Your school guide
Kelvinside Academy
Kelvinside Academy’s age-11 stage is Senior Prep before S1. Admissions include CAT4, interview and school report.
Independent school · Glasgow
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At a glance
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Entry information
Kelvinside Academy’s Scottish entry point around age 11 is Senior Prep, a P7-age transition year before Senior 1. Its February 2026 policy says candidates for Senior Prep and above complete an entrance assessment, interview and school-reference/report review; the school identifies CAT4 online. Assessments usually take place in January for August entry, with individual arrangements possible if places remain, but no 2027 date is published.
Entry stage: Scottish Primary 7 to Senior Prep transition (around age 11), followed by Senior 1; this is not English Year 7 nomenclature.
What the assessment covers
- CAT4: verbal, non-verbal, quantitative and spatial reasoning
Assessment provider: GL Assessment (CAT4)
The admissions process
- Apply to the school and arrange a visit; assessment follows receipt of a completed application.
- Senior Prep and older applicants complete the online CAT4 assessment.
- The applicant meets the Rector, Academic Deputy or Deputy Rector; the school considers references/reports.
- The school says scheduled annual assessments usually take place in January; other arrangements may be made if places are available.
Read the official details: Admissions information from Kelvinside Academy
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.
Know what to expect
Follow the school’s assessment guidance.
The school identifies CAT4 for Senior Prep and older applicants. GL Assessment’s parent guidance says CAT4 is designed to measure reasoning ability and advises against coaching or practice materials for the assessment.
Read the official guidance: Kelvinside Academy · GL Assessment
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.
Follow the assessment guidance
Check what the school asks your child to do and whether it recommends any preparation. Use its own instructions and the assessment provider’s advice.
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.
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- 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
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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
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Before you apply
- The school’s February 2026 policy names CAT4, interview and school reports for Senior Prep and above. GL Assessment’s family guidance describes CAT4 and advises against external practice; contact Kelvinside for the current assessment date.
Plusling’s guide to Kelvinside Academy 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
- Scotland: official school register Scottish Government
- Kelvinside Academy | Leading Independent School In Glasgow Kelvinside Academy
- Admissions | Kelvinside Academy | Leading Independent School In Glasgow Kelvinside Academy
- Admissions Policy, February 2026 Kelvinside Academy
- Primary 7 Senior Prep Kelvinside Academy
- CAT4 information for parents GL Assessment