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Westminster Under School

The preparatory gateway to Westminster School, Westminster Under is a fiercely selective 11+ destination for boys in Central London — 40 places, bespoke papers, and a guaranteed path to one of Britain's greatest senior schools.
Exam board
ISEB
Entry
Year 7
Founded
1943
Year 7 places
40

Westminster Under School

SMA Difficulty
Expert
Location: Westminster, Central London
School type: Independent
Admissions test: ISEB
Free 11+ Baseline AssessmentWUS
LOCATION & GETTING THERE

Where Westminster Under School sits — and how to reach it

● Schools● Trains● Buses● School coaches
LOCATION
Westminster Under School
27 Vincent Square, Westminster, London, SW1P 2NN
Other selective schools nearby, closest first — useful if you are considering more than one.
Westminster School
Westminster, London · 0.7 km away
View guide →
Francis Holland School (Sloane Square)
Chelsea, London · 1.3 km away
View guide →
Queen's College London
Marylebone, London · 2.7 km away
View guide →
Queen's Gate School
South Kensington, London · 3.0 km away
View guide →
Nearest railway and Underground stations, with the lines that serve them. Distances are straight-line from the school.
St. James's Park
0.5 km from the school — London Underground: Circle and District lines
Victoria
0.5 km from the school — London Underground: Victoria, Circle and District lines
London Victoria
0.6 km from the school — Southern, Southeastern and Gatwick Express main-line services
Strutton Ground (Stop SJ)
0.2 km from the school — routes 3
Strutton Ground (Stop SH)
0.2 km from the school — routes 3
Westminster City Hall (Stop SB)
0.2 km from the school — routes 3, 11, N11, 24, 26, N26, N44, N136, 148
Westminster City Hall (Stop SA)
0.2 km from the school — routes 3, 11, N11, 24, 26, N26, N44, N136, 148
Bus stops closest to the school, with the routes that serve them. Distances are straight-line from the school.
St. James's Park
0.5 km from the school — London Underground: Circle and District lines
Victoria
0.5 km from the school — London Underground: Victoria, Circle and District lines
London Victoria
0.6 km from the school — Southern, Southeastern and Gatwick Express main-line services
Strutton Ground (Stop SJ)
0.2 km from the school — routes 3
Strutton Ground (Stop SH)
0.2 km from the school — routes 3
Westminster City Hall (Stop SB)
0.2 km from the school — routes 3, 11, N11, 24, 26, N26, N44, N136, 148
Westminster City Hall (Stop SA)
0.2 km from the school — routes 3, 11, N11, 24, 26, N26, N44, N136, 148
Coach services run by the school itself, where they exist.
St. James's Park
0.5 km from the school — London Underground: Circle and District lines
Victoria
0.5 km from the school — London Underground: Victoria, Circle and District lines
London Victoria
0.6 km from the school — Southern, Southeastern and Gatwick Express main-line services
Strutton Ground (Stop SJ)
0.2 km from the school — routes 3
Strutton Ground (Stop SH)
0.2 km from the school — routes 3
Westminster City Hall (Stop SB)
0.2 km from the school — routes 3, 11, N11, 24, 26, N26, N44, N136, 148
Westminster City Hall (Stop SA)
0.2 km from the school — routes 3, 11, N11, 24, 26, N26, N44, N136, 148
Private coach services are run by local operators — confirm routes and seats directly each September.
ON THIS PAGE
OVERVIEW

How the test is structured

Entry at 11+ uses a two-stage process. Stage One is the ISEB Common Pre-Tests in Mathematics, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning, sat in November or early December of Year 6 either at Westminster Under School or at a registered ISEB centre. Approximately 100 pupils who perform well are then invited to Stage Two: bespoke written papers in Mathematics and English set and marked by the school, taken on site in mid-January.

Around 60 shortlisted pupils then attend interviews with senior staff in February, with offers issued by mid-February and acceptance required by early March. The school admits approximately 40 boys into Year 7 each year at 11+. All boys admitted at 11+ are guaranteed progression to Westminster School for Year 9 (13+) entry.

HISTORY & ETHOS

The school's story

Westminster Under School was founded in September 1943 by John Traill Christie, then Headmaster of Westminster School, initially occupying Grant's House at 2 Little Dean's Yard — steps from Westminster Abbey in the heart of the capital. It relocated to Eccleston Square in 1951, then moved to its long-standing home at 27 Vincent Square in 1981, a Victorian building overlooking one of London's finest private sports grounds. The Under School is the preparatory feeder for Westminster School, which itself traces its origins to a monastic school of 1179, refounded by Elizabeth I in 1560.Westminster School's alumni include Christopher Wren, Ben Jonson, Edward Gibbon, Robert Hooke, John Locke, and Andrew Lloyd Webber — over a thousand former pupils appear in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. The Under School inherits this expectation of intellectual seriousness: boys are prepared not just for examinations but for a life of rigorous thought. That disposition — understanding before procedure, depth before pace — is precisely what Singapore mastery instils from primary age.

Why the maths is genuinely hard

Westminster Under's bespoke Maths paper demands that candidates apply KS2 mathematics confidently within unfamiliar problem-solving contexts. With only 40 places against a pool of London's most prepared boys, and automatic progression to Westminster School at 13+, this is arguably the highest-stakes 11+ in Central London.

SMA DIFFICULTY VERDICT

Our honest take on the difficulty

The SMA Verdict

4

/5

Expert

Westminster Under's 11+ is intensely competitive: 40 places, drawn from the most academically prepared preparatory schools in central and west London, with the prize of a guaranteed path to Westminster School at 13+. The bespoke Maths paper goes beyond KS2 content to test applied reasoning and logical fluency. Singapore mastery's structured approach to problem solving — build understanding, model the relationship, construct a logical argument — maps directly onto what Westminster's assessors are looking for in a ten-year-old mathematician.

CATCHMENT & TOWNS

Where families come from

Westminster
Pimlico
Chelsea
Kensington
Belgravia
Fulham
Battersea
Mayfair
Notting Hill
Clapham
KEY DATES

The 11+ admissions calendar

September 2026Registration deadline
November 2026Stage One: ISEB Common Pre-Tests
January 2027Stage Two: bespoke written papers (Maths & English)
February 2027Interviews
February 2027Offers issued
FAQ

Parents' most common questions

Is Westminster Under School only for boys?

Historically yes — Westminster Under School was founded as a boys' preparatory school in 1943. From September 2026 girls are joining Year 7 (11+) for the first time as part of a phased move to full co-education. The school will also admit girls at 4+ and 7+ from 2026. Check the school's admissions pages for the latest gender policy across year groups.

Does admission to Westminster Under guarantee a place at Westminster School?

Yes. All boys (and from 2026, girls) admitted to Westminster Under School at 11+ are guaranteed progression to Westminster School at Year 9 (13+) entry, bypassing the open 13+ assessment process. This makes the 11+ place extremely valuable.

How does Westminster Under's two-stage 11+ work?

Stage One is the ISEB Common Pre-Test in November/December (verbal and non-verbal reasoning, English, maths). Stage Two is the school's own bespoke Maths and English papers in mid-January. Around 60 pupils are then interviewed in February, with approximately 40 offered places.

What does the Westminster Under Maths paper test?

The paper covers all KS2 strands — number, measurement, geometry, algebra and statistics — but the emphasis is firmly on applying knowledge to problem-solving contexts rather than demonstrating recall. The school is explicit that it wants to see mathematical reasoning, not just correct answers.

How does Singapore Maths help for Westminster Under?

Westminster Under's assessors look for boys who can think mathematically and express logical reasoning — not boys who have memorised procedures. Singapore mastery's CPA approach and bar-modelling develop exactly this: the ability to approach an unfamiliar problem, build a model, and construct a justified solution. It is the ideal preparation for this kind of bespoke written paper.
EXAM PAPERS

Past and sample papers

COMING SOON

We're gathering the sample and familiarisation papers Westminster Under School publishes, so you can see the real thing before you prepare. If you'd like them sooner, just ask.

NEARBY SCHOOLS

Other selective schools in the area

Westminster School
Westminster, London · 0.7 km
View guide →
Francis Holland School (Sloane Square)
Chelsea, London · 1.3 km
View guide →
Queen's College London
Marylebone, London · 2.7 km
View guide →
Queen's Gate School
South Kensington, London · 3.0 km
View guide →

Preparing for Westminster Under School?

We teach the reasoning these papers actually reward — not test tricks. Small online groups, qualified teachers, and a Singapore Maths method built on genuine understanding.