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Are you considering Guildford High School for your daughter? We've collated everything you need to know about entry to Year 7, including key dates and what's covered on the entrance exam.
About Guildford High School
Guildford High School is a private day school for girls aged 4 to 18 in Guildford, Surrey. The school has a collection of accolades, including ‘Independent School of the Decade’ (The Sunday Times), Independent Girls Sporting School of the Year (School Sport Magazine) and ‘Best School for Pastoral Care’ (The Week).
Guildford High offers “an inspiring, first-class education for academically able and characterful girls”. When girls join the school in Year 7, they study current affairs, oracy and philosophy in addition to traditional subjects. A pastoral programme teaches students positive life values, with lessons in budgeting, student loans, cooking, travel and first aid.
There is an extensive extracurricular programme, including over 70 clubs and societies, 30 weekly instrumental ensembles and choirs, 30 sports and termly drama productions. Inclusivity is at the heart of the school’s sporting programme and Guildford High School has been named the top girls’ school for sport for the last eight years.
Headmistress: Mrs Fiona Boulton
Address: Guildford High School, London Road, Guildford, Surrey GU1 1SJ
County: Surrey
Age range and gender: 4–18 (girls only)
Number of pupils: 1,000+
National league table rank (Sunday Times Parent Power): 5
A level results: 98.3% A*–B
GCSE results: 97.2% 9–7
Key info for 11 plus admissions
Admissions contact: [email protected], 01483 543853
Open day: visitor mornings throughout the autumn term
Entry process: CEM Select test, interview and school report
Registration closes: 1st November 2023
Assessment date: 19th November 2023 & 5th January 2023
Guildford High School fees and financial assistance
The fees at Guildford High School in 2023-24 are £6,949 per term. Fees include the cost of textbooks, an iPad and stationery, but exclude school lunches, extra subjects, and public exams. Lunch is compulsory in Year 7 and costs £321 per term.
Financial assistance
Guildford High School is committed to widening access at 11 plus entry. Means-tested financial assistance is available to pupils joining Year 7.
Guildford High School aims to offer places to deserving candidates at 11 plus entry, irrespective of background and financial circumstance. Means-tested financial assistance is available to pupils joining Year 7 and is provided by the United Church Schools Trust. A maximum of 3 100% funded places (and several smaller awards) are awarded each year.
All eligible candidates will need to meet the school’s eligibility criteria and it is worth noting that girls living within a 5-mile radius of the school will be given priority over applicants who live further away.
Scholarships
Guildford High School also awards scholarships to children applying for entry at 11 plus. Scholarships are based on talent and are not means-tested.
Academic scholarships are automatically awarded to girls who perform particularly well in the entrance process (no separate application is required). Academic scholarships are worth up to 5% of fees.
Music scholarships are available for girls who can play at Grade 4–5 level on an orchestral instrument (and can offer a second instrument). Music scholarships are also worth up to 5% of fees.
Guildford High School term dates
The term dates at Guildford High School for 2023–24 are:
Autumn term (Michaelmas): 5th September – 15th December 2023
Half term: 23rd October –3rd November 2023
Spring term (Lent): 3rd January – 22nd March 2024
Half term: 12th–16th February 2024
Summer term (Trinity): 15th April –5th July 2024
Half term: 27th–31st May 2024
Guildford High School 11 plus admissions process
Each year, Guildford High School welcomes around 60 new girls into Year 7. New pupils join around 40 girls who move up from Guildford Junior School to create a year group of 100 pupils.
1. Visit the school
If you’re considering Guildford High School, it’s a good idea to visit first. Guildford High is academically- selective and is looking for bright, enthusiastic girls who are ready to seize every opportunity. Visiting the school in-person can give you a better idea of the school environment, so you can be sure your daughter will be happy and thrive.
The school holds visitor mornings throughout the autumn term. For more details and to book a place, visit the school website.
2. Register for 11 plus entry
If you would like your daughter to be considered for Year 7 entry to Guildford High School in 2023, you will need to complete the online registration form and pay a non-refundable registration fee of £150 before 1st November 2023.
Between completing the registration form and the exam day, Guildford High School will be in touch with your daughter’s current school to request a recent school report.
3. CEM Select test
All children who are registered for 11 plus entry will take the CEM Select test at Guildford High on Sunday 19th November 2023.
CEM Select is an online test administered by the Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring. Unlike some other online entrance exams, it is non-adaptive, meaning that all candidates will see the exact same questions throughout the test.
The test takes one hour, which is broken down into six separately timed sections:
Comprehension (verbal reasoning)
Anagrams (verbal reasoning)
Missing words (verbal reasoning)
Shuffled sentences (verbal reasoning)
General mathematics (numerical reasoning)
Pictures (non-verbal reasoning)
Your guide to CEM Select
Find out everything you need to know about CEM Select and download free example questions!
More resources
4. Interviews
In addition to taking the CEM Select test, all applicants will be invited to the school interview day on 5th January 2024.
This is an informal event which gives girls a chance to experience life at Guildford High. The day will consist of activity sessions and an interview, which will explore creative thinking and analytical skills. There are no written tests.
5. Offers
You will find out the result of your child's application within a few weeks after the entrance exam. If your daughter is offered a place and you would like to accept, you will need to return a signed acceptance form and pay a non-refundable acceptance deposit of £1,000.
How to prepare for the Guildford High School 11 plus
Guildford High School is an academically-selective school and very popular with local parents – so entry is naturally competitive. Here are our top tips to help your child prepare effectively.
It can be tempting to jump straight into practice papers to prepare for school exams. However, this is not an effective way to learn and can cause children to feel demotivated.
Your child should have a good understanding of the content they’ve been taught in Year 5 before testing their knowledge with practice papers. Using a ‘little and often’ approach when recapping content is key, as our brains encode new information more effectively when dealing with smaller ‘chunks’ of information. Experts recommend study sessions should last no longer than 30 minutes for children aged 10–11.
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