City of London School for Girls 11 plus guide

About City of London School for Girls

City of London School for Girls is a private day school for girls aged 7 to 18 in the heart of the capital. It's located next to the Barbican Centre and is self-described as ‘intellectually edgy, unassuming and unpretentious'. The school provides an outstanding education for girls from all backgrounds, cultures and faiths, with students coming from Greater London and beyond.

Students at City of London School for Girls study an extensive curriculum, with 26 subjects on offer at A level. Exam results are among the best in the country, putting the school 14th in the national league tables and within the top 10 private schools in London. Girls leave City of London School for Girls for a respectable range of universities including the Russell Group, Oxbridge, Stanford, Brown, and Columbia.

The school aims to develop a strong culture of self-reflection. Students have in-depth support for their wellbeing via a strong tutorial system, learning support department, PSCHE programmes and counselling. The school’s unique coaching programme supports girls to become confident young women by developing inner strength, social and emotional intelligence, positivity and integrity.

• Headmistress: Mrs Jenny Brown

• Address: City of London School for Girls, St Giles’ Terrace, Barbican, The City, EC2Y 8BB

• London borough: City of London

• Age range and gender: 7–18 (girls only)

• Number of pupils: 700+

• National league table rank (Sunday Times Parent Power): 14

• A level results: 94.5% A*–B

• GCSE results: 98.7% 9–7

Key info for Year 7 admissions

• Admissions contact: [email protected], 020 7847 5500

• Open day: June 2023

• Overview of selection procedure: two rounds of assessments, interview and school reference

• Registration opens: summer term in Year 5

• Registration closes: October in Year 6

• Assessment date: mid-November (first stage) and early January (second stage) of Year 6

City of London School for Girls admissions process

If you're considering City of London School for Girls for your daughter, it's a good idea to visit the school at an open event before beginning the admissions process. Open events are a great opportunity to meet key members of staff and current pupils and to see the school facilities.

1. Register for Year 7 entry

Registration for 11 plus entry in September 2024 opens in the summer term in 2023, when your child is in Year 5. You can register your daughter any time, up to the end of October when she is in Year 6.

To register your daughter, complete the form on the school website. You will need to pay a non-refundable registration fee, which costs £160 for UK applicants and £250 for overseas applicants.

2. First assessment

Your daughter will be invited to City of London School for Girls in mid-November to take the CEM Select exam. This is a computer assessment which lasts around one hour and assesses English comprehension, maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning.

The question format differs throughout the exam. Most questions are multiple-choice, but a few will require children to drag and drop options to complete a sequence, or type letters to complete a word.

Girls who are successful in this test and who have an encouraging reference from their current school will be invited to a second assessment and interview.

3. Second assessment and interview

The second assessment for entry to City of London School for Girls will take place in early January. Children will have taster lessons and take two written papers:

• English: a 45-minute paper which tests creative writing and analytical skills

• Maths: a 45-minute paper which tests problem-solving

Girls will also be invited to an interview with a member of staff in early/mid-January. Read common questions and get top tips in our guide to private school interviews.

4. Offers

City of London School for Girls will send offers of places in mid-February when your daughter is halfway through Year 6. Offers will be unconditional, and you will have until early March to accept the place.

How to prepare for entry to City of London School for Girls

Here are Atom's top tips for helping prepare your child for the admissions process at City of London School for Girls.

Preparation is key: familiarisation with the question formats and known styles ahead of the exam is essential. Access to quality CEM Select mock tests ensures confidence when tackling the exam.

Achieve mastery quickly: school entrance exams are designed to identify the children working at the very top of the ability range in their year group, so they assess a huge amount of content. Atom's adaptive algorithm creates your child's personalised learning journey specific to your target schools, with over 90,000 expert, teacher-created resources to support your child to fully master each topic.

Access to instant support: learners need clarification to address any misconceptions and become truly secure in their understanding of a topic. Access to videos, help sheets and engaging examples for each question builds confidence and competence in all areas covered in the exam.

Engage with their progress: celebrate their improvements in their areas of challenge together! An accurate, ongoing assessment of your child’s strengths and development areas is instrumental for preparing efficiently. Atom's Parent Portal gives you data-driven insights into your child’s areas of strength and development.

All-in-one exam prep platform

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Children work independently through over 90,000 interactive practice questions in English, maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning. Teacher-created helpsheets and videos help them discover new concepts and consolidate their learning.

Atom's algorithm keeps children on their ideal learning path, tailored to their unique learning style and pace to keep them challenged and motivated.