North Bridge House Senior (Canonbury): parents’ guide to Year 7 entry

North Bridge House Senior Canonbury is a co-educational independent day school for ages 11 to 18 in North London. The school is part of the family of North Bridge House schools, including nurseries and pre-preps in Hampstead and West Hampstead, a prep school in Regent’s Park, and another senior school in Hampstead. The Canonbury location is conveniently close to Highbury & Islington station and near the leafy gardens of Canonbury Square.

Set in a 500-year-old Tudor building, North Bridge House Senior Canonbury’s ‘quaint but spacious and well-equipped classrooms’ have been designed to preserve the school’s history while benefiting from integrated technology. Facilities include three science labs, an art suite and studio, music rooms, and a drama performance hall. Pupils taking advantage of the broad sporting curriculum benefit from local facilities for outdoor adventure and water sports, as well as yoga, martial arts and fitness classes.

North Bridge House Senior Canonbury is committed to knowing each individual child, adopting a ‘high support, low pressure’ model to help students achieve their potential. The school’s recent academic track record includes 66% grades 7–9 at GCSE and 65% A*– A at A level in 2021. Pupils commonly go on to secure places at Oxbridge, Russell Group and renowned Arts and overseas universities.

Key information for North Bridge House Senior Canonbury

• Headteacher: Charlotte Tassell-Dent

• Address: North Bridge House Senior Canonbury, 6–9 Canonbury Place, London N1 2NQ

• London Borough: Islington

• Admissions contact: [email protected], 020 7428 1520

• Age range and gender: 11–18, co-educational

• Number of pupils: 232

• Number of places in Year 7: Undisclosed

• Ratio of applicants to places: Undisclosed

• Open day date: Saturday 24th September 2022, 10am – book online.

• Overview of selection procedure: Reference, interview, adaptive assessment

• Registration opens: Registration for Year 7 entry in 2023 is currently open – apply here.

• Registration closes: Friday 25th November 2022

• Assessment date: Early December 2022

• Scholarship assessment date: January 2023

North Bridge House Senior Canonbury fees and financial assistance

The current fees at North Bridge House Senior Canonbury are £6,840 per term. This covers tuition and a 1-2-1 school device.

The school offers incremental sibling discounts on the fees:

• 5% discount for one sibling

• 10% discount for an additional sibling

• 15% discount for any further siblings

A £2,000 deposit is required to accept your child’s place at North Bridge House. This is returned to you when your child leaves the school. The deposit amount is £6,000 for international students.

What’s not included in the school fees

Lunch is compulsory for all years and costs £385 per term.

North Bridge House Senior Canonbury bursaries

North Bridge House aims to support families whose circumstances change while their child is enrolled at the school. To request a financial aid form, contact the school’s bursar on 020 7267 6266 or [email protected].

North Bridge House Senior Canonbury scholarships

North Bridge House Senior Canonbury offers a range of scholarships to prospective pupils for Year 7 entry. Scholars are expected to act as school ambassadors (both academically and recreationally) and lead their peers in enrichment and extracurricular activities. The following scholarships are available:

• Academic scholarships: The school automatically invites students who do exceedingly well in their admissions assessment to interview for an academic scholarship. Scholarship interviews will be conducted in January 2023.

• Art scholarships: Art scholarships are open to candidates who demonstrate advanced skill and imagination in and beyond the classroom. The assessment involves a portfolio inspection, an interview with the Head of Art, and a drawing exercise. Apply for an art scholarship by completing the scholarship application form and returning it to [email protected] by the deadline of 15th November 2022.

• Drama scholarships: Drama scholarships recognise students with a dedicated interest in theatre, acting, directing or performing. To audition, your child will be asked to perform a 1–2 minute dialogue from a published play, and interview with the Head of Drama. The application process is the same as the art scholarship process above.

• Music scholarships: Music scholarship candidates will be invited to audition and interview with the Head of Music. The application process is the same as the art scholarship process above.

North Bridge House Senior Canonbury term dates

The term dates at North Bridge House Senior Canonbury for 2022–23 are:

• Autumn term: 5th September – 14th December 2022

• Half term: 17th – 28th October 2022

• Spring term: 4th January – 31st March 2023

• Half term: 13th – 17th February 2023

• Summer term: 19th April – 7th July 2023

• Half term: 29th May – 2nd June 2023

Admissions process for Year 7 entry to North Bridge House Senior Canonbury

If you would like to register your child for 11 plus entry to North Bridge House Senior Canonbury in 2023, you will need to submit an online application before Friday 25th November 2022. An application fee of £150 will need to be paid at the same time.

North Bridge House Senior Canonbury will write to your child’s current school to request a reference, which will explore the pupil’s potential and willingness to engage with the school’s curriculum. Consideration will also be given to your child’s most recent school reports. All candidates will be invited to an assessment day at the beginning of December 2022. This consists of a small group interview with a member of the school’s senior leadership team and an online adaptive assessment.

If your child is applying for a scholarship, you will need to complete the scholarship application form and send this to admissionsenquir[email protected]. Those applying for scholarships will then be invited for additional auditions and interviews in January 2023.

North Bridge House Senior Canonbury will send offers of places by January 2023, including details on how to accept the place. Priority will be given to existing North Bridge House pupils (i.e. those who attend one of the North Bridge House prep schools) and siblings of existing pupils.

North Bridge House Senior Canonbury entrance exam format

Children who are applying for 11 plus entry to North Bridge House Senior Canonbury will take an online assessment at the school in early December 2022. On the same day, they will be invited to attend a small group interview with a member of the school’s senior leadership team.

This assessment is adaptive – the questions become more difficult depending on how your child is performing. The test will include a tailored set of questions which determine where your child is in terms of their learning and their academic potential. This style of assessment is similar to the ISEB Common Pre-Test.

The test consists of sections in English, maths and non-verbal reasoning.

How to help your child prepare for the selection process at North Bridge House Senior Canonbury

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We know how crucial this time is, so our team is on hand to support you and your family every step of the way. You can book a call with one of our Education Experts to ask any questions you might have about 11 plus entry to North Bridge House Senior Canonbury:

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