Your school guide
Dean Close School
Dean Close Senior School starts at 13+; the linked Prep School offers Year 7 places through cognitive and English assessment.
Independent school · Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
Prepare with confidence.
Exploring the linked prep-school route to Dean Close School? Give your child a confident start with Plusling’s friendly 11+ practice, clear explanations and topic progress.
Try five free questions. See the feedback for yourself.
Meet the school
At a glance
Facts checked
Shelburne Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL51 6HE
Plan your approach
Entry information
This record is for Dean Close Senior School, whose main entry is 13+. The linked Dean Close Prep (ages 7–13) includes Year 7; the Prep admissions page says all pupils sit a Cognitive Ability Test and English paper. Senior may make early 13+ offers while pupils are in Year 7, but those offers are for later entry.
Entry stage: Linked Dean Close Preparatory School: ages 7–13; this record is for the Senior School
What the assessment covers
- Cognitive ability
- English
The admissions process
- For Year 7, contact Dean Close Preparatory School about places and its current intake cycle; its published entry assessment includes a Cognitive Ability Test and an English paper.
- For Senior School, the main transition is at 13+ (Year 9). UK pupils may be considered for an early 13+ offer while in Year 7, subject to places; this is for later entry, not admission to Senior in Year 7.
- Senior entry assessments vary by age and year group and help the school understand development and learning-support needs.
Read the official details: Admissions information from Dean Close School
Go to the source
Official links for your shortlist
Use the school’s current admissions information to check which sample papers or familiarisation materials apply to your child’s entry year.
From subjects to skills
Turn the assessment subjects into a practice plan.
Start with these core skills from the published subject list. Pair the official assessment material with regular Plusling practice.
English
A useful place to start
Read a short passage together. Ask your child to find evidence for an answer and explain unfamiliar words in context.
Build on it with Plusling
Build on that reading with Plusling’s English questions and explanations, then choose a topic to practise again.
Start the 5-question English quizPrint, practise, build confidence
Printable practice for these subjects
Original Plusling papers with space to work and separate answers and explanations.
These are Plusling skills practice, not official school or test papers.
Keep the practical steps clear
Your application starting points
Use the official links on this page to answer these questions for your child’s entry year.
Check the entry point and eligibility
Confirm the year group, age requirements and any conditions that apply to your child.
Put the right dates in your diary
Note any published registration, assessment, application and offer-response dates that apply to your child’s route. They may be separate steps.
Check the assessment guidance
If an assessment applies, look for official examples, question formats, timings and answer instructions to help plan your child’s preparation.
Check fees and financial support
Look at fees, bursaries and scholarships, including any separate forms, evidence and deadlines.
Picture your child’s everyday life here.
An open day is a chance to look beyond the exam. Useful questions to take with you:
- How do you help new pupils settle in and make friends?
- Who can a child turn to when they feel worried or stuck?
- How do you help pupils recover from a setback and discover their strengths?
Know where to focus
Give their preparation a clear direction.
See the topics your child has practised, revisit questions that need another look and choose a focus for the next session. Plusling helps you put your time where it can be useful.
- Topic summaries and practice history
- Choose topics in Focus Practice
- Progress to discuss with the adults helping them
Their next step starts here
Give their 11+ preparation a confident start.
Try Plusling together. Five free questions, useful feedback and a first look at a friendlier way to practise.
Before you apply
- Confirm with Dean Close Prep whether it offers a place in Year 7 for your child’s intake year and what assessment arrangements apply. The current page names a Cognitive Ability Test and English paper but no provider or dated assessment cycle.
- The Senior School’s Year 7 early offer is for entry at 13+, not a current Year 7 place.
Plusling’s guide to Dean Close School is independently written. The school and its admissions authority publish the official arrangements.
Contains government school-register data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Primary sources
- Dean Close School: school details Department for Education
- Entry Assessments - Dean Close School Dean Close School
- Dean Close Preparatory School - ages 7–13 Dean Close School
- Admissions Process - Dean Close School Dean Close School