How to prepare for the Marymount International School 11+

The exam at a glance

Marymount International School London is an independent girls’ school for ages 11–18, offering both day and boarding places. For Year 7 entry, the school uses its own assessment process rather than a shared grammar-school style test.

For 2028 entry, ElevenReady’s verified information confirms that the assessment covers English and Mathematics, and that delivery is mixed. The school’s own admissions information also refers to a main Grade 6 Assessment Day. In practice, that means families should expect a school-run assessment process rather than a standardised 11+ run by a local authority or consortium.

The school’s admissions pages describe entry as part of a broader application process, not just a single test score. Parents should therefore think of the assessment day as one part of admissions alongside the application form and the school’s review of the child’s suitability for Marymount’s curriculum and community.

Because the school does not publicly set out a full paper-by-paper breakdown on its admissions page, it is best to avoid assuming a particular provider or question style. The safest approach is to prepare your child for clear, accurate work in English and Maths, with enough flexibility to cope with a school-set paper.

What the day looks like, based on the school’s published information, is likely to centre on the school’s own Assessment Day. The school welcomes applications throughout the year where places are available, so some families may be assessed outside the main cycle if a place exists. For the exact format for your daughter’s cohort, check the admissions page directly and confirm details with the school before booking travel or tutoring around it.

Registration and key dates

Marymount runs its own admissions process. The school’s assessment page invites families to apply directly to the school, rather than through a local-authority 11+ portal.

For 2028 entry, the school’s published information does not currently give a single fixed registration opening date, a hard admissions deadline or a published exam date for all applicants. Instead, the school says that applications are welcomed throughout the year wherever places are available, and that there is a main Grade 6 Assessment Day.

That is important for parents: there may be a main assessment point, but Marymount is not presenting Year 7 admissions in the same way as a selective state-school 11+ timetable with one national-style test day and one application deadline.

What you can verify now from the school’s published pages is:

applications are made directly to the school;
the school welcomes applications throughout the year, subject to places being available;
there is a main Grade 6 Assessment Day;
the school has published Open Mornings on 12 November 2026 and 21 January 2027.

If you are planning well ahead for 2028 entry, a sensible route is:

attend an open event or arrange a visit;
submit the school’s application form through Marymount’s admissions process;
ask admissions when the next Grade 6 Assessment Day will take place for your daughter’s year of entry;
check whether any supporting documents are needed, such as school reports or identification, before you apply.

Because this school admits internationally as well as locally, some parts of the process may vary slightly by applicant. If current-year dates for your daughter’s intake have not yet been published, ask the school directly rather than relying on old forum posts or unofficial calendars.

For a quick place to monitor updates, you can also use Free email alerts for this school's key dates.

Who can apply: catchment and admissions

Marymount does not operate a local catchment in the way many grammar schools do. The school presents itself as an international school and says it welcomes students and families from across the world as well as from the local area.

That means admission is not about living within a set distance. Instead, families should focus on whether Marymount is the right academic and pastoral fit, whether a place is available in the relevant year group, and whether the child is successful in the school’s admissions process.

The school offers day and boarding places. That can make it a realistic option both for families living within travelling distance and for those considering boarding.

As an independent school, Marymount’s admissions process is separate from the local authority’s secondary transfer system. If your daughter is also applying to state schools, keep those applications and deadlines separate in your planning.

The school’s publicly available pages do not publish a cut-off score, pass mark or distance rule for Year 7 entry. Parents should be wary of any website claiming to know one. If you want a clearer sense of competitiveness in a particular year, the right place to ask is Marymount admissions.

A month-by-month preparation plan

Because Marymount sets its own assessment and does not publish a detailed paper specification, preparation should be steady and sensible rather than highly specialised. For most Year 5 children, 2 to 3 hours a week at the start is enough, rising gradually later on.

January to March in Year 5

Keep preparation light. Focus on secure core skills in reading, spelling, vocabulary, arithmetic and written Maths method. In English, encourage regular reading and short written responses. In Maths, make sure number facts and written methods are fluent.

A realistic routine is two or three short sessions each week. At this stage, avoid heavy timed work.

April to June in Year 5

Build consistency. Move to around 3 hours a week in total, split across English and Maths. Start practising comprehension from age-appropriate fiction and non-fiction passages, and review basic grammar where needed. In Maths, cover the full Key Stage 2 range carefully: number, fractions, decimals, percentages, measures, geometry and word problems.

Start introducing short timed sections, but keep them low-pressure. The aim is not speed for its own sake; it is learning to work calmly within a limit.

July to August before Year 6

This is a good time for gentle consolidation. Use one or two structured sessions a week and plenty of reading. If your child is sitting several independent-school assessments, late summer is the point to begin bringing work together into short mixed papers.

Do not turn the holiday into a boot camp. Children usually do better with regular, manageable practice than with long, tiring sessions.

September in Year 6

Increase to around 3 to 4 hours a week. This is the point to use more timed practice in English and Maths. Work on accuracy first, then pace. Review mistakes carefully and look for patterns: misreading the question, weak vocabulary, untidy arithmetic, or rushing.

If the school has by then confirmed any details about the assessment day, adapt your preparation to match.

October in Year 6 and the final run-in

Use one full practice session each week, plus shorter targeted follow-up sessions. Keep the final fortnight calm: revise key methods, vocabulary and presentation, but avoid overwhelming your child with new material.

If your daughter tends to worry, practise starting papers confidently: read instructions, answer the most accessible questions first, and keep moving.

Subject by subject: what to practise

English

For Marymount, official information confirms English is part of the assessment, but the school does not publicly set out a detailed question-by-question specification. The most sensible preparation is broad and school-based.

Focus on:

Comprehension: reading carefully, retrieving evidence, explaining language and tone, and giving full written answers;
Vocabulary: understanding unfamiliar words from context and using precise language in answers and writing;
Writing: producing clear, organised responses with accurate punctuation, spelling and paragraphing;
Grammar basics: sentence control, verb forms, punctuation and common grammatical terms where age-appropriate.

Good practice includes reading a wide range of texts, discussing what a passage means, and writing short but thoughtful answers. If your child writes creatively, keep an eye on structure as well as flair: clear openings, logical development and tidy technical accuracy matter.

Mathematics

Official information confirms Mathematics is assessed. As the school does not publish a detailed paper format, aim for secure Key Stage 2 mastery rather than guessing at a narrow style.

Focus on:

Arithmetic fluency: the four operations, place value, fractions, decimals and percentages;
Word problems: choosing the right method and setting out working clearly;
Measures and geometry: time, money, perimeter, area, shape properties and angles at an age-appropriate level;
Reasoning: multi-step problems, spotting patterns and checking whether an answer is sensible.

Use a mixture of untimed method practice and timed mixed questions. Encourage your child to show working neatly. In independent-school assessments, method and presentation often matter just as much as arriving at an answer quickly.

Practice papers and mock exams

When a school sets its own assessment, practice papers are best used to strengthen core skills rather than to predict the exact paper. That means your child should work on solid English and Maths habits: careful reading, accurate method, clear written answers and sensible timing.

A practical way to use practice papers is:

start with untimed work to build confidence and identify gaps;
move to short timed sections once accuracy improves;
review every mistake properly, including the ones caused by rushing;
repeat topics that come up more than once;
leave a little space between papers so your child can actually learn from them.

For this school, you can use ElevenReady’s free resources here:

If you book a mock exam elsewhere, treat it as a confidence-building rehearsal, not a verdict. A useful mock helps a child practise concentration, timing and recovery after a tricky question. It should not leave her feeling that one score defines her chances.

For Marymount in particular, one or two well-chosen mocks are usually enough. Because the school’s assessment is school-set, endless generic mock papers are less helpful than careful review of English and Maths fundamentals.

On the day

Keep the morning simple. Aim for plenty of time, a calm breakfast and a straightforward departure. If your daughter has visited the school before the assessment day, that familiarity can help.

Pack only what the school has asked for. If any part of the arrangements is unclear, ask admissions in advance rather than guessing.

Useful reminders for your child are:

read every instruction slowly;
start neatly and keep going steadily;
if one question feels hard, move on and come back if there is time;
show working in Maths;
check spellings, punctuation and completeness in English where possible.

Emotionally, the best tone is calm confidence. Avoid describing the day as a make-or-break moment. Marymount’s admissions process is broader than a single score, and children usually perform better when they feel prepared rather than judged.

After the exam: results, allocation and appeals

Because Marymount is an independent school, the post-exam process is different from state-school national offer day. Offers are made through the school’s own admissions process.

The school’s publicly available pages do not currently publish a standard results date for Year 7 assessment outcomes. Families should therefore ask the admissions team when they can expect to hear back after the assessment day.

If your daughter is offered a place, the school will explain the next steps directly. That may include acceptance deadlines and further admissions paperwork.

If she is not offered a place, ask politely whether there is a waiting list and whether re-application is possible if circumstances change. Independent schools do not use the same statutory admissions appeals system as state schools, so any review or reconsideration process will be the school’s own rather than a local-authority appeal panel.

If you are applying to both independent and state schools, keep a separate written timeline for each. That avoids confusion later in the autumn and spring.

What has changed recently

The school’s current published admissions information highlights a main Grade 6 Assessment Day and states that applications are welcomed throughout the year wherever places are available. The school also publishes upcoming Open Mornings on 12 November 2026 and 21 January 2027. Beyond that, I did not find an officially announced recent change to the Year 7 assessment format, catchment or places on the school pages I reviewed.

Frequently asked questions

Does Marymount International School use the standard grammar-school 11+?

No. Marymount runs its own admissions assessment rather than a local-authority grammar-school test.

What subjects should my child prepare for?

For 2028 entry, ElevenReady’s verified information confirms English and Mathematics. The school’s public pages do not give a fuller paper specification, so broad preparation in those two subjects is the safest approach.

Is there a catchment area for Marymount?

No catchment is published. The school says it welcomes students and families from across the world as well as from the local area.

Can we apply outside the normal admissions round?

Possibly, yes. The school says applications are welcomed throughout the year wherever places are available.

Does Marymount offer boarding as well as day places?

Yes. The school says it offers both day and boarding places.

When is the assessment for Year 7 entry?

The school refers to a main Grade 6 Assessment Day, but I did not find a published date for the 2028 entry cycle. You will need to confirm the timing directly with admissions.

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Sources

Marymount International School London – Assessment: The school runs its own assessment process; there is a main Grade 6 Assessment Day; applications are welcomed throughout the year wherever places are available; applications are made directly to the school.
Marymount International School London – Home page: The school is an international school in Kingston upon Thames for girls aged 11–18.

Preparing for other schools in Kingston upon Thames

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.