In order to be invited for assessment and considered for a place at the school, your son or daughter must first be registered with us. The registration form must be completed and submitted with a £240 (including VAT) registration fee. Please find the registration form below.
Joining Year 7
Our Year 7 entrance assessment takes place in November of Year 6. Registered children are invited to Heathfield in small groups to complete their assessment and enjoy a one-to-one interview with our Headmaster, Jonathan Williams.
The assessment covers numeracy, literacy and non-verbal ability through the online Cambridge Select Insight test. The assessment is designed to explore potential rather than simply test existing knowledge, so there is no need for tutoring or extensive preparation. When you register with us, we will send you a link to view familiarisation material from Cambridge Select Insight, where your son or daughter can look at the style of questions and become familiar with the format of the assessment.
We want the assessment day to be a positive and enjoyable experience for your child. They will spend time with other prospective Heathfield students, giving them the opportunity to meet some of their potential new classmates and get a feel for life at the school. We do everything we can to create a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere, so that children can approach their assessment and interview with confidence and leave feeling positive about the possibility of joining Heathfield.
We also ask your child’s current school to provide a reference. This helps us to build a fuller picture of your child, including their academic level, interests and individual strengths.
Offers of a place are made before Christmas with an acceptance deadline of the first Monday in March.
If your son or daughter has applied for a scholarship, they will also be invited to attend our Scholarship Assessment Day, held in January following the entrance assessment.
Dates for 2027 Joiners:
Assessment Day – Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 November 2026
Festive Fun Day (for registered children) – Monday 30 November
Scholarship Assessment Day – January 2027
Offer Holders’ Event – Wednesday 3 February 2027
Deadline for Accepting the offer of a place – Monday 1 March 2027
Joining Year 9
For Year 9 deferred entry, your son or daughter will be assessed alongside their peers in November of Year 6. Offers of a place are made before Christmas and should be accepted by the beginning of March in Year 6.
During Year 8, we will contact your son or daughter’s current school for an updated reference, allowing us to ensure that we have an up-to-date picture of their progress and development.
For example, a child applying to join Year 9 in September 2030 would take their assessment in November 2028, with the offer of a place to be accepted by March 2029.
If your son or daughter is currently in Year 7 or Year 8 and you are considering Heathfield for Year 9 entry, we would be very happy to hear from you. The assessment process is the same as for Year 7, with the Cambridge Select Insight test appropriate to the 13+ assessment, followed by an interview with the Headmaster.
The Year 9 2027 entrance assessment day is Tuesday 24 November 2026.
If you are considering a different entry point, please do contact our Admissions Team to discuss.
Common Entrance
Common Entrance is not a requirement for Heathfield; places are offered based on performance in our assessment and interview.
Sixth Form (Year 12)
Joining Heathfield at 16+
Heathfield welcomes applications from all students wishing to join our co-ed Sixth Form for A Level study.
Registered Sixth Form students will be invited to visit the school for an interview with both the Headmaster and the Head of Sixth Form. Offers are made conditional on iGCSE/GCSE results, performance at interview and a reference from their current school. Your son or daughter should achieve a minimum of six grades 9-4 (A* – C) with a minimum grade 6 (B) in any subject taken at GCSE that is to be pursued at A Level.
Interviews are usually held in January of Year 11 and we aim to send any offer of a place within two weeks of the successful interview.
International Students
Joining as an International Student
Overseas students are welcomed at Heathfield. Applicants should register with the school and will be invited to the relevant assessment for their year of entry. Where it is not possible for candidates to attend for assessment, they should submit a UKiset profile (see www.ukiset.com for details). An interview with the Head will be conducted via Zoom and assessments for international students also include language testing.
Please click the button below for more details on EAL provision for international students.
Applying for a Visa
Heathfield School is a Highly Trusted Sponsor under the UK Visas & Immigration’s Child Student visa system. We hold a child student visa licence and may sponsor students for their secondary education at the school. In order to provide students with the Confirmation of Acceptance to Study (CAS) required for a visa application, we require payment of a term’s fees and the international deposit, alongside UKVI required guardian details.
On behalf of Heathfield School, Newland Chase Education, an immigration and visas provider with specialised knowledge of the needs of educational institutions and students, will issue the CAS and assist in the Visa application directly with you. Parents are billed directly for this service by Newland Chase Education.
Visas are valid up until the end of the GCSE course. A new CAS is required for the two year A Level programme in the Sixth Form.
If you have any queries regarding visas please contact our Admissions Team.
Guardianship
It is a legal requirement for every student in the UK to have a Guardian. This can be a friend or relative or there are several guardianship agencies which act on parents behalf with a varying level of services. The contract for guardianship is between the parent and the Guardian. The accredited organisation for guardianship is AEGIS and to go to their website for a list of guardianship agencies please click here. http://www.aegisuk.net/
A list of duties that we would normally expect Guardians to undertake please can be found in the School’s Educational Guardianship policy, which is listed here. All Guardians must have UK citizenship or settled status and be over the age of 25.