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Norfolk & Suffolk (East Anglia) independent school 11+ entry
East Anglia's leading independent schools — Norwich School and Gresham's School in Norfolk, Ipswich School and Royal Hospital School in Suffolk — each take 11+ entrants through their own admissions process. There's no state-sector grammar 11+ in either county.
East Anglia independent schools 11+ at a glance
4 verified East Anglia independent schools take 11+ entrants: Gresham's (Norfolk), Norwich School (Norfolk), Ipswich School (Suffolk), Royal Hospital School (Suffolk).
Royal Hospital School has confirmed November testing; the others run their own admissions timelines — check directly.
Neither Norfolk nor Suffolk has state grammar 11+ — every school on this list is independent (fee-paying).
Exam boards, formats and test dates can change year to year, and schools sometimes move between consortia. Always confirm the current arrangements directly with the school or admissions authority before relying on any single source, including this page.
Schools with 11+ entry
Gresham's School — own entrance assessment (Norfolk)
Norwich School — own entrance assessment (Norfolk)
Ipswich School — own entrance assessment (Suffolk)
Royal Hospital School — own entrance assessment, November (Suffolk)
What to expect
As with most independent-school 11+ entry, expect a written assessment in English and maths (sometimes with reasoning), plus in many cases an interview and a report from the child's current school. Because each school sets its own paper, generic "11+ past papers" only get you so far — ask each admissions office for sample materials specific to that school where available.
How to prepare effectively
Start with the fundamentals rather than exam tricks: a child who reads widely and has a solid grip on KS2 maths will out-perform one who has only drilled past papers. Build in short, regular sessions (15–25 minutes, most days) rather than long weekend cram sessions — consistency beats intensity for children this age.
Mix the four areas: maths, English, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning each need separate practice — strength in one doesn't transfer to another.
Time it properly: once the basics are solid, practise under exam conditions so pace and exam-day nerves stop being a surprise.
Review every mistake: the value in a practice question is in the five minutes after getting it wrong, not the getting it wrong.
Protect downtime: children preparing for a selective exam still need rest, hobbies and unstructured time — burnout in Year 5 shows up as underperformance in Year 6.
Try real East Anglia independent schools 11+ practice questions
Pulled straight from PipPrep's own question bank — not invented for this page.
Question 1
A car travels 240 miles in 4 hours. What is its average speed?
Answer: 60 mph. Speed = 240 ÷ 4 = 60 mph.
Question 2
'The wind whispered through the trees.' What literary device is used?
Answer: personification. Personification gives human qualities to non-human things. 'Whispered' is something the wind (not human) does.
Question 3
ANCHOR is to BOAT as ROOT is to:
Answer: tree. An anchor stabilises a boat. Roots stabilise and nourish a tree.
Question 4
Painter is to Brush as Surgeon is to ___?
Answer: Scalpel. A painter uses a brush as their primary tool; a surgeon uses a scalpel.
Practice every day, the easy way
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