The Perse School
The Perse School admissions guide
Every way into The Perse, 7+ through 16+: the assessment format for each, the 2027 dates, registration deadlines, fees help and how to prepare for it.
By Richard and Freddie, who joined The Perse in 2019 and left in 2026 after Year 13 to become expert admission tutors.
Last checked 18 August 2026 · first published 29 July 2026
Find your route
Which entry point are you preparing for?
The numbers mark the age at assessment, not the year group a child joins. An 11+ candidate sits the assessment in Year 6. The route below runs from the Pelican through to Sixth Form; selecting a point narrows the guide to the dates, format and preparation for that stage alone.
The Perse School
Cambridge · a co-educational day school for ages 3–18
Start hereChoose your child's entry point below to see its dates, format and timeline
Pelican
Ages 3–7
Prep School
Ages 7–11
Upper School
Ages 11–16
Sixth Form
Ages 16–18
Main intakeOccasional round. Year 1 is a waiting list, and 8+ and 9+ run to around 3 places a year, our own count across recent cycles rather than a published figure
Every entry point
The Perse runs from age 3 to 18 and admits at eleven separate points along the way: four into the Pelican, its pre-prep, and seven from 7+ upwards. An 11+ candidate sits the assessment in Year 6 and joins Year 7 the following September; the same pattern applies at every stage from 7+. Reading "11+" as the joining year is the most common reason families register late.
The Pelican School, ages 3 to 7
around 150 children, with between 20 and 22 children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, each with a teacher and a teaching assistant. The Nursery runs around 24 children per session at a ratio of one adult to every eight children, and it is led by Francesca Heftman. Children move up into the Prep School at 7+.
| Entry | Places | Age requirement | Registration deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursery | Up to 32 places | Three years old by 1 September in the year of entry | 1 December in the year prior to entry |
| Reception | Around 10 places to external applicants | Four years old by 1 September in the year of entry | 19 October in the year prior to entry |
| Year 1 | Occasional places only | – | On application |
| Year 2 | Two places | – | 1 December in the year prior to entry |
Prep, Upper School and Sixth Form, 7+ to 16+
| Entry | Sat in | Joins in | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7+ | Year 2 | Year 3 | Prep papers |
| 8+ | Year 3 | Year 4 | Prep papers |
| 9+ | Year 4 | Year 5 | Prep papers |
| 10+ | Year 5 | Year 6 | Prep papers |
| 11+ | Year 6 | Year 7 | Quest + writing |
| 13+ | Year 8 | Year 9 | Quest + writing |
| 16+ | Year 11 | Year 12 | Sixth-form route |
Key dates for 2027 entry
- 11–15 January 2027: 7+ assessments, a half-day on one of those dates.
- 16 January 2027: 8+, 9+ and 10+ assessments, each a half day.
- 16 January 2027: 11+ and 13+ Upper School assessment day.
- Early February 2027: Upper School outcomes communicated.
The published 12-noon, 1 December registration deadline applies to Upper School entry. Check the Prep or Sixth Form Admissions pages directly for the current deadline for another route.
Three different Perse assessments
At the Pelican, ages 3 to 7, Informal, play-based sessions rather than papers. The school says it looks at the whole child, and wants children with a thirst for knowledge and a keenness to solve problems. Children of similar ages are assessed in very small groups, supported by staff as they play, read stories, use construction equipment and hold tea parties. Reception adds some emergent literacy and numeracy tasks. Sessions last around 50 minutes. Years 1 and 2 instead spend a morning with their year group.
Prep candidates, 7+ to 10+, sit conventional papers in English, Maths and reasoning.
Upper School candidates, 11+ and 13+, sit the Quest online assessment plus a handwritten creative writing task. Preparing for one of these three formats does not prepare a child for the others.
Nursery and Year 2 assessments are held in January, and Reception assessments in November of the year before entry. Check the school's assessment page for the current cycle's exact dates.
Fees, bursaries and scholarships
At the Pelican in 2026/27, nursery is £4,324 a term for three full days, with additional days at £116.64 each; Reception to Year 2 is £7,445 a term. Both include most school trips, school lunches and a morning snack. A securing and induction fee also applies: £700 for Nursery, £840 for Reception to Year 2. The school states it does not currently provide bursary assistance to pupils at the Pelican. Means-tested bursaries begin higher up the school.
From 7+ upwards, bursaries range from 5–100% of annual fees, with support towards school lunches and Years 7–11 device charges at higher award levels. They are fully means-tested against the school's published Bursary Policy, assessed by an independent firm and including a home visit, and reviewed annually. assessed separately from academic selection, so applying does not affect your child's chances of an offer.
Music scholarships are one-off payments of £500 and are not means-tested. Pupils in Year 7 and Year 9 are invited to audition at the end of the academic year.
A registration fee of £200 to £240 applies depending on the entry point. The school's registration and fees pages currently state these the opposite way round to each other, so confirm the figure for your entry point with the school before paying.
Common questions
- When is the Perse assessment, and what is the registration deadline?
- The assessment is on Saturday 16 January 2027 for September 2027 entry, and the same date covers both Year 7 and Year 9 entry. Registration closes at 12 noon on 1 December in the year before entry, with a non-refundable £240 fee paid online by card. You will need the photo page of your child's passport, a short outline of their hobbies and interests of up to 500 words, and their most recent school report.
- What is the English Writing task?
- Thirty minutes, handwritten, producing a short story from either a written prompt or an image. The candidate chooses the genre, style and narrative perspective, and it is assessed on creativity, vocabulary and accuracy. It is the part of the day that rewards a child who reads widely and writes often, and the part that cannot be crammed.
- How generous are Perse bursaries?
- They run from 5% to 100% of annual fees, with support towards school lunches and Years 7 to 11 device charges at the higher award levels. Assessment is fully means-tested against the School's published Bursary Policy, carried out by an independent firm, includes a home visit, and is reviewed annually.
- Does applying for a bursary affect my child's chances of an offer?
- No. The School assesses bursaries separately from academic selection, so the application has no bearing on whether a place is offered. That is worth knowing, because the belief that it might is the commonest reason families who would qualify never apply.
- What are Perse music scholarships worth?
- They are one-off payments of £500 and are not means-tested. Pupils already in Year 7 and Year 9 are invited to audition at the end of the academic year, so this is an award made after entry rather than a route into the school.
- Which entry points does the Perse actually assess?
- The Upper School assesses at 11+ and 13+ on the same January Saturday. The Prep School assesses at 7+ across a week in January, and at 8+, 9+ and 10+ on the Upper School's Saturday, testing English, maths and both verbal and non-verbal reasoning. Pelican, the school for ages 3 to 7, is not an entry point we prepare candidates for.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against the following on 18 August 2026. Where a school does not publish a detail, the page says so rather than filling it in from elsewhere.
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