Alleyn's School 16+ Entry 2026: Papers, Interviews and Key Dates

Alleyn's School, the co-educational independent day school in Dulwich, admits around 40 new students into Year 12 each September through its 16+ entry route. Candidates sit three written papers — Mathematics, Reasoning and Critical Writing — and those reaching a satisfactory standard are then invited to one general interview and two subject-specific academic interviews. For September 2027 entry, registration opens on Monday 7 September 2026 and closes on Friday 16 October 2026 at midday, with entrance assessments on Tuesday 10 November 2026 and interviews on Saturday 28 November 2026.

What Is Alleyn's School's 16+ Entry Process?

Alleyn's runs its 16+ entry as a two-stage process, confirmed on the school's own Sixth Form 16+ admissions page. Stage one is a set of three written assessments — Mathematics, Reasoning and Critical Writing — sat by every external candidate regardless of the A Level subjects they intend to study. Stage two, reserved for candidates who reach "a satisfactory standard" in the written papers, consists of a general interview with members of the Upper School team and two academic interviews in subjects the candidate has proposed for A Level.

The school is explicit that it does not treat the three written papers as equally weighted for every candidate: "we will primarily consider a candidate's scores in the 2 papers that are most relevant, depending on the A level options they have chosen to study." A prospective physics and maths student is therefore judged mainly on the Mathematics and Reasoning papers, while a prospective English and History candidate is judged mainly on Reasoning and Critical Writing — a distinction that matters for how a family should prioritise preparation time.

What Papers Does the Alleyn's 16+ Assessment Involve?

All three written papers are described in detail on Alleyn's own admissions page. None require prior subject-specific knowledge beyond GCSE level, but the formats differ significantly from one another and from typical GCSE papers.

Alleyn's states plainly that "we do not publish sample papers for the 16+ admissions assessments" — there is no official past-paper pack to work from, which is a meaningful difference from Alleyn's own 11+ entry route and from many other schools' 16+ processes. Preparation has to be built around the described format — multiple-choice reasoning under time pressure, and a timed one-page essay — rather than around past questions.

What Happens at the Alleyn's 16+ Interview Stage?

Candidates who reach a satisfactory standard in the written papers are invited to interview. Alleyn's own admissions page states the interview stage consists of exactly two parts: "a general interview with members of the Upper School team to discuss subject choices and why candidates want to come to Alleyn's" and "two academic interviews in two of your A level subject choices" — three interviews in total, not four. This is worth stating precisely because at least one tutoring provider's Alleyn's guide currently describes "four interviews, one general and three subject-specific," which does not match the process as Alleyn's itself publishes it; families should plan around the school's own three-interview structure rather than a third-party summary.

Before interview, candidates list four A Level subjects (excluding the EPQ) in order of preference on the registration form. The two academic interviews are drawn from these four choices, so the subjects a family lists — and the order in which they are ranked — directly shapes which two subject specialists a candidate meets at interview.

How Many Places Are Available at Alleyn's 16+?

Alleyn's publishes a clear headline figure for 16+: "around 40 new students join us in Year 12 from a range of schools and backgrounds" each year. Unlike some neighbouring schools — Whitgift School's 16+ page, for example, sets an explicit 54-point GCSE threshold across eight subjects — Alleyn's own 16+ admissions page does not publish a minimum GCSE grade profile or points bar for external candidates. That makes the written assessment and interview performance, rather than a published grade threshold, the clearest signal of competitiveness a family can plan against.

Key Dates for Alleyn's School 16+ Entry — September 2027

Alleyn's has published its full 16+ timetable for the September 2027 entry cycle, which is the cycle currently open. Registration opens in September 2026 and closes six weeks later in mid-October 2026, with assessments and interviews following in November 2026.

Alleyn's guidance notes carry an explicit caveat that these arrangements "may be amended at short notice," so families should treat this table as the published position and confirm directly with the school's admissions office close to each deadline, particularly the mid-October registration cut-off.

What Does It Cost to Apply? Fees, Waivers and Scholarships

Alleyn's charges a 16+ registration fee of £200 plus VAT for standard applications and £350 plus VAT for overseas candidates, according to the school's published 16+ guidance notes. The fee is waived for families whose child receives Pupil Premium or whose household receives Universal Credit or Income Support. All candidates who sit the written assessments are automatically considered for an Academic scholarship — there is no separate application. Alleyn's also offers Performing Arts scholarships, which require a performance video submission, and Sport scholarships, which require evidence of representative-level participation.

Personal Statement and Application Requirements

The 16+ registration form requires a personal statement of between 300 and 350 words, which Alleyn's guidance notes specify must be completed by the candidate themselves rather than a parent or teacher. Alongside the personal statement, candidates list their four proposed A Level subjects (excluding the Extended Project Qualification) in order of preference — this list feeds directly into which two subjects the academic interviews cover.

How to Prepare for Alleyn's 16+ Entry — A Realistic Timeline

Year 10, spring and summer term: Decide on the four A Level subjects to list in order of preference, since this shapes both the interview subjects and where preparation time should go. Begin light exposure to multiple-choice reasoning and data-interpretation questions in the style Alleyn's Reasoning paper uses.

Year 11, September 2026: Register before the 16 October 2026 midday deadline. Because Alleyn's publishes no sample papers, build timed practice from the school's own written description of each paper — particularly the two most relevant to the candidate's proposed A Level subjects, since these carry the most weight.

October – early November 2026: Draft and refine the 300–350 word personal statement, keeping it in the candidate's own voice. Sit timed mock versions of the Mathematics, Reasoning and Critical Writing papers ahead of the 10 November 2026 assessment date.

Mid-to-late November 2026: Prepare for the 28 November 2026 interviews — one general conversation about subject choices and motivation for Alleyn's, and two academic interviews in the subjects ranked highest on the registration form. Interview preparation should focus on genuine subject engagement rather than rehearsed answers, since Alleyn's academic interviews are conducted by teachers in the relevant subject.

How Leading Tuition Supports Alleyn's School 16+ Applicants

Leading Tuition provides specialist 1-to-1 tutoring for students applying to Alleyn's School at 16+, built around the two written papers that matter most for each candidate's proposed A Level subjects rather than a generic reasoning pack. Our specialist tutors work on timed Mathematics and Reasoning technique, structured Critical Writing practice for the one-page essay format, and subject-specific interview preparation matched to the two A Level subjects each candidate lists highest on their registration form.

Families researching Alleyn's 16+ entry alongside our Alleyn's School 11+ guide should note the two stages are assessed very differently: 11+ uses core-subject and reasoning papers for Year 7 entry, while 16+ is built around Mathematics, Reasoning and Critical Writing papers plus subject-specific academic interviews tied to A Level choices. For families comparing Alleyn's with other 16+ entry options we cover — including nearby Whitgift School's 16+ route — or needing support with the personal statement or ongoing A Level tuition once a place is confirmed, our tutors work with families across London and nationally, in person and online. Rated 4.8/5 on Trustpilot, with a track record of results across 11+ and 16+ entry to London's selective independent schools.

For the school's own admissions requirements, key dates and registration form, always check the official Alleyn's School 16+ Entry page directly, since deadlines and requirements can be updated by the school between admissions cycles.

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