How to prepare for the Susi Earnshaw Theatre School 11+

The exam at a glance

Susi Earnshaw Theatre School is a specialist independent performing arts school, and for Year 7 entry the assessment is set by the school itself rather than through a published 11+ consortium paper. For 2028 entry, ElevenReady’s verified information confirms that applicants should expect assessment in Drama, Dance, Singing and Music.

The school’s admissions information describes the process as an audition, arranged after you request and return an application form. Officially available information does not set out a published paper format, a standard written-test structure, or a fixed exam day in the way many grammar schools do. The school also does not currently publish a detailed breakdown of timings or whether every part is completed in one session, so parents should treat this as a school-run audition and assessment process rather than a standardised 11+ test.

In practical terms, that means your child’s preparation should focus less on practising generic verbal or non-verbal reasoning papers and more on building confident, consistent performance skills across the four published areas. Because the school combines academic education with vocational training, families should also expect the audition process to look at potential, teachability, focus and readiness for the school’s training environment.

If you want the latest official wording before you begin, it is sensible to check the school’s admissions page directly: the format and delivery details are not fully published in advance, and the school arranges auditions individually once an application is made.

Registration and key dates

For Susi Earnshaw Theatre School, applications are handled by the school, not by a local authority portal or a shared testing consortium. The admissions page says you apply by requesting an application form by email. Once the completed form has been returned, the school then arranges an audition date at a time that suits you.

That is the key point for parents planning ahead for 2028 entry: there is no published fixed 11+ registration window or single exam date on the school’s admissions page that we could verify. Instead, the process appears to be rolling or individually arranged.

Because specific deadlines for Year 7 entry in September 2028 were not published on the official admissions page at the time of writing, the safest approach is:

contact the school early in Year 5 or at the start of Year 6 to request the application form;
ask what supporting information they currently require;
return the form promptly so an audition can be arranged;
keep a note of any school-set deadlines the admissions team gives you directly.

The school’s contact page and admissions page should be your first source for current instructions. If you want a reminder to check for updates, you can use Free email alerts for this school's key dates: /school-alerts?school=susi-earnshaw-theatre-school.

For a quick summary page, see The Susi Earnshaw Theatre School 11+ guide (format, catchment, dates): /schools/susi-earnshaw-theatre-school.

Who can apply: catchment and admissions

Susi Earnshaw Theatre School is an independent coeducational school for pupils aged 9 to 16. The school says that students travel from across London and beyond, and that applicants do not need to live in North London to apply. In other words, there is no catchment requirement in the way families may be used to with state selective schools.

That wider admissions reach matters when you are planning. It means families should think first about whether the school is the right artistic and practical fit, including travel time, daily routine and the child’s enthusiasm for sustained performing arts training, rather than whether they fall inside a geographical priority area.

The school’s published information also makes clear that the route into the school is through application plus audition. For parents, that usually means admissions decisions are likely to depend on a combination of suitability for the school, performance potential and whether the training on offer matches the child’s strengths and interests.

The school website states fees for 2026/2027 as £5,000 per term, which it also gives as £15,000 per annum, plus 20% VAT. If you are applying for 2028 entry, check the latest fees page or admissions information directly, as independent-school fees can change from year to year.

The school’s public admissions information we found does not publish a Year 7 places figure, published audition success rate or oversubscription statistics. Where a school does not publish those numbers, it is best not to guess: ask admissions directly if you want an up-to-date sense of cohort size and demand.

A month-by-month preparation plan

Because Susi Earnshaw Theatre School uses its own audition process, good preparation is about steady skill-building rather than cramming. For a child aiming for Year 7 entry, a calm plan through Year 5 and the start of Year 6 usually works best.

January to March in Year 5

Aim for about 1.5 to 2 hours a week in total, split into short sessions.
Start with the basics: confidence speaking aloud, keeping rhythm, matching pitch, learning short movement phrases and listening carefully to instructions.
If your child already attends drama, dance or singing classes, keep routines steady rather than adding too much.
Begin talking positively about auditions as a chance to show potential, not a high-pressure performance.

April to June in Year 5

Build to around 2 to 3 hours a week.
Choose one or two short monologues or speaking pieces simply to develop expression and memory, even if the school has not asked for set pieces.
Practise basic musical skills: singing clearly, following a beat, listening back and correcting.
For dance, work on posture, coordination, balance and copying combinations accurately.

July to August before Year 6

Keep practice light but regular: about 2 hours a week is often enough over summer.
Arrange a few low-pressure run-throughs at home.
Focus on stamina, neat presentation and taking direction politely and quickly.
If you have not yet contacted the school, this is a sensible time to review the admissions page and prepare to request the application form.

September in Year 6

Increase to roughly 3 hours a week, spread over several sessions.
Request the application form early if you have not already done so.
Start audition-style practice: entering a room confidently, introducing yourself clearly, performing once without apologising, then trying again after feedback.
If your child finds unfamiliar tasks difficult, include short exercises in copying movement, clapping rhythms or responding to simple prompts.

October to November in Year 6

Maintain 3 to 4 hours a week, depending on your child’s energy and other school commitments.
Do short, realistic mock sessions rather than long rehearsals.
Practise singing with a clear start and finish, sustaining concentration in group work, and staying composed if something goes wrong.
Where appropriate, begin some timed run-throughs, but keep them brief. The aim is familiarity, not pressure.

The month before the audition

Prioritise consistency over intensity.
Run through practical details: clothes, travel, warm-up routine, water bottle and arrival time.
Reduce last-minute corrections. Children usually do best when they feel prepared and trusted.
Make sure your child knows that schools are often looking for responsiveness and promise, not polished perfection.

Subject by subject: what to practise

Drama

For drama preparation, focus on clear communication, confidence and responsiveness. A school-run drama audition may involve speaking, improvisation, group work or taking direction. Practise reading aloud with expression, using eye contact, standing still when needed, and changing a performance after feedback. Encourage your child to listen carefully to instructions and commit to choices rather than speaking too quietly or hesitating.

Dance

For dance, build coordination, musicality, posture and the ability to learn movement sequences. Children do not always need the most advanced technique to do well in an audition; often, schools also want to see concentration, rhythm and how quickly a child can pick up and repeat material. At home, practise copying short combinations, counting beats, moving cleanly between positions and continuing calmly after a mistake.

Singing

In singing, aim for tunefulness, clear diction and steady breathing. Your child should be used to singing confidently in front of others without rushing. Helpful practice includes matching notes, keeping to a pulse, singing a short piece all the way through, and repeating it with one improvement after feedback. If nerves affect pitch, short and frequent practice is usually better than occasional long sessions.

Music

The school states that music forms part of the assessment, but the admissions information we found does not publish a detailed task list. Preparation should therefore stay broad and practical. Useful areas include listening carefully, recognising patterns, keeping time, copying rhythms, showing basic aural awareness and, if your child learns an instrument, being ready to play or discuss their musical experience if invited. Because the precise format is not published, avoid over-specialising in one guessed task type.

Practice papers and mock exams

Because Susi Earnshaw Theatre School uses its own audition process and does not publish a standard paper specification in the same way as many selective schools, practice works best when it mirrors the skills the school actually names: Drama, Dance, Singing and Music.

A sensible routine is to combine:

short skills practice during the week;
one mock-style session at weekends, where your child performs, responds to feedback and tries again;
occasional filmed run-throughs, so they can see posture, volume and presentation for themselves.

If you use written or structured materials, treat them as a way to organise practice rather than as a prediction of the exact audition format. Keep sessions short enough that your child finishes feeling capable, not exhausted.

ElevenReady’s school-specific resources are here:

Free Susi Earnshaw Theatre School practice papers (one per tested subject, with answers): /schools/susi-earnshaw-theatre-school-mock-tests
The Susi Earnshaw Theatre School 11+ guide (format, catchment, dates): /schools/susi-earnshaw-theatre-school
Free email alerts for this school's key dates: /school-alerts?school=susi-earnshaw-theatre-school

For this school in particular, mock exams should be gentle and practical. A useful mock might include a short spoken task, a movement sequence to copy, a brief singing performance and a simple listening or rhythm activity. The goal is to help your child get used to being observed, following instructions and recovering well from small mistakes.

On the day

Keep the day simple. Children usually do best when adults are calm, organised and matter-of-fact.

Check the school’s instructions carefully once your audition is arranged.
Plan the journey in advance and aim to arrive with time to spare.
Choose comfortable, appropriate clothing that allows easy movement if dance work is involved.
Pack water and anything the school has specifically asked for.
Have a quiet warm-up routine: a few stretches, some gentle breathing and a little humming or speaking aloud can be enough.

Just before the audition, remind your child of three things: listen carefully, keep going if something goes wrong, and be polite and positive. In performing arts auditions, schools often learn as much from how a child responds to direction as from a first attempt.

Afterwards, avoid an immediate detailed post-mortem in the car or on the train. A simple “well done, you handled that bravely” is usually more helpful than analysing every moment.

After the exam: results, allocation and appeals

For an independent school such as Susi Earnshaw Theatre School, the process after assessment is different from the state-school national offer system. There is no local-authority secondary allocation day involved in the same way as there is for grammar schools.

Instead, families should expect the school to contact them directly after the application and audition process with its decision and any next steps. Because the admissions page we found does not publish a fixed results timeline, it is worth asking at the audition stage when you should expect to hear back.

If your child is offered a place, read the offer information carefully, including acceptance steps, deadlines and any deposit or paperwork requirements. If your child is not offered a place, you can ask the school politely for feedback if that is available. Independent schools do not all use the same appeal arrangements as state schools, so any review or complaint route would need to be checked in the school’s own admissions or parent information.

Where the school has not published a formal appeal procedure on the admissions page, parents should contact admissions directly and ask what options exist.

What has changed recently

From the official school information we reviewed, we did not find a publicly announced recent change to the Year 7 audition format, catchment arrangements or admissions structure beyond the ongoing position that applications are made by requesting a form by email and auditions are arranged individually. The school continues to present itself as open to applicants from across London and beyond, rather than using a North London catchment rule.

The clearest published change we could verify is financial rather than procedural: the school’s website lists 2026/2027 fees as £5,000 per term, £15,000 per annum, plus 20% VAT. If you are applying for 2028 entry, check the latest fees and admissions wording directly with the school before making plans.

Frequently asked questions

Does Susi Earnshaw Theatre School use a standard 11+ paper?

No published standard consortium paper is listed. The school runs its own admissions process and arranges an audition after you request and return the application form.

What does Susi Earnshaw Theatre School test for Year 7 entry?

ElevenReady’s verified information for 2028 entry confirms assessment in Drama, Dance, Singing and Music. The school’s public admissions page does not publish a fuller task-by-task breakdown.

Is there a catchment area for Susi Earnshaw Theatre School?

No. The school says pupils travel from across London and beyond, and that you do not need to live in North London to apply.

How do I apply to Susi Earnshaw Theatre School?

You apply by requesting an application form by email from the school. Once the completed form is returned, the school arranges an audition date.

Are there fixed registration deadlines or one exam date?

Not on the official admissions page we reviewed. The school does not publish a single fixed 11+ test date there, and instead arranges auditions individually.

How much are the fees?

The school website lists 2026/2027 fees as £5,000 per term, £15,000 per annum, plus 20% VAT. Check the latest published fees for your child’s year of entry.

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Sources

Susi Earnshaw Theatre School - Admissions: Applications are made by requesting an application form by email; once the form is returned the school arranges an audition date at a time that suits you; the admissions process is school-run rather than through a local authority or consortium; applicants do not need to live in North London to apply
Susi Earnshaw Theatre School - Home: The school is a specialist performing arts school in North London offering academic education alongside vocational training; it welcomes students from age 9 to 16.

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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.