Your school guide
Eastbourne College
Eastbourne College’s main entry is at Year 9 or sixth form; families seeking Year 7 should enquire about the separate Prep School.
Independent school · Eastbourne, East Sussex
Prepare with confidence.
Explore the entry route to Eastbourne College below. Supporting a younger child with the 11+ too? Discover Plusling’s original questions, clear explanations and friendly daily practice.
Try five free questions. See the feedback for yourself.
Meet the school
At a glance
Facts checked
Headmaster's House, Old Wish Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 4JX
Plan your approach
Entry information
Eastbourne College is a senior school with main entry in Year 9 (13+) and Year 12 (16+), rather than a standard Year 7 route. Year 9 offers are based on a school reference and meeting; applicants then complete the relevant Year 8 examinations or age-appropriate assessment to confirm academic requirements and support Year 9 setting. Eastbourne College Prep is a separate school.
Entry stage: Year 9 (13+) and Year 12 (16+)
The admissions process
- The College lists Year 9 (13+) and Year 12 (16+) as its main entry points; it does not publish a standard Year 7 admissions route.
- For Year 9, offers to pupils in Years 6–8 are based on a satisfactory current-school Headteacher reference, academic information and a meeting with the College.
- In Year 8, Common Entrance, a baccalaureate, the St Andrew’s Prep Bridge curriculum or an equivalent is used to aid setting in core Year 9 subjects. Applicants without an equivalent route may take age-appropriate assessments; the school says these are likely to include English, Maths, Science and a foreign language.
- The school’s 2026 admissions guide says a Year 9 offer may be conditional on relevant final examinations. The live Year 9 page identifies the ISEB Common Academic Scholarship Examination (May), Common Entrance (June) or an equivalent as options for finalising entry requirements.
Read the official details: Admissions information from Eastbourne College
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
Explore Plusling’s 11+ practice subjects.
For families preparing for the 11+, these four practice areas offer a useful starting point. Use the relevant official assessment guidance to choose the skills your child needs.
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 quizMaths
A useful place to start
Ask your child to explain their method, estimate the answer and check the final calculation. Notice which step needs more practice.
Build on it with Plusling
Use Plusling’s original maths questions and worked explanations to make those next practice sessions count.
Start the 5-question maths quizVerbal reasoning
A useful place to start
Talk through word relationships, letter patterns and codes. Encourage your child to explain the rule before choosing an answer.
Build on it with Plusling
Explore words and logic with Plusling’s verbal reasoning quizzes, with feedback that helps the next attempt feel clearer.
Start the 5-question verbal reasoning quizNon-verbal reasoning
A useful place to start
Look for changes in shape, position, shading and direction. Work out one rule at a time before checking it against the choices.
Build on it with Plusling
Give visual reasoning another go in Plusling, with original puzzles and explanations your child can return to.
Start the 5-question non-verbal reasoning quizKeep 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
For families preparing for the 11+
Discover a friendlier way to practise.
Try Plusling together. Five free questions, clear explanations and a useful first step for your family’s 11+ preparation.
Before you apply
- The College does not publish a standard Year 7 route. Year 9 applications are considered from Years 6–8; the 2026 guide describes a reference and meeting before an offer, with relevant Year 8 examinations or an age-appropriate assessment used to confirm academic requirements and help with Year 9 setting.
Plusling’s guide to Eastbourne College 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
- Year 9 admissions Eastbourne College
- Admissions: A Guide for Prospective Pupils and Families 2026 Eastbourne College
- Eastbourne College: school details Department for Education