Barnet — Grammar and Independent Schools | The Exam Coach

Barnet

Private and Grammar Schools | Barnet

Barnet offers a mix of grammar and private secondary schools, known for their academic excellence and diverse educational approaches.

In Barnet, grammar schools like Queen Elizabeth's School for boys and The Henrietta Barnett School for girls are renowned for their selective admissions and rigorous academic programs. These schools consistently achieve high exam results and prepare students for top universities.

Private schools in Barnet, such as St Michael's Catholic Grammar School for girls and North London Collegiate School, offer a more personalized approach to education with smaller class sizes and a focus on individual development. These schools provide a broad curriculum, including strong arts and sports programs, and emphasize character development and community service.

Below, you can find an updated list of all the private and grammar schools in Barnet. Click the links below for individual school/admissions information, as well as some free 11 Plus exam papers in a similar style to those the school uses for its admissions test for year 7.

All Private and Grammar Schools in Barnet

Mill Hill County High School

Mill Hill School

North London Collegiate School

Northwood Senior School

Queen Elizabeth’s School 

St Michael’s Catholic Grammar School

The Henrietta Barnett School

Mill Hill County High School

  • Address: Pursley Road, Mill Hill, London NW7 3EP, United Kingdom.

  • Founded: 1974 (merger of Moat Mount Comprehensive and Orange Hill School).

  • Type of School: Co-educational grammar school.

  • Age Range: 11-18 years old.

  • Entrance Exam Type: GL Assessment.

  • Notable Features: Mill Hill County High School is a large comprehensive school known for its diverse and inclusive community, broad range of academic and vocational courses, and commitment to preparing students for future success. The school offers a wide range of extracurricular activities and has a strong focus on pastoral care and student well-being.

  • Resources:

Mill Hill School

  • Address: The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London NW7 1QS, United Kingdom.

  • Founded: 1807.

  • Type of School: Independent, co-educational day and boarding school.

  • Age Range: 13-18 years old.

  • Entrance Exam Type: CEM Select.

  • Notable Features: Mill Hill School is a prestigious independent school renowned for its academic excellence, rich history, and sprawling 120-acre campus. The school offers a broad and challenging curriculum, extensive extracurricular opportunities, and a diverse and inclusive community. It emphasizes both academic achievement and personal development, providing a well-rounded education that prepares students for success in university and beyond.

  • Resources:

North London Collegiate School

  • Address: Canons Drive, Edgware, Middlesex HA8 7RJ, United Kingdom.

  • Founded: 1850.

  • Type of School: Independent, all-girls day school.

  • Age Range: 4-18 years old.

  • Entrance Exam Type: School's own exam testing English and maths.

  • Notable Features: North London Collegiate School is a prestigious independent girls' school renowned for its academic excellence, pioneering spirit, and global outlook. The school offers a broad and challenging curriculum, including the International Baccalaureate Diploma, and provides extensive extracurricular opportunities, including international exchanges and collaborations. It fosters a vibrant and supportive community that empowers girls to become confident, independent, and globally-minded leaders.

  • Resources:

Northwood Senior School

  • Address: Moor Farm, Rickmansworth Road, Northwood HA6 2JE, United Kingdom.

  • Founded: 2014.

  • Type of School: Independent, co-educational day school.

  • Age Range: 11-16 years old.

  • Entrance Exam Type: ISEB Common Pre-Test.

  • Notable Features: Northwood Senior School is a relatively new independent school that focuses on providing a supportive and nurturing environment where students can thrive academically and personally. The school is known for its small class sizes, personalised approach to learning, and strong pastoral care. It offers a broad curriculum, a wide range of co-curricular activities, and a focus on preparing students for GCSE success.

  • Resources:

Queen Elizabeth’s School 

  • Address: Queen's Road, Barnet, London EN5 4DQ, United Kingdom.

  • Founded: 1573.

  • Type of School: Grammar school, all-boys.

  • Age Range: 11-18 years old.

  • Entrance Exam Type: GL Assessment.

  • Notable Features: Queen Elizabeth's School is a historic and highly selective grammar school with a reputation for academic excellence. The school is known for its rigorous curriculum, strong focus on traditional subjects, and wide range of extracurricular activities. It boasts a rich history and a strong alumni network.

  • Resources:

St Michael’s Catholic Grammar School

  • Address: Nether Street, North Finchley, London N12 7NJ, United Kingdom.

  • Founded: 1908.

  • Type of School: Voluntary aided, Catholic, grammar school for girls (co-educational sixth form).

  • Age Range: 11-18 years old.

  • Entrance Exam Type: GL Assessment.

  • Notable Features: St Michael's Catholic Grammar School is a high-achieving school known for its strong Catholic ethos, academic excellence, and supportive community. The school offers a broad and balanced curriculum, a wide range of extracurricular activities, and a strong emphasis on pastoral care and spiritual development.

  • Resources:

The Henrietta Barnett School

  • Address: Central Square, Hampstead Garden Suburb, London NW11 7BN, United Kingdom.

  • Founded: 1911.

  • Type of School: Grammar school, all-girls (co-educational sixth form).

  • Age Range: 11-18 years old.

  • Entrance Exam Type: GL Assessment & school written testing.

  • Notable Features: The Henrietta Barnett School is a leading grammar school for girls, consistently ranked among the top-performing schools in the UK. It offers a rigorous academic curriculum, a wide range of extracurricular activities, and a supportive learning environment. HBS is known for its strong focus on academic excellence, cultural diversity, and commitment to social responsibility.

  • Resources:

Ultimate 11 Plus (11+) Guide 2023-24 | Queen Elizabeth’s School

Queen Elizabeth’s School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Information

Exam Information

Exam style — GL Assessment

Exam types:

  • English 

  • Mathematics

Pass mark — 210 or above. 

Other exam information — 

Maths and English exams are taken back to back on the same day.

All questions are multiple choice in both the English and Maths exams. 

The scores from both tests are combined to create the overall entrance test score.

Scores will be standardised.

Exam Dates

2023 — September 2023 (exact date TBC).

Other Important Dates

Next school open days: TBC.

A virtual school open event can be found here.

Closing Date for 11+ tests registration (2024 entry) — July 2023.

Closing Date for school application (2024 entry) — 31st October 2023 (11:59pm).

About the School

Address — Queen Elizabeth’s School, Queen's Road, Barnet, Hertfordshire, EN5 4DQ.

Type of school — Boys’ grammar school.

Headteacher — Mr Neil Enright.

Cost — Free.

Pupils in school — 1262.

Places available in year 7 —  180.

Average applicants per place — 10 or more.

Please note this school is extremely oversubscribed. In 2019, 1985 candidates applied for just 180 places.

Catchment area —  Queen Elizabeth’s School does not have a catchment area.

Over-subscription policy — In the event of more applicants than available places in year 7, the rank order from the 11+ exams will take priority. If candidates achieve the same score, allocations will be determined by the distance from the child’s home to the school. 

 

School Summary

Queen Elizabeth’s School was established in 1573 and is an all-boys, selective grammar school in Barnet (on the London/Hertfordshire border). The school specialises in music and has a large sixth form. 

The school constantly achieves high results and as a result is highly oversubscribed. It has Investors in People status and the Healthy School status. In 2010, it became an academy.

Recent Government analysis showed that Queen Elizabeth’s sent a higher proportion of its pupils to Russell Group universities than any other state-funded school in the country over the last three years. A record 40 Elizabethans took up places at Oxford and Cambridge in 2020.

School results 2020

School results 2020

School results 2019

School results 2019

Ofsted rated this school as ‘outstanding’ in 2008. Find their reports here.

Compare this school’s performance with other local schools here.

The Admissions Process

Early May 2023 — Entrance test request forms available for 2024 entry.

July 2023 — Closing Date for 11+ test registration (2024 entry).

September 2023 — 11+ entrance tests for 2024 entry.

October 2023 — Test results sent out to parents.

31st October 2023 (11:59pm) — Closing date to apply to the school for September 2024 entry. 

1st March 2024 — National offer day.

2022 School Admissions Guide

Practice Papers and our recommended approach

The familiarisation booklets below are designed to inform parents and candidates about the Entrance Test in order to:

• Give a feel for the appearance of the actual assessment.

• Introduce some of the symbols and phrases used in the assessment.

• Inform parents and candidates of the invigilation procedure.

• Indicate the range of disciplines that will be tested.

• Highlight the range of answer formats used in the assessment.

English Parents’ Guide

Maths Parents’ Guide

Sample English and Maths papers, answers and answering booklets can be found on the school’s website here.

The practise papers below are designed to help prepare your child for their exam. They also will help them understand how to use the answering booklets.

11+ English Paper 1 

11+ English Answer Sheet 1 

11+ English Paper 2 

11+ English Answer Sheet 2

11+ English Paper 3

11+ English Answer Sheet 3 

11+ English Answers 3

11+ Maths Paper 1

11+ Maths Answer Sheet 1 

11+ Maths Answers 1

Other past/practice papers and answers for this school can be found here:

Free 11 Plus (11+) Practice Papers and Answers | Queen Elizabeth’s School

You can find out more about how to prepare for the exam on our 11 Plus Exam Help: A Detailed 18 Point Guide page.

 We would recommend that you start revision and preparation as early as you can.  

Ultimate 11 Plus (11+) Guide 2023-24 | The Henrietta Barnett School

The Henrietta Barnett School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Information

Exam Information

Exam style — GL Assessment & school written testing.

Exam types:

 First Round Entrance Exam types:

  • Verbal reasoning

  • Non-Verbal reasoning

  • English

Second Round Entrance Exam types:  

  • English 

  • Mathematics

Other exam information — 

The results of all parts of the first round of entrance exams are combined and ranked to determined who is invited back to round two.

Only the top 300 students will be invited to progress to the second round of testing.

The results of both sets of exams will be used to determine the final rankings and place allocations for the school.

Scores will be standardised. 

Exam Dates

2023:

Round One entrance tests: September 2023 (exact date TBC).

Round Two Entrance test: October 2023 (exact date TBC).

Other Important Dates

Next school open days: 28th April 2023.

A virtual school open event can be found here.

Closing Date for 11+ tests registration (2024 entry) — 11th July 2023 (5pm).

Closing Date for school application (2024 entry) — 31st October 2023 (11:59pm).

About the School

Address — The Henrietta Barnett School, Central Square, Hampstead Garden Suburb, London, NW11 7BN.

Type of school — Girls’ grammar school.

Headteacher — Del Cooke.

Cost — Free.

Pupils in school — 792.

Places available in year 7 —  100.

Average applicants per place — 10 or more.

Please note this school is heavily oversubscribed. The school received 3000 applications for Year 7 places in 2020.

Catchment area —  The Henrietta Barnett school does not have a catchment area; anyone can apply to take the exam. However, when determining the places, applications living within 3 miles of the school are prioritised.

Over-subscription policy — Where qualifying applications for admission exceed the number of places available, places will be allocated in the following order of priority:

  1. Children in care, or those who have previously been in care.

  2. Children eligible for Pupil Premium funding (up to 20 students).

  3. All remaining candidates in overall entrance exam score order.

 

School Summary

The Henrietta Barnett School (HBS) was established in 1911 and is an all-girls, selective grammar school. The school is one of the best state schools in the UK. It became an academy in 2012.

The school specialises in Music and English. It was voted the top girls’ state school in November 2019 by The Sunday Times Parent Power GCSE/A level League Table. 

Over 50% of A-level results in 2020 achieved an A* and 86%  achieved an A* or A.

 87% achieved an A* at GCSE and 98% an A* or A in 2020.

Ofsted rated this school as ‘outstanding’ in 2007. Find their reports here.

Compare this school’s performance with other local schools here.

The Admissions Process

11th July 2023 (5pm) — Closing Date for 11+ test registration (2024 entry).

August 2023 — Deadline for parents to received details of round one entrance tests.

September 2023  — Round one of entrance tests for 2024 entry.

October 2023 (11:59pm) — Closing date to apply to the school for September 2024 entry. 

Early November 2023 — Round two of entrance test for 2024 entry.

1st March 2024 — National offer day.

2022 School Admissions Policy

Practice Papers and our recommended approach

The familiarisation booklets below are designed to inform parents and candidates about the Entrance Test in order to:

• Give a feel for the appearance of the actual assessment.

• Introduce some of the symbols and phrases used in the assessment.

• Inform parents and candidates of the invigilation procedure.

• Indicate the range of disciplines that will be tested.

• Highlight the range of answer formats used in the assessment.

GL Free 11+ Familiarisation Materials and Past Papers

These GL past papers are from 2017. They’re  designed for your child to use to practice before the exam. 

GL English Practice Test

GL English Answering Booklet

GL English Answers

GL Maths Practice Test

GL Maths Answering Booklet

GL Maths Answers

Other past/practice papers and answers for this school can be found here:

Free 11 Plus (11+) Practice Papers and Answers | The Henrietta Barnett School

You can find out more about how to prepare for the exam on our 11 Plus Exam Help: A Detailed 18 Point Guide page.

 We would recommend that you start revision and preparation as early as you can.