Mixed age group of smiling pupils in grey and maroon uniform, running a race in outdoor playground
Blonde-haired schoolgirl stands at the front of a group of three, with two boys behind her. They are all in The Mall School theatre
Boy wearing glasses, writing in his schoolbook with a black and yellow pencil

Admissions to other year groups

Year 1 entry (September 2025)

We would be delighted to welcome your child into Year 1 in September.  The Admissions process would involve a school tour, meeting with the headmaster, Mr Sam Gosden and your child’s attendance at a Taster Day.  Make an initial enquiry about Year 1 entry

Years 2 – 5 entry (September 2025)

We are happy to accept registrations for boys and girls to join us in other year groups and places are offered after your child has attended a successful taster session. Make an initial enquiry about Year 2 entry

For whichever year group, children will be invited to come in to the school for one of our Discovery Days.  View an example schedule for one of these events.

 

What does the Taster Day involve?

At the Taster Day, children spend most of the time in the classroom with pupils of their own age. If they haven’t done so already, prospective pupils for entry into Years 2 – 5 will take an informal assessment in Maths and English (reading), just for us to get a feel for their academic ability and identify any areas in which they may need support.

The child-friendly tests will be familiar and manageable to your child.  A member of our teaching staff will support your child throughout, and we have found that previous participants have enjoyed the tests and are not daunted by them.

The class-based activities will follow the curriculum for the year group and a typical day will include maths and English. Depending on the day, it may also include exciting, informative lessons in history, geography, science, PE, music, IT and French. We also hear each child read individually.

How can I prepare my child for the Taster Day?

Please do not engage a tutor for your child – the Taster Day is really just a chance for us to spend some time with your child, finding out their current levels of ability and looking at their future potential.

You might want to visit the school with your child ahead of the taster day so they are familiar with the environment, but our teachers are very experienced at making children feel welcome.

Talking through what’s going to happen on the day is a useful way of preparing your child.  The informal assessment only forms a small part of the taster day and ultimately we want your children to enjoy themselves, have fun and make new friends.

What level of academic ability do you expect from my child?

Part of the reason we invite children in for the day is so we can get a balanced picture of an individual pupil. For example, a child may be nervous in the tests and not perform particularly strongly, but shows active participation and good knowledge / ability in the class-based activities.

So the level of academic ability is only important in giving us a picture of your child’s levels and in understanding potential areas for support or over-achievement.

We look at school reports from your child’s current school, which may identify a particular aptitude in one or more subjects.

What other information will you need from us prior to the Taster Day?

In advance of the Taster Day you will need to:

All of these steps need to be completed in order for your child to attend the Taster Day.

The smaller class sizes enable the teaching staff to get to know the children very well; supportive nurturing is given as needed.

Current parent - Summer 2022

It’s a great school! My son never complains about going, it’s academic but not unduly so and there is a friendliness about the approach to pupils and parents.

RSAcademics Parent Survey 2019

Beyond the classroom

The Mall School
Group of children outside
Invitation to our Open Morning, 14 May

Are you thinking about a new independent prep school for your child?

Come along to our Open Morning on 14 May at 9:30am!

  • View our fantastic facilities
  • Meet our Headmaster
  • Chat to our brilliant pupils
  • View creative displays of their work
  • Get a feel for The Mall and see how perfect it is for you and your child.

Register your place today