City of London School for Girls 11+ entry guide

Considering City of London School for Girls for your child? We’ve collated everything you need to know about 11+ entry. Learn how to apply, what’s on the entrance exam, and how to help your child prepare for success.

Key information for City of London School for Girls

• Address: City of London School for Girls, St Giles' Terrace, Barbican, London, EC2Y 8BB
• Age range and gender: girls aged 11 – 18
• Type of school: independent day
• Number of students: 750+
• Admissions contact: [email protected]
• 11+ open days: September and October
• 11+ selection criteria: CEM test, English and maths papers, interview
• Financial assistance: means-tested bursaries
• 11+ scholarships: music

About City of London School for Girls

City of London School for Girls (CLSG) is an independent day school for girls aged 11 - 18. It’s located in the Barbican, in the heart of London. It was opened in 1894.

The school says it is ‘Academic yet unstuffy, modern yet acutely aware of its history, diverse yet with a strong sense of identity’. It offers a related atmosphere, and emphasises it’s a modern place in which to learn.

Learning is highly valued at the school, as shown by its excellent academic track record and consistently high exam results. Co-curricular activities are considered equally as important. There are many societies and groups for students to get involved with. Guest speakers regularly come to the school.

CLSG offers a ‘pioneer programme’. This provides students with skills for life that are needed in order to thrive after they leave the school. The school’s location means it benefits from excellent transport links within the capital and beyond.

According to the Independent Schools Inspectorate, at CLSG 'Pupils are inspired to find their space to pioneer by being given the freedom in almost all lessons to explore, discover and create tasks for themselves, while being encouraged to do so by supportive, but highly challenging teaching.'

Dates for your diary

• Registration closes: beginning November in Year 6
• CEM test: November in Year 6
• Interviews: December in Year 6
• Second stage assessment (English and Maths papers): January in Year 6
• Offers of places: February in Year 6
• Acceptance deadline: March in Year 6

City of London School for Girls 11+ entrance exam

All children applying for 11+ entry to City of London School for Girls take the Cambridge Select Insight exam. This is a computer assessment previously known as CEM Select. Schools use the exam to get an idea of a child’s academic potential and ability.

Cambridge Select Insight has a time limit of one hour and is split into six sections. This is a non-adaptive test, so all children see the same questions in the same order. Question types include multiple-choice, drag and drop, and auto-complete.

The core sections in the test are comprehension, missing words, numerical ability and pictures. These sections are often supplemented with one or two more sections which test verbal reasoning.

• Comprehension: the reading comprehension section is one of the longest in the test. Your child will need to read a passage of fiction or non-fiction text, and answer questions to assess their understanding of the text and the extent of their vocabulary.
• Missing words: your child will see two passages of text, one after the other. Both contain missing words. They will need to work out the missing words in each passage.
• Numerical ability: this section of the test assesses your child’s maths skills and knowledge. These questions are aligned to the Key Stage 2 maths curriculum.
• Pictures: the pictures section assesses non-verbal reasoning. For each question, your child will need to choose a picture to complete a set.

After the Cambridge Select Insight test, a second stage of examinations takes place. Applicants must sit a 45 minute paper in English and a 45 minute paper in maths. An interview is also conducted at the school.

Atom’s top tips for applying to City of London School for Girls

City of London School for Girls is a selective school, and competition for places can be high. Here are our top tips to help your child prepare for the selection process.

Bitesize learning

It’s important to build a good knowledge base before school entrance exams. Your child should have a good understanding of the content they’ve been taught at school before testing their knowledge with practice tests.

Using a ‘little and often’ approach when learning is key – our brains encode new information more effectively when dealing with smaller ‘chunks’ of information. For children aged 10–11, child psychologists recommend regular study sessions of 20–30 minutes.

With Atom Home, you don’t need to worry about creating a study schedule. When you enter your target schools, you’ll get a bespoke learning plan tailored to your schools’ entrance exams. Know exactly what your child needs to do each week to confidently pass.

Read widely

Entrance exams test children’s ability to analyse and interpret written information. Regular reading is a great way to help your child build these skills.

Encourage them to read books from different genres and by a diverse range of authors. Increasing the variety of your child’s reading will help them understand different styles, tones and purposes. Meanwhile, reading a little every day will help widen their vocabulary, sharpen their analytical thinking, and enhance their imagination.

Looking for reading inspiration? Check out our Key Stage 2 reading list.

Hone curiosity

Selective schools are often looking for children who are interested in learning. You can help by supporting your child’s broader learning, their intellectual curiosity, and their passion for developing an understanding of the world.

Talk to your child about the world we live in and inspire an interest in current affairs with age-appropriate journalism. It’s also a good idea to make sure they’re benefitting from a rich variety of experiences, such as visiting libraries, museums and galleries.

Refine exam technique

When your child feels confident with their knowledge of the exam topics, they’ll be ready to put their knowledge to the test.

Mock tests can help your child develop problem-solving skills and refine exam technique. They’re also a great way to consolidate learning, while highlighting any knowledge gaps they might want to tackle before exam day.

When you set City of London School for Girls as a target school on Atom Home, your child will get Cambridge Select Insight mock tests as part of their learning plan. Know what to expect on exam day.

Celebrate progress

Setting regular, achievable goals and celebrating your child’s progress – no matter how big or small – will help keep their motivation high.

Make sure to encourage a growth mindset. This means celebrating effort, as well as achievement! When your child makes mistakes or struggles to understand a particular topic, help them understand that they’ll improve through practice. Regular praise will help your child improve their resilience when tackling new and challenging topics.