Millfield School 13+ Guide 2026

Millfield School is one of Britain’s most distinctive independent schools — a co-educational boarding and day school in Street, Somerset, that has built an international reputation for sporting excellence, exceptional learning support provision and a genuinely inclusive approach to education. With approximately 200 new pupils joining Year 9 each year, Millfield has one of the largest 13+ intakes of any UK independent school. Its campus is among the most impressive in the country, and the breadth of what it offers — from Olympic-standard sports facilities to specialist support for pupils with dyslexia — makes it genuinely unique.

This guide covers everything families need to know about Millfield School’s 13+ admissions process for 2026: the entry tests, the role of Common Entrance, the “Nine at Millfield” Year 9 programme, fees, scholarships, the school’s famous sporting provision, its learning support department and how Leading Tuition can help your child secure a place.

Key Facts at a Glance

Detail	Information
Full name	Millfield School
Location	Street, Somerset BA16 0YD
Type	Co-educational independent boarding and day school
Age range	13–18 (senior school)
Year 9 intake	Approximately 200 pupils
Assessment method	Entry tests + interview + school reference
CE role	Used for setting purposes, not sole entry criterion
Fees from Sept 2026	£19,615 per term (inc. VAT)
Inspection	ISI
Specialism	Sport, arts, learning support (SpLD)

About Millfield School

Millfield was founded in 1935 by R.J.O. Meyer, a Somerset cricketer and visionary educator who established the school with a deliberately heterodox philosophy: every pupil would be treated as an individual, and excellence would be pursued across the full range of human endeavour, not just in academic subjects. That philosophy has endured. Millfield today is a school that takes elite sportspeople and supports them to achieve academically, that provides specialist help for pupils with learning differences, and that produces outstanding musicians, actors, artists and designers alongside its more conventionally academic leavers.

The Millfield campus in Street covers more than 120 acres. It includes an Olympic-standard 50-metre swimming pool, a golf course, equestrian centre, tennis centre, athletics track, rifle range, rugby pitches, cricket ground, hockey pitches, and a host of other specialised sporting facilities. The school also has excellent music and performing arts facilities, science laboratories, art studios and a well-resourced library. The scale of the site means that Millfield genuinely can offer a breadth of experience that most schools cannot match.

Millfield is co-educational and welcomes both boarding and day pupils. The school’s size — approximately 1,200 pupils in the senior school — means it has the critical mass to support a remarkable range of co-curricular activities. More than 60 sports are available, alongside a full programme of music, drama, art, DT and other activities. Pastoral care is provided through a house system, with house parents and tutors responsible for the wellbeing of each pupil.

The Millfield 13+ Admissions Process

Millfield’s admissions process at 13+ is designed to identify pupils who will thrive in the school’s distinctive environment. Selection is based on academic merit, assessed through entry tests, a personal interview and references from the candidate’s current school. The school is academically selective but not in the same way as narrowly academic schools: Millfield is looking for potential and commitment across a wide range of areas, not simply the highest test scores.

Step 1: Registration. Families register with the admissions team, ideally in Year 5 or Year 6. The admissions team will discuss the most appropriate entry route and timetable for each candidate. Early registration is particularly important for scholarship candidates, as scholarship assessment dates must be arranged in advance.

Step 2: Entry Tests and Interview. Registered candidates are invited to sit Millfield’s entry tests, which assess English, mathematics and reasoning. The tests are followed by a personal interview with a senior member of staff. The interview is a genuine conversation rather than a formal examination; the school wants to understand each candidate’s interests, ambitions, character and learning style. References from the candidate’s current school are also taken into account.

Step 3: Common Entrance. Candidates who are at CE prep schools are expected to sit Common Entrance in Year 8. At Millfield, CE results are used primarily for setting purposes in Year 9 rather than as an absolute threshold for entry. A place is not dependent on CE results alone; candidates who have performed well at the entry test and interview stage but who have a mixed CE performance will not automatically lose their place. The school’s flexible approach to CE is one of the features that makes it particularly suitable for pupils with learning differences or non-traditional academic profiles.

Step 4: “Nine at Millfield” Programme. All new Year 9 pupils take part in “Nine at Millfield”, a programme specifically designed to meet the academic and developmental needs of 13–14 year olds. The programme provides a structured induction into Millfield life, builds key academic skills, and introduces pupils to the full range of the school’s co-curricular provision. It is designed to smooth the transition from prep school and to ensure every new pupil feels at home as quickly as possible.

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Millfield School Fees for 2026–27

Millfield School fees from September 2026 are £19,615 per term for Years 9 to 13, inclusive of VAT at 20%. This fee applies to both boarding and day pupils at the senior school level. The inclusion of VAT reflects the government’s policy change that took effect in January 2025, which removed the VAT exemption previously enjoyed by independent schools.

Millfield offers means-tested bursaries for families who would not otherwise be able to afford the fees. Bursary awards are based on financial need and the pupil’s suitability for Millfield. Families who believe they may qualify for bursary support should contact the admissions department as early as possible in the process, as bursary funding is allocated across each intake cohort and early applicants have the widest range of options.

Scholarships at Millfield for 13+ Entry

Millfield offers one of the most diverse scholarship programmes of any UK independent school. At 13+ entry, scholarships are available in the following disciplines: Academic, Art, Chess, Dance, Drama, Music, Product Design and Sport. Each scholarship carries a fee reduction of up to 10% — the monetary value is modest, but the recognition and any additional training or support that comes with a scholarship award are significant.

Parents may apply for a scholarship to be augmented by a means-tested bursary, subject to a separate financial assessment. This means that for families with genuine financial need, the combination of a scholarship and a bursary can make a Millfield education significantly more affordable. The sport scholarship is particularly sought-after given Millfield’s extraordinary sporting reputation; candidates are assessed by specialist coaches in their discipline and must demonstrate exceptional ability and potential.

What Makes Millfield School Famous for Sport?

No description of Millfield is complete without addressing its sport. Millfield is, quite simply, one of the finest sporting schools in the world. More than 60 sports are available, and the school’s facilities are of a standard that most national sports governing bodies would envy. The 50-metre Olympic swimming pool has produced a remarkable number of Olympic swimmers and national champions. The golf course, equestrian centre, tennis academy and cricket centre are each regarded as among the best school-based facilities in the country.

Millfield alumni include an extraordinary roll-call of sporting greats: Mary Peters (Olympic gold medallist in pentathlon), Rory Underwood (England rugby), Duncan Goodhew (Olympic swimmer), Jo Durie (British tennis), Laura Hamilton (British Olympic swimmer), and dozens of others who have competed at the highest levels of international sport. The school’s sporting alumni network is unrivalled in British independent education.

Sporting excellence at Millfield does not come at the expense of academic achievement. The school’s dual commitment — to support athletes in fulfilling their sporting potential while also achieving the qualifications they need for life after competitive sport — is one of its defining characteristics. Timetabling is flexible enough to accommodate elite training programmes, and the academic staff understand and support the demands of competitive sport.

Learning Support at Millfield School

Millfield is widely regarded as one of the leading independent schools in England for pupils with Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLDs) such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia and ADHD. The school’s learning support department is large, well-resourced and staffed by qualified specialists who provide individual and small-group support, assistive technology guidance and examination access arrangements. Many families choose Millfield specifically because they want a school that will support their child’s learning difference while also challenging them academically and enabling them to thrive in sport, music or the arts.

The school’s approach to learning support is integrated rather than separate: pupils with SpLDs are part of the mainstream academic community and benefit from the same teaching and co-curricular provision as all other pupils, with targeted support provided alongside rather than instead of the normal curriculum. This approach reflects Meyer’s founding philosophy: every individual has their own strengths and every individual deserves to be supported in realising them.

What Is the Academic Profile of Millfield Pupils?

Millfield attracts a genuinely diverse pupil body. Some are elite athletes who have chosen Millfield for its sporting provision. Some are pupils with learning differences who need specialist support alongside a rigorous academic programme. Some are broadly able all-rounders who want a school that values creativity and sport alongside academic achievement. Some are international pupils attracted by the school’s global reputation. What all Millfield pupils share is a sense that they are welcome as themselves — that the school will meet them where they are and challenge them to grow.

At GCSE and A-level, Millfield’s results are solid rather than spectacular by the narrow measures of league tables, but the results tell a richer story when read alongside the extraordinary breadth of what its pupils achieve. The school sends pupils to a wide range of universities in the UK, the US and internationally, and many of its leavers take up sports scholarships at American universities or pursue professional sporting careers.

Frequently Asked Questions: Millfield School 13+ 2026

How Leading Tuition Can Help with Millfield 13+ Preparation

Preparing for Millfield’s 13+ entry involves performing well in entry tests in English, mathematics and reasoning, performing well at interview, and — for those on the CE route — achieving satisfactory CE results. Leading Tuition’s specialist tutors provide one-to-one preparation across all of these areas, tailored to the individual pupil’s strengths and needs.

We work with pupils from Year 5 onwards, building the skills and knowledge needed for Millfield’s entry tests, coaching for CE subjects in Year 7 and 8, and preparing pupils for the personal interview. For pupils with learning differences, we have tutors with specific expertise in supporting learners with dyslexia, dyscalculia and ADHD, and we can coordinate with the pupil’s school to ensure our support complements the school’s own provision.

Rated 4.8/5 on Trustpilot, Leading Tuition is trusted by families across the UK. To discuss your child’s Millfield 13+ preparation, contact us via WhatsApp at wa.me/447360278449 or book a free consultation on our website.