Year 5 Early Offer Admissions for Year 7 Entry

Supporting a smooth and confident transition to senior school

As your child approaches the next stage of their educational journey, we encourage you to begin thinking about senior school placements sooner rather than later. Choosing the right school for your child is an exciting time and securing a place early not only provides peace of mind, but also opens up greater opportunities for your child.

Why consider the Early Offer Pathway?

The Year 5 Early Offer Pathway is designed for families who feel confident that Dunottar is their first choice for senior school, and who are ready to make an early commitment. Families who are still exploring a range of senior school options may find the Year 6 Admissions Pathway more suitable, as it allows additional time for reflection and comparison.

Those families who embark on the year 5 Entry Process benefit from:

• More Choice, Less Stress: Applying early gives your child the best chance of securing a place at your preferred school without the pressure of limited availability.
• Stronger Transitions: With a confirmed place, pupils can begin their senior school journey early—meeting future classmates, getting to know staff, and feeling settled well before the start of Year 7.
• Join our Rising Warriors Programme: Pupils who accept an early offer are invited to take part in Rising Warriors, a bespoke series of masterclasses and workshops designed to build confidence, spark curiosity, and support a smooth and exciting transition into senior school life.

Start Year 7 feeling known, valued and already part of the community from day one

Where to start?

• Visit Us – The best way to discover whether Dunottar School is the right fit for your child is to visit us in person. Our Working Open Mornings offer families the opportunity to see the school in action, tour our facilities, speak with pupils and teachers, and attend a presentation from our Headmaster, Mark Tottman, who will share what life at Dunottar is really like.

Book an open morning

• Register your Interest – Families who wish to apply for a place at Dunottar School are invited to register their child to secure a place on our taster and assessment days. Registration is open until the published deadline; however, we encourage families to register early in January of Year 5 so that pupils can attend our Taster Morning later that month. Please see our key dates below for Year 7 – 2028 Entry.

Register for the Year 5 Early Offer Pathway

• Experience Dunottar – Once registered, your child will be invited to our Taster Morning, where pupils take part in a range of fun, engaging activity sessions. This gives children the chance to experience life at Dunottar, meet some of our teachers, and get to know other pupils who are also hoping to join the school.

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Assessment Day

We understand that Assessment Days can seem daunting to children when considering their secondary school choices. We want to reassure you that our assessments are designed for pupils to learn more about life at Dunottar, as well as enable us to begin to get to know your child and to help us assess their ability to fit into the Dunottar community. We carry out 2 types of assessment.

• Pupils will take part in our Warrior Learner Assessments. These involve a number of group activities, that allow us to assess their creativity and how they work with other children.  No preparation for these activities is required. All pupils will also have a friendly, informal interview with a member of staff.
• In addition, pupils will sit Academic Assessments tailored for Year 5 pupils. Tests are based on the National Curriculum work that pupils will have been doing in their current school, for which no tutoring is required.
• As part of the admissions process, we will also contact your child’s current school to request a confidential reference.

Candidates must be able to attend the Warrior Learner and Academic Assessment Day in person. If you are unable to make this date, you are welcome to apply for our Year 6 Pathway.

Scholarships

Scholarships are awarded to pupils who enter the school who are considered exceptional in their performance and potential. Our Scholars’ programme has been designed to provide Dunottar Scholars with an enriching experience that will enable our pupils to achieve their full potential.

We expect our Scholars to show real commitment to their scholarship subject(s), to aim high, not simply for their own benefit, but to have a positive impact on their peer group and other pupils as advocates of their subject areas. In return, Scholars receive a small reduction in their fees.

We offer Scholarship Programmes in Academics, Art, Music, Performing Arts and Sport. For morning information, please visit our scholarships page to find our more.

Key Dates for you Diary

The Year 5 process for 2027 entry is now closed. For 2027 Entry, please see Year 6 Applications for Year 7 Entry.

If you are looking for Year 7 entry in 2028, please see the key dates below.

We look forward to supporting you through this exciting next step.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss the options available, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Our friendly admissions team is here to guide you through the process and answer any questions you may have. Please contact us at any time on admissions@dunottarschool.com or by calling 01737 761945.

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