The Henrietta Barnett School 11+ guide

Applying to The Henrietta Barnett School for September 2028? This guide covers the two-round Henrietta Barnett School entrance test, the qualifying score, how the 120 Year 7 places are allocated and the key dates for September 2028 entry.

The Henrietta Barnett School 11+ at a glance

• School type: girls' grammar school
• Location: Hampstead Garden Suburb, London Borough of Barnet
• Admissions contact: office@hbschool.org.uk
• Number of places in Year 7: 120 (2027-entry figure — The Henrietta Barnett School confirms each year's admission number in its determined arrangements, published the spring before entry.)
• Qualifying score: There is no fixed pass mark. Round One scores are standardised, combined and ranked, and the top 300 girls are invited to Round Two (if there is a tie at the cut-off, everyone on that score is invited). Round Two results are then standardised and combined with Round One to give the final rank order. This is from the 2027/28 policy.
• 11+ test: Henrietta Barnett School entrance test (two rounds: Round One in verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and English, then Round Two English and maths papers for the top 300)
• Catchment or priority area: a 3-mile distance priority for girls who sit Round Two

Source: The Henrietta Barnett School Admissions Policy for Entry in 2027-2028 (determined; approved by governors 3 December 2025). Last checked October 2026.

Key dates for September 2028 entry

The Henrietta Barnett School hasn't published its 2028-entry timetable yet. For 2027 entry, the Entrance Test Entry Form closed at 5pm on Wednesday 1 July 2026, Round One took place on 2, 3 and 4 September 2026, the school wrote to every candidate with the Round One outcome by Monday 28 September, and the top 300 sat Round Two on Tuesday 6 October 2026. The windows below follow that timetable. The policy doesn't say when the entry form opens, so that row shows 'To be confirmed'. We'll update this page as soon as the school publishes its 2028-entry dates.

How to apply to The Henrietta Barnett School

The Henrietta Barnett School is selective, so your child needs to sit the 11+ test to be considered for a place.

You register your daughter for the entrance test by completing the school's Entrance Test Entry Form, using the link on its website. For 2027 entry the form closed at 5pm on Wednesday 1 July 2026. If she is eligible for Pupil Premium, her current school must send written confirmation directly to The Henrietta Barnett School by the same deadline.

Once you have your child's result, you apply by naming The Henrietta Barnett School on your common application form, which goes to your home local authority. For September 2028 entry the deadline is Sunday 31 October 2027. As it falls on a Sunday, you may find it easier to submit your form in the days before.

Reaching the qualifying score makes your child eligible, but it doesn't guarantee a place. If more qualifying children apply than there are places, the school uses its oversubscription criteria, set out further down this page.

What will my child be tested on?

Entry to The Henrietta Barnett School is by academic selection in two rounds. Round One is a verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and English test set by a nationally recognised body. The school has confirmed these three subjects for Round One but doesn't publish the length of each paper. Applicants receive details of the Round One test from the school in August, before the test.

Round One results are standardised, combined and ranked. The top 300 girls are invited back to Round Two, and if several girls are tied at the cut-off score, all of them are invited. Round Two is a 60-minute English paper and a 50-minute maths paper, testing literacy and numeracy at Key Stage 2 level. The school doesn't release past papers or provide resources for Round Two.

After Round Two, the results are standardised and combined with Round One to produce the final rank order. Girls who aren't invited to Round Two are told their overall standardised score and the cut-off score for the top 300 before the application deadline, and the school writes to Round Two candidates in late October to help with the local authority form.

The table below shows what each paper covers.

How are places allocated at The Henrietta Barnett School?

If more children reach the qualifying standard than there are 120 Year 7 places, The Henrietta Barnett School offers places in the order below. This order comes from the school's admissions policy for 2027/28. The school sets its 2028-entry policy separately, and we'll update this table if anything changes.

The school only applies these criteria to girls who have taken both rounds (the first two criteria need a top-300 Round One ranking). The final rank order used for criteria three and four combines the standardised Round One and Round Two results.

Does The Henrietta Barnett School have a catchment area?

The 2027/28 policy doesn't define a catchment area. Instead, the third criterion gives priority to girls who live within 3 miles of the school when the October local authority application is made, as long as they sit Round Two. Distance is measured in a straight line from the home address point to the school's main entrance on Central Square, using the London Borough of Barnet's system. Girls further away are considered under criterion four, in rank score order.

Within the first two criteria, ties are broken by straight-line distance to the school's main entrance on Central Square, measured by the London Borough of Barnet. Where girls are equally ranked on score, the one who lives closer is placed higher; girls who live the same distance away (for example in the same block of flats) are put in random order by Barnet's computerised system.

If you don't live close to the school, it's worth thinking about how your child will get there every day. How long will the journey take? What transport options are available? Will they be travelling independently or with support?

A longer or more complex journey can affect your child's daily routine, including how much time they have for homework, rest and after-school activities. It's a good idea to think about how manageable the school run will be and whether it will work for your family day to day.

How can I help my child prepare for the test?

The Henrietta Barnett School entrance exam can feel like a big milestone, but preparation doesn't have to be overwhelming. Here's how you can help your child prepare for test day.

Stay on track with a clear plan

One of the hardest parts of 11+ preparation is knowing what to focus on, when, and how to make steady progress without it taking over family life.

A clear, structured plan helps your child feel less overwhelmed and more in control. It ensures they build skills in the right order, cover everything they need, and avoid last-minute cramming.

Atom's exam plan makes this easier. Enter your child's target schools and exam dates, and we'll create a personalised weekly plan tailored to the topics they'll be tested on. It shows them what to work on and when, adapts as they improve, and helps them build progress in a calm, manageable way — little and often.

That means less guesswork for you, less stress for them, and a clearer path all the way to exam day.

Build smart exam technique

As your child's knowledge grows, practice tests can help them feel more comfortable with the real exam format.

Atom's 11+ practice papers are built to match the format, timing and question styles of real 11+ exams. They're also unlimited — you can download the same paper again and again, and your child will get new questions each time. This helps them practise without repeating the same content.

We've made marking easy for you, too. Simply photograph your child's answer sheets and upload them to Atom. The papers are marked instantly, showing your child's standardised age score (SAS), where they're doing well, and what they should focus on next. You'll also learn how they compare to other children applying to the same school.

Encourage regular reading

Strong reading skills play a big role in 11+ preparation.

Encourage your child to read every day, even for just 10–15 minutes. The key is variety. Mix fiction and non-fiction, different genres, and a range of authors. This helps them become more confident in understanding tone, purpose, and meaning across different texts.

Over time, regular reading will broaden their vocabulary, improve comprehension and inference, and build confidence in tackling unseen texts.

Looking for inspiration? Atom's recommended reading lists have suggestions spanning fiction and non-fiction for Years 3–6.

Celebrate progress, not just scores

When you're supporting your child through 11+ preparation, what really matters is knowing they're moving in the right direction — not just how they scored on a single test.

Atom's progress tracking gives you a clear, simple picture of how your child is doing in each topic and the direction they're moving in. You can see where they're on track, where they might need more practice, and spot progress as it happens.

That makes it easier to give meaningful encouragement, keep motivation steady, and focus on what matters most: consistent improvement, not just one-off results.