Admissions

Do we need to let our current school know about an application to City?

Yes, please. We will request a reference from the headteacher of the pupil’s current school to help in our assessment process.

How does City help pupils with special educational needs or special circumstances when they take their assessment?

If a candidate has any form of special educational need, they can be considered for extra time or other access arrangements. We will need to receive a recommendation from a pupil’s school SENDCo or equivalent specialist teacher. Alternatively, parents can provide City with a recent Educational Psychologist’s report dated within two years. Please note we strictly adhere to the JCQ (Joint Council for Qualifications) guidelines when awarding candidates with access arrangements and therefore, even if a pupil has an Educational Psychologist’s report, it does not automatically qualify them for extra time. Reports of this nature need to reach us several weeks before the assessment date and can either be submitted with the registration or
will be requested nearer to the time of the first assessment.

We also appreciate that other circumstances can affect performance on the day. It is crucial that you make us aware of any of the following in the pre-assessment form you will be asked to complete after registration, so that we can take these into account:

• English as a second language
• Illness or lengthy absence from school
• Educational provision during lockdown
• Family circumstances such as a recent bereavement
• Periods of schooling outside the UK

The full text of our admissions policy can be found on our policies page.

Should pupils receive tutoring before the entrance assessments?

We do not wish for pupils to endure hours of extra tuition. The assessment is designed not to be ‘tutorable’. We would much prefer pupils to come along to their assessment feeling fresh and full of energy rather than worn out from working too hard!

We do, however, recommend that applicants look at the familiarisation and specimen materials we provide so that they know what to expect on the day.

How can my daughter prepare for the interview?

All City interviewers are current teachers, experienced at putting pupils at ease and getting the best out of them. Please also rest assured that we are very much looking for academic potential and interest rather than the finished article! Any practice your daughter can get in articulating her ideas with enthusiasm and justification would be helpful.

Does City accept pupils from overseas?

We certainly do! Several pupils join us each year from overseas. International pupils bring an exciting dimension to school life, and reflect the wide range of nationalities, backgrounds and languages represented at City in all year groups.

Registered pupils who are coming from overseas may be able to sit their assessments at a select number of British Council offices. We hope to confirm the specific offices as soon as possible. Please note, however, that we cannot guarantee this provision for all overseas applicants.

For the second assessment, whilst we prefer pupils to come along to City for this, we are also able to arrange for them to be sat and invigilated remotely. All interviews will be conducted remotely, and we will try to schedule them to a convenient time for your time zone.

Successful overseas applicants who wish to study at City will likely need a Child Student Visa if they do not currently have the right to live and study in the UK. We will be able to help with application for this, and City has HTS (Highly Trusted Sponsor) status so we can sponsor such a visa.

City does not have boarding facilities. Should accommodation be required, parents will need to find a guardianship arrangement, as legally required for pupils under the age of 18. City is a member of AEGIS (Association for the Education and Guardianship of International Students) who supply a list and details of accredited guardian organisations.

Do we need to let our current school know about an application to City?

Yes, please. We will request a reference from the headteacher of the student’s current school to help in our assessment process.

How does City help students with special educational needs or special circumstances when they take their assessment?

If a candidate has any form of special educational need, they can be considered for extra time or other access arrangements. We will need to receive a recommendation from a student’s school SENDCo or equivalent specialist teacher. Alternatively, parents can provide City with a recent educational psychologist’s report dated within two years. Please note, we strictly adhere to the JCQ (Joint Council for Qualifications) guidelines when awarding candidates with access arrangements and therefore even if a student has an educational psychologist’s report, it does not automatically qualify them for extra time. Reports of this nature need to reach us several weeks before the entrance exam date and can either be submitted with the registration or will be requested nearer to exam time.

We also appreciate that other circumstances can affect performance on the day. It is crucial that you make us aware of any of the following in the pre-assessment form you will be asked to complete after registration, so that we can take these into account:

• English as a second language
• Educational provision during lockdown
• Illness or lengthy absence from school
• Family circumstances such as a recent bereavement
• Periods of schooling outside the UK.

Should students receive tutoring before the entrance assessments?

Prospective students should not undertake tutoring for our assessments. Our exams are based on the GCSE syllabuses which students will have probably covered in year 10. We also appreciate that schools will teach topics in a different order, so understand that some of the content might not have been covered yet.

Which pupils does City make offers to?

It is crucial for us to have an admissions process which is as fair and transparent as possible. We aim to identify those with the most potential to benefit and thrive here at City.

We therefore make offers to pupils who:

• display a high level of academic ability in the entrance exam
• have a strong academic record from their current school
• show a passion for learning, originality and potential to think independently in their interview
• demonstrate that they would enjoy making the most of the wide-ranging co-curricular opportunities offered to them at City

Does City accept students from overseas?

We certainly do! Several pupils join us each year from overseas. International pupils bring an exciting dimension to school life, and reflect the wide range of nationalities, backgrounds and languages represented at City in all year groups.

For year 12 entry, we can arrange for applicants to sit their assessment overseas at a local British Council office. You simply need to make contact with your local British Council office to confirm that they will invigilate the assessment, and provide us with their contact details. We will then email the papers and instructions to them in order for them to conduct the assessment. The completed papers will then be returned to us for marking.

All interviews will be conducted remotely, and we will try to schedule them to a convenient time for your time zone.

Successful overseas applicants who wish to study at City will likely need a Child Student Visa if they do not currently have the right to live and study in the UK. We will be able to help with application for this, and City has HTS (Highly Trusted Sponsor) status so we can sponsor such a visa. Please click here to check whether you require a visa.

City does not have boarding facilities. Should accommodation be required, parents will need to find a guardianship arrangement, as legally required for pupils under the age of 18. City is a member of AEGIS (Association for the Education and Guardianship of International Students) who supply a list and details of accredited guardian organisations.