Notre Dame School Private Tutors

Notre Dame School uses its own entrance examination, assessing English, Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning  and Non-Verbal Reasoning skills to evaluate student suitability for admission.

• School Tour – Attend an Open Day or a private tour with the Headteacher.
• Register – Submit the Application Form (£150 fee)
• 11+ Entrance Exam – typically held in March
• Offers – Typically made in March

Task 1: The 11+ Online Entrance Test (approximately 60 minutes)

• Maths: covers all KS2 objectives, including Year 6. Focusing on Maths topics such as number, measurement, ratio and proportion, geometry, algebra and statistics, will be beneficial.
• English: Assesses reading comprehension skills.
• Verbal Reasoning: Measures how well students understand and process words and language. Includes tasks like identifying relationships between words, recognising patterns, and completing analogies.
• Non-Verbal Reasoning: Tests the ability to analyse and interpret visual patterns and relationships. Questions involve shapes, sequences, and identifying odd-one-out patterns.

Task 2: Creative writing task (approximately 30 minutes)

There are two writing tasks in the test. You must choose one of them to answer. Marks will be given for effective use of imagination, structure, purpose, organisation, coherence, sentence construction and punctuation.

Task 3: Informal Interview (approximately 15 minutes)

Candidates will be required to sit an interview with a senior member of staff.

Task 4: Leisure activity (approximately 15 minutes)

Fun activity!

The best way to prepare for 11 plus exams is to complete practice papers. This allows your child to understand the exam format, experience the questions first hard and master the skill of working under timed conditions. 

Our 11+ practice tests are carefully researched and regularly updated to align with any changes to entrance exams requirements. Sparkling Minds Tuition practice papers are designed to challenge students to reflect the competitive demands of the real papers. They provide an accurate and effective preparation experience.

It is extremely important for your child to have a high understanding of the different maths and English topics that could come up. Make sure they are practicing topics they struggle with to  improve before completing countless practice papers, otherwise they will not understand how to break down and answer certain questions. 

At Sparkling Minds Tuition, we offer breakdowns explaining what your child specifically needs to focus on, detailed videos going through the topics with your child, multiple worksheets per topic to practice and of course practice papers.

No, Notre Dame School does not have a catchment area. Instead, entry is determined on 11+ test scores.

Academic, Art, Drama, Music, and Sports Scholarships are available for Year 7 (11+) entry. Scholarships awarded at this stage remain tenable until the end of Year 11, and students may apply for more than one.

Academic Scholarship Criteria

• External Candidates – All students sitting the 11+ exam are automatically considered for an academic scholarship. No additional fee applies beyond the registration fee.
• Internal Candidates (Year 6 students) – Parents must apply for their child to sit the 11+ exam, alongside external applicants. An assessment fee applies for academic scholarship consideration.

View Notre Dame School website to see more details. 

Notre Dame also offers bursaries:

Who Can Apply?

– New and current parents applying for entry or continuation at any Senior School entry point.
– Families unable to afford full fees with no substantial capital assets.
– Scholarship candidates may also apply.

Application Process
– Applications are means-tested and include a home visit.
– Awards cover tuition fees only and are reviewed annually.
– The Bursary Committee meets in spring term to assess applications.

As funds are limited, bursaries are awarded to students who would benefit most from a Notre Dame education.

For more details or to apply, contact the schools Admissions Team.

You can apply for Year 9 entry (13+).

Applicants are required to submit recent school reports and references, and they may need to attend an interview. The admissions process also evaluates character and extracurricular involvement.

Preparation should focus on enhancing core skills in English and Mathematics, as well as reasoning ability. Practicing past papers and timed exercises is recommended. Tutors, such as those at Sparkling Minds Tuition, can provide targeted support for exam preparation and interview readiness.

Yes, Sparkling Minds Tuition offers customised tutoring programs for Notre Dame School, including subject mastery, test strategies, and interview preparation.

At Sparkling Minds Tuition, we offer free assessment resources to help students prepare effectively for entry into Notre Dame School, ensuring confidence and academic success.