Entry Procedures

Fledglings

Boys and girls start in September when they are two years old and will have their third birthday in this academic year (between 1 September and 31 August). Children entering our Fledglings Class will not be assessed. Instead, registration will work on a first-come, first-served basis to a maximum of 30 registrations. We have 16 places in our Fledgling Class, and should we exceed 16 registrations, we will adopt a ballot system.

We will hold a ‘Stay and Play’ morning session for all families registered in the March before entry, and families will be notified of the outcome of the ballot before the end of the spring term. All children will automatically progress into our Nursery (3+).

From Reception, our school is boys only, and transition for boys to Reception (4+) will involve an internal assessment; further information about which will be shared with parents closer to the time.

As of February 2024, we no longer accept registrations for girls to join our Nursery at 3+. The admissions process for girls will be at 2+ only, where girls will join our Fledglings and remain in our Early Years for two years.

Please note that we have now reached our registration capacity for entry into our Fledglings Class for 2025 and 2026 entry (September 2024).

Nursery

Boys start in September when they are three years old and have their fourth birthday in this academic year (between 1 September and 31 August). The ratio of boys to girls is approximately 5:1. After Nursery, the girls move on to other local schools.

Children are observed playing in small groups in the classrooms, and our staff engage them with a variety of resources, such as construction toys and role-play. In addition, we usually have a short music session and finish with the children sitting together and listening to a story.

We ask parents to provide a copy of their child’s most recent school report, and with parent permission, we will contact each child’s current setting. We understand that some young children will not be attending a nursery before visiting us, and we are happy for prospective pupils to bring in a toy to share with us if this would help them to settle.

While the children play, parents stay for tea or coffee, and staff are available to answer any queries.

Reception

Each year, there are approximately 30 new Reception places in addition to the boys coming up from our Nursery.

Children are observed playing in small groups in the classrooms, and our staff engage them with a variety of resources, such as construction toys and role-play. In addition, we usually have a short music session and finish with the children sitting together and listening to a story.

We ask parents to provide a copy of their child’s most recent school report, and with parent permission, we will contact each child’s current setting. We understand that some young children will not be attending a nursery before visiting us, and we are happy for prospective pupils to bring in a toy to share with us if this would help them to settle.

While the children play, parents stay for tea or coffee, and staff are available to answer any queries.

For enquiries about an occasional place in our Nursery or Reception, please email our Admissions Department.

Our assessments for boys entering the Pre-Prep are carried out in small groups. We will hear the boys read, and they will be asked to do some maths and writing. We will also look at their socialising and listening skills as the boys play together.

We ask parents to provide a copy of their son’s most recent school reports, and we will also contact each boy’s current school to ask for a reference.

For enquiries about an occasional place in Years 1 or 2, please email our Admissions Department.

In our assessment, boys are invited to spend half a day with us. There are papers in Mathematics and English (including comprehension and story writing), and boys will complete verbal and non-verbal reasoning tests on a computer. We also hear the boys read and allow them to play and look around the school. Boys also have the chance to play ball games in the sports hall and join in some fun singing in the music department. Each boy meets the Head of Section for an informal chat. In addition, the Heads of Years 3 and 4 and other Dulwich Prep & Senior staff meet the boys in various contexts throughout the day. Lunch is provided for the boys.

Parents are invited to join the Head Master for coffee when they drop the boys off for their assessments.

We ask parents to provide a copy of their son’s most recent school report, and we will also contact each boy’s current school to ask for a reference before the assessment takes place.

For enquiries about an occasional place in Years 3 or 4, please email our Admissions Department.

Boys sit reasoning tests (verbal, non-verbal and quantitative) and are asked to undertake some written English (writing and comprehension) and Maths work. We also ask the boys to participate in some team tasks with other boys of a similar age and will conduct an informal interview. The assessment aims to ensure that the boys who join us will thrive in a selective school with high academic standards.

We ask parents to provide a copy of their son’s most recent school report, and we will also contact each boy’s current school to ask for a reference.

For enquiries about an occasional place in Years 5 or 6, please email our Admissions Department.

Boys sit reasoning tests (verbal, non-verbal and quantitative) and are asked to undertake some written English (writing and comprehension) and Maths work. We also ask the boys to take part in some team tasks with other boys of a similar age and will carry out an informal interview. The assessment aims to ensure that the boys who join us will thrive in a selective school with high academic standards.

We ask parents to provide a copy of their son’s most recent school report, and we will also contact each boy’s current school to ask for a reference.

For enquiries about an occasional place in Years 7 or 8, please email our Admissions Department.

Boys sit reasoning tests (verbal, non-verbal and quantitative) and are asked to undertake some written English (writing and comprehension) and Maths work. We also ask the boys to take part in some team tasks with other boys of a similar age and will carry out an informal interview. The assessment aims to ensure that the boys who join us will thrive in a selective school with high academic standards.

We ask parents to provide a copy of their son’s most recent school report, and we will also contact each boy’s current school to ask for a reference.