Woodford County High School 11 plus guide

About Woodford County High School

Woodford County High School is a grammar school for girls aged 11 to 18 in the London Borough of Redbridge. It was named the London State Secondary School of the Year by the Sunday Times in 2019 and is currently ranked firmly within the top 100 grammar schools in the UK.

Woodford County has an 'unashamedly academic curriculum' and is committed to helping students become articulate, self-confident and skilled in the use of modern technologies. Young women are encouraged to take risks and embrace challenges to prepare for their roles as future leaders.

Beyond the classroom, pupils have access to a wide range of extracurricular activities spanning academia, enrichment and sport. Typical activities include LAMDA drama, dance, football, netball, badminton, cooking and the Woodford Pop Band.

• Address: Woodford County High School, High Road, Woodford Green, Essex, IG8 9LA

• Local authority: London Borough of Redbridge

• School type: girls' grammar

• Headteacher: Jo Pomeroy

• Number of pupils: 1,050+

• National rank (Sunday Times Parent Power): 66

• A level results: 77.9% A*–B

• GCSE results: 87% 9/8/7

Key info for Year 7 admissions

• Admissions contact: [email protected], 020 8504 0611

• Number of places in Year 7: 180

• Open evening: October 2023. A live online admissions event will also take place on 11th May 2023

• 11 plus registration opens: 1st May 2023

• 11 plus registration closes: 30th June 2023

• Exam date: 15th September 2023

• Exam type: Redbridge 11 plus

• Common application form (CAF) deadline: 31st October 2023

• National school offer day: 1st March 2024

How to apply to Woodford County High School

1. Register for the Redbridge 11 plus

Girls applying for Year 7 entry to Woodford County High School take the Redbridge 11 plus. This exam is also taken at the local boys' grammar school, Ilford County High School.

The 11 plus is designed to select children who are working within the top 25% of the academic ability range for their year group. Before registering for the exam, speak to your child's teacher to see if the 11 plus and a grammar school education is right for them.

To register your daughter for the Redbridge 11 plus, fill in the online form on the Redbridge Council website. This will open on 1st May 2023 and close at 5pm on 30th June 2023.

2. Apply for a school place

You will receive your daughter's results in the Redbridge 11 plus in mid-October 2023. If your child has achieved the pass mark in the exam, she will be eligible for a place at the school. You will then be able to name Woodford County High School on your common application form.

Before listing Woodford County High School as a preference on your form, check its admissions policy and make sure your child is eligible. Passing the second stage of the assessment will still not be a guarantee of a place as more girls reach the qualifying standard each year than there are places available.

The application form must be submitted to your home local council by 31st October 2023. The form must be completed for your home local authority – i.e. if you live in Redbridge you will need to complete the form on the Redbridge Council website. If you live in a different local authority, make sure to apply through the relevant website for that council.

What is the pass mark for Woodford County High School?

Your daughter's marks in the two papers will be added together and converted to a standardised score to allow for the age differences of children in the year group.

The pass mark for the Redbridge 11 plus test is 104. Your child will need to achieve a score equal to or higher than 104 to be eligible for a place at the school.

However, meeting the pass mark doesn't guarantee that your child will be allocated a place. In September 2022, 1,354 girls took the Redbridge 11 plus for entry to Woodford County High School and 462 girls achieved a score of 104 or more. As the school is always heavily oversubscribed, oversubscription criteria are used to allocate places.

Woodford County High School oversubscription criteria

Woodford County High School has a planned admission number (PAN) of 180. Girls who achieve a standardised score in the exam of 104 or more and who have an Education, Health and Care Plan which names the school will be admitted as a priority. The remaining places will then be allocated to children who have passed the exam in the following order of priority:

1. Looked after and previously looked after children

2. Children who appear to have previously been in state care outside of England and Wales

3. Up to 45 places (25% of all places available) will be offered to children living in the catchment area who are entitled to the pupil premium

4. Other children living in the catchment area

5. Children living outside the catchment area

If there is a tiebreak between candidates with the same score, priority will be given to the child who lives closest to the school, determined by a measured walking distance using public roads and recognised footpaths.

Woodford County High School catchment area

The catchment area for Woodford County High School extends to Loughton in the north, Walthamstow in the west, Hainault Forest Country Park in the east and Ilford in the south. You can check to see if your postcode falls within the catchment area on the Redbridge Council website.

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.