Know exactly where your child stands for Ratcliffe College
Thousands of practice questions and up to 6 mock papers, all in the exact Ratcliffe College 11+ format, on one simple plan. It starts with a free diagnostic.
Thousands of practice questions and up to 6 mock papers, all in the exact Ratcliffe College 11+ format, on one simple plan. It starts with a free diagnostic.
Ratcliffe College
Ratcliffe College is an independent, co-educational Catholic school in Leicestershire offering Year 7 entry. Admissions are determined through a single-stage process using the Quest Admissions exam board, with no formal interview stage. The school accommodates both day pupils and boarders, with a structured daily schedule running from morning tutor time through to evening prep.
If you want a school day that runs seamlessly into the evening rather than treating it as separate, Ratcliffe is set up that way: tutor time from twenty-five past eight, then prep or activities from twenty to five until ten past six. It is an independent Catholic co-educational school on the Fosse Way north east of Leicester, taking children from the nursery through to eighteen, with about 920 in all and around a hundred of them boarding. Boarders can start in Year 6.
It opened on 1 June 1847, founded by the Rosminian Fathers, and Historic England records it, citing Pevsner, as the first Catholic college founded in England since the Reformation. The main front was designed by Augustus Welby Pugin, who did the interiors of the Palace of Westminster, and the chapel of 1875, with its rose window, is by his son. The building is listed. Girls joined the sixth form in 1979 and the school became fully co-educational at eleven in 1984.
Entry at eleven is assessed in maths and English, in the January or February before the September a child starts, and the school publishes familiarisation papers so that nobody walks in cold. GCSE classes average fourteen. Houses compete at singing and drama, and the oldest surviving house event is a race around the square. The old pupils' association was formed in 1867. The Good Schools Guide calls it 'a secluded Catholic school where many spend their whole childhood', but found that 'far from feeling like a bubble, leavers come out well-rounded and more than prepared for the real world', with a parent adding that 'it's got a loving feel'. It suits a child who will settle in and stay.
Key facts
Annual fees
2026/27, per term, including VAT: Senior School Years 7-8 day £7,266 (£21,798 per year); weekly boarding Years 6-8 £11,172 (£33,516 per year); full boarding £16,782 (£50,346 per year), not broken down by year group. Non-refundable registration fee £120 including VAT for day and £150 for boarding. Deposit £1,000 for day pupils, £1,000 per term for boarding under a year, or £5,000 for boarding of a year or more.
Admissions
Admissions contact
enquiries@ratcliffecollege.com
Admissions phone
01509 817072
Registration form
https://ratcliffe.applicaa.com/
Sibling policy
What this school tests
11+ Entrance Examinations
English
- Grammar
- Punctuation
- Reading Comprehension - Comparison
- Reading Comprehension - Evaluation
- Reading Comprehension - Grammar and punctuation
- Reading Comprehension - Inference and Deduction
- Reading Comprehension - Information Retrieval
- Reading Comprehension - Language Techniques and Imagery
- Reading Comprehension - Sentence-level Comprehension
- Reading Comprehension - Sequencing
- Reading Comprehension - Structure, Form, Voice and Tone
- Reading Comprehension - Summarising
- Reading Comprehension - Text Classification and Purpose
- Reading Comprehension - Types of Words and Phrases
- Reading Comprehension - Word Meaning / Choice
- Spelling
- Vocabulary
Maths
- Algebra
- Angles and Degrees
- BIDMAS
- Coordinate Grids
- Estimation and Rounding
- Factors and Multiples
- Fractions, Decimals and Percentages
- Measurement
- Money
- Number and Place Value
- Operations
- Perimeter, Area and Volume
- Position and Direction
- Properties of Shapes
- Ratio and Proportion
- Reflection, Rotation and Symmetry
- Sequences
- Special Numbers
- Speed, Distance and Time
- Statistics
- Time
Catchment area
Selection review and safety net
Previous exam results
GCSE results
2025: 13% of grades at 9, 28% at 9-8, 47% at 9-7 and a 93% pass rate at 9-4 (school's own published figures).
A-level results
2026: 36% of grades at A*-A, 70% at A*-B, 88% at A*-C and a 99% pass rate. The school also states it ranks in the top 1% in the UK for A Level value-added (school's own published figures).
Frequently asked questions
Which exam board does Ratcliffe College use for the 11+?
Ratcliffe College uses the Quest Admissions exam board for its Year 7 entrance assessment.
Is there an interview stage for Year 7 entry at Ratcliffe College?
No, there is no interview stage as part of the 11+ admissions process at Ratcliffe College.
Is Ratcliffe College co-educational or single-sex?
Ratcliffe College is a co-educational school, welcoming both boys and girls.
What are the school fees for Year 7 day pupils at Ratcliffe College?
For the 2026/27 academic year, the Senior School day fees for Years 7-8 are £7,266 per term, which totals £21,798 per year including VAT.
What is the website for Ratcliffe College?
The official website for the school is https://www.ratcliffecollege.com/.
Location
https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d2416.159489015556!2d-1.0778846220250218!3d52.72931437211677!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x4879d8c54a176925%3A0xb7838796bc4afc95!2sRatcliffe%20College!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sph!4v1787820142850!5m2!1sen!2sph
