At any entry point into the School, the entrance assessment is age appropriate, becoming more formalised as a boy gets older.
Young boys who wish to enter St Ives Preparatory School in Preschool or Kindergarten (our two main intake years) are invited for an Activity Morning the year prior to entry. These mornings consist of an informal, play-based assessment, conducted in small groups for about 90 minutes. Activity Mornings are designed to determine a boy’s readiness for the programme which the Prep School offers. Boys are expected to have a strong proficiency in spoken English to complete the Activity Morning. If boys are interested in Year 1 and Year 2 entry, places are occasionally offered, and an Activity Morning can be scheduled at any time prior to entry. Please contact our enrolments team if you are interested.
Activity Mornings for older boys in our Year 3 intake are also held in the year prior to entry. Occasionally places become available in Years 4-6. If you are interested in a place, please contact our enrolments team to discuss availability. In these cases, a boy could be invited by the Headmaster to come to the School at any time prior to entry for an Activity Morning. These mornings are designed to evaluate a boy’s potential to flourish in our Prep School environment and provide an enjoyable way for us to get to know your son in a collaborative setting. It is expected that boys of this age are achieving well or displaying potential at their current school and we may ask for copies of their school reports prior to assessing them.
Academic coaching prior to attending an Activity Morning is not necessary, in fact we strongly discourage it. We are looking for boys with long-term potential to enjoy all that Sydney Grammar School has to offer, where dispositions such as curiosity and creativity are encouraged and fostered.
Opportunities for Entry in 2027
- Activity Mornings for Preschool 2027 will commence in August 2026 (applications close Friday 26 June 2026).
- Activity Mornings for Kindergarten 2027 will commence in March 2026 (applications close Friday 23 January 2026).
- Activity Mornings for Year 3 2027 will commence in May 2026 (applications close Friday 27 March 2026).
To make an online application to St Ives Preparatory School on behalf of your son, please click here.
For information or to enquire about admission to Sydney Grammar School, please contact the School’s Enrolment Office on 8302 5200 or email stivesenrolments@sydgram.nsw.edu.au
