Exeter Cathedral School
11+ Admissions Guide 2026

Exeter Cathedral School is an independent day and boarding school for boys and girls aged between rising-threes and thirteen years. Founded in 1179 as a boys' choir school, non-choristers were admitted in the 1960s and the school became co-educational in 1994. It is a limited company and registered charity, overseen by a board of governors. The school comprises nursery, pre-preparatory and preparatory departments. Preparatory pupils can board full time, weekly or flexibly, with separate accommodation for girls and boys within the boarding house. The school aims to offer a first-rate, all-round educational experience focused on developing the whole child within a supportive, purposeful, stimulating and gently Christian environment, working alongside families to help pupils acquire the right habits for life. Pupils come from a range of professional and business backgrounds, mostly from families who live within an hour from the school. The school identifies a number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including dyslexia and dyspraxia, and supports those with English as an additional language through their classroom teachers. The curriculum is also modified for the most able pupils and for those with special talents, including in music, sport and the creative arts.