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Queen Elizabeth’s School 11 plus: 2024 entry guide

School guide

Mar 15, 2023, 3:06 PM

Queen Elizabeth's School 11 plus entry guide

Are you considering Queen Elizabeth’s School for your child? We've collated all the information you need to know about 2024 entry to Year 7, including key dates, how to register and what's on the 11 plus exam for Barnet grammar schools.

Contents

About Queen Elizabeth’s School

Queen Elizabeth’s School is a boys' grammar school in Barnet. Founded in 1573, it's consistently one of the highest-performing schools in the UK across both state and independent sectors. It was named the Sunday Times State School of the Year in 2022.

As well as offering an outstanding academic programme, the school is committed to developing well-rounded students of excellence, encouraging the boys to shine in music, sports, arts, and languages.

  • Address: Queen's Road, Barnet, EN5 4DQ

  • Local authority: London Borough of Barnet

  • School type: boys' grammar

  • Headteacher: Neil Enright

  • Number of pupils: 1,292

  • National rank (Sunday Times Parent Power): 2

  • A level results: 98.3% A*–B

  • GCSE results: 95.7% 9/8/7

Key info for Year 7 admissions

  • Admissions contact: [email protected]

  • Number of places in Year 7: 180

  • 11 plus registration opens: 1st May 2023

  • Open day: 6th July 2023

  • 11 plus registration closes: 14th July 2023

  • Exam type: GL Assessment

  • Exam date: 20th & 21st September 2023

  • Exam results: 2nd October 2023

  • Local authority application form deadline: 31st October 2023

  • National school offer day: 1st March 2024

Queen Elizabeth’s School term dates

The 2023–2024 term dates at Queen Elizabeth’s School are:

  • Autumn term: 5th September – 21st December 2023

  • Half term: 23rd–27th October 2023

  • Spring term: 8th January – 28th March 2024

  • Half term: 12th–16th February 2024

  • Summer term: 15th April – 24th July 2024

  • Half term: 27th–31st May 2024

How to apply to Queen Elizabeth’s School

1. Register for the 11 plus

Before you register you should speak to your child’s teacher to see if the 11 plus is right for them.

Register your child to take the 11 plus by completing the application form which is available from 1st May and closes in mid-July 2023.

If you're also applying for grammar schools further afield such as Latymer or South West Herts grammar schools, you will need to register for their entrance tests separately.

2. Apply for school places

Once your child has taken the 11 plus, you will get their results in mid-October. You can use the results to decide which schools to include on your local authority application form.

Before listing Queen Elizabeth’s School as a preference on your form, check its admissions policy and make sure your child is eligible. As well as performance in the entrance tests, how close you live to a school is another factor in whether you are likely to be offered a place.

The application form must be submitted to your home local council by 31st October 2023.

What's on the Queen Elizabeth’s School 11 plus exam?

The 11 plus exam for Queen Elizabeth’s School takes place on the 20th and 21st September 2023. Boys will be invited to take the test on one of the two days. Like the other Barnet grammar schools' exams, it is provided by GL Assessment.

The Queen Elizabeth's exam consists of two papers, each lasting about 50 minutes, which assess:

  • English

  • Maths

All questions are multiple-choice. Children record their answers in a separate answer booklet which is marked electronically.

The English and maths questions assess children's literacy and numeracy at a Key Stage 2 level, which is likely to include both Year 5 and Year 6 national curriculum objectives. Candidates are asked to apply their skills and knowledge to new situations.

Learn about each subject in depth and get free resources in our full guide to the 11 plus:

11+ preparation guide

What is the pass mark for Queen Elizabeth’s School?

The scores from the two papers are standardised and combined to give an overall score for each child. Any children who achieve a score of 210 or higher meet the minimum requirement to be considered for a place.

There are 180 places available, which are offered to the 180 highest-scoring applicants. If two or more children achieve the same score, they are prioritised in order of who lives closest to the school gate, measured in a straight line.

Achieving a particular score doesn't guarantee a place at the school, as it is always oversubscribed with qualified candidates. Each year, far more than 180 boys achieve the minimum score. For example:

In 2021:

  • 2,928 boys took the entrance test

  • 1,047 reached the minimum score

  • 232 was the lowest score to gain admission

In 2020:

  • 2,846 boys took the entrance test

  • 1,013 reached the minimum score

  • 229 was the lowest score to gain admission

Scores from previous years can be used as a general guide only, as the lowest score to gain admission will depend on the size and performance of the cohort.

Queen Elizabeth’s School catchment area

Queen Elizabeth's School does not have a defined catchment area. Distance to the school is only used as a tie break when children achieve the same test score.

Boys routinely travel to the school from a very wide geographic area. Information about travel to Queen Elizabeth's School can be found on the school website.

How to help your child prepare for the 11 plus

Here are our top tips on how to best prepare your child for Queen Elizabeth’s School 11 plus.

Cover all the content

The 11 plus assesses a large breadth and depth of learning objectives across the Key Stage 2 national curriculum and beyond.

We recommend that your child starts revising content at least one year before the test. Setting aside study periods using a 'little and often' approach will give them time to build the skills and knowledge they need. When preparing, avoid falling into the trap of over-focusing on either the topics your child enjoys or the topics they find hardest.

Atom Nucleus is an 11 plus online course that tailors your child's personalised learning journey to cover all elements of Queen Elizabeth’s School 11 plus at the right pace for them.

No surprises

Your child will encounter lots of unfamiliar types of questions in the 11 plus exam. Building exam technique with 11 plus test papers will help your child to feel fully confident with the styles of questions they'll encounter in the exam, reducing the potential for stress on the day.

Celebrate their progress

Setting regular goals and celebrating achievements will help keep motivation high. Atom Nucleus offers data-driven insights into your child’s progress towards mastering the 11 plus curriculum, making it easy to see where they need to focus next.

Test your knowledge

Try answering some 11+ questions

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Personalised 11 plus prep for your child

Wondering how to make sure your child covers the depth and breadth of the entire 11 plus curriculum, stays on track with their progress, and gets help when they're stuck? Online learning is a particularly efficient, cost-effective (and fun) way to do this!

Atom Nucleus is the award-winning online 11 plus practice platform that gives your child everything they need to prepare for grammar school exams.

Children work independently through over 90,000 interactive practice questions in English, maths and reasoning. Teacher-created helpsheets and videos help them discover new concepts and consolidate their learning.

Atom's algorithm keeps children on their ideal learning path, tailored to their unique learning style and pace to keep them challenged and motivated.

Queen Elizabeth’s School 11 plus practice papers

Atom Nucleus gives children access to unlimited online practice papers. Our online tests are designed to mirror the format and style of the real Queen Elizabeth’s School exams, so your child will go into the exam knowing exactly what to expect.

And what's more, everything is automatically marked for you.

Try Atom Nucleus free for 5 days

Begin your child's journey to Queen Elizabeth’s School today. Use the full features of Atom Nucleus free for 5 days – cancel anytime.

Start free trial

Personalised support for you

We understand how important this next step is for them, and for you. Please don't hesitate to get in touch with any questions you may have about the 11 plus or Barnet grammar schools.

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