Boarding schools, such as Eton College, are often highly sought after by parents and students in the United Kingdom. However, day schools are equally competitive in terms of academic rigour and student life. For instance, the City of London School, an all-boys independent day school, was recognized as one of the best independent schools in the UK by the Tatler Schools Guide 2024.
With limited acceptance rates across different age entries, we will explore the key tips to have a successful application to the City of London School.
Key Takeaways
- Ace the format of the entrance exams
- Prepare thoroughly for the interview
- Inquire about the school fees and scholarship availability
- Keep track of important application deadlines
🏫 Why Should You Study at the City of London School (CLS)?
Before we go to the admission details, it's best to have an overview of what makes City of London School stand out. Let's review the two reasons why CLS should be your top choice for private schooling in the country.
1️⃣ Broad academic curriculum with excellent results
Under the City of London Corporation, City of London School offers a broad range of curriculum selections to students of different age groups students aged 11 to 18, encompassing the following subject areas:
Additionally, the City of London School is renowned for offering one of the most diverse study options for Sixth Form students selecting their four A-level subjects. Every year, about 20 pupils are selected for the 16+ entry.
🎯
- Economics
- French
- German
- Russian
- Mandarin
- Spanish
- Latin
- Greek
- Art
- Drama
- Music
🎯
- Biology
- English Literature
- History
- Geography
- Classical Civilisation
- Philosophy and Theology
- Government & Political Studies
- Mathematics
- Further Mathematics
- Physics
- Chemistry
For anyone looking for an all-boys private day school located in the centre of London with a strong reputation among educators and parents in the country, you should include the City of London School (CLS) at the top of your admission list.
In 2024, 56% of their pupils were placed in Russel Group Universities while 14 CLS graduates received offers from top universities overseas including Harvard University and McGill University.
2️⃣ Balanced approach to sports and arts
Besides academic excellence, CLS also takes pride in its co-curricular activities, especially in the arena of sports, drama, and music — as part of a holistic education experience.
The major sports of the school include cricket, water polo, basketball, and especially football. Other sports include badminton, indoor climbing, martial arts, and several more.
Elite athletes will receive personalised coaching and training support as they prepare for regional and national competitions.
Influenced by the world-renowned Shakespeare's Globe building across the street, CLS also has its dedicated space for literature and performance art community — The Winterflood Theatre. Each year, pupils of different age groups will stage three major productions while collaborating with City of London School for Girls (CLSG).
CLS is well known for its comprehensive Department of Music to nurture new talents across different genres, instruments, and repertoires. Apart from regular lessons, music recitals are regularly organized to encourage new student participation.
Fun fact: Do you know that every CLS student in First Form (Year 7) receives free tuition on an orchestral instrument for the Autumn and Spring terms?
🙋🏻♂️Admission Requirements for City of London School
With many prestigious schools in the UK like Radley College and Dulwich College, parents and students often find themselves overwhelmed by the competitive admission processes. Don't worry, we're here to guide you step by step for City of London School.
In terms of admissions, CLS offers four entry registrations for the following age groups. The candidates for each age group category must register to sit for the admission assessments by the given timeline.
| Types of entry | Age Group (Year of study) | Admission requirements |
|---|---|---|
| 10+ | Students from age 10 to 11 (Join during Year 6) | CLS two part assessment |
| 11+ | Year 7 (Largest form) | CLS two part assessment |
| 13+ | Year 9 (Third form) | Independent Schools Examinations Board (ISEB) Common Pre-test at candidates' current school, CLS two part assessment |
| 16+ | Sixth Form Studies (A-levels) | GCSE/IGCSE Results, Written assessment on 3 A-Level subjects, Cognitive Abilities Test (CA4) |
It's important to note that registration to enter the City of London School is open in a specific month a year before entry. This means if you are planning to enter in 2026, you have to look out for the registration announcement date in 2025 itself. Once the registration is finalised with the successful online application and payment, candidates will be notified to visit the school for a two-part assessment on the same day.
Refer to the below table for the assessment guidelines. The difficulty level will be adjusted for different age entries.
⌨ Online assessment (Part 1)
✍ Creative Writing (Part 2)
Successful pupils who have passed the admission assessments will be contacted for the next round of interviews. The interview session usually lasts from 15 minutes to 20 minutes. Interviews serve as a great way for the school to know the candidate better (and vice versa) and also discuss the possibilities of scholarships or financial bursaries.
Finally, an admission offer will be made according to a combination of factors — assessment and interview results, and confidential reports from the headteacher of the candidate's previous school.
🎓 Important Information on Fees & Financial Aids
As parents, you might want a headstart on how much to prepare financially for your children with the consideration of value-added tax (VAT) alongside the admission requirements. Refer to the table below for the overall registration fees and acceptance fees for future pupils.
Here's a rough fee guideline to refer to based on the 2024/2025 academic year. So be sure to check the latest fee structure according to your child's desired registration year.
🍂☕️ Autumn Term
- Tuition fees: £7,885 per term (exclude VAT)
- School lunch: £355 per term (exclude VAT)
- Music lessons: £343 per term (not compulsory (exclude VAT))
🌷☀️ Spring/Summer Term
- Tuition fees: £8,996.40 per term( including VAT)
- School lunch: £355 per term (exclude VAT)
- Music lessons: £411.60 per term (not compulsory, including VA)
Bursaries and Scholarships For Pupils
Direct guardians (parents or carers) of the candidates can apply for CLS transformational bursaries regardless of their entry age according to the financial means and overall assessment performance of the students. Home visits will be conducted for the bursary assessment team to have a clearer picture once the candidate has passed the entrance tests and attended the interview.
In terms of scholarships, academic scholarships, music scholarships, and sports scholarships are awarded to different pupils' age groups too.
- Academic scholarships: £35 based on assessment results
- Music scholarships: £35 based on audition and interview
- Sports scholarships: £35 based on sports trial results, especially on the major sports of City London School
The amount of awarded bursaries to pupils is dependent on the financial circumstances of the candidates and upon the discretion of the Bursary Assessment Team. Usually, the coverage of the bursary can range from 75% to even 100% of the overall fees.
🕒 Timeline Of The Application Process
After reviewing the admission requirements, it's time to look at the key steps and timeline to secure a successful registration given that the admission process is rather competitive.
Open events
Visit the school and talk to the educators/students during the open days to gather important information.
Registration deadlines
Create an account to finalise online registration and payment of registration fees.
Entrance assessment day
A specified date to attend the assessment in the school. For Year 13+ candidates, they need to complete the ISEB pre-test before sitting for this assessment.
Release of results/Invitation of interviews
Candidates will be informed of their results. Shortlisted candidates will proceed to the interview stage.
Interviews
The interview will be conducted in the school for roughly 15 to 20 minutes.
Home visit for bursary applicants
The Bursary Committee will visit the home of candidates who desire to apply for the transformational bursary.
Offer results sent by email
The school staff will send the offer letter to the candidate.
Acceptance deadline
Candidates must be ready to accept the offer by the given date.
Important note: The current 2025 registration for City London School is already closed for all age entries and the school's website only shows the deadlines for the 2024 academic year. But here's an estimated timeline during important months like September, October, November, December, January, and February for different admission entries. For instance, Sixth Form pupils have a different timeline due to their A-Level studies.
Please refer to the website for the updated annual news for the upcoming pupils' intakes (2026/2027).
| Timeline of events | 10+ entry | 11+ entry | 13+ entry | 16+ entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registration deadline | Early November | Early November | Early October | Early October |
| Asessment day | End of November | End of November | End of November | Early November |
| Release of results + interview notification | Early/Mid December | Early/Mid December | End of November | Mid November |
| Interview | January the following year | January the following year | January the following year | Late November |
| Sending of offers (email) | January the following year | January the following year | January the following year (Offholder events will be held end of January) | Early December |
| Offer acceptance deadline | Early February | Early February | Early March | Early/Mid December |
📝 Finalise Preparations For Successful Entry
Before you hit the send button during the registration process, there are many things that you can begin preparing, whether it's for the academic entrance tests, a music audition, sports training, or even public speaking skills for the interviews.
What if we tell you that you can ace all of the above preparation with the guidance of experienced tutors at Superprof? At Superprof, you can hire several tutors who are well-versed with the CLS entrance test assessments or a specific subject in just a few clicks. Just indicate your primary subject, present location, and preferred learning mode (face-to-face/online lessons) to start learning.
The system will direct you to a wide selection of tutors' profiles where you can read about their education qualifications, years of tutoring experience, education specializations, and hourly rates. Regardless of your age, you don't have to worry about the lack of practice as your tutor will come out with a personalized learning plan according to your learning needs and pace.
Don't be surprised that many applicants to schools like Harrow and St Paul's also hire personal tutors instead of enrolling in another education academy to have a seamless admission process. Contact your desired tutor to increase your chance of admission to City of London School, gear up your academic engines and presentation skills. Trust us, you'll never regret this!
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