Are you looking into Trinity School for your son? Learn everything you need to know about the 11 plus admissions process, and how you can give your son the best chance at success.

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• 11 plus admissions process
• Exam content
• Interview
• Scholarships
• Find a tutor for Trinity School
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Introduction to Trinity School

Originally established in 1882 as Whitgift Middle School, Trinity is an independent day school for boys with a co-ed sixth form. Located in Shirley Park, south London, the school is easily accessible by public transport, with many boys commuting in from all over south west London.

As part of the Whitgift Foundation, Trinity applicants can benefit from the generous bursaries and scholarships offered across the foundation’s three independent schools.

One of the most popular London independents for boys, the school boasts a record of academic achievement. In 2022, 93% of GCSEs were awarded at grades 7-9. Even more impressively, almost 53% of all grades were a 9. In the same year, 80% of A Level grades were awarded at an A*/A.

Sports championed at the school include rugby, football, cricket, hockey and water polo, with incredible facilities available for the pupils. They have seen considerable success from their teams, and many students also represent their sport at county and national level. The school has a climbing wall, two large astro-turf pitches and tennis courts, plus pitches for rugby, cricket, football, and athletics. Trinity’s Sandilands field is a short walk from campus and their indoor sports centre comprises two large halls, squash courts, a gymnasium and weights-room.

Head Alasdair Kennedy places a real emphasis on achieving, but with humility. Previously Head of Physics at Dulwich College, he has steered Trinity to continued academic, sporting and extra curricular success. Taking on the mantle from well-loved Mark Bishop can’t have been an easy feat, but parents consistently remain happy with the education their sons receive and impressed by the school’s level of pastoral care.

Trinity School fees

At Trinity, fees are £22,685 per year. Scholarships are available, worth up to a generous 50% of fees. Plus, you can apply for a bursary from the Whitgift Foundation or the Trinity Bursary Fund. Over 10% of the school’s yearly fee income is covered by the Whitgift Foundation’s bursary scheme. On top of this, the school’s own bursary fund gives opportunities to those who would otherwise be unable to attend.

Applications for a bursary through either of these funds should be made alongside your 11 plus entrance registration.

11 plus open days at Trinity School

Attending an open day at the school you’re applying for at 11 plus is a must. Parents can have questions addressed by staff, and children get the unique chance to familiarise themselves with the grounds and teachers. We find that children are put at ease when invited for interview if they have already visited the school and met the staff. It also makes the sometimes daunting transition from prep to senior school smoother.

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The 11 Plus admissions process at Trinity

Registration for entry at 11 plus in 2024 has opened and will close on the 31st of October 2023. 11+ entrance exams will then be held on the 13th of December, before interviews and scholarship assessments take place in January 2024. Offers will be posted on the 9th of February, and have to be accepted by the 4th of March.

Upon submitting your registration form, you pay the £200 registration fee. You also need to submit:

• A photo of your son
• A copy of his passport
• Your son’s most recent school report
• Any applicable Educational Psychologist or medical report
• Copies of testimonials relevant to any scholarships you are applying for.

Trinity admits about 80 boys at 11 plus, with class sizes typically being around 20. There is no official sibling policy.

Trinity 11 plus exam content

The 11+ exam at Trinity consists of two parts, an online assessment and a written paper. The computer-based assessment will be made up of a General Assessment taking 60 minutes, and a Creative Comprehension and Problem Solving section which will take 35 minutes. The General Assessment will test the following:

• Mathematics (20 minutes )
• English (20 minutes)
• Verbal Reasoning (10 minutes)
• Non-Verbal Reasoning (10 minutes)

The Creative Comprehension will be 20 minutes, while the Puzzles and Problem-Solving section will be 15 minutes. These sections will all have strict timers and will be multiple choice.

The written test will consist of a 30 minute English creative writing paper, and a 30 minute Maths paper.

These papers will require your son to have full knowledge of the National Curriculum for Year 6. So, they may not be taught the syllabus in time at their prep or state primary. We recommend starting specialist tuition from Easter of the year your son is sitting his 11 plus, to get him on track. Our school entrance specialists are experts in teaching exam technique and developing confidence.

We have sample and past papers from Trinity for your son to take.

We also have a range of our own practice papers available to download.

The Trinity School 11 plus interview

Boys who perform well enough in the entrance assessment will be invited back for interview in the January of year of admission. This is the final stage in the 11 plus process, and is your son’s chance to really shine and show what he is capable of beyond his academic abilities.

Lasting between 15 and 30 minutes, the interview focuses on your son’s interests, hobbies and what he can contribute to school life. Applicants need to bring along a small piece of work or an object of interest, to spark the initial discussion. There is also an academic aspect to the interview, boys will be assessed further on areas they struggled with in the entrance exam. Your son needs to be able to work confidently while being observed by an adult, while explaining what they are doing and how they arrive at the answer.

Teachers will be looking for boys who are bright and confident, but who can also demonstrate what they will bring to Trinity. It is really important that he can answer questions confidently and express himself eloquently. However, appearing over rehearsed can be detrimental. This is why we run individual and group sessions on interview practice. We help children to develop their answers, present their best self and be able to engage in a stimulating conversation.

Contact our team for more information on our 11 plus courses and workshops.

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11 plus scholarships at Trinity

Trinity School offers boys scholarships for academic exceptionalism, as well as in the co-curricular disciplines of Sport, Music, Art, Drama and Design & Technology worth up to a generous 50% of fees. Regarding these co-curricular scholarships, you must indicate which one/s you want to apply for upon registration. Due to the competitive admissions process at Trinity, applying for a scholarship may strongly support a child’s general application. Regardless of whether he achieves the scholarship, an application sets your son apart from other prospective pupils and alerts the school of his talent and outgoing nature. 

All applicants are automatically considered for academic scholarship. These are awarded on the basis of performance in the entrance exam and interview. To be up for consideration, your son needs to be able to complete the entrance exam quickly enough to reach those all important scholarship questions. Whether sitting a traditional exam or an ISEB Pre Test, it’s no good only being able to answer 75% of the paper and not display true potential.

Many of our tutors have great success securing scholarships and are experienced with pushing the boundaries of learning for exceptional students. They can work to improve speed when sitting entrance exams, developing a child’s ability to answer questions accurately and with confidence.

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Meet our tutors

If you’d like an experienced third party to help you stay on track with your preparation, our range of specialist 11 plus tutors have significant Trinity entrance experience. 

With more than 40 years of experience in tutoring children to gain admission to some of London’s most competitive independent schools, we at Mentor have a wealth of knowledge on how best to prepare your son for the Trinity School admissions process.

Over 80% of our tutors are qualified teachers, so they have an in-depth knowledge of their subject, the syllabus and the most effective teaching methods. Many have been heads of department, head teachers or examiners and all come with a wealth of experience and a great track record of success. All have been reference checked and have up-to-date DBS certificates. Wherever possible we will match your child with a tutor who has a track record at Trinity themselves.

For some information on our tutors’ unique approach to testing children in preparation for exams, contact our team.

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More information on Trinity School

Address: Trinity School, Shirley Park, Croydon, CR9 7AT

Telephone: 020 8656 9541

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.trinity-school.org 

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Local Authority: Croydon

School’s Unique Reference Number (URN): 101842

Gender: Boys

Age Range: 10-18

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Get in touch

We have many experts on entrance to Trinity here at Mentor and are ready to guide you through the process. Get in touch to find out more about how we can help your child gain admission to Trinity at 11+, or for further information on admissions into the top London schools.

Other Independent Schools:

If you’re considering Trinity School Croydon, you might also find information on other Independent Schools interesting, find a list of other schools below:

• Alleyn’s
• Channing
• City of London (Boys)
• City of London (Girls)
• Dulwich College
• Emanuel
• Highgate
• Ibstock Place
• JAGS
• KCS Wimbledon
• Latymer Upper
• Merchant Taylors’
• North London Collegiate School
• Putney High
• Royal Russell
• St Dunstan’s
• St Paul’s (Boys)
• St Paul’s (Girls)
• Streatham & Clapham High
• Sydenham High
• Westminster Upper
• Whitgift
• Wimbledon High