The exam at a glance
For September 2028 entry to Year 7, North Bridge House Senior Canonbury School uses its own entrance assessment. The school’s admissions information says Year 7 applicants are invited to an assessment day and interview as part of the admissions process.
ElevenReady’s verified information confirms that the assessment for 2028 entry covers English, Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning, and that it is computer based. The school’s public admissions page does not currently give a detailed public breakdown of the paper format, question style or timings, so it is best to treat this as a school-set assessment rather than assuming it follows a national consortium style.
What does the day look like in practice? From the school’s admissions page, parents should expect a process built around:
- registration with the school admissions team
- an assessment day for Year 7 applicants
- an interview
- an offer decision later in the admissions cycle
Because the school does not publicly set out the exact running order, lengths of each section or whether there are breaks between elements, parents should check the latest information directly on the school’s admissions page once they register. That matters especially with a computer-based assessment, where familiarity with working on screen can make a child feel calmer and more efficient.
Registration and key dates
North Bridge House runs its own admissions process, so registration is made directly with the school rather than through a local authority selective test portal or a grammar school consortium.
The school’s senior admissions page says families should complete an application form and pay the application fee of £180. The page states that payment can be made by bank transfer or cheque. It also says open events and guided tours run throughout the academic year, which is useful if you want to visit before applying.
For September 2028 entry, ElevenReady’s verified directory confirms that the application deadline is Monday 16 November 2026. The school page also gives a recent pattern for the cycle currently described on the site: interviews and assessments for September 2027 entry take place in mid-November 2026, with offers released by early February and acceptance due in early March. As no 2028-entry assessment date is currently published on the page, the safest wording is that the assessment is likely to be in or around mid-November, based on the school’s published pattern for the previous cycle, but parents should wait for the school to confirm the exact date.
A sensible checklist for registration is:
- complete the school’s application form
- pay the £180 application fee
- book an open event or tour if you want to see the school first
- watch for confirmation of the assessment and interview arrangements from admissions
If you want a quick place to track updates, see The North Bridge House Senior Canonbury School 11+ guide (format, catchment, dates) and Free email alerts for this school's key dates.
Who can apply: catchment and admissions
North Bridge House Senior Canonbury School is an independent school, so it does not operate in the same way as a state grammar school with a published local-authority catchment map and ranked test score allocations. The admissions page describes entry as being based on the school’s own application, assessment and interview process.
The school website states that Canonbury is a senior school and sixth form for ages 11 to 18. It also states that students can continue to A-Level study within the school’s own sixth form.
The public admissions information we found does not publish a Year 7 catchment area, priority postcode rule, PAN, pass mark or score threshold. If you are trying to judge competitiveness, it is better to contact the admissions team directly than to rely on forum claims or old hearsay. For independent schools, decisions are usually holistic and places are not normally allocated in the same way as selective state schools.
In practical terms, families can assume:
- there is no published state-style catchment rule on the admissions page we found
- there is no published pass mark on the admissions page we found
- the school considers application, assessment and interview as part of its admissions process
If you need the latest admissions detail in one place, keep an eye on The North Bridge House Senior Canonbury School 11+ guide (format, catchment, dates).
A month-by-month preparation plan
For a child aiming for an autumn Year 6 assessment for September 2028 entry, the most useful preparation is steady and calm. Because this is a school-set, computer-based assessment, focus on secure core skills rather than trying to second-guess a very specific paper style.
January to March of Year 5
- Keep preparation light: around 1 to 2 hours a week split across short sessions.
- Build strong reading habits, accurate arithmetic and comfort with visual reasoning puzzles.
- Use this phase to spot any gaps in core comprehension, spelling, fractions, times tables and problem solving.
April to June of Year 5
- Increase to around 2 to 3 hours a week.
- Begin regular English comprehension practice, mixed Maths work and short non-verbal reasoning sets.
- Start working occasionally on screen so your child gets used to reading carefully and selecting answers without rushing.
July to August before Year 6
- Aim for 2 to 4 hours a week, with plenty of breaks and at least one lighter week during the holidays.
- By now, your child should be doing complete sections rather than only isolated questions.
- This is a good time to build stamina gently: one timed task a week is enough at first.
September of Year 6
- Move to 3 to 4 hours a week.
- Work under clearer time limits.
- Review mistakes carefully: was the issue knowledge, attention, reading speed or exam technique?
- Make sure your child practises on a computer as well as on paper, especially for multiple-choice or on-screen navigation.
October of Year 6
- Keep preparation steady at 3 to 5 hours a week, depending on your child’s temperament and school workload.
- Introduce fuller mixed practice sessions that switch between English, Maths and non-verbal reasoning.
- Timed papers or timed sections can now become a regular part of the routine, but do not overdo them.
Early November of Year 6
- Focus on confidence, accuracy and routine rather than trying to learn lots of new material.
- Reduce the volume slightly in the final week.
- Practise starting calmly, reading instructions carefully and moving on from tricky questions.
For most children, consistency beats intensity. A child who completes short, focused practice each week will usually feel better prepared than one who does occasional marathon sessions.
Subject by subject: what to practise
English
For English, prepare for a mixture of careful reading and clear written communication. The school does not publish a full public specification, so it is sensible to focus on the skills most likely to transfer well to a school-set senior entrance assessment.
- comprehension: retrieving information, inferring meaning, explaining word choice and tone
- vocabulary: precise understanding of words in context
- SPaG fundamentals: punctuation, sentence control and common grammar points
- writing fluency: organising ideas into a clear response when asked
Useful practice includes reading slightly above everyday comfort level, discussing short extracts aloud, and writing brief but well-structured answers under light time pressure.
Maths
In Maths, prioritise secure Key Stage 2 knowledge and application. A school-set paper often rewards accuracy just as much as flair.
- number fluency: place value, the four operations, times tables and mental calculation
- fractions, decimals and percentages
- ratio, proportion and multi-step word problems
- measurement, shape and basic data handling
- showing working clearly when needed
Practise mixed problem sets rather than only one topic at a time. Children often find it harder to identify the method when topics are blended, and that is a useful exam skill.
Non-Verbal Reasoning
For non-verbal reasoning, the aim is to become familiar with common visual patterns and to work accurately without becoming flustered. Because the assessment is computer based, children should also be comfortable scanning shapes and patterns on screen.
- spotting sequences and analogies between shapes
- identifying rotations, reflections and symmetry
- tracking changes in size, position, shading and number
- working systematically to rule out unlikely answers
Short, frequent practice works best here. Encourage your child to explain the pattern out loud after each question type, as that builds method as well as speed.
Practice papers and mock exams
Use practice papers as a tool for diagnosis, not just scoring. With a school-set assessment, there is no point trying to chase an exact historic format that the school has not published. Instead, use practice to strengthen transferable skills in English, Maths and non-verbal reasoning.
A good routine is:
- start with untimed work to learn the method
- move to short timed sections once accuracy improves
- review every mistake in detail
- repeat similar question types a few days later to check the learning has stuck
- practise some work on screen, not only on paper
Mock exams can be helpful later in Year 5 or in Year 6 if your child would benefit from practising concentration, timing and recovery after a difficult section. They are most useful when followed by thoughtful review, not when treated as a weekly stress test.
ElevenReady’s free resources for this school:
- Free North Bridge House Senior Canonbury School practice papers (one per tested subject, with answers)
- The North Bridge House Senior Canonbury School 11+ guide (format, catchment, dates)
- Free email alerts for this school's key dates
When choosing any additional materials, prefer broad, skills-based resources over anything that claims to know the exact paper style unless that information comes directly from the school.
On the day
Keep the morning simple. A child usually performs best when the routine feels ordinary and predictable.
- prepare clothes, route and any required documents the night before
- allow extra travel time so there is no rush
- eat a familiar breakfast rather than a "special" one
- avoid last-minute cramming on the journey
- remind your child that one hard question does not mean the whole paper is going badly
For a computer-based assessment, it also helps to remind children of a few practical habits:
- read each instruction box carefully before starting
- watch for on-screen navigation and answer selection
- keep an eye on timing without checking it obsessively
- if stuck, make the best decision possible and move on
After the assessment, try not to conduct a full post-mortem in the car home. Most children feel better if the day simply ends with reassurance and a normal evening.
After the exam: results, allocation and appeals
For an independent school such as North Bridge House Senior Canonbury, the post-exam process is different from the state secondary transfer system. There is no local-authority allocation day for this school’s own places. Instead, families apply directly to the school, candidates attend the assessment and interview process, and the school then issues offers.
The school’s admissions information for the currently published cycle says that offers for Year 7 to Year 11 entry are released by early February, with the deadline to accept in early March. That gives parents a useful guide to the usual pace of the process, but you should always follow the exact dates given by admissions for your own year of entry.
The public information we found does not set out a formal published appeals process in the way a state school would. If your child is unsuccessful and you want feedback or wish to ask about next steps, contact the admissions team directly and politely. Independent schools sometimes keep waiting lists or advise on future entry points, but you should not assume this unless the school confirms it.
What has changed recently
From the official information we found, the main currently published update relevant to families is the admissions timetable shown on the school’s senior admissions page: for the cycle described there, interviews and assessments take place in mid-November 2026, with offers by early February and acceptance by early March. We did not find an announced change to the exam board, catchment, places or paper format on the public pages reviewed.
Frequently asked questions
What exam does North Bridge House Senior Canonbury use for 11+ entry?
For September 2028 entry, ElevenReady’s verified information is that the school uses its own assessment. The public admissions page does not currently give a full public specification of format or timing.
Which subjects should my child prepare for?
ElevenReady’s verified information for 2028 entry is English, Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning. Because the school sets its own assessment, prepare broad core skills rather than assuming a consortium style.
Is the assessment on paper or computer?
ElevenReady’s verified information is that the assessment is computer based. It is worth including some on-screen practice so your child is comfortable reading and answering questions digitally.
What is the application deadline for September 2028 entry?
The verified deadline is Monday 16 November 2026. Check the school admissions page as well in case any further instructions are added for your child’s cohort.
Does the school publish a pass mark or catchment area?
We did not find a published pass mark, score threshold or catchment rule on the admissions page reviewed. For independent school entry, ask the admissions team directly if you need more detail.
When do offers usually come out?
The school’s current published admissions timeline says offers for Year 7 to Year 11 entry are released by early February, with acceptance due in early March. Treat that as the school’s published pattern and wait for your exact year’s confirmation.
Sources
- North Bridge House School – Senior School Admissions: The school runs its own admissions process; Year 7 applicants attend an assessment day and interview; application form and £180 application fee; fee can be paid by bank transfer or cheque; open events and guided tours run throughout the academic year; one listed open morning on Thursday 18 March at
- North Bridge House School – Home page: North Bridge House Canonbury is part of North Bridge House School.
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.