Charterhouse Registration: Key Dates and Deadlines

Charterhouse takes its main intake at 13+, into Year 9, and it asks families to register well before the assessment. For the principal route, the deadline is 30 September in the year your child is in Year 6, which means putting the form in during the early autumn of Year 6. Charterhouse also runs Year 7 and Year 8 routes for UK pupils, so the timing can vary. This guide sets out when to register, how the process works, and where registration sits in Charterhouse's wider admissions timeline.

When to register for Charterhouse

Charterhouse's main entry point is 13+, when your child joins Year 9, but the school assesses candidates in Year 6, so registration needs to be in place well before then. For the principal route, Charterhouse asks that you register no later than 30 September in the year your child is in Year 6, which in practice means completing the form in the early autumn of that year. The first formal assessment, the ISEB Common Pre-Test, follows in the autumn term of Year 6. Charterhouse is a popular co-educational school with a finite number of places, so registering in good time genuinely matters. Registration commits you to nothing, but without it your child cannot enter the assessment process for their year of entry.

The timing catches some families out, particularly those who assume a 13+ school is a Year 7 or Year 8 decision. For the main route, the deadline falls at the very start of Year 6, so if Charterhouse is on your list, treat the end of Year 5 and the start of Year 6 as the time to act.

The Year 6, 7 and 8 routes

Charterhouse is unusual in offering more than one pathway to 13+ entry for UK pupils, through Year 6, Year 7 or Year 8 routes. The Year 6 route, with its 30 September deadline, is the principal one and the path most prep school families take. The Year 7 and Year 8 routes exist to accommodate children whose circumstances differ, for example those who join the independent pathway a little later or who move schools. If you are unsure which route fits your child, particularly if they are already past Year 6, it is worth contacting the admissions office early to confirm the right one, since the deadlines and timing differ between them. Our guide to the Charterhouse assessment explains how the testing works across the routes.

How to register

Registration is completed using Charterhouse's online registration form, along with the non-refundable registration fee of £420, including VAT, which covers processing the application and the entry assessment. Once you have registered, the admissions team sends a candidate form to begin the testing process. The first assessment stage is the ISEB Common Pre-Test, after which Charterhouse requests a reference from your child's current school before deciding whom to invite to the assessment day. It helps to let your child's current school know early that Charterhouse is the goal, since the reference carries weight and a teacher who is expecting the request can give a fuller account. The full cost picture is set out in our Charterhouse fees guide.

Overseas applicants

Charterhouse welcomes applications from families based overseas, and the broad route to a 13+ place is the same, with the ISEB Common Pre-Test taken remotely, on a digital platform, from any location with an internet connection. This makes the first stage straightforward to sit from abroad. Boarding suits an international application well, since your child boards full time regardless of where the family is based. Overseas families should confirm the exact requirements, including any deposit and the practicalities of attending the assessment day in person, directly with the admissions office, as these can change. Registering early matters even more from overseas, since it gives time to arrange the assessment day visit and any travel around it.

The full Charterhouse admissions timeline

Our full guide to getting into Charterhouse walks through every step in detail.

Common registration mistakes

The most common mistake is misjudging the timing, since Charterhouse's main deadline falls at the start of Year 6, far earlier than families expect for a 13+ school. If Charterhouse is on your list, act at the end of Year 5. The second mistake is not checking which route applies, particularly for a child already past Year 6, when the Year 7 or Year 8 route may be the right one. The third is leaving the current school unbriefed, when Charterhouse relies on a reference that is far stronger when the school has notice rather than being asked at the last minute.