Pilgrims School

[ProspectivePilgrim]

Hi all. Does anyone have recent experience of the assessments for prep entry? Just wondering how difficult they are. They say they are tailored for their actual age/year group rather than a year ahead or anything but I'm not sure!. Thanks!

Hi OP. It might be quite irregular under the pandemic and our overseas situation, but our experiences a few years ago were:

Assessment and Reference letter from previous school
Two essays (Fiction and Non-fiction)
CAT 4 results
Online screening for 90 minutes (Maths and English)

I prepped him a bit for CAT 4 because it was new to us. But recklessly we had no tutoring academically.

Pilgrims has been amazing and my son is happy and thrives. We highly recommend it.

Good luck!

We are considering Pilgrims. Would you mind sharing more your son's experience please?

We considered Pilgrims from Y4, but were rather put off by the Registrar who kept trying to convince us our DS should join in Y2 in case they fell too far behind the pace at their (excellent) village primary. Also found it hard to reconcile her insistence that it was not a hothouse, with the three academic categories of Scholars, Winchester candidates and Commoners. Not trying to put anyone off because it's a terrific school for academic high fliers and future music professionals. But it's maybe not the best choice if you prefer less pressure on your son.

@PemberleynotWemberley
Let me elaborate on sets: as you mentioned, they have three set W for Winchester, S for Scholarships, and C for Common Entrance, but only in Year 8. Up to year 7, sets are flexible depending on how mature your DS is.
In my opinion, it's not a hothouse at all. For example, even in the Half term just before ISEB, they say 40 minutes of Atom is fine. DS says his daily homework is in 30 minutes.

Update: Pilgrims are going to be merged with Wincoll by 1 September 2025.

The school isn’t in a great place since the new head I have heard - large staff turnover and problems recruiting.

They’ve had so many changes of Head in the last ten years. I’m not sure the current one is massively popular but at least he is steady and probably will stay a while. Their younger year groups are very small but the top of the school is almost full I think - lots of international pupils.

@opheliaswift I have heard of a great deal of unhappiness amongst the parents and also the staff about the head, and the culture of the school in general. I heard that the head is not in tune with the staff or the pupils . It has become way more results focussed . There have been big fissures with the cathedral, and the parent body did not feel the head managed this well or the merging of the school with Winchester College as parents weren't consulted.
My best friend sends her kids there, and we send our kids to a local state which a lot the teachers send their kids to

I’ve wondered if it will eventually get swallowed up by the College? They might start at Y7 and close the rest of it. I suppose it will depend on their numbers in younger years for the next few years.

If it’s true that current Head isn’t great by the way, their recruitment process needs looking at very closely. How many heads have they had in last 10 years?!

Following with interest as potentially very interested in Pilgrims. Does anyone know how rigorous the 7+ is there now?

Hi - we went a different way in the end for logistical reasons, but absolutely loved Pilgrims. We’ve got friends there who really, really love it too. For what it’s worth! I think they have a broad range of abilities (based on friends’ children) and seem to cater well to all.

Thank you, that’s very helpful :)

I know everyone has said that for years. That there needs to be a change in the governors / fresh pair of eyes as they have made some big wrong calls. Teachers leaving in droves too

@PemberleynotWemberley l completely disagree! After much communication. and balanced consideration with the school Registrar and Head we took the opportunity to join the school earlier than initially planned. Our DS was at an ‘excellent’ local primary school but after his taster day at Pilgrims he decided that the school was the place for him, and is thriving with the opportunities that the school offers. We haven’t found it to be an academic hothouse, rather it is giving our DS a tailored education to suit his needs and interests. The final year, Year 8, is well thought through as it is split into three academic classes that suit the exit school route (most don’t go to Winchester College).

Where do they go on to apart from Win Coll @Ljden ?