How to prepare for the Our Lady of Sion School 11+

The exam at a glance

Our Lady of Sion School is an independent day school in Worthing with senior entry at Year 7. For September 2028 entry, ElevenReady’s verified information is that the school uses its own entrance assessment.

At the time of writing, the school’s website shows admissions information and an enquiry process, but we could not find an official published breakdown for the 2028 entry test format, the subjects tested, the length of the assessment or whether it is taken on paper or computer. That means parents should treat the assessment as school-set and school-specific and check the admissions page directly for the latest details before starting targeted preparation.

What the day usually looks like at an independent school such as this is straightforward: families register interest, the school invites the child to an assessment session, and there may also be an interview, a taster visit or a review of the child’s latest school report. However, because Sion does not appear to publish a full step-by-step test-day outline on the pages we found, it is sensible to confirm the exact arrangements with the admissions team once you register.

In practical terms, the safest preparation approach is to build strong core skills in English and maths, keep reading widely, and help your child become comfortable with working carefully under gentle time pressure. If the school later publishes subject details, you can then narrow your preparation to match.

Registration and key dates

Our Lady of Sion School appears to handle admissions directly through the school, rather than through a local authority grammar-school process. The school’s admissions page includes an enquiry route and says applications can be made online.

For Year 7 entry, the school states that children are invited for an entrance assessment and that offers are made once that process is complete. We found a current admissions page that sets out the broad route: submit an online application, provide supporting information, attend assessment, then receive an offer if successful.

For specific 2028-entry dates, we did not find a published registration opening date, closing date, test date or results date on the official pages available at the time of research. The homepage text previously noted that a current admissions cycle was open, but this does not give a reliable 2028 timetable.

So, for now, the best advice is:

Register your interest with the school early in Year 5, or sooner if you already know you may apply.
Check the admissions page regularly from the summer term of Year 5 onward.
Ask the admissions team what documents they require. Independent schools commonly ask for basic pupil details and may later request school reports or a reference, but you should follow Sion’s own instructions.
Sign up for updates so you do not miss the assessment date once it is published.

You can also bookmark The Our Lady of Sion School 11+ guide (format, catchment, dates) and use Free email alerts for this school's key dates for updates.

Because the school has not published confirmed 2028 dates in the sources we found, we would avoid building your whole preparation timetable around a guessed test month. Instead, work steadily through Year 5 and be ready to sharpen timing and exam routine once the school releases details.

Who can apply: catchment and admissions

Our Lady of Sion School is an independent school, so the admissions process is different from a state grammar-school application. We found no official catchment area, distance rule or local-priority policy on the school pages reviewed. That fits ElevenReady’s verified directory note that there is no published catchment.

The school presents itself as inclusive and invites families to apply directly. For Year 7 admissions, the key decision point appears to be the school’s own assessment process rather than a ranked local-authority allocation system.

We also did not find an official published figure for the number of Year 7 places, the number of applicants, or any published score threshold for entry. Independent schools often do not publish those figures, and parents should be wary of forum claims about “pass marks” or “safe scores”. If the school does not publish them, there is no dependable number to work to.

In practice, this means families should focus on two things:

Meeting the school’s own application and assessment requirements on time.
Making sure their child is academically secure, calm and ready to show what they can do on the day.

If you are also considering local grammar or independent alternatives, keep separate notes for each school. Sion’s process is its own process, and dates or formats from nearby schools should not be assumed to match.

A month-by-month preparation plan

Because the exact assessment format for 2028 entry has not yet been published, the best plan is a balanced one that strengthens the fundamentals first and adds test technique later. The timetable below assumes an assessment at some point in the autumn of Year 6, which is common for Year 7 entry, but you should adapt it once Sion confirms dates.

January to March of Year 5

Keep preparation light and consistent: around 1 to 2 hours a week in short sessions is enough. Focus on reading fluency, mental maths, spelling patterns and writing clearly in complete sentences. If your child enjoys puzzles, include gentle reasoning-style tasks, but there is no need to specialise yet.

April to June of Year 5

Increase to around 2 hours a week. Start spotting weaker areas. In English, that may be comprehension, vocabulary or punctuation. In maths, it may be arithmetic speed, fractions, multi-step problems or confidence with worded questions. Build accuracy before speed.

July to August before Year 6

Aim for 2 to 3 hours a week, but keep it manageable over the summer. This is a good point to introduce occasional mixed practice under gentle timing: perhaps one short paper section or one focused task at a time. Do not overload the holiday; reading every day and keeping maths skills active is often more valuable than marathon sessions.

September of Year 6

Once school returns, move to 3 to 4 hours a week if your child is coping well. This is the point to make practice a little more exam-like. Work on listening carefully to instructions, checking answers, and moving on calmly from difficult questions. If the school has by then published the assessment subjects, switch to subject-specific practice straight away.

The final 4 to 6 weeks before the assessment

Use one or two timed sessions each week, with review afterwards. The review matters more than the mark: look for repeated slips, misread instructions and topics that still feel shaky. Keep one day each week entirely free of preparation so your child does not feel they are always “on”.

The final week

Cut back. Brief refreshers are fine, but avoid cramming. Prioritise sleep, routine and confidence. Children perform best when they feel familiar with the process and know that one test does not define them.

Subject by subject: what to practise

Because Our Lady of Sion School’s official pages do not currently publish a confirmed subject list for 2028 entry in the sources we found, parents should avoid over-committing to one very specific test style. The most sensible route is to prepare the core areas most commonly reviewed at independent-school Year 7 entry, while watching for official confirmation from the school.

English

Build strong reading comprehension first. Your child should be able to read a passage carefully, retrieve information, infer meaning, explain word choice and support an answer with evidence. Vocabulary matters too: regular reading, discussion and a habit of noticing unfamiliar words all help. If the school includes writing, practise planning briefly, writing clearly and checking punctuation and spelling at the end.

A useful routine is one short comprehension each week, followed by a discussion of why an answer is strong. For writing, occasional tasks are enough: a descriptive paragraph, a short narrative opening or a discursive response. Focus on clarity and control rather than trying to sound “fancy”.

Mathematics

Concentrate on secure arithmetic, place value, fractions, decimals, percentages, measures, shape, data handling and multi-step word problems. At this stage, children often know a method but lose marks through rushing or skipping a step, so accuracy is just as important as speed.

Good maths preparation includes a mix of mental recall and written method. Ask your child to explain how they reached an answer; that exposes misunderstandings quickly. If timing later becomes relevant, use short timed sets rather than long, draining sessions.

Reasoning or broader aptitude skills

We do not have official confirmation that Sion tests verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning or any other specific aptitude paper for 2028 entry. Still, light practice in pattern-spotting, logic, sequencing and precise reading can be helpful because those skills support many types of school assessment.

Keep this part modest unless the school later confirms it is required. The goal is to improve thinking habits, not to spend months on an unconfirmed paper type.

Interview or school interaction

If the admissions process includes an interview or informal conversation, preparation should be calm and simple. Your child should be ready to talk about what they enjoy reading, which subjects they like, what they do outside school and why they would like to join Sion. Practice should feel like conversation, not rehearsal of perfect answers.

Practice papers and mock exams

When a school’s exact format is not yet published, practice papers are most useful as a way to strengthen fundamentals and build confidence with working under time limits. They are less useful if treated as a prediction of the exact paper your child will get.

Use practice papers in three stages:

Untimed first: early on, let your child focus on method and understanding.
Timed in sections: once accuracy is improving, add short timed bursts.
Full practice: nearer the assessment, use occasional fuller runs to build stamina.

Always review papers properly. Ask:

Were mistakes caused by gaps in knowledge or by rushing?
Did your child misread instructions?
Are there topics that need a quick return next week?
Did timing affect confidence?

For school-specific support, use Free Our Lady of Sion School practice papers (one per tested subject, with answers). Keep an eye too on The Our Lady of Sion School 11+ guide (format, catchment, dates) and sign up for Free email alerts for this school's key dates.

If you use mock exams, choose them carefully. A mock is most helpful when it is close enough to the level and atmosphere your child may face, and when the feedback is clear. One or two well-timed mocks are usually enough. Too many can dent confidence and turn preparation into a grind.

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 for the journey. Children pick up adult anxiety very quickly, so a calm tone helps more than a last-minute quiz in the car.

Remind your child of four practical habits:

Listen carefully to the instructions before starting.
If a question feels hard, stay calm and move on if needed.
Show working where appropriate.
Check answers at the end if there is time.

If the school includes an interview or informal meeting, encourage your child simply to be polite, speak clearly and ask if they do not understand a question. Schools are not looking for a polished performance from a ten- or eleven-year-old; they want to see a child who can engage, think and learn.

After the assessment, try not to dissect every question. A neutral, reassuring response is best: praise effort, then move the day on.

After the exam: results, allocation and appeals

Because Our Lady of Sion School is an independent school, the process after the assessment is usually more direct than the state-school national allocation system. In general, the school reviews the child’s assessment performance and any other parts of the admissions process, then contacts families with an offer, a place on a waiting list, or an unsuccessful outcome.

We did not find a published official date for when Year 7 assessment results are released for 2028 entry, nor a published appeals process in the same style used by maintained schools and academies. Independent schools often have their own review or complaints procedures rather than the statutory school-admissions appeal route used in the state sector.

If your child is not offered a place, ask politely whether the school operates a waiting list, whether any further assessment opportunities exist, and where to find the school’s formal complaints or admissions review procedure. Keep all correspondence brief and courteous.

If your child is offered a place, read the deadline for acceptance carefully and check whether a deposit is required. Only rely on dates and terms sent by the school itself.

What has changed recently

We found no clearly published official announcement in the last two years confirming a change to Our Lady of Sion School’s Year 7 entrance-test board, format, catchment, number of places or admissions dates for 2028 entry. The main point to note is that the school’s website currently presents admissions through the school directly, with online application and assessment, but without a detailed published 2028 testing timetable on the pages reviewed.

Frequently asked questions

Does Our Lady of Sion School have an 11+ exam?

For Year 7 entry, the school says applicants are invited to an entrance assessment. ElevenReady’s verified information is that this is a school-set assessment rather than a shared consortium test.

What subjects are in the Our Lady of Sion School entrance test?

We could not find an official published subject list for 2028 entry in the sources reviewed. Check the school’s admissions page directly before focusing on any specific paper type.

Is there a catchment area for Our Lady of Sion School?

We found no published catchment or distance-based priority rule. It is an independent school and applications are made directly to the school.

When should my child start preparing for Our Lady of Sion School?

A gentle start in Year 5 is sensible. Begin with reading, vocabulary and secure maths, then add timed practice later once the school publishes assessment details.

Does Our Lady of Sion School publish pass marks?

We did not find a published pass mark, score threshold or cut-off in the sources reviewed. If the school does not publish one, treat online claims cautiously.

How do I apply for Year 7 at Our Lady of Sion School?

Applications appear to be made directly through the school via its admissions process. Register interest early and check the admissions page regularly for the latest instructions and dates.

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Sources

Our Lady of Sion School website: School identity as an independent day school in Worthing; nursery, junior, senior and sixth form sections; the site presents direct school admissions and enquiry routes; no published catchment found on the pages reviewed.
Our Lady of Sion School admissions page: Applications are handled directly by the school; online application route; Year 7 applicants are invited for an entrance assessment; broad admissions process of application, assessment and offer; no specific 2028 dates, published pass mark or subject breakdown found in the page reviewed.

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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.