Last updated: July 2026 — updated with current entry data for QE Boys, Henrietta Barnett and St Michael’s Catholic Grammar School.
There’s no doubt. If you want your child to receive the best possible education and a supportive school environment, grammar schools are a natural choice. They’re famed for impressive academic results and university admissions.
It’s unsurprising these schools are enduringly popular among parents and students alike. But as you’ll probably know, entry is based on the 11 Plus exam.
These tests usually involve some elements of Maths, English, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning. They test a student’s academic suitability for a grammar school environment – and are designed to be challenging. So if you want your child to have the best chance of acceptance to one of Barnet’s grammar schools…careful, well-timed preparation can make a significant difference.
In this article, we introduce the various grammar schools in Barnet as well as top tips on how to help your child prepare effectively and positively.
Grammar Schools in Barnet: A Brief Introduction
There are three grammar schools in Barnet, all famed for their exceptional academic results, high-quality student care and expert teaching. These are:
- Queen Elizabeth’s School
- Henrietta Barnett School
- St Michael’s Catholic Grammar School
Here’s a very brief introduction to each school.
Queen Elizabeth’s School
Queen Elizabeth’s School celebrated its 450th anniversary in 2023. Founded in 1573 after Queen Elizabeth I granted a charter for a “free grammar school” for the “education, bringing up and instruction of boys”, it is now one of the UK’s leading state secondary schools.
From humble beginnings (housing just 60-90 boys), the school now provides an excellent education to over 1,300 students. It’s regularly recognised as one of the UK’s leading secondary schools across both independent and state sectors.
- Address: Queen’s Road, Barnet, Hertfordshire, EN5 4DQ.
- Year 7 places: Approximately 180 places.
- Results and rankings: Ofsted rated Queen Elizabeth’s School as “outstanding” in all areas. The school achieved 98% of A-Level grades at A*-B in 2025, and in the Sunday Times Parent Power Guide 2026 won five national and regional awards including State Secondary School of the Year for the fourth time.
- 11 Plus test format: Queen Elizabeth’s School uses tests set by GL Assessment, a leading provider of 11 Plus exams. The exam consists of two multiple-choice exams in Maths and English. Each test lasts about 50 minutes, but the exact question types and exam format changes from year to year.
- Familiarisation papers: Although Queen Elizabeth’s doesn’t provide past papers, you can find a variety of familiarisation papers on the GL Assessment website.
- Exam registration dates: Registration opens on 1 May 2026 and closes on 8 July 2026.
- Admissions information: Admissions information, including parent guidance, school policies and the history of the school is available on the Queen Elizabeth’s website.
We’ve previously written an in-depth guide to 2027 entry at Queen Elizabeth’s School (covering fees, the application process, sample papers and more), so have a read if you’re considering applying.
Henrietta Barnett School
Established in 1911, Henrietta Barnett is a leading girls’ grammar school that consistently ranks among the top schools in the country. Founded by the social reformer Dame Henrietta Octavia Weston Barnett, it was a central part of ambitious plans for the model Garden Suburb community in Hampstead, London.
Today, the school provides an excellent education for 800 girls. It remains well-known for its beautiful campus and historic buildings, as well as a pioneering attitude to social responsibility and community service.
- Address: Central Square, Hampstead Garden Suburb, London, NW11 7BN.
- Year 7 places: 120 places for September 2027 entry.
- Results and rankings: Henrietta Barnett consistently ranks as one of the top-performing schools in the country. In 2025, the school achieved 97% of GCSE grades at 7-9, and 72% of A-Level grades at A-A with 86% at A*-B. In the Sunday Times Parent Power Guide 2025, Henrietta Barnett was named State School of the Year for Academic Excellence. The school also secured 34 Oxbridge offers in January 2025.
- 11 Plus test format: Like Queen Elizabeth’s School, Henrietta Barnett uses tests provided by GL Assessment. The first round of tests usually covers a range of English, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning papers. If your child performs well in this first-round of exams, they’re invited for a second round of testing which includes a Maths and English exam.
- Familiarisation papers: Henrietta Barnett doesn’t provide sample past papers, but you can find similar question types and paper styles on the GL Assessment website.
- Exam registration dates: Applications for September 2027 opened on 1 April 2026 and closed on 1 July 2026.
- Admissions information: Visit Henrietta Barnett School’s admissions pages for more information on academic criteria and school policies.
If you’re applying to Henrietta Barnett School, read our in-depth guide for 2027 entry. You’ll find more crucial information about the school and its application process, exam formats and catchment area.
St Michael’s Catholic Grammar School
Established in 1908, St Michael’s Catholic Grammar School is a well-respected girl’s grammar school in North Finchley. From 2009 onwards, boys were also admitted for sixth form entry.
With trusteeship under the control of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Poor Child Jesus, the school dedicates itself to forming responsible and committed citizens. Although pupils of other faiths (and no faith) are also accepted, the school encourages academic attainment and social responsibility within a specifically Catholic environment.
- Address: Nether Street, North Finchley, London, N12 7NJ.
- Year 7 places: Approximately 240 places.
- Results and rankings: Ofsted ranked St Michael’s as “outstanding” in every single category. In the latest school performance information, A-Level grades average A- (a point score of 45.94) and 100% of GCSE pupils achieved Grade 5 or above in English and Maths.
- 11 Plus test format: Tests are provided by GL Assessment and consist of multiple-choice papers in verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and maths.
- Familiarisation papers: Like most grammar schools, St Michael’s don’t provide sample past papers. Nonetheless, they provide links to GL Assessment familiarisation papers on their website.
- Exam registration dates: Registration opened 14 April 2026 for September 2027 entry and closed on 7 July 2026.
- Admissions information: Further information on entry requirements and admissions policies are available on the St Michael’s website.
Are there any partially selective schools near Barnet?
In addition to these three grammar schools, there’s one partially selective school in Barnet.
This is Mill Hill County School, which is ranked “good” in all areas by Ofsted, with a strong academic record. Indeed, 47% of GCSE grades were at 7 or above (far higher than the national average of 26%) with an average attainment score of 40.7 at A-Level (equivalent to a B grade).
Like the grammar schools we’ve discussed above, GL Assessment provides 11 Plus exams for Mill Hill County School. You can find more information on entry policies and procedures on the school’s admission pages.
If you’re searching for other leading schools in the local area, you might consider the South West Hertfordshire Consortium. This group of seven partially selective (and highly sought-after) schools also use 11 Plus exams as part of their admission criteria. You can find more information on 2024 entry in our Parents’ Guide to South West Herts Consortium Schools.
How to prepare your child for 11 Plus exams: Top Tips
At Achieve Learning, we know preparing your child for 11 Plus exams (no matter what school you’re applying to!) can be a daunting task. But the good news is there are lots of different ways to help your child succeed.
So if you’re applying to grammar schools in Barnet, here are a few key tips.
- Understand each school’s exact exam format: The Barnet grammar schools do not all test in the same way. QE Boys uses English and Maths papers, Henrietta Barnett uses a two-round process, and St Michael’s has its own admissions arrangements. Before choosing resources or setting a timetable, make sure you understand the subjects tested, the exam provider, the timing, the question types and how places are allocated.
- Use practice papers diagnostically: Practice papers should not simply be used to generate scores. They are most useful when parents review mistakes carefully and identify patterns. Is your child losing marks because of vocabulary, timing pressure, careless reading, weak reasoning, Maths gaps or uncertainty with SPaG? Each problem needs a different preparation strategy.
- Build strong core skills: Successful 11+ preparation is not just about doing more papers. Children need secure Key Stage 2 Maths, strong reading comprehension, accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar, and confidence with verbal and non-verbal reasoning where required. For the most selective schools, depth of understanding matters as much as speed.
- Match preparation to your child: Some children benefit from starting early and building skills gradually. Others, particularly strong candidates, may do better with a shorter, more focused period of high-quality preparation. The key is to match the work to your child’s current level, maturity and motivation, rather than simply copying another family’s timetable.
- Review mistakes properly: A missed question should not just be marked wrong and forgotten. Go back and ask why the mistake happened. Did your child misunderstand the question, rush the working, lack vocabulary, miss a key detail, or run out of time? Careful review is often where the real improvement happens.
- Consider support where it genuinely helps: A good tutor can be valuable if they understand the specific school and exam format, but tutoring is not a magic solution. Whether you use a tutor, prepare at home, or combine both, the most important thing is targeted practice, honest feedback and steady progress.
- Protect motivation and confidence: Preparation for highly selective schools can become intense, so it is important to keep your child’s confidence intact. Build in breaks, vary the work, keep reading enjoyable, and avoid turning every mistake into a crisis. Children perform best when they are challenged, supported and still motivated by the time the exam arrives.
Preparing your child for QE Boys or another highly selective Barnet grammar school?
Of all the subjects tested in the QE Boys 11+ exam, English is often the hardest to prepare for. Our QE Boys English practice paper packs are written specifically for Queen Elizabeth’s School — not adapted from generic materials — and also help develop the demanding comprehension, vocabulary and SPaG skills needed for highly selective schools such as Henrietta Barnett.
→ QE Boys English Practice Pack — Classic Texts Set 1 — £19.99
→ QE Boys English Practice Pack — Classic Texts Set 2 — £19.99
→ QE Boys English Practice Pack — Mixed Genres Set 1 — £19.99
→ QE Boys English Practice Pack — Mixed Genres Set 2 — £19.99
Created by 11+ content specialists with over 22 years of experience preparing children for competitive grammar school entry in Barnet and North London.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many grammar schools are there in Barnet?
There are three fully selective grammar schools in Barnet — Queen Elizabeth’s School for boys, Henrietta Barnett School for girls, and St Michael’s Catholic Grammar School for girls. There is also one partially selective school, Mill Hill County High School.
Which is the best grammar school in Barnet?
QE Boys and Henrietta Barnett are consistently ranked among the top state schools in the country, with QE Boys winning five Sunday Times Parent Power awards in 2026 including State Secondary School of the Year. St Michael’s is also rated outstanding and remains highly selective, though QE Boys and Henrietta Barnett tend to attract the strongest national attention because of their league-table positions and admissions competition.
Do Barnet grammar schools have a catchment area?
QE Boys has no catchment area and places are awarded by ranked entrance test performance. Henrietta Barnett does not have a simple catchment area either, but its admissions policy includes priority criteria, including distance from the school in certain circumstances. Parents should always check the latest admissions policy before applying. St Michael’s gives priority to Catholic applicants but also accepts students of other faiths or none.
Can my child apply to more than one Barnet grammar school?
Yes. Since QE Boys is boys-only and Henrietta Barnett and St Michael’s are girls-only, most families with a child of one gender will only be applying to the relevant schools. However girls can apply to both Henrietta Barnett and St Michael’s, and often also to Latymer School and SW Herts Consortium schools simultaneously.
What score do you need for QE Boys and Henrietta Barnett?
QE Boys has a minimum qualifying score of 220, though recent years have required around 235 to secure a place given demand. Henrietta Barnett uses a two-round process, with the top 300 candidates from Round One invited to a second assessment.
Is Mill Hill County School a grammar school?
Mill Hill County High School is partially selective rather than a fully selective grammar school. It reserves places for students demonstrating aptitude in technology, music or dance, assessed through entrance tests, alongside its general admissions.
