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Emanuel School


Admissions Guide

How to get into Emanuel Admissions Guide


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Introduction to Emanuel

Emanuel School is an independent, co-educational day school in Battersea, south-west London. The school has entry points at 10 plus, 11 plus, 13 plus and 16 plus. 

Founded over 400 years ago, Emanuel has garnered a reputation for academic and co-curricular success and for the well-rounded, confident and ambition girls and boys it sends out into the world.

Emanuel aims to create happy, confident and kind students who demonstrate high aspirations in all that they do. Emanuel is a competitive school, which is no surprise considering its impressive exams results and university admissions. In 2022, 89% of GCSEs achieved at Grade 9, 8 or 7 (A*-A). In the same year, 70% of A Levels were achieved at A* or A. Of the 2022 leavers, 60% went on to study at Russell Group Universities. In addition, Emanuel students regularly go on to study at the top art schools in the UK including RADA.

Results

Until recent years Emanuel had a reputation for being the least academically successful school amongst its high achieving neighbours (Alleyn’s, King’s College, JAGS etc.). A lower entry requirement and lenient sibling policy, often meant it was considered a safe bet for many families looking for less of a ‘hot-house’ mentality. However, this entrance model reflected year on year in the league tables, resulting in the school struggling to attract the top tier of academically gifted students.

Since the introduction of a new head Robert Milne in 2017, the school has experienced significant change. Joining from KCS (where he was the pastoral deputy head) Milne’s inspirational leadership has clearly impacted performance which was evident in their recent GCSE & A-level results.

In The Sunday Times Parent Power league tables 2019 the school had catapulted from 189th to 99th, and as a fully co-ed school, it is now sitting inside the top 50 schools for girls and boys, which is tremendous progress. Despite its eagerness to restore its academic reputation, for now there remains a sibling policy based on a 65% pass rate. The head teacher’s ambition to compete for talented pupils is impressive. It is clear from a variety of school and parent forums that a new buzz surrounds Emanuel and a re-invigorated brand is emerging.

Fees

£7,687 per term for Years 7-13. An acceptance deposit is required upon entry to be paid in four instalments over the first academic year, with the first instalment paid in March of £2,000. This deposit will be refunded in full when your child leaves Emanuel, provided they complete at least one full term.


Admissions to Emanuel

Registration typically opens in late April the year before your child is scheduled to join Year 7, and closes mid October the same year. The registration form requires you to pay a fee of £155. When registering, Emanuel will ask you to submit a copy of your child’s end of year Year 5 school report and a reference from your child’s current Headteacher. The deadline for 2024 applicants is the 13th of October 2023.

There are 48 places available for 10 plus entry into the Hill form, Emanuel’s Year 6. Entry registration for the Hill form opens in the April when your child is in Year 4 and closes in the October of their Year 5. If your child is not successful in gaining a place in the 10 plus exam, they are welcomed and encouraged to apply again for Year 7 entry.

There are 96 places available in Year 7 at Emanuel for outside applicants. 48 additional places will go to children coming up from Hill form. There are usually around 6 available for 13 plus entry and approximately 30 available for 16 plus entry. Around 1,000 children apply. Year on year however, this number is subject to change. This means the odds of securing a place is usually around 1 in 10 but can be higher. Emanuel currently offers a sibling policy however this is under review and may change in the future.

Open days at Emanuel

Emanuel hosts several open days for prospective students during the Autumn term that are available to book on the school website. You can also view the virtual Open Event on the website. The pre-recorded video includes an introduction to the school, a presentation from the Headmaster Robert Milne, and a virtual school tour led by pupils. It also offers various department videos presenting the various facets of life at Emanuel such as English, Science and Drama. We have found children who attend Open Events are better prepared in interviews and more confident upon entering in September.

See this year’s Virtual Open Event films on the Emanuel website.

Emanuel Entrance Exam Content

All applicants will be invited to sit the entrance exam in December. The exam is scheduled to take place on the 1st of December 2023 for 2024 applicants. The exam consists of English, Maths and Verbal Reasoning papers. In previous years, the Maths paper was 1 hour long, testing candidate’s arithmetic and problem-solving skills. The English paper was 1 hour long, split into 30 minutes of comprehension questions on a given text and 30 minutes of creative writing. The English paper will assess children’s ability to read, understand and respond to a given text as well as judging them on their aptitude at spelling, vocabulary, punctuation, grammar, and ability to understand character. The Verbal Reasoning is 45 minutes long testing logical thinking and use of language and vocabulary.

To help your child best prepare for these exams, you can find sample papers for English and Maths on the Emanuel website. Additionally, there is an abundance of online resources, as well as our own Mentor practice papers which have been designed based on the competitive Independent Schools format. The Mentor 11+ team can help advise you about many routes from reading lists to puzzle games to top revision tips, and we have also produced a White Paper which helps to illustrate the many ways you can help your child succeed.

If you want an experienced third party to help you stay on track with your preparation visit our tutor page which has a range of specialist school entrance tutors with significant Emanuel entrance experience.

The Emanuel Interview

Those who perform well in the written assessment will be invited for an interview in late January. The interviews for 2024 candidates are scheduled for the 20th of January and the 22nd-25th of January 2024. Students will participate in a one-on-one interview with a member of staff where they will be asked about their academic interests and their activities beyond the classroom. There will also be a mental maths element and a short article to read which will be discussed with the interviewer. There is also a group aspect where students will be assessed on their creativity and ability to work effectively in a team.

Emanuel is looking for enthusiastic, confident children who will enjoy being at the school, the school will enjoy having, and who will make the most of what the school has to offer. It is important your child can engage and respond during a discussion. To do well at the interview they must be able to clearly articulate themselves and answer the question given – rather than meander around a point. While preparation is the key to success in interview, Emanuel prefers not to have children appear practised in the interview. If your child’s answers come across as rehearsed or planned, they will be less likely to get offered a place.

The thought of an interview can be quite daunting for some children who find it harder to express their views, which is why every year Mentor run individual and group sessions to build confidence. Focusing on interview prep and what to expect, we encourage children to develop answers and present their best self.


Scholarships at Emanuel

Many of our tutors have great success securing scholarships and are experienced with pushing the boundaries of learning for exceptional students. All applicants at Emanuel are automatically eligible for an academic scholarship. Those who perform exceptionally well on the entrance exam will be awarded an academic scholarship. There are three types of scholarships awarded at Emanuel, most are worth a 10% reduction in school fees, Dacre scholarships are worth 25%, and Foundation scholarships which are worth up to 50% or more of school fees and are awarded to extremely exceptional candidates.

Emanuel also offers scholarships in Art and Design, Drama, Music and Sport at 10+, 11+ and 16+. Registered candidates must fill in a scholarship application form available on the Emanuel website by mid November. Based on that, selected applicants will be invited to Emanuel for an in person audition or assessment. In addition to the reduction in fees, Music scholars will also have access to free tuition in two instruments up to a maximum value of £1500 per pupil per academic year.


Meet the tutors

To guarantee your child the best chance of admission to Emanuel, offer them some additional support from one of our tutors. Many of our over 200 tutors are experts in the Emanuel entrance exams and with bespoke one-to-one tuition, they can help children to achieve success at exams and interviews.

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 child for entry to Emanuel.

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 up-to-date DBS certificates and references. Wherever possible we will match your child with a tutor who has a track record at Emanuel themselves.

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


More on Emanuel School

There are over 1,000 students aged 10-18, and an almost 50/50 split of boys and girls. Most pupils live close enough to cycle or walk to school and being on your doorstep makes the logistics of extra-curricular school clubs and socialising much more manageable for students. Accessibility and diversity seem high on the school’s agenda, with 50% of the current year 6 and 7 being pupils from state schools. Various fundraising schemes are in the pipeline with the aim of boosting the bursary fund, therefore it’s definitely still worth applying if you have a gifted child but are unable to meet the fees. There are currently over 20% of children on some form of financial assistance at Emanuel.

Emanuel’s stellar reputation for its co-curricular program is no surprise considering their excellent facilities and national achievements. Sport is an integral part of Emanuel, once a cricket, rugby and rowing school, Emanuel has since introduced netball, hockey and most recently football (with girls’ football coming soon) as core sports. Beyond that, students are encouraged to try a wider range of sport including athletics, water polo, climbing, yoga, table tennis and more. In rowing, Emanuel’s most successful sport, students have won the Head of the River race 11 times, and over 50 have gone on to become international and Olympic rowers.

Success goes from the field to the stage at Emanuel – its fully equipped Fiennes Theatre, £10 million humanities building, and film studio are a testament to the enthusiasm and commitment Emanuel has to the arts. Emanuel is a thriving hub of music with around 30 concerts taking place a year and over 30 ensembles and choirs gathering every week. The diverse musical program, from Battle of the Bands to choral concerts, ensure everyone is catered for regardless of stylistic preference. If they find the time, students are also welcomed to participate in over 50 clubs including costume club, bouldering club, eco club, retro video club and Dr Who club. The “have a go” attitude encouraged at Emanuel inspires students to make the most of what is on offer and ensures they do not leave school feeling as through they have missed out on anything.

How to get into Emanuel through visiting the Emanuel building shown .

Address: Emanuel School, Battersea Rise, London, SW11 1HS

Telephone: 020 8870 4171

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.emanuel.org.uk


Local Authority: Wandsworth

School’s Unique Reference Number (URN): 101071

Gender: Co-educational

Age Range: 10-19


Get in touch

We have many experts on entrance to Emanuel here at Mentor and are ready to guide you through the new entrance format during Covid-19 measures. Get in touch to find out more about how we can help your child gain admission to Emanuel, or for further information on admissions into the top London schools.

Unit 6C Hillgate Place
Balham
London
SW12 9ER

020 8883 2519

[email protected]

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