Thank you for your interest in Shebbear College – we are delighted that you are considering us for your son or daughter.
Children join us at Pre-Prep (Reception – Year 2), Prep (Years 3 – 6), Senior School (Years 7 – 11) or Sixth Form (Year 12). Depending on place availability, pupils can join us at any stage of their school life and at any time during
the school year.
We offer full, weekly or flexi boarding to pupils from the UK and overseas aged 8 and above and have two boarding houses, Ruddle and Pollard.
Please contact our Registrar, Emily, on [email protected] or 01409 282009 to find out more.
Offering and Accepting a Place
We do not offer places based on an entrance exam, however we will assess the levels and merits of every child on an individual basis. This ensures that we are able to provide each individual with the skills needed to succeed, both academically and
outside of the classroom, and thrive in whatever they choose to do in the future.
We are a school which promotes excellence across the curriculum and co-curriculum and you can see evidence of this across the school. Our aim is to build confidence and enjoyment of learning in all of our pupils, which we do through the
individual attention that we can offer them.
Children who join us must be able to access our mainstream curriculum and demonstrate our school values of compassion, courage, courtesy, curiosity, creativity and confidence in all that they do.
Following a visit and/or Taster Day (or an online meeting for international pupils), we would ask for a reference from your child’s current school, and request any additional information from parents through our Registration Form.
If we feel that Shebbear College is the right school for them and that they would thrive here, we would then be able to formally offer a place.
Joining the Prep School
If you are interested in your son or daughter joining our Pre-Prep or Prep School, the first thing to do is to come and visit us for a tour, a meeting with our Head, Mr Jenkins or Head of Prep, Mr Foale. We would then invite your child in for a
Taster Day in their current year group. This is a great opportunity for them to meet the other children and get a feel for the school. During the Taster Day our teachers will be able to informally observe your child in order to
make sure that our school would be a good fit for them and that they would be happy here. Your child is welcome to have more than one Taster Day here.
Joining the Senior School
As is the case for the Prep School, anyone considering joining us from Form 1 (Year 7) upwards would start with a visit to the school. We offer tours, meetings with our Head, Mr Jenkins, followed by Taster Days in order to give your son or daughter
the opportunity to experience a day at our school.
We ask prospective pupils joining the Senior School to sit an entrance assessment before they join us. This is simply designed to help us establish the academic ability and level of each child; there is no pass or fail mark and children should
not feel at all worried about this.
The entrance assessment includes an Adaptive Admissions Test (AAT). This is a diagnostic assessment that is designed to help pupils and teachers understand how children learn and what their academic potential might be. Pupils cannot do
any prior preparation or study for this type of assessment.
Joining the Sixth Form
For pupils looking to join our Sixth Form, we would invite them in to meet our Head, Mr Jenkins and any relevant Heads of Departments to discuss A-Level or BTEC options. We hold a Sixth Form Open Event and Taster Day in the autumn each year
which are designed to give prospective pupils a taste of life in the Sixth Form, but you are welcome to visit us at any time throughout the year. There is no entrance assessment for the Sixth Form but we do ask for your GCSE results and a reference
from your current school.
We welcome a number of new pupils into our Sixth Form each year, all of whom have flourished in these all important years of their education. Our Sixth Form is unique, small enough to be a big part of the supportive Shebbear College community, but
large enough for the pupils to have their own space and independence, taking ownership of their academic achievements and developing their skills.
International Admissions
We welcome pupils from all over the world to join our school. We are home to international pupils from many different countries who benefit from being in a British school environment.
Boarding is offered from the age of 8 – 18 and as we are a relatively small
school, all of our overseas pupils mix fully with others from a range of different nationalities. For more information on the admissions procedure for those joining us from overseas, please visit our International Pupils page.
Choosing the right school for your son or daughter is not an easy decision. Every school is different, but so is every child – it’s about finding the right fit. We want to make this process as easy as possible for you and this section of our website will
tell you more about the Admissions journey at Shebbear.
Please use our admissions calculator below to find out the relevant information for your child.
START YOUR JOURNEY
Enter your child’s date of birth to discover the key steps to joining us.
The next step is usually to arrange one or two Taster Days for your child.
They will join the Pre-School for the day so that they can experience a typical day for
themselves and meet the other children.
Place Offer and Acceptance
After your visit and/or Taster Day, Emily, our Registrar, will be in touch to discuss the next
stage in the admissions process.
If you would like your child to join us, you will be offered a place in writing which you can
accept by returning the acceptance forms and paying our acceptance fee.
Your child would join us in September 2028, or ask us about immediate entry.
Visit our Reception Class
The first step is to visit our Foundation Stage Unit, where our Reception Class is based, and meet the staff and other children.
You can attend an Open Morning if there is one coming up or book an individual tour at any time throughout the year. There is a real feeling of friendliness, warmth and happiness here which you can only truly experience in person.
The next step is usually to arrange one or two Taster Days for your child. They will join our current Reception children so that they can experience a typical day for themselves.
Place Offer and Acceptance
After your visit and/or Taster Day, Emily, our Registrar, will be in touch to discuss the next stage in the admissions process.
If you would like your child to join us and we feel that we are the right school for them, you will be offered a place in writing which you can accept by returning the acceptance forms and paying our acceptance fee.
Your child would join us in September 2029, or ask us about immediate entry.
Visit our Pre-Prep
The first step is to visit our Pre-Prep, based within the Prep School, and meet the staff and other children.
You can attend an Open Morning if there is one coming up or book an individual tour at any time throughout the year. There is a real feeling of friendliness, warmth and happiness here which you can only truly experience in person.
The next step is usually to arrange one or two Taster Days for your child.
They will join our current Pre-Prep children so that they can experience a typical day for themselves. During the day, they will be informally observed and assessed within the classroom – they will not know they are being assessed.
Place Offer and Acceptance
After your visit and/or Taster Day, Emily, our Registrar, will be in touch to discuss the next stage in the admissions process.
If you would like your child to join us and we feel that we are the right school for them, you will be offered a place in writing which you can accept by returning the acceptance forms and paying our acceptance fee.
Your child would join us in September 2030, or ask us about immediate entry.
Visit our Pre-Prep
The first step is to visit our Pre-Prep, based within the Prep School, and meet the staff and other children.
You can attend an Open Morning if there is one coming up or book an individual tour at any time throughout the year. There is a real feeling of friendliness, warmth and happiness here which you can only truly experience in person.
The next step is usually to arrange one or two Taster Days for your child.
They will join our current Pre-Prep children so that they can experience a typical day for themselves. During the day, they will be informally observed and assessed within the classroom – they will not know they are being assessed.
Place Offer and Acceptance
After your visit and/or Taster Day, Emily, our Registrar, will be in touch to discuss the next stage in the admissions process.
If you would like your child to join us and we feel that we are the right school for them, you will be offered a place in writing which you can accept by returning the acceptance forms and paying our acceptance fee.
Your child would join us in September 2031, or ask us about immediate entry.
Visit our Prep School
The first step is to visit our Prep School, and meet the staff and other children.
You can attend an Open Morning if there is one coming up or book an individual tour at any time throughout the year. There is a real feeling of friendliness, warmth and happiness here which you can only truly experience in person.
The next step is to arrange one or two Taster Days for your child.
They will join their current year group so that they can meet the children and experience a typical day for themselves. During the day, they will be informally observed and assessed within the classroom – they will probably not be
aware that they are being assessed. We are a non-selective school but this process allows us to establish whether the school is the choice for your child.
If your child is 8 years old or above and you are looking at boarding options, you can also arrange a sleepover in one of our Boarding Houses.
Place Offer and Acceptance
After your visit and/or Taster Day, Emily, our Registrar, will be in touch to discuss the next stage in the admissions process.
If you would like your child to join us and we feel that we are the right school for them, you will be offered a place in writing which you can accept by returning the acceptance forms and paying our acceptance fee.
Your child would join us in September 2032, or ask us about immediate entry.
Visit our Prep School
The first step is to visit our Prep School, and meet the staff and other children.
You can attend an Open Morning if there is one coming up or book an individual tour at any time throughout the year. There is a real feeling of friendliness, warmth and happiness here which you can only truly experience in person.
The next step is to arrange one or two Taster Days for your child.
They will join their current year group so that they can meet the children and experience a typical day for themselves. During the day, they will be informally observed and assessed within the classroom – they will probably not be
aware that they are being assessed. We are a non-selective school but this process allows us to establish whether the school is the choice for your child.
If your child is 8 years old or above and you are looking at boarding options, you can also arrange a sleepover in one of our Boarding Houses.
Place Offer and Acceptance
After your visit and/or Taster Day, Emily, our Registrar, will be in touch to discuss the next stage in the admissions process.
If you would like your child to join us and we feel that we are the right school for them, you will be offered a place in writing which you can accept by returning the acceptance forms and paying our acceptance fee.
Your child would join us in September 2033, or ask us about immediate entry.
Visit our Prep School
The first step is to visit our Prep School, and meet the staff and other children.
You can attend an Open Morning if there is one coming up or book an individual tour at any time throughout the year. There is a real feeling of friendliness, warmth and happiness here which you can only truly experience in person.
The next step is to arrange one or two Taster Days for your child.
They will join their current year group so that they can meet the children and experience a typical day for themselves. During the day, they will be informally observed and assessed within the classroom – they will probably not be
aware that they are being assessed. We are a non-selective school but this process allows us to establish whether the school is the choice for your child.
If your child is 8 years old or above and you are looking at boarding options, you can also arrange a sleepover in one of our Boarding Houses.
Place Offer and Acceptance
After your visit and/or Taster Day, Emily, our Registrar, will be in touch to discuss the next stage in the admissions process.
If you would like your child to join us and we feel that we are the right school for them, you will be offered a place in writing which you can accept by returning the acceptance forms and paying our acceptance fee.
Your child would join us in September 2034, or ask us about immediate entry.
Visit our Prep School
The first step is to visit our Prep School, and meet the staff and other children.
You can attend an Open Morning if there is one coming up or book an individual tour at any time throughout the year. There is a real feeling of friendliness, warmth and happiness here which you can only truly experience in person.
The next step is to arrange one or two Taster Days for your child.
They will join their current year group so that they can meet the children and experience a typical day for themselves. During the day, they will be informally observed and assessed within the classroom – they will probably not be
aware that they are being assessed. We are a non-selective school but this process allows us to establish whether the school is the choice for your child.
If your child is 8 years old or above and you are looking at boarding options, you can also arrange a sleepover in one of our Boarding Houses.
Place Offer and Acceptance
After your visit and/or Taster Day, Emily, our Registrar, will be in touch to discuss the next stage in the admissions process.
If you would like your child to join us and we feel that we are the right school for them, you will be offered a place in writing which you can accept by returning the acceptance forms and paying our acceptance fee.
Your child would join us in September 2035, or ask us about immediate entry.
Visit our Senior School
The first step is to visit our School, and meet the staff and other children.
You can attend an Open Morning if there is one coming up or book an individual tour at any time throughout the year. There is a real feeling of friendliness, warmth and happiness here which you can only truly experience in person.
The next step is to arrange one or two Taster Days for your child.
They will join their current year group (Year 6 in the Prep School) so that they can meet the children and experience a typical day for themselves. During the day, they will meet key staff and will also sit our Cognitive Ability Test
(CAT4) online which takes around 2 hours. This is nothing to worry about and they do not need to prepare anything. We are not an academically selective school and this day is simply designed to help us establish the academic ability
and level of each child.
If your child is 8 years old or above and you are looking at boarding options, you can also arrange a sleepover in one of our Boarding Houses.
Place Offer and Acceptance
After your visit and/or Taster Day, Emily, our Registrar, will be in touch to discuss the next stage in the admissions process.
If you would like your child to join us and we feel that we are the right school for them, you will be offered a place in writing which you can accept by returning the acceptance forms and paying our acceptance fee.
Your child would join us in September 2036, or ask us about immediate entry.
Visit our Senior School
The first step is to visit our School, and meet the staff and other children.
You can attend an Open Morning if there is one coming up or book an individual tour at any time throughout the year. There is a real feeling of friendliness, warmth and happiness here which you can only truly experience in person.
The next step is to arrange one or two Taster Days for your child.
They will join their current year group (Year 6 in the Prep School) so that they can meet the children and experience a typical day for themselves. During the day, they will meet key staff and will also sit our Cognitive Ability Test
(CAT4) online which takes around 2 hours. This is nothing to worry about and they do not need to prepare anything. We are not an academically selective school and this day is simply designed to help us establish the academic ability
and level of each child.
If your child is 8 years old or above and you are looking at boarding options, you can also arrange a sleepover in one of our Boarding Houses.
Place Offer and Acceptance
After your visit and/or Taster Day, Emily, our Registrar, will be in touch to discuss the next stage in the admissions process.
If you would like your child to join us and we feel that we are the right school for them, you will be offered a place in writing which you can accept by returning the acceptance forms and paying our acceptance fee.
Your child would join us in September 2037, or ask us about immediate entry.
Visit our Senior School
The first step is to visit our School, and meet the staff and other children.
You can attend an Open Morning if there is one coming up or book an individual tour at any time throughout the year. There is a real feeling of friendliness, warmth and happiness here which you can only truly experience in person.
The next step is to arrange one or two Taster Days for your child.
They will join their current year group (Year 6 in the Prep School) so that they can meet the children and experience a typical day for themselves. During the day, they will meet key staff and will also sit our Cognitive Ability Test
(CAT4) online which takes around 2 hours. This is nothing to worry about and they do not need to prepare anything. We are not an academically selective school and this day is simply designed to help us establish the academic ability
and level of each child.
If your child is 8 years old or above and you are looking at boarding options, you can also arrange a sleepover in one of our Boarding Houses.
Place Offer and Acceptance
After your visit and/or Taster Day, Emily, our Registrar, will be in touch to discuss the next stage in the admissions process.
If you would like your child to join us and we feel that we are the right school for them, you will be offered a place in writing which you can accept by returning the acceptance forms and paying our acceptance fee.
Your child would join us in September 2038, or ask us about immediate entry.
Visit our Senior School
The first step is to visit our School, and meet the staff and other children.
You can attend an Open Morning if there is one coming up or book an individual tour at any time throughout the year. There is a real feeling of friendliness, warmth and happiness here which you can only truly experience in person.
The next step is to arrange one or two Taster Days for your child.
They will join their current year group so that they can meet the children and experience a typical day for themselves. During the day, they will meet with key staff and will also sit our Cognitive Ability Test (CAT4) online which
takes around 2 hours. This is nothing to worry about and they do not need to prepare anything. We are not an academically selective school and this day is simply designed to help us establish the academic ability and level of each
child.
If your child is 8 years old or above and you are looking at boarding options, you can also arrange a sleepover in one of our Boarding Houses.
Place Offer and Acceptance
After your visit and/or Taster Day, Emily, our Registrar, will be in touch to discuss the next stage in the admissions process.
If you would like your child to join us and we feel that we are the right school for them, you will be offered a place in writing which you can accept by returning the acceptance forms and paying our acceptance fee.
Your child would join us in September 2040, or ask us about immediate entry.
Visit Us
The first step is to visit our School, and meet the staff and other children.
You can attend an Open Morning if there is one coming up or book an individual tour at any time throughout the year. Our Sixth Formers will show you around and you will be able to look around our modern Sixth Form Centre as well as
the Senior School where many Sixth Form lessons take place.
For entry into the Sixth Form, we will ask your son or daughter to attend an informal interview with the Head and our subject teachers. This is usually in person at school, but if you live overseas this can take place virtually.
If your child is 8 years old or above and you are looking at boarding options, you can also arrange a sleepover in one of our Boarding Houses.
Place Offer and Acceptance
After your visit and/or Taster Day, Emily, our Registrar, will be in touch to discuss the next stage in the admissions process. If you would like your child to join us and we feel that we are the right school for them, you will be
offered a place in writing which you can accept by returning the acceptance forms and paying our acceptance fee.
