1. Common Entrance – a brief overview

2. Background
Set up more than 100 years ago as a shared exam to simplify entry from prep school to public school
Now administered by Independent Schools Examinations Board ( )
Used in 2017 by 180 senior schools as their standard entrance exam for 6,385 pupils from 260 prep schools

3. Swanbourne House Policy
Our curriculum shaped towards CE
Scholarship stream cover the course more quickly and move beyond
All children in CE classes will sit practice/mock papers in November and February of Top Year and final papers in May/June

4. Practical Arrangements
Each school has its own admissions process
Pre-tests lead to an offer of a place conditional on passing CE
CE is sat at Swanbourne, but then marked by the senior schools
ISEB produce mark schemes, but marking does vary between schools

5. Practical Arrangements
Final entry for CE is 1st March in Top Year (SHS must inform ISEB of the destination school for each pupil and papers to be sat)

6. Schools regularly entered for
Schools for whom CE is part of the main entrance process:
Uppingham
Bloxham
Stowe
Radley
St Edward’s, Oxford
Rugby
Repton
Oundle
Cheltenham College
Schools for whom CE will be used only for setting purposes:
Bedford
Bedford Modern
Akeley Wood

7. Dates Dates in Summer Term 2018 are:
Listening/speaking papers: w/b 14th May
Mental Maths, French Listening, French Speaking
Written papers: Tuesday 5th June to Friday 8th June

8. Results
Sent to school by Thursday 14th June; given to children on Friday on return from Leavers’ Trip
Any problems notified to Headmaster by Monday or Tuesday
Each school has its own way of marking – some give grades, some marks – not worth comparing results
Feedback to the children, indication of setting

9. Subjects
Compulsory subjects are English, Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics
French, History, Geography and RS are optional but all Swanbourne pupils take them (apart from in exceptional circumstances)
Most Swanbourne pupils sit Latin; Swanbourne pupils have also in recent years taken Spanish and Ancient Greek

10. Papers
English: Two papers testing reading and writing skills (Paper 1: prose comprehension and practical writing; Paper 2: poetry comprehension and creative writing)
Maths: Paper 1 Non-calculator; Paper 2 Calculator; mental paper
Science: separate papers in Biology, Chemistry and Physics
French: Reading/Writing paper; Speaking assessment; Listening test

11. Projects
Geography field project – completed in Top Year based on trip in September
RS research project – begun in 11s
Both projects need to be completed during Spring Term of Top Year

12. Tiered papers
Higher and lower papers in English, Maths, Science, French and Latin
Designed to allow access to a wide range of pupils
BUT many schools will not accept the lower levels
A FEW schools require the higher levels

13. Tiered papers (cont’d)
All Swanbourne pupils have taken Level 2 (higher) in English, Science and French
Maths: Three levels – Swanbourne pupils have taken Level 2 (standard) and Level 3 (higher)
Latin: Most pupils will take Level 2, some will go on to Level 3