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Are you considering Palmers Green High School for your daughter? We've collated everything you need to know about applying for a place in Year 7. Learn about key dates, what's covered on the entrance exam, and how to help your child prepare.
About Palmers Green High School
Palmers Green High School is an independent day school in North London for girls aged 3–16. The all-through environment provides all pupils with inspiring facilities and seamless year-on-year transitions.
Pupils at PGHS benefit from a more personal teaching experience, made possible by small class sizes (an average of just 10 pupils per class at GCSE). The curriculum is broad and balanced, with pupils studying 15 subjects in Years 7–9 – including careers education.
GCSE results are consistently outstanding, placing PGHS first on the Sunday Times Parent Power league table for small independent schools (with no sixth form). Popular sixth form destinations include City of London School for Girls, North London Collegiate, and Henrietta Barnett.
An exciting range of extra-curricular activities help develop pupils into well-rounded individuals. Pupils can develop interests and explore new talents in over 80 available clubs, including Science/STEAM, choirs and orchestras, and a range of sports.
Headteacher: Ms Sarah Proudlove
Address: 104 Hoppers Road, Winchmore Hill, London N21 3LJ
London borough: Enfield
Age range and gender: 3–16, girls only
Number of pupils: 250+
National league table rank (Sunday Times Parent Power): 1
GCSE results (2022): 85% 9–7
Key info for Year 7 admissions
Admissions contact: [email protected], 020 8886 1135
Open day: Wednesday 27th September & Friday 6th October 2023 – book online. A taster day will take place on Monday 16th October 2023
Entry process: ISEB Common Pre-Test, creative writing paper, and interview
Registration closes: Monday 30th October 2023
Assessment date: Saturday 11th November 2023
Palmers Green High School fees & financial assistance
The current fees at Palmers Green High School are £6,375 per term for pupils in Years 7–11. Fees include the cost of teaching and any necessary educational materials. The fees are reviewed annually, and may be subject to increase.
Financial assistance
Palmers Green High School is able to provide a limited number of bursaries to pupils applying for 11 plus entry. Bursaries are a type of means-tested financial assistance, based on the parents' income and assets. The level of financial support varies depending on the parental need and the amount of funds the school has available.
If you would like to apply for a bursary at Palmers Green High School, you will need to submit a bursary form before your daughter takes the entrance exam. Bursary forms are available from PGHS on request.
Scholarships
Pupils applying for 11 plus entry to Palmers Green High School may also apply for a scholarship. These awards are not means-tested, but based on the child's talent in a particular area. Scholarships are worth up to 5% of school fees, and can be awarded in conjunction with a bursary.
All children who take the 11+ entrance exam are automatically considered for an academic scholarship or award. Otherwise, your daughter can apply for any number of scholarships, including art, drama, music, and sport. Further information and scholarship application forms are available on the school website.
Palmers Green High School term dates
The 2023–2024 term dates at Palmers Green High School are:
Autumn term: 7th September – 15th December 2023
Half term: 19th–29th October 2023
Spring term: 9th January – 28th March 2024
Half term: 10th–18th February 2024
Summer term: 23rd April – 10th July 2024
Half term: 25th May – 2nd June 2024
Palmers Green High School 11+ admissions process
Palmers Green High School is an academic school, accepting children on the grounds of ability and aptitude.
1. Visit the school
If you're considering Palmers Green High School at 11+ entry for your daughter, it's a good idea to visit the school first. PGHS holds working open mornings, which give parents an opportunity to see the school in action. This includes meeting with teachers and senior staff, and touring the school facilities.
You may also be interested in registering your daughter for an 11+ taster day. This is designed to give your daughter a first-hand experience of life at PGHS, with taster lessons in different subjects.
2. Register for 11+ entry
When you are ready to begin your daughter's application, you'll need to complete the registration form. This can be completed online or on paper (to be returned to the admissions office by the deadline).
If your daughter is applying for 2024 entry, you'll need to submit this form by Monday 30th October 2023. A non-refundable registration fee of £75 applies (£125 for international applicants).
3. 11+ entrance exam
All children who are registered by the deadline are invited to the 11+ entrance exam. This will take place on Saturday 11th November 2023 for children applying for 2024 entry.
Your daughter will sit the ISEB Common Pre-Test and will have a traditional creative writing paper.
What is the ISEB Common Pre-Test?
The ISEB Common Pre-Test is an online test administered by the Independent Schools Examination Board (ISEB). It is taken online and it is completely adaptive, meaning that the questions become more challenging depending on your child's performance. Questions span four subjects:
English: tests reading comprehension, spelling, punctuation, and grammar
Maths: covers the Key Stage 2 national curriculum up to the end of Year 5. The main topics are number, measurement, data, algebra, and geometry
Verbal reasoning: tests logic and problem-solving with written information (including letters, words, numbers and symbols)
Non-verbal reasoning: tests your child's ability to understand and analyse visual information (such as shapes, diagrams and pictures)
How is the ISEB Common Pre-Test marked?
Each child will be given a Standardised Age Score (SAS), which is calculated based on the number of correct and incorrect answers, the level of difficulty in each question and their date of birth in years and months (to prevent younger children from being disadvantaged). Your child's ISEB Common Pre-Test score will be sent directly to Palmers Green High School.
Guide to the ISEB Common Pre-Test
Find out everything you need to know about the ISEB Common Pre-Test. See example questions, get tips to help your child prepare, and download an exclusive ISEB resource.
4. Interviews
Children who show promise in the ISEB Common Pre-Test and the creative writing paper are invited back to the school for an interview. If your daughter is shortlisted for interview, you will be contacted with an interview date in the week after the exam.
The interview will be one-on-one with the headteacher. This is an opportunity for the head to get an overall picture of your child, and to discuss areas such as interests and hobbies.
5. Offers
Offers of places in Year 7 at Palmers Green High School will be made on the basis of your daughter's performance in the 11+ entrance exam and the interview with the head. The offer and acceptance dates are available from the school office.
How to prepare for the Palmers Green High School 11+
As Palmers Green High School is academically-selective, places will be offered to children who perform well in the admissions process. Here are our top tips to help your child prepare.
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.
All-in-one 11+ prep for Palmers Green High School
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