Welcome to Leweston Senior Admissions
Find out more about joining Leweston School
- Senior
- Senior Admissions
Whether you are joining us from Leweston Prep, transferring from another school, or beginning a new chapter in your education, our Admissions Team is here to ensure the process is smooth, clear and personal.
We welcome boarding and day pupils into the Senior School at age 11 (Year 7) and age 13 (Year 9). Pupils join us from preparatory and primary schools across the South West, the wider UK and overseas. While we have a strong intake from our own Prep School, new pupils typically account for around 30–40% of our Year 7 cohort. In Year 9, we usually open an additional class to accommodate those joining at this stage, and most pupils remain with us through to the end of Sixth Form. We also consider applications for Year 8 and Year 10 (the start of GCSE courses), subject to availability.
Leweston is a lively, purposeful community with high expectations of its pupils. We are looking for well-rounded young people with a genuine love of learning in its broadest sense, whose curiosity and enthusiasm extend beyond the academic curriculum. The school has established strengths in music, drama, art, debating, community activities and sport. Our extensive co-curricular programme plays a central role in developing confident, balanced individuals.
Our admissions process is designed both to help you decide whether Leweston is the right fit for your family and to welcome you into our vibrant, supportive community. The Admissions Team will guide you at every stage: answering questions, explaining each step and ensuring you have all the information you need.
Experience Leweston for Yourself
The best way to appreciate what makes Leweston distinctive is to visit us. We would be delighted to welcome you and show you what our school can offer. If you are unable to visit in person, we are very happy to meet you online; the Headmaster regularly holds Zoom meetings with families who live further away or overseas.
Click here to contact our Admissions Team, who will be pleased to advise you on the next steps.
Following your initial enquiry, if you wish to apply for a place at Leweston, we ask you to register your child for entry by completing our registration form. Registrations are considered in the order they are received, which may affect selection decisions if a year group moves to a waiting list. Once we have received your registration, we will acknowledge your application and you will receive ongoing updates and news from the school.
After registration, we invite all prospective pupils to attend a taster day. At this stage, we will request a reference from your current headteacher and ask to see previous school reports. Following the taster day, if both you and the school wish to proceed, we will offer a place. We will email you our Parent Contract and Acceptance Form. To secure the place, you will need to complete the Acceptance Form and pay a deposit (refunded against your final school bill). If the number of applications exceeds the number of places available, some candidates may be placed on a waiting list until a space becomes available. When allocating places, we make offers to pupils who perform well in the school assessments, receive positive references and are a strong overall fit for Leweston.
Joining Year 7 (11+)
We encourage families to visit the school as early as possible and to register when their child is in Year 5.
All families who have expressed interest are invited to an activity afternoon in the Summer Term of Year 5. This is an excellent opportunity for pupils to experience some of the opportunities available at Leweston and to meet other children who are likely to be in their year group. Parents are warmly welcome for tours and to meet members of staff.
Following registration, we invite all pupils to join us for a taster day. This usually takes place in the Autumn Term of Year 6, although dates are available throughout the year. Tasters are held in small groups. Children join Year 7 classes for the day and are accompanied throughout by a current pupil. During the visit, your child will sit an age-appropriate school assessment in English and Maths; the results help us to shape their academic programme when they join Leweston. They will also meet a range of staff, including the Head of Year.
After the taster day, we will formally offer a place. Joining information is shared well in advance of your child’s start date, and all new pupils are invited to a ‘Move Up Day’ in June so they can begin to settle into their new school.
Joining Year 8
Offers for places in Year 8 are subject to availability. Prospective pupils will be invited to spend a day at Leweston with the year group. During the visit, your child will follow a normal timetable of lessons and be accompanied throughout by a nominated pupil guardian. They will complete an age-appropriate assessment in English and Maths and meet a range of staff, including the Head of Year. Following the visit, if both you and the school are happy to proceed, we will formally offer a place.
Joining Year 9 (13+)
We encourage families considering Year 9 entry to visit Leweston and register when their child is in Year 5. Doing so allows you to complete the admissions process early and gives you the reassurance of a confirmed Senior School place. If this is not possible, we are still pleased to accept Year 9 applications while places remain available.
All families who have expressed an interest are invited to an activity afternoon in the Summer Term of Year 5. This is an excellent opportunity for pupils to experience some of the many activities on offer at Leweston and to meet other children who are likely to be in their year group. Parents are warmly welcome to join us for tours and to meet members of staff.
Once you have registered, we invite all pupils to join us for a taster day. Tasters are held in small groups. Children join Year 9 lessons for the day and are accompanied throughout by a current pupil. During the visit, your child will sit an age-appropriate assessment in English and Maths; the results help us to shape their academic programme when they join Leweston. They will also meet a range of staff, including the Head of Year.
Following the taster day, we will formally offer a place.
We will make contact with you about 13+ scholarships at the start of Year 8 and guide you through the process if you would like to apply.
Joining information is shared well in advance of your child’s start date, and all new pupils are invited to a ‘Move Up Day’ in June so they can begin to settle into their new school.
Joining Year 10
Offers for places in Year 10 are subject to availability. Prospective pupils will be invited to spend a day at Leweston with the year group. During the visit, your child will follow a normal timetable of lessons and be accompanied throughout by a nominated pupil guardian. They will complete an age-appropriate assessment in English and Maths and meet a range of staff, including the Head of Year. Following the visit, if both you and the school are happy to proceed, we will formally offer a place.
10 Things Parents Love About Leweston
We know that happy children learn best and so we consider it of the upmost importance that both pupils and parents are getting the most from their experience with us, so we thought we would ask them. Read, in their own words, the top ten things that our parents said they love most about our school.
