10/10/2025
Supporting Wellbeing During the 11+ Journey: Insights from Our Head of Admissions
As families navigate the complexities of 11+ assessments and application deadlines, it’s easy to overlook the quiet resilience of the child at the heart of it all. Their emotional experience, whether they feel confident, anxious, motivated or uncertain, can influence not only how they perform on the day but also how they view themselves as they transition into secondary school.
That’s why pupil wellbeing must be a central focus. While much of the conversation around the 11+ revolves around academic readiness, it’s vital to remember what it feels like to be ten years old in the midst of it all. Building confidence, maintaining balance and fostering perspective are just as important as exam preparation. Schools have a responsibility to support each child in a way that brings out their best.
At SCHS, we believe that a school’s admissions process should reflect its core values. Whether it’s the warmth with which children are welcomed, the compassion shown in listening to their stories, the fairness of the process, or the respect given to each individual, these principles guide everything we do.
We’ve made a deliberate choice not to interview candidates for standard entry. Instead, interviews are reserved for those applying for specialist scholarships. Our approach includes a group problem-solving activity, a creative writing task and the adaptive ISEB Common Pre-Test, which helps us understand both aptitude and potential. We also consider contextual information to build a fuller picture of each applicant. This year, we’ve introduced a new DTEI (Design, Technology, Engineering & Innovation) Scholarship to further uncover and celebrate the diverse talents of our candidates.
Together, these elements allow us to see how children think, collaborate, express themselves creatively and tackle challenges with reasoning and teamwork. This holistic approach helps us understand the ‘whole child’, academically, socially and imaginatively, without adding unnecessary pressure.
Parents often ask how best to prepare their child for assessment day. My advice is simple: ensure they’re well-rested, have a nourishing breakfast, and most importantly, remind them that the day is about curiosity and enjoyment, not perfection. We want pupils to arrive feeling confident that this is not a pass-or-fail test, but an opportunity to explore, collaborate, and express themselves in an environment rooted in kindness, compassion, integrity and respect.
Our goal is for every pupil to leave feeling proud of who they are, valued for their individuality and excited about what lies ahead. That’s why our Head, Ms Cathy Ellott, personally reads each creative writing piece and writes a handwritten note highlighting what she enjoyed most. These small gestures of encouragement matter deeply, because at the centre of it all is a young person beginning a transformative journey, forming new friendships, discovering passions, developing self-awareness and learning what drives them to be their best.
Every child’s journey is unique, and that’s exactly why choosing the right school is so important.
So, after the assessment day, instead of asking, “How did it go?” try asking, “How did it feel?” Were the staff welcoming? Did they make new friends? Did someone help when they were stuck? These answers reveal far more than a test score, and offer the clearest insight into whether your child will truly thrive in their new school.
