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St Gabriel’s

St Gabriel’s

Welcome to Admissions

Choosing the right school for your child is one of the most important decisions that you, as a parent, will make.  The Admissions Team is here to make the process of finding out about St Gabriel’s and applying for a place as easy and straight forward as possible.  Whether you are in the early stages of your search or if you are looking for entry in the next academic year, we will guide you through the admissions process and answer any questions you might have.

We welcome boys and girls from as young as six months into our Nursery, who are then able to progress into our Junior School from the age of 4 through to 11 years (Reception - Year 6). The Senior School (Year 7 - Year 11) is now co-educational in Year 7 and Year 8, with Year 9 and Year 12 (Sixth Form) becoming co-educational entry points in September 2024.

Our website gives you a snapshot of life at St Gabriel’s; the best way to find out about the school, and all it has to offer your child, is to come and see for yourself. You are welcome to visit the school as many times as you wish and can either join us at one, or more, of our open events, or we can arrange an individual visit and tour of the school at a time to suit you.  

All visits include a meeting with our Principal, Mr Ricki Smith, or the Head of the Nursery, Junior School or Sixth Form, who will discuss your child’s education on an individual basis.  Should you have any specific questions that refer to the academic or pastoral life in the school, we can put you in touch with the relevant members of the academic and pastoral teams.  

I very much look forward to meeting you and if you have any questions, no matter how small, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Jane Benney
Director of Marketing & Admissions
admissions@stgabriels.co.uk

Admissions Journey

  • Nursery
  • Junior
  • Senior
  • Sixth Form

Visiting Us & Open Events

There is no better way to explore our Nursery and discover all that it has to offer your child than to join us at one of our termly Open Mornings or arrange an individual evening tour (tours are offered between 6.30pm – 7.30pm). Our friendly and enthusiastic Nursery team look forward to sharing with you all that goes on in the Nursery and to answering any questions that you might have about daily life in the Baby, Toddler and Pre-School Rooms.

Register

Children may join our Nursery from the age of 6 months, there are no formal assessments and it is never too early to apply for a place. Once you have visited the Nursery and would like to consider St Gabriel’s as a possible Early Years setting for your child, please complete our online registration form. We have extensive waiting lists for all rooms in the Nursery; registration does not commit you to the school, nor does it guarantee a place. Children who are registered for both Nursery and the Junior School will be given priority when allocating our Reception places.

Offer Of A Place

Places in the Nursery are allocated approximately three months before a child's entry date, in accordance with our Admissions Policy. At this point a formal offer of a place is made. If a place is not available for the days you require, we will contact you to discuss the earliest possible start date for your child. Parents confirm acceptance by completing the relevant forms and paying a deposit.

Getting Your Child Ready For Nursery

We understand that the transition between home and Nursery can be a difficult time for a child as well as for their parents; we will do everything we can to make this adjustment as smooth and easy as possible. The week before your child is due to start in the Nursery, they will be invited to some settling in sessions. We generally offer two to three sessions, but this is flexible depending on the individual needs of each child. The settling in sessions will help your child to gradually become used to their key worker and the staff within their room. Our Room Leaders will support you through the process, offering advice and answering any questions you may have.

Any Questions

The answers to some of the most frequently asked Nursery questions may be found here.

Get In Touch

The Admissions Team are always here to help. Should you need any additional information on the Nursery or the admissions journey, please call us on 01635 555680 or email nurseryadmissions@stgabriels.co.uk.

Visit Us & Open Events

The Junior School is always a hive of activity and the best way to get a feel for the dynamic teaching and learning that takes place on a daily basis is to visit us at one of our open events or arrange an individual tour, which can be tailored towards your child’s particular interests. During your visit, you will meet our Junior School staff; tour our facilities and beautiful grounds, and we can answer any questions you have about joining us.

Register

After your visit, when you are ready to move forward with applying for a place, you will need to complete our registration form. On receipt of the registration form and fee your child will be placed on our lists for entry to the Junior School. Demand for places is strong and, if possible, we would encourage you to register your child a year before their entry date. Please note that registration does not commit you to the school, nor does it guarantee a place.

Getting To Know You

We will request information from your child’s current school to find out more about their academic ability, attitude to work, behaviour, hobbies and interests. This, alongside the assessment and taster day, will give us an overview of your child. Parents of children who have an educational or relevant health report are asked to submit this prior to the Junior Assessment and Taster Day, preferably at the point of registration.

Assessment & Taster DAy

The Taster Day is as much for your child to experience the Junior School and meet their new classmates as it is for us to assess whether we are a suitable fit and able to offer your child a happy school life. Children joining the school at the start of Reception are not formally assessed but are invited to a series of transition events during the Spring and Summer Terms. Pupils joining Year 1 and Year 2 spend the day with their year group, where they will be asked to complete age-appropriate tasks in the relaxed and friendly atmosphere of the classroom. Children joining the Junior School in Year 3 to Year 6 are more formally assessed in English and Mathematics by our Individual Needs Department before joining their year group in lessons and activities to experience a typical school day. Pupils joining Year 6 will also be assessed on their ability to pass the entrance examinations for the Senior School. Children must be registered before they can be assessed.

Place Offered

A place is offered, in writing, within a week of a successful Junior Assessment and Taster Day. Parents confirm acceptance by completing the relevant forms and paying a deposit. Children who are registered for Reception are offered places in November of the year before entry.

Getting Ready for the Junior School

Once you have accepted your place, in the term before entry, you will receive our new pupil information pack which should answer all your questions around your child joining the Junior School, including timings for the school day, uniform requirements, school transport routes, term dates and more general information on the Junior School. To encourage a smooth transition between schools, children joining the Junior School at the start of the academic year will be invited to an Induction Day at the end of the Summer Term. Children joining the Junior School during the academic year are welcome to have a further taster day once they have accepted their place.

Get In Touch

The Admissions Team are always here to help. Should you need any additional information on the Junior School or the admissions journey, please call us on 01635 555680 or email admissions@stgabriels.co.uk.

Any Questions?

The answers to some of the most frequently asked Junior School Questions may be found here.

Visit Us & Open Events

To experience first-hand the wonderful sense of academic balance and community our Senior School and Sixth Form offer, join us at one of our termly Open Mornings or arrange an individual visit. During your visit, you will meet our Senior School staff and pupils; tour our facilities and Capability Brown landscaped grounds, and we can answer any questions you have about joining us. We are immensely proud of our school and cannot wait to share it with you.

Year 5 & Year 7 Senior School Taster Days

We invite current Year 5 and Year 7 children, who are considering the Senior School, to a taster day in the Summer Term. This is an opportunity for them to explore the Senior School; take part in a variety of Senior School lessons; enjoy the delicious food produced by our catering team, and get to know the other children who will be joining their year groups. For both Year 5 and Year 7, it is a fun day and offers a flavour of Senior School life. Children joining the Senior School outside of the main Year 7 and Year 9 entry points are welcome to have a taster before applying for a place.

Register

After your visit, when you are ready to move forward with applying for a place, you will need to complete our registration form. On receipt of the registration form and fee your child will be placed on our lists for entry to the Senior School. Demand for places is strong and, if possible, we would encourage you to register your child a year before their entry date. Please note that registration does not commit you to the school, nor does it guarantee a place. Should a year group be over-subscribed registration date is taken in to consideration.

Getting To Know You

We will request information from your child’s current school to find out more about their academic ability, attitude to work, behaviour, hobbies and interests. This, alongside the entrance examinations, admissions interview and taster day, will give us an overview of your child. Parents of children who have an educational or relevant health report are asked to submit this prior to the entrance examination day, preferably at the point of registration, so that any necessary adjustments can be put in place for the entrance examination morning.

Candidates' Day (Year 7 Entry)

All children registered for Year 7 are invited to Candidates’ Day in the first half of the Autumn Term of the year before entry. This is another opportunity to experience Senior School community life before sitting our entrance examinations immediately following the Autumn half term.

Entrance Examinations & Admissions Interview

Our Senior School entrance examination day is held immediately following the Autumn half term of the year before entry. For Year 7 entry written papers are sat in English, Mathematics and Verbal Reasoning. For Year 9 entry written papers are taken in English, Mathematics and Science. An admissions interview on Teams with a member of the Senior Leadership Team also forms part of the admissions process.

Place Offered

Places in the Senior School are offered within 10 working days of a successful outcome in the entrance examinations and a satisfactory progress report from the Head of their current school. Parents confirm acceptance by completing the relevant forms and paying a deposit.

Scholarships & Bursaries

We recognise and celebrate achievement through our scholarship programme, offering Academic, Art, Performing Arts (Dance, Drama & Music) and Sports Scholarships to pupils entering the Senior School in Year 7, Year 9 and Year 12. Scholarship assessments and auditions take place following the entrance examinations. We welcome applications for our Montagu Awards, means-tested bursaries, which are available to the parents or guardians of children entering the Senior School and Sixth Form. Montagu Award applications must be submitted by the end of October of the year before entry.

Getting Ready For Senior School

In the term before entry, you will receive our new pupil information pack which will answer your questions around your child joining the Senior School, including timings for the school day, uniform requirements, school transport routes, term dates and more general information on the Junior School. To encourage a smooth transition between schools, children joining the Senior School at the start of the academic year will be invited to an Induction Day at the end of the Summer Term. Children joining Year 7 are invited to a barbecue on the last Sunday of the summer holidays. Children joining the Senior School during the academic year are welcome to have a further taster day once they have accepted their place.

Get In Touch

The Admissions Team are always here to help. Should you need any additional information on the Senior School or the admissions journey, please call us on 01635 555680 or email admissions@stgabriels.co.uk.

Visit Us & Open Events

To experience first-hand the wonderful sense of academic balance and community our Senior School and Sixth Form offer, join us at one of our termly Open Mornings or arrange an individual visit. During your visit, you will meet our Senior School staff and pupils; tour our facilities and Capability Brown landscaped grounds, and we can answer any questions you have about joining us. We are immensely proud of our school and cannot wait to share it with you.

Register

We welcome Sixth Form applications from students who have attended other schools. Small tutor groups ensure our staff get to know new students quickly. This individual attention, coupled with warm relationships with subject teachers, means students quickly settle in our community. Sixth Form applications should be received before the end of October of the year before proposed entry (Autumn Term of Year 11). Please note that registration does not commit you to the school, nor does it guarantee a place.

Taster Days

Sixth Form taster days are arranged on an individual basis. We endeavour to incorporate lessons in the subjects a student is looking at studying at A Level as well as giving them a flavour of Sixth Form life and The Balance, our programme of personal and professional development opportunities and enrichment carousel.

Getting To Know You

Before arranging an admissions interview, we will request your child’s predicted GCSE grades and most recent report from their current school. This will give us a better understanding of their academic ability, attitude to work and interests.

Admissions Interview

In November, all students who have applied for a Sixth Form place are interviewed by the Principal and Head of Sixth Form. Possible A Level subject choices are discussed as well as degree courses and career aspirations.

Scholarships & Bursaries

We recognise and celebrate achievement through our scholarship programme, offering Sixth Form Major & Minor Academic Scholarships, as well as Sixth Form Art, Performing Arts (Dance, Drama & Music) and Sport Scholarships. Sixth Form Academic Scholarship assessments take place in the Autumn Term; Art, Performing Arts and Sport Scholarship assessments and auditions are held in the Spring Term. We welcome applications for our Montagu Awards, means-tested bursaries, which are available to the parents or guardians of children entering the Senior School and Sixth Form. Montagu Award applications must be submitted by the end of October of the year prior to entry.

Place Offered

Following the admissions interview, Sixth Form places are offered to successful candidates in the November of the year before entry. Parents confirm acceptance by completing the relevant forms and paying a deposit.

Getting Ready For Sixth Form

Once you have accepted your place, in the term prior to entry, you will receive our Sixth Form information pack which will answer all your questions around your child joining the Sixth Form, including timings for the school day, school transport routes, term dates and more general information on the Sixth Form. To encourage a smooth transition between schools, we hold two Sixth Form Induction Days at the end of the Summer Term. Students experience lessons in their chosen A Level subjects, enjoy the Sixth Form areas of the school and sample some of the Sixth Form enrichment options. All Sixth Form students take part in a residential Sixth Form team building trip in the week before the start of the Autumn Term. This features an action-packed itinerary of adventure activities designed to challenge the students and build relationships between Year 12 and Year 13.

Get In Touch

The Admissions Team are always here to help. Should you need any additional information on the Sixth Form or the admissions journey, please call us on 01635 555680 or email admissions@stgabriels.co.uk.