Applying to Tallis

Applying to Thomas Tallis 16+ for 2026-2027

We are now closed for applications.

We will begin sending offer decisions when we return from the Easter break on Monday 13 April. Please be patient as we review the large number of applications we have received, as we will process these into the summer term.

If your application status on Applicaa is 'Awaiting Reference', you should contact your referee directly in the first instance, as we cannot process your application without the reference. Please also check that the referee details, including email address, are entered correctly on Applicaa.

Key admissions and enrolment info and dates for 2026-2027 applicants

Applications

For entry we require students to have a minimum of five grade 9 to 4 or equivalent qualifications at GCSE including Maths or English Language at grade 4. We provide the option for students to retake either Maths or English Language GCSE if strictly necessary (but we cannot accommodate retakes in both). It is a general recommendation that students need at least a grade 6 in the GCSE subject they intend to continue to A-level but some require higher grades still (see the latest information on the Post 16 website). Students with a majority of qualifications lower than grade 5 will in general take BTEC and AAQ courses; only if GCSE grades are rather stronger than this will A-levels be possible. It is also worth noting that students need to achieve a grade D (A-level) or Merit (BTEC) prediction or above in Year 12 if we are to recommend progression in that course in Year 13.

Once you have made the decision to apply to Thomas Tallis you need to complete an online application through Applicaa by clicking on the link at the top of this page.

Internal students will be provided with login details after the October half term. External students may apply via the online link by registering for their own account. Your school will then need to complete a detailed reference (external students only.)

We do not generally interview. If you are offered a place at the school, you will then need to accept the place and attend enrolment in person in August 2026.

The key dates after Open Evening are as follows:

Applications: Our online application portal opens on 15 October 2025. For external applicants, it will remain open until 12 noon on Monday 19 January 2026. (We set an earlier application deadline for our internal applicants.) Applications made after this point are considered to be late applications and won’t receive equal consideration. We strongly advise all applicants to apply to more than one centre.

References sought: We can only reply to external applicants once we have had a reference from your school, and our deadline for references to be sent from schools is 12 noon on Friday 27 February 2026.

Offers made: We anticipate that we will make offers from the middle of April 2026. We have many applicants every year, and it takes time to work through them carefully. Please be patient.

Taster Days: Our provisional plan is to invite successful applicants to try out courses in school, on 29 and 30 June 2026.

Enrolment: Please note - students must appear in person on GCSE Results day on 20 August 2026 or the day after to confirm enrolment. We do not offer virtual enrolment.

Post-16 Minimum Entry Requirements

ALL STUDENTS MUST have a least 5 GCSE grades x 4-9, including 4 in one of English Language/Maths.
Those without a 4 in either English Language or Maths MUST select a GCSE retake in that subject, in addition to their full curriculum. PLEASE NOTE we do not permit students to retake both GCSE English Literature and Maths.
We count a grade P in a L2 BTEC as equivalent to one 4 at GCSE.
All students taking 2 or more A-levels MUST have at least 5 GCSE grades 4-9 including 5 in English Language.
Students wishing to pursue more than one of the Sciences and Maths must have an average score at GCSE of 6 or more.

Please see our Entry Requirements document below for more precise details of the entry requirements we set for each course that we offer. We reserve the right to change these from time to time. We don't anticipate the 'small print' will change very much, although we do revise our curriculum plan during each academic year. We also set specific entry requirements for particular A-level, AAQ and BTEC courses, and these are also outlined below. Some subjects, such as Media, may require the submission of a portfolio of work, for instance.

SUBJECT	MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS for each subject in addition to those laid out above
Art A-level	5 in Art. Students may be required to show examples of their work in a digital form at enrolment if their grades fall below the minimum expectation.
Arts & Design BTEC	5 in arts-based GCSE or M in BTEC L2. Students may be required to show examples of their work in a digital form at enrolment if their grades fall below the minimum expectation.
Business BTEC	Post-16 Entry Minimum Requirements. If GCSE Business, must be 4.
Business A-level	6 in Business or a humanities subject.
Core Maths	Post-16 Entry Minimum Requirements.
Computer Science A-level	6 or above in Computer Science. 7 or above in Maths if no Computer Science GCSE.
Creative Media BTEC	If Media studied at KS4, must be Level 2 Merit (BTEC). Alternatively, we require a 5 in English Language or English Literature.
Creative Writing EPQ	6 in English Language or English Literature.
Dance A-level	5 in GCSE Dance or M in BTEC Dance or extensive dance performance experience with a youth dance group or recognised ISTD, RAD, Cecchetti or other recognised dance board qualifications.
Drama A-level	5 in Drama. For those without GCSE Drama: a conversation with the Curriculum Leader for Drama abour performance/theatre experience at enrolment.
Economics A-level	6 in Maths and 6 in English Language.
English Language A-level	6 in English Language and 5 in English Literature OR 5 in English Language and 6 in English Literature.
English Literature A-level	6 in English Language and 5 in English Literature OR 5 in English Language and 6 in English Literature.
Extended Project Qualification	Post-16 Entry Minimum Requirements.
Film Studies A-level	6 in English Language or English Literature, and 5 in a humanities subject.
French A-level	6 in French and 5 in English Literature.
Further Maths A-level	8 or above in Maths. GCSE APS must be 7+. GCSE Further or Additional Maths is highly desirable. Must be taken as fourth A-level.
Geography A-level	6 in Geography and 6 in Maths.
Government and Politics A-level	6 in English Language or English Literature, and 6 in a humanities subject.
Graphics A-level	6 in Graphics, or DT subjects, or Art. 5 in any of these subjects considered together with a digital/physical portfolio on enrolment day.
History A-level	6 in History and 6 in English Literature.
IT AAQ	Post-16 Entry Minimum Requirements.
Maths A-level	7 in Maths on the first attempt, plus 6 in Physics or 6-6 in Double Award Science.
Music A-level	6 in Music or Grade 5 or above in an instrument (including voice) and Grade 5 or above in Associated Board theory exam. Students may be required to show examples of their work in a digital form at enrolment if their grades fall below the minimum expectation.
Philosophy A-level	6 in English Language and 6 in humanities subject.
Photography A-level	5 or above in a visual arts subject. Students may be required to show examples of their work in a digital form at enrolment if their grades fall below the minimum expectation.
Psychology A-level	6-6 double Science OR 6 single Science and 6 in Maths.
Science A-levels	Biology: 6 in Biology or 6-7 in double Science, and 6 in Maths. Chemistry: 6 in Chemistry or 6-7 in double Science, and 6 in Maths. Physics: 6 in Physics or 6-7 in double Science, and 6 in Maths.
Sociology A-level	6 in humanities and 6 in English Literature. If Sociology studied at GCSE, must be 6.
Spanish A-level	6 in Spanish and 5 in English Literature.
Sport BTEC	4 in English and 4 in Science OR L2 Merit in BTEC Level 1/2 Tech Award in Sport.

Level 3 courses are a significant step up from those completed at Key Stage 4. You must choose your subjects carefully. Try to choose subjects that you are good at: this is why we recommend at least a 6 at GCSE in any A-level subject desired at Key Stage 5. See our Pathways and timetable blocking here for a detailed breakdown.

It can be hard to stay motivated if you are struggling with a subject. Look carefully at the subject syllabus and how it is assessed. Consider which subjects ‘fit together’ and compliment each other. Finally, make sure your subject combination prepares you for your future goal, be it the world of work or higher education. If you're unsure, ask us about this!