Bishop's Stortford College
Same Hertfordshire area with a comparable local commute
School profile
Verified 17 August 2026
St Edmund's College is a private secondary-stage school in Ware, Hertfordshire, with a published age range of 3-19.
Private school Co-ed Ages 3-19 Sixth form Boarding school
- Application ?
- Apply direct to school
- Age range
- 3-19
- ISI ?
- Standards met
- Boarding ?
- Boarding school
St Edmund's College
1
On this page
At a glance
Key facts
- Sector
- Private school
- Gender
- Mixed
- Application ?
- Apply direct to school
- Age range
- 3-19
- Boarding ?
- Boarding school
- Route check
- Independent schools do not use the local-authority grammar-school catchment model; check the school site for boarding, transport and eligibility rules.
- ISI ?
- Standards met
Overview
Overview
A foundation in 1568 and a move to Old Hall Green in 1793 give St Edmund's College an unusually long Catholic history. The co-educational day and boarding community near Ware now runs from the early years through Prep, College and Sixth Form, welcoming families of all faiths and none. Spiritual, academic, pastoral and co-curricular life are treated as connected parts of the College.
Years 7 to 9 follow a broad Key Stage 3 across core subjects, sciences, humanities, arts, technology and religious education. GCSE and Sixth Form choices become more specialised through A levels, Cambridge Technical options and the Extended Project Qualification, with tutoring and subject support built around individual progress.
Period 7 gives students five weekly choices from more than 100 clubs, societies and activities. Sport, music, drama, musical theatre, the Combined Cadet Force, the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and educational trips sit alongside those choices. Boarders aged 11 to 18 have an induction programme, evening and weekend activities, boarding accommodation and academic support within the same wider community.
Applications are considered where places are available. Years 7 to 11 use CEM assessment in numerical, verbal and non-verbal ability, followed by interview, assessment and a school report in the offer process. Sixth Form applicants attend an interview and meet the stated GCSE requirements. Scholarships are available at several entry points, with a separate bursary route.
Key points
Key points
- Assessment route
- Applications are made directly to the school. Check the school's own admissions pages for registration dates, entrance assessment stages, interviews, fees, scholarships and bursaries.
- Places and demand
- Published Year 7 place numbers and applicant-per-place data are not included in GIAS for this private-school seed profile.
- Catchment
- Private-school eligibility is not controlled by the local-authority grammar catchment model; check boarding, day-pupil, transport and any sibling or faith rules on the school site.
- Results
- 1% grade 5+ in English and maths and 35.5 Attainment 8
- Sixth form
- Sixth form available with 23.5% AAB or better.
GCSE benchmark
Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Hertfordshire and England.
School Local authority England
- Attainment 8
- 35.5
- Grade 5+ English and maths
- 1%
- EBacc APS
- 2.74
- EBacc entry
- 0%
Attainment 8 trend
Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Hertfordshire and England.
School Local authority England
School details
School details
- Sector
- Private school
- School type
- Other independent school
- Funding
- Independent fee-paying
- Application
- Apply direct to school
- Gender
- Mixed
- Age range
- 3-19
- Headteacher
- Mr Matthew Mostyn
- Pupil roll
- 684 pupils
- Sixth form
- Yes
- Boarding
- Boarding school
Location and contact
Location and contact
Address
- Address
- Old Hall Green, Ware, Hertfordshire
- Postcode
- SG11 1DS
- Area
- Hertfordshire
School leadership
- Headteacher
- Mr Matthew Mostyn
School contact
- School phone
- 01920821504
Admissions contact
- Admissions team
- Admissions
- Admissions phone
- 01920821504
Admissions
Admissions
- Application route
- Apply direct to school
- Age range
- 3-19
- Gender
- Mixed
- Boarding
- Boarding school
- Day fees
- £7,799-£9,799 per term including VAT for Years 7-13
- Boarding fees
- £12,996-£17,339 per term including VAT for full boarding
- Scholarships and bursaries
- Scholarships and bursaries
- Entrance details
- College applicants sit a CEM computer-based assessment covering numerical, verbal and non-verbal ability. Sixth Form applicants attend an interview and have a separate GCSE-grade condition.
- Admissions note
- GIAS confirms the school type and age range; fees, scholarships, bursaries and entrance assessments should be checked on the school's own website.
GIAS confirms the school type and age range; fees, scholarships, bursaries and entrance assessments should be checked on the school's own website.
Independent schools do not use the local-authority grammar-school catchment model; check the school site for boarding, transport and eligibility rules.
Oversubscription and eligibility
Use the official admissions policy for the current priority order and eligibility rules.
Exam and test format
Exam and test format
Entrance route and assessment
College applicants sit a CEM computer-based assessment covering numerical, verbal and non-verbal ability. Sixth Form applicants attend an interview and have a separate GCSE-grade condition.
- Assessment route
- Apply direct to school
- Papers and stages
- 2 stages
- Format
- Mixed format
Papers and rounds
-
Round 1
Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning, Other
College Years 7-11 CEM assessment
The computer-based CEM assessment takes about 60 minutes and assesses numerical, verbal and non-verbal ability.
-
Round 2
Interview
Sixth Form admissions interview
Sixth Form applicants attend an interview and entry is conditional on GCSE grades in selected subjects.
Published assessment components
Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning and Interview are listed across the school's published assessment routes.
Published
-
Verbal reasoning
The computer-based CEM assessment takes about 60 minutes and assesses numerical, verbal and non-verbal ability.
-
Non-verbal reasoning
The computer-based CEM assessment takes about 60 minutes and assesses numerical, verbal and non-verbal ability.
-
Interview
Sixth Form applicants attend an interview and entry is conditional on GCSE grades in selected subjects.
Application
Application
Key dates
Get date reminders-
College application deadline
13 November 2026
Route: Years 7-10 (Elements, Rudiments, Grammar and Syntax); entry: September 2027.
-
Interview and assessment day
21 November 2026
Route: Years 7-10; entry: September 2027.
-
College scholarship assessments
19, 23, 24 and 27 November 2026, depending on discipline and entry year
Route: Years 7-10 scholarships; entry: September 2027.
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Year 12 application deadline
19 October 2026
Route: Sixth Form (Year 12); entry: September 2027.
-
Year 12 scholarship assessments
12, 19, 23 and 25 November 2026, depending on discipline
Route: Sixth Form scholarships; entry: September 2027.
How to apply
- 1
Apply direct to the school
Independent-school admissions are handled by the school rather than the local authority CAF.
Check school admissions
Results
Results
Attainment snapshot
- Attainment 8 ?
- 35.5 Attainment 8
- GCSE results
- 1% grade 4+ in English and maths
- Grade 5+ English and maths ?
- 1% grade 5+ in English and maths
- EBacc average point score ?
- 2.74 EBacc APS
- A-level results
- 23.5% AAB or better
- A-level average points
- 40.16 A-level points per entry
Inspection
Inspection
Standards met
Latest inspection: 7 November 2023
- Leadership, management and governance
- Standards met
- Quality of education, training and recreation
- Standards met
- Physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing
- Standards met
- Social and economic education and contribution to society
- Standards met
- Safeguarding
- Standards met
Quick summary
- Latest ISI report: Routine Inspections 2023 records an inspection beginning 7 November 2023. The report says the relevant standards were met.
Similar schools and comparisons
Similar schools and comparisons
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Shortlist comparisons
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Related pages and guides
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Guides and related reading
Related guides are still being added.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How does St Edmund's College handle admissions?
St Edmund's College handles applications directly. Check the school website for registration dates, entrance assessments, interviews, fees, scholarships and bursaries.
How do I apply to St Edmund's College?
1. Apply direct to the school: Independent-school admissions are handled by the school rather than the local authority CAF.
When are the key dates for St Edmund's College?
College application deadline: 13 November 2026. Interview and assessment day: 21 November 2026. College scholarship assessments: 19, 23, 24 and 27 November 2026, depending on discipline and entry year. Year 12 application deadline: 19 October 2026. Year 12 scholarship assessments: 12, 19, 23 and 25 November 2026, depending on discipline
What does the latest inspection picture look like for St Edmund's College?
St Edmund's College is currently rated Standards met following the latest published inspection dated 7 November 2023.