed paper teaches more than three rushed ones.

For families preparing for Kew House, these ElevenReady resources are a helpful starting point:

If the school later publishes sample material or a more detailed assessment outline, switch quickly to that official guidance. Until then, keep practice broad, calm and rooted in Year 5 classroom skills.

Mock exams can be useful for children who need practice managing nerves, sitting still and pacing themselves. But they are most helpful in late summer or early autumn, not months before your child has covered the basics.

On the day

The most helpful thing a parent can provide on the day is calm routine. Aim for an ordinary, steady morning rather than a big build-up.

Check the school’s joining instructions the night before and pack everything early.
Choose comfortable, tidy clothes that your child feels confident in.
Allow plenty of travel time so a small delay does not raise stress levels.
Offer a familiar breakfast and water, not something unusual.
Remind your child that one difficult question is normal and does not mean the paper is going badly.

If there is an interview stage, encourage your child to pause before answering, smile, speak clearly and be themselves. Independent-school interviews are usually looking for potential, curiosity, readiness for the school environment and the ability to engage thoughtfully, not polished perfection.

A useful script for children is: read carefully, do the easy marks first, keep going if one question feels hard, and check if there is time.

After the exam: results, allocation and appeals

For Kew House, the next steps are part of the school’s own admissions process rather than the local-authority secondary allocation system used for state schools. The school states that entry is based on exams and interviews, so families should expect communication directly from the admissions team about outcomes and any next stage.

We did not find a clearly published 2028 timetable for results or offer dates on the pages fetched for this guide. We also did not find a published appeal timetable or formal appeals process in the way that state-school admissions usually provide. Independent schools often handle reviews, waiting lists and declined offers through their own admissions procedures, so parents should check the school’s current terms and admissions information directly.

In practice, after assessment:

Watch for an email from admissions about results or interviews.
Respond promptly to any request for further information.
If offered a place, check the acceptance deadline and any deposit or contract carefully.
If not offered a place, ask politely whether a waiting list operates and whether any feedback can be provided.

If you are applying to state schools as well, keep that process moving separately. An independent-school outcome does not replace local-authority deadlines for state applications.

What has changed recently

On the official school homepage currently available, Kew House states that applications are open for Year 7 entry in September 2027 and that admission is based on exams and interviews. The homepage also advertises an open event on Thursday 8 October at 5pm.

Beyond that, we did not find a clearly published official announcement on the pages fetched for this guide confirming a recent change to the assessment format, exam board, catchment rules, places or admissions structure for Year 7. If the school publishes updated 2028 assessment details later, parents should treat that as the definitive source.

Frequently asked questions

Does Kew House use the standard 11+ exam?

For September 2028 entry, ElevenReady’s verified information is that Kew House uses its own assessment. The exact paper format is not clearly published on the official pages we found, so check the school’s admissions page for the latest details.

What subjects are in the Kew House entrance exam?

We could not verify published subjects for 2028 entry from the official pages fetched for this guide. Prepare broadly in English, maths and interview readiness unless and until the school publishes a fuller breakdown.

When do I register for Kew House Year 7 entry?

The school website says applications are open for Year 7 entry in September 2027, but we did not find verified 2028 dates yet. Contact admissions or sign up for alerts so you can register as soon as the next cycle opens.

Is there a catchment area for Kew House?

We did not find an official published catchment rule on the pages fetched for this guide. As an independent school, Kew House runs its own admissions, so ask the admissions team directly if you want confirmation on any geographical priority.

Does Kew House interview Year 7 applicants?

Yes. The school states that entry is based on exams and interviews. Gentle conversation practice at home is a sensible part of preparation.

Are Kew House practice papers available?

Yes. You can use ElevenReady’s free resources here: /schools/kew-house-mock-tests. They are best used to build core skills while you wait for the school’s confirmed assessment details.

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Sources

Kew House School website: Kew House is an independent co-educational senior day school for ages 11–18; entry is at Year 7 or Year 12; admission is based on exams and interviews; applications are open for Year 7 entry in September 2027; the homepage advertises an open event on Thursday 8 October at 5pm.
Kew House School admissions page: The school handles its own admissions and directs families to contact the admissions team / make an enquiry through the school.

Preparing for other schools in Hounslow

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.