As a parent, you want to do everything in your power to ensure that your child gets the best education available to them. Westminster ticks all the boxes; it's a school for the academically inclined, with a storied past and plenty to commend it.In this article, you'll discover everything to know about Westminster, including admissions procedures, not-to-miss dates, and tips for a successful application.
What to Know About Westminster City School
There is a certain prestige that comes with sending your child to a school with a legacy as dated as Westminster. This institution has been operating since the 14th century. As a member of the Rugby Group of schools, Westminster has some facilities that date back to the 15th Century.
Queen Elizabeth I is credited as the school’s founder. She confirmed royal patronage after her father, Henry VIII, ensured the school’s survival during the dissolution of monasteries in 1540.
In 2024 A-level examinations, over 87% of candidates achieved A* or A grades, demonstrating the school's commitment to academic rigour.
Westminster City School Statistics
- Academic excellence: the majority of their GCSE students achieve 8-9 (94% in 2025)1. Three-quarters of all A-Level students consistently earn top marks.
- Earning university placement: 87% of A-Level grades were A or A* in 2024, providing a pathway to the top Russell Group Universities1.
- Excellence in sports: the school is renowned for its boat club; the campus boasts three Eaton Fives as well as football and cricket fields, tennis courts and more.
- A record of educating renowned alumni, Helena Bonham Carter and Andrew Lloyd Webber among them.
Academic performance and acceptance rates to leading third-level institutions are factors that weigh heavily on your decision to enrol your child at any secondary school.
In this aspect, Westminster truly shines. Roughly half of Westminster School’s students get accepted to Oxford and Cambridge universities. In fact, its Oxbridge acceptance rate sets Westminster apart from other UK schools, and perhaps even from other frontrunners on your shortlist of potential schools.
Some might consider fewer than 800 students a smallish school, perhaps one with low enrolment. In fact, Westminster keeps its acceptance rate low to provide the best for their students. In terms of the learning experience and how your child will engage with their education over the course of their time at the school, you can expect them to delve into a well-rounded curriculum.
Westminster offers more than meets the eye. Your child will have an opportunity to study a range of subjects, such as humanities, art sciences, music, theatre, and athletics.
With its culture of academic excellence, this school strikes a balance with the facilities that it offers, offering plenty of outlets for students to decompress and socialise outside of the classroom.
An array of top-notch amenities such as the Sports Center at Vincent Square which provides a variety of activities, like climbing, combat sports, fencing, and indoor games.
Westminster School Alumni
One way to look at the quality of the education offered at a school is to see some of the students who have walked the same corridors and where they found themselves in their careers today. This sampling of famous names gives you an idea of the breadth and calibre of possibilities a Westminster education brings.
Artists
- Blondey McCoy
- Alfred Enoch
- Grace Chatto
- Jack Farthing
- Anna Stothard
Politicians
- Nick Clegg
- Ruth Kelly
- Dominic Grieve
- Nigel Lawson
- Tony Benn
Scientists
- Polly Arnold
- Sir Martyn Poliakoff
- John Crowcroft
- Sir Andrew Huxley
- 1st Baron Adrian
This very short alumni list gives you a stamp of assurance, as a parent, that you are leaving your little one in good hands. Having them walk the same halls as illustrious figures serves as a source of motivation for your child to realise and achieve their academic potential.
Westminster City School Location
Westminster School is the only ancient London school to occupy its original site by Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament. One of the main attractions of the school and something that makes it all the more accessible for those hailing from far and wide is its prime location in the heart of London.
This adds so many more avenues for learning when your child leaves the school grounds, from top-notch museums to iconic historical sites that seamlessly integrate into their academic journey to enhance their overall learning experience.
It’s also comforting to know that the area is extremely manageable to commute to. So, if you plan on dropping them off in the car each morning, having them take the bus or plan on finding them some accommodation in the locality the area is more than ideal for all the above!
The area is more than well serviced by a variety of forms of public transport and there is certainly no shortage of options when it comes to accommodation. Your child will also have their fair share of facilities and clubs across to engage with with so many options on offer in the heart of the nation’s capital.
The school’s motto "Dat Deus Incrementum," translates to "God gives growth" which underlines its dedication to fostering both academic achievement and individual development.
Understanding Westminster School's Admission Process
The school hosts Open Mornings during the autumn terms for those who wish to register their child for 13+ and 16+ entry. You can also schedule a visit for your child if they are in Year 5 on the school’s website. Participating in these offering is a wise step ahead of enrolling.
As of 2026, Westminster is fully coeducational for 11+ and 16+ entry.
Starting in 2028, 13+ entry will also be coeducational2.
11+ Entry
Year 7 entry gives your child an express ramp into Westminster's highly competitive 13+ entry level. Gaining access to this on-ramp demands that hopefuls follow specific steps:
Entry into Westminster at this level is no less competitive than for the higher levels. Each application cycle, the school selects around 500 of the best candidate,sultimately winnowing down the number to about 30 accepted students3.
Westminster advises candidates to focus on creative writing skills and reading comprehension, as well as logical reasoning and problem-solving ahead of their exams and interviews.
13+ Entry
Should your 11+ entry plan fall short, you should immediately begin the process for a Year 9 entry. Like the earlier entry track, this one is also competitive. Perhaps even more so, as most students aim for this entry level.
As always, it’s best to be prepared – both for the application process, and for what lies ahead for your learner. The first thing to know is that you and your student will undergo a two-step process of selection.
Stage 1
- ISEB Common Pre-Test
- based on Year 5 curriculum
- taken in Year 6, during Oct-Nov
- taken at your current school
- covers English, Maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning
Stage 2
- early January: English and Maths tests
- exams are 40 minutes each
- January-February interviews to assess intellectual curiosity, motivation for study, and extracurricular interests
Should your child do well on the pre-qualifying ISEB test, they will be invited to take more specific exams at Westminster School. As with 11+ entry, the school flags hundreds of potential candidates for further screening, ultimately paring their list down to ~125 applicants. At this entry level, the Westminster City School acceptance rate is about 50%.
Candidates must pay a non-refundable £360 registration fee.
The £2,400 entrance fee is payable upon acceptance.
That fee is refundable only if the student fails to meet behavioural or academic standards.
16+ Entry
The admissions process for both points of entry has many similarities, with 16+ being more competitive. The more advanced material covered during these years of schooling make these places especially desirable. So how does your teen formally declare their interest?
As with the 13+ entrants, 16+ candidates must pay a £360 registration fee, and a £2,400 entrance fee. These students will further pay a £4,000 acceptance deposit. Financial aid is available for deserving and underprivileged students.
Don't forget that you must register your interest at least a year ahead. That's not such a large gap; Charterhouse School expects their applicants to register three years ahead of enrolment.
Key Deadlines and Dates for the Application Process
Westminster City School does not publish acceptance statistics.
It advises that late applications will be considered for casual or surplus vacancies5.
Don't chance your child's success in their application to Westminster School! You must familiarise yourself with the critical dates for the year they are looking to enter. For a 2028 entry into 13+, these are the dates to remember.
October 1, 2026
Online registration opens for 13+
September 30, 2027
Registration closes for 13+
October/November 2027
ISEB Common Pre-Test for 13+
January/February 2027
Interviews for selected candidates for 13+
February 2027
Admission decision notification for 13+
The same applies to 16+ entries. It would be a shame if, after all the hard work and time that was put in in order to make a strong application to the school, their chances were affected as a result of failing to meet a deadline.
June 1, 2026
Online registration opens for 16+
September 30, 2026
Registration closes for 16+
November 7, 2026
Entrance exams in four chosen subjects for 16+
November 28, 2026
Interviews for selected candidates for 16+
December 2026
Offers of admission sent out for 16+
By keeping on top of these key dates, you’ll take a lot of stress associated with the process of your and your child’s shoulders and ensure that they don’t give the admissions board any reason not to have your child’s application right at the top of the pile.
Key Tips for the Entrance Exams
The ISEB Examination is used by many preparatory schools including Marlborough College. For this reason, many companies have produced sample exam papers written in ISEB format and style. These can be bought from WH Smiths and Amazon.
Students should practice as much as possible using these practice papers. They should run through the answers afterwards to check what they got right and wrong to help them improve. You (or a test prep tutor) might help them by staging mock exams, complete with a formal grading session afterwards.
Any student applying to Clifton College will submit to these same tests; they appear to be universal. Preparing for exams can be a long process. Many students can get frustrated with the revision they have to do and the number of questions they have to answer. Be there to encourage them!
For the 2025-2026 year, the fees for day students range between £46,353 and £49,950.
Boarding fees are £65,976 per year.
The school will release its updated fee schedule in July 20266.
For the interview, Westminster School wants to get an idea of who your child is. Not just as a candidate but on a personal level and outside of the school environment. A good way to prepare for this is to do mock interviews together. Here again, a tutor would be a big help.
Further Reading on Westminster School London
- Holmes, Ed. “Individual Success; Institutional Love of Learning — Westminster GCSE Results 2025.” Westminster School, 21 Aug. 2025, www.westminster.org.uk/westminster-gcse-results-2025/. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
- Westminster School. “13+ Entry.” Westminster School, 26 Feb. 2026, www.westminster.org.uk/admissions/13-entry/. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
- The Mentor Group. “How to Get into Westminster.” Mentor Education, 28 Aug. 2025, mentoreducation.co.uk/11-plus/schools/independent-schools/how-to-get-into-westminster-11-plus/. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
- ---. “16+ Entry.” Westminster School, 3 Feb. 2026, www.westminster.org.uk/admissions/16-entry/. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
- “Year 7 Entry - Westminster City School.” Wcsch.com, 2025, www.wcsch.com/533/year-7-entry. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
- ---. “Tuition Information - Westminster School.” Westminsterschool.org, 2026, www.westminsterschool.org/admission/tuition-information. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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At Westminster school the great and best in UK school , I’m leaving a request message if there’s by any chance for late registration 16+
2024?
I look forward to hearing from you
Westminster School’s 16+ registration for 2024 entry has officially closed, but you can still contact their admissions office at sixthformadmissions@westminster.org.uk or +44 (0)20 7963 1003 to inquire about any late application possibilities. Best of luck! 😊
Many thanks.