98% of students achieved grades 7-9 at GCSE, with 25 students achieving straight 9s. Outstanding grades continue at A-Level, with 70% of students achieving straight A*s and 98% of Westminster students awarded A*-B. 94% of students progressed to their first-choice university.
82 pupils were offered places at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, while others chose to study at UCL (University College London), Imperial, and LSE (London School of Economics) in London. 22 of their pupils went to study in America at prestigious Ivy League colleges such as Stanford, Columbia, and Yale. Popular course choices by Westminster alumni were Medicine, Mathematics, History, Languages, and Philosophy, Politics and Economics.
Stage 1: Registration
For 13 plus admissions, the school takes on around 130 boys a year, a mix of day and boarding pupils. Around half of those boys will progress from Westminster Under, with the remainder progressing from a vast range of feeder schools such as Sussex House, Hall School, and Dulwich Prep. The school makes it clear that it does not accept those who are applying for 11 plus at Westminster Under at the same time as 13 plus. The first step is to register your son when he is in Year 5, the academic year that includes his tenth birthday. This can be done on the Westminster website.
Entrance to the sixth form opens yearly, with the next available entrance in September 2024. At this stage, about 200 boys and girls enter the Sixth Form, with around 120 progressing internally.
The school encourages that you check that your child is the correct age for registration via the registration checker on their website; this is also where you can apply for 13 or 16 plus entry. Notably, entrance to the school is incredibly competitive. Tuition from one of our school admission experts can guide your child to success in both exams and interviews to study at elite private education institutions.
Stage 2: School Visit and Pre-Interview Tests
The next stage of the process is to visit the school in one of the two open days that they have yearly. Westminster highly recommends this part of the admission process as it allows parents and child alike to learn in detail what the school can offer for your child’s academic and personal development.
Think Tutors can help organise school visits for you and your child. With links to top independent schools, we can ensure that you have a clear idea of the school in preparation for your visit.
13 Plus Admissions
Westminster uses results from the ISEB (Independent Schools Examinations Board) Common Pre-tests, reports from the candidates’ present school, and a Pre-Interview test to assess a child at 13 plus. These tests are taken online, and the child is assessed on Mathematics, English and Reasoning. Think Tutors are au fait with the ISEB Common Pre-Tests and can ensure that your child has an advantage at this stage of their admission, which is critical to guaranteeing an interview.
16 Plus Admissions
For entry into the sixth form, pupils are required to sit tests in their four chosen subjects that they will undertake at A Level. Each test can take from 45 minutes to 1 hour, varying in questions and the need for subject knowledge. Tests differ from subject to subject. Examinations are taken at Westminster, typically in the first week of November.
Stage 3: Interviews
13 Plus Admissions
Children who have performed well in the ISEB Common Pre-Test will be contacted for an interview, usually around mid-December. In addition to an interview, this stage also includes two tests in Mathematics and English. Both these tests take 40 minutes each to complete and are taken in early January. The interview will be on a separate day in late January or early February.
16 Plus Admissions
Students who were both successful and unsuccessful at the pre-interview tests will be notified in late November. Those who performed most strongly will be invited for an interview but will be required to complete a personal statement prior to the interview. The process will include: 20-minute interviews for each subject, a 40-minute thinking skills assessment, and a general interview.
Stage 4: Offer of a place
13 Plus Admissions
Success in all stages will lead to an unconditional offer, made on the expectation that the boy continues his current academic trajectory and good conduct. If not immediately offered an unconditional place, the pupil may be placed on the waiting list and, when spaces become available, be promoted to an unconditional place.
16 Plus Admissions
If successful, pupils will be contacted in the first week of December. The offer will be subject to the student achieving a minimum of eight GCSE/IGCSE grades of 7, with at least four subjects scoring grades 8 (preferably in the subjects they will be studying at A Level). Furthermore, the successful students will be invited to spend a day at the school in March to become acquainted with their fellow pupils, meet existing pupils, be assigned to a House, and meet their Housemaster. Similarly, to 13 plus, some candidates will be placed on a waiting list and contacted if they are offered a place later in the year.
Contact Think Tutors
Organising tuition or mentoring with one of Think Tutors elite tutors or mentors is an excellent way to gain an advantage in the application process for private education. With a 100% school admission success rate, our teachers are adept at enhancing performance through repetition, careful preparation, and confidence building. Please contact us if you are interested in finding a tutor to help your child feel confident and succeed in their studies.