Senior School

Our 11+ entry process takes place during a dedicated assessment window in November of Year 6, prior to September entry.

We aim to make assessment day a supportive and positive experience that gives girls every opportunity to show their strengths, potential, and personality.

The 11+ assessment consists of:

• Online CEM Tests: Standardised online assessments (devised by the University of Durham) evaluating literacy, numeracy, and reasoning skills. These tests are designed to assess innate academic potential rather than prior learning.
• Creative Writing: A paper-based task to assess expression, imagination, and written communication.
• Group Discussion & Activities: Candidates take part in a small group discussion with teaching staff alongside group interactive activities (such as Art, PE, or Drama). This helps girls relax, display their individual interests, and collaborate naturally with peers.

Candidates spend a full day on campus with us, giving them a genuine taste of Senior School life while allowing us to get to know them as individuals. In addition to the assessment, RMS will contact current schools to request a reference for each applicant.

To register your daughter for 11+ entry or to learn more about upcoming assessment dates, please visit our Senior School Admissions page or contact our Admissions Team at 01923 725354 / admissions@rmsforgirls.com.

Offers for Year 7 places are sent out towards the end of November in the year preceding entry (shortly following the 11+ assessment window).

When you receive your offer letter, it will set out the following details:

• Acceptance Deadline: The date by which you must formally accept your daughter’s place (typically early in the spring term, around early March).
• Deposit: Information on paying the required acceptance deposit to secure her place.

For further questions regarding the Year 7 offer timeline or acceptance procedures, please visit our Admissions Journey page or contact our Admissions Team at 01923 725354 / admissions@rmsforgirls.com.

Yes, we offer both Year 7 scholarships to recognise outstanding talent and means-tested bursaries to enable pupils to benefit from an RMS education regardless of financial circumstances.

Scholarships (Year 7 / 11+)

Scholarships are awarded for exceptional talent, providing pupils with tailored extension programmes and leadership opportunities:

• Disciplines Offered: Academic, Art, Drama, Music, and Sport (plus All-Rounder awards made at the Headteacher’s discretion).
• Assessment Timing:
  • All 11+ applicants are automatically considered for Academic Scholarships based on the initial November entrance assessment results; shortlisted candidates are invited back for second-stage academic testing.
  • Specialist Scholarships (Art, Drama, Music, Sport) require an application submission alongside registration, with practical assessments, interviews, or auditions held following the main entrance exams.

Means-Tested Bursaries

Bursaries are means-tested financial awards available for successful applicants at 11+ entry or Sixth Form whose families could not otherwise afford the fees:

• Award Amount: Bursaries may be awarded up to 50% of tuition fees. Priority is given to applicants for whom the bursary will be most transformational.
• Funding & Support: Our bursary provision is made possible thanks to generous benefactors, including former pupils, parents, and our historic links with the Masonic Charitable Foundation.
• Assessment Process: Interested parents are asked to complete a Confidential Statement of Financial Circumstances form with supporting documentation. The school uses an independent company, Bursary Administration Ltd (BAL), to review and assess applications. BAL will normally conduct a home visit for each bursary application.

For full details on criteria, application deadlines, and to view our complete policy guidelines, please visit our Scholarships & Bursaries page or contact our Admissions Team at 01923 725354 / admissions@rmsforgirls.com.

Yes! We offer flexible boarding options for girls starting from Year 4 right through to Sixth Form.

Whether your family needs full-time residential care or occasional overnight stays around busy schedules, our boarding community provides a warm, home-from-home environment:

• • Full Boarding: A seven-day-a-week experience filled with weekend trips, activities, and continuous pastoral care—ideal for international pupils or families living further afield.
  • Weekly Boarding: Pupils stay with us from Monday to Friday, enjoying dedicated study time and school life during the week while spending weekends at home with family.
  • Flexi-Boarding: Families can book two consecutives nights every week during term time (subject to availability)—perfect for balancing long commutes, evening co-curricular activities, or busy working patterns.

• Ad hoc Boarding: Parents typically book a room in advance (subject to bed availability) and pay a per-night rate. The student receives meals and access to all boarding facilities during their stay.

Our Year 5 – 11 boarders live in Zetland House, where experienced Housemistresses and residential staff provide a gentle, nurturing environment designed specifically for younger girls taking their first steps into boarding.

To explore our boarding houses, daily routines, and weekend activity schedules, please visit our Boarding page or contact our Admissions Team at 01923 725354 / admissions@rmsforgirls.com.

At RMS, the wellbeing of our pupils is our top priority. We place every girl at the heart of everything we do, providing a deeply supportive environment where pupils are known, valued, and celebrated as individuals.

We understand that a smooth, happy transition into Senior School is vital for both academic success and personal growth. Our comprehensive multi-layered pastoral network ensures that every girl always has someone to turn to:

Key Pastoral Layers

• Form Tutors & Heads of Year: Day-to-day welfare is monitored closely by Form Tutors and Heads of Year, who build strong, trusting relationships with pupils and act as the primary link between home and school.
• Boarding Housemistresses: For boarders, Housemistresses and residential tutors provide an additional layer of home-from-home care, overseeing academic progress and social wellbeing.
• On-Site Medical Centre: Our Medical Centre is staffed by qualified nurses providing high-quality healthcare.
• Professional Counselling: Pupils have access to experienced, dedicated school counsellors on campus whenever they need additional confidential support or emotional guidance.
• Learning Support (PALS): Our Provision of Assisted Learning and Support (PALS) team works collaboratively with teachers, parents, and students to tailor academic strategies and support individual learning needs.
• Pupil Voice: Active student councils, peer mentoring schemes, and regular forums ensure that every girl’s voice is heard and valued within the school community.

By placing pastoral care alongside academic ambition, we ensure our girls build the resilience, self-confidence, and emotional maturity needed to thrive both during their time at RMS and beyond.

To read more about our approach to wellbeing, please visit our Senior School Pastoral Care page.

Yes. While Year 7 (11+) and Sixth Form (16+) are our main points of entry into the Senior School, occasional places do open up in other year groups (such as Year 8, Year 9, or Year 10) depending on availability.

The process for occasional place entry works as follows:

• Availability: Because places depend on existing year-group capacities, parents are encouraged to contact our Admissions Team first to check current or anticipated availability.
• Assessments & Interview: Candidates seeking an occasional place sit entrance assessments in core subjects (English, Mathematics, and Reasoning) and take part in an interview with a senior member of staff.
• School Report & Reference: We will also request a recent academic report and a confidential reference from your daughter’s current school.
• Flexibility: Subject to place availability, candidates can often be assessed at flexible points throughout the academic year for either immediate entry or the start of the next term.

To check place availability for mid-year or non-standard year entry, please contact our Admissions Team directly at 01923 725354 or admissions@rmsforgirls.com.