Highgate School: 11 plus entry guide

About Highgate School

Highgate School is a private day school for boys and girls in North London. It was founded in 1565 by Sir Roger Cholmeley, a ‘well-beloved and faithful subject’ of Queen Elizabeth I, and boasts an extensive list of notable alumni including poet laureates and mathematician John Venn (creator of the Venn diagram).

Pupil wellbeing is at the heart of Highgate School’s ethos. A dedicated wellbeing team aims to ensure pupils feel safe, happy, supported and welcomed in the school community. Beyond the classroom, pupils are encouraged to discover their extracurricular interests with opportunities in over 150 activities and clubs, access to 30 specialist sports coaches, excellent facilities and a programme of local, national and international trips.

Highgate School has a series of accolades to its name, including Independent School of the Year (2019 and 2020) and the Sunday Times London Independent School of the Decade (2020). It's currently ranked 21st out of all private schools in the country and tops the national league tables for all co-educational independent schools.

• Headteacher: Adam Pettitt

• Address: Highgate School, North Road, London N6 4AY

• London borough: Haringey

• Age range and gender: 4–18, boys and girls

• Number of pupils: 1,800+

• National league table rank (Sunday Times Parent Power): 21

• A level results: 95% A*–B

• GCSE results: 95.7% 9–7

Key info for Year 7 admissions

• Admission contact: [email protected], 020 8347 3564

• Open day: Saturday 7th October 2023. Register your interest online

• Overview of selection procedure: entrance exam, school reference and interview

• Registration opens: June 2023

• Registration closes: November 2023

• Assessment date: early December 2023

Highgate School admissions process

Approximately 80 children are welcomed into Year 7 at Highgate School each year. New pupils join around 105 children who move up from the Junior School.

If you are considering Highgate School for your child, it's a good idea to attend an open event before starting an application. Open events include a talk from the headteacher, the opportunity to meet teaching staff, an introduction to the school's co-curricular programme and a tour of the school sites.

1. Register for Year 7 entry

Registration for entry to Year 7 in 2024 will open in June 2023. To apply, complete the 11 plus registration form before the deadline (early November 2023). An application fee of £150 applies, but this can be removed if your annual gross household income is less than £30,000.

Once you’ve submitted the application form and fee, you’ll receive an acknowledgement and your child will be registered for the entrance exam. The school will also request a confidential reference from your child's current headteacher.

2. Entrance exam

Your child will be invited to sit the 11 plus exam in early December when they are in Year 6. This exam is unique to Highgate School – we've included details about the content and format below.

3. Interview and taster lesson

A large proportion of children will be invited back to the school for a second-stage assessment in January 2024. This consists of a group interview with other candidates and a taster lesson. This is a two-way opportunity for Highgate School to get to know your child further, and for your child to get a taste of school life at Highgate.

Learn more about private school interviews.

4. Offers

Highgate School will send you a letter with the outcome of your child's application in early February 2024. If your child is offered a place, you will be invited to an event for offer-holders in February to help guide your final decision.

How to prepare for entry to Highgate School

Here are our top tips to help your child prepare for the entrance process at Highgate School.

Preparation is key: familiarisation with the question formats and known styles ahead of the exam is essential. Access to quality Highgate School practice papers 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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Atom's algorithm keeps children on their ideal learning path, tailored to their unique learning style and pace to keep them challenged and motivated.