Oundle School — 13+ English Scholarship 2024
Oundle School set this 13+ English paper in 2024. Hearthprep hosts it as an interactive past paper — 8 questions worth 50 marks in 75 minutes, each marked the moment the paper is submitted and backed by a step-by-step worked solution. Most 13+ entrance exams are sat between November and January of the year of entry.
Real 13+ English paper from Oundle School (2024). 8 questions, 50 marks. Answer interactively with worked solutions. Covers Creative Writing, Poetry, Reading Comprehension.
This is the school's own past paper, reproduced here with worked solutions by Hearthprep. Most 13+ entrance exams are sat between November and January of the year of entry, so a timed attempt at this paper is worth doing early enough to leave room for the topics it exposes. Work through it on screen with instant marking, or print the PDF and sit it under exam conditions.
- School
- Oundle School
- Entry level
- 13+
- Subject
- English
- Year
- 2024
- Questions
- 8
- Marks
- 50
- Time
- 75 minutes
- Exam board
- ISEB
Topics in this paper
- Creative Writing
- Poetry
- Reading Comprehension
Questions in this paper (3 of 8)
- Question 1written answer · 2 marks
Read line 2 of Seamus Heaney's poem 'The Forge': 'Outside, old axles and iron hoops rusting;' What impression of outside the forge does the poet create in line 2? [2 marks]
- Question 2written answer · 3 marks
Read lines 3-5 of Seamus Heaney's poem 'The Forge': 'Inside, the hammered anvil's short-pitched ring, / The unpredictable fantail of sparks / Or hiss when a new shoe toughens in water.' How does the poet use the sound of words in lines 3-5 to convey the sounds of the forge? [3 marks]
- Question 3written answer · 4 marks
In Seamus Heaney's poem 'The Forge', the anvil is described in these lines: 'The anvil must be somewhere in the centre, / Horned as a unicorn, at one end and square, / Set there immoveable: an altar / Where he expends himself in shape and music.' Why do you think Heaney describes the anvil as 'horned as a unicorn' and 'an altar'? [4 marks]
5 further questions in this paper open with any paid plan, along with marking and the worked solutions. See plans.
Frequently asked questions
What is in the Oundle School — 13+ English Scholarship 2024?
8 questions worth 50 marks in total, written for 75 minutes. It covers Creative Writing, Poetry, Reading Comprehension. Oundle School set it as a 13+ English paper.
How long is the Oundle School 13+ English paper?
This paper is timed at 75 minutes for 50 marks — roughly 90 seconds a mark. Hearthprep runs the same clock on screen, so your child sees how far through the time they are as they answer.
Can my child answer this paper online?
Yes. Every question on this page can be answered in the browser and is marked the moment the paper is submitted — multiple choice, short answers and written responses alike. Answers are matched leniently, so a correct value written a different way (units, fractions, word numbers) still scores.
Are worked solutions included?
Every question has a step-by-step worked solution and an AI tutor that will talk through it after the paper is submitted. The first 3 questions of this paper are free to try; the remaining 5 and the marking come with a paid plan.
Where does this Oundle School paper come from?
This is the school's own past paper, reproduced here with worked solutions by Hearthprep. Use it to time a full mock attempt, then drill whichever topics your child drops marks on.
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