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City of London School for Boys

School typeIndependent

Address107 Queen Victoria Street, City of London, London, England, EC4V 3AL

City of London School for Boys is an independent day school for boys. Its 11+ entrance process involves two stages, using the Independents and Quest Admissions exam boards, and includes an interview. The school is highly competitive, though specific selectivity ratios and pass marks are not provided.

If your son is independently-minded and ready to become a young commuter, City of London School occupies one of the most enviable sites in London — a striking riverside building beside the Thames, just below St Paul's, with the College of Arms opposite and the river on one side. Run by the City of London Corporation and tracing its roots to a 1442 bequest by town clerk John Carpenter — originally to educate four deserving local children — it has welcomed boys of all faiths and backgrounds from the start. That instinct has never left it.

Around 1,041 boys attend, with a sixth form of just over 300, and what parents single out is not the prestige but the genuine diversity. Boys travel in from across London, some up to an hour each way, and the mix that creates is what families consistently say sets the school apart from its peers — private education, but emphatically not a bubble of privilege, and not a school for helicopter parents. Bursaries of up to full fees, plus academic, music and sport scholarships, keep that intake broad in practice as well as in principle.

Music is a particular strength, with a concert programme parents compare to the Festival Hall; sport thrives despite the thoroughly urban setting. Old boys range from Prime Minister H. H. Asquith to Daniel Radcliffe, with John Carpenter's statue still presiding over the glass-roofed atrium in between. It suits a bright, self-possessed boy ready to throw himself into a fast-paced, intellectually busy school — and make the most of the city that surrounds it.

Key facts

Gender

Boys

Website

Visit school website

Admissions

Open day

June, Sept

Admissions contact

enquiries@cityoflondonschool.org.uk

Admissions phone

0203 680 6300

Registration form

View registration details

What this school tests

Online Assessment

English17 question types

GrammarPunctuationReading Comprehension - ComparisonReading Comprehension - EvaluationReading Comprehension - Grammar and punctuationReading Comprehension - Inference and DeductionReading Comprehension - Information RetrievalReading Comprehension - Language Techniques and ImageryReading Comprehension - Sentence-level ComprehensionReading Comprehension - SequencingReading Comprehension - Structure, Form, Voice and ToneReading Comprehension - SummarisingReading Comprehension - Text Classification and PurposeReading Comprehension - Types of Words and PhrasesReading Comprehension - Word Meaning / ChoiceSpellingVocabulary

Maths21 question types

AlgebraAngles and DegreesBIDMASCoordinate GridsEstimation and RoundingFactors and MultiplesFractions, Decimals and PercentagesMeasurementMoneyNumber and Place ValueOperationsPerimeter, Area and VolumePosition and DirectionProperties of ShapesRatio and ProportionReflection, Rotation and SymmetrySequencesSpecial NumbersSpeed, Distance and TimeStatisticsTime

Non-verbal Reasoning12 question types

Figure AnalogiesFigure MatricesFigure SeriesGrid MatricesHorizontal CodesMatch to a Group of FiguresMost Like Three FiguresOdd Figure OutOdd Shaped MatricesStar MatricesTriangle MatricesVertical Codes

Verbal Reasoning23 question types

Alphabet LogicAnagramsCompound WordsEmbedded WordsForm a WordInsert 2 / 3 LettersInsert a LetterLetter AnalogiesLetter SequencesMove 1 / 2 LettersOrdering WordsRhyming SynonymsShuffled SentencesSynonymsWord / Logic PuzzlesWord AnalogiesWord CompletionWord MatchWord OppositesWord PairsWord RelationshipsWord SwapWords and Codes

Spatial Reasoning14 question types

2D Rotations2D View of 3D Shape3D RotationsBlock CountingBuilding BlocksCombining ShapesDiagonal ReflectionsFigure Missing from ImageFold and PunchFolding CubesHidden ShapesMissing Face of CubeNets of 3D ShapesShape Completion

Puzzles and Problem Solving6 question types

Number Properties & ProportionLogic & Systematic ThinkingGeometry, Measures & DataEquations & Early AlgebraMagic Shapes & Additive PuzzlesCalculation Fluency

Critical Thinking7 question types

Logical & Deductive ReasoningInference & EvaluationExtracting & Distilling InformationVisual SourcesComparison & OrderingData AnalysisCodes & Decoding

Creative Writing

English2 question types

Creative Writing - DescriptiveCreative Writing - Narrative

Previous exam results

GCSE results

In 2025 students achieved an average Attainment 8 score of 39.2 across their GCSEs. 98.6% gained a grade 5 or better in both English and Maths. 0% achieved the English Baccalaureate at grade 5 or above. Reference: https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/

A-level results

In 2025 students achieved an A average grade per A-Level entry. 65.7% gained AAB or better including two facilitating subjects. Reference: https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/

Frequently asked questions

What exam board does City of London School for Boys use for the 11+?

City of London School for Boys uses the Independents and Quest Admissions exam boards for its 11+ entry.

Does City of London School for Boys interview as part of the 11+?

Yes, an interview stage is part of the 11+ admissions process at City of London School for Boys.

Is City of London School for Boys co-educational or single-sex?

City of London School for Boys is a single-sex school for boys.

What is the website for City of London School for Boys 11+ admissions?

The official website for City of London School for Boys 11+ admissions is https://www.cityoflondonschool.org.uk/admissions/11-entry/#dates.

How many stages are there in the City of London School for Boys 11+ exam?

The 11+ exam process at City of London School for Boys consists of two stages.

Does City of London School for Boys offer bursaries or help with fees?

Yes. The school offers means-tested transformational bursaries, which can cover up to all of the fees plus extras for families with limited means. To apply, register your son for the entrance assessments and tick the bursary box on the form, then complete the financial declaration you are sent. A Bursary Programme Manager guides families through each stage, which may include a home visit. Bursaries are reviewed each year.

What scholarships does City of London School for Boys offer?

City of London awards prizes rather than fee-reducing scholarships at 11+. Boys offered a place may receive an academic prize for outstanding entrance assessment results, a music prize after an audition and interview, or a sports prize after a trial. Music prizes also bring free instrumental tuition. These prizes recognise achievement and do not reduce fees; help with fees comes through the separate means-tested bursary scheme.

What is the City of London School for Boys 11+ interview like?

Boys who do well in the assessments are invited back for an interview and a group activity. The interview lasts around 15 to 20 minutes and lets staff get to know your son beyond his marks, while he learns more about the school. No special preparation is expected. It is a friendly chat about his interests rather than a test, so your son can simply be himself.

Location

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