If you’re considering applying for a place at the Henrietta Barnett School for your daughter, this guide is for you.
The Henrietta Barnett School is a highly selective girls’ grammar school located in Hampstead Garden Suburb, North London. The school was founded in 1911 by the social reformer and philanthropist Dame Henrietta Barnett, who championed education, housing and women’s rights across London.
In this article, you’ll find everything you need to know about the school and its application process, the catchment area, exam format – and how to help your daughter prepare.
Let’s get started.
A brief introduction to Henrietta Barnett School
The Henrietta Barnett School’s mission is to provide an outstanding education for its students, based on the principles of academic excellence, social responsibility, and personal development. Indeed, the school prides itself on fostering a diverse and inclusive community, welcoming girls from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures.
Its ethos focuses on fostering intellectual curiosity, creativity, and leadership skills, while also promoting social responsibility and a commitment to making a positive impact in the world. Despite its highly selective nature, the school maintains a warm and supportive atmosphere, with a strong focus on student well-being and pastoral care.
Henrietta Barnett School ranking
The Henrietta School ranking is impressive to say the least. The school is consistently classed as one of the top-performing schools in the country. Indeed, the Parent Power 2023 rankings named Henrietta Barnett as the top overall state school.
The school also has an excellent reputation for academic achievement, with over 89% of A-Level grades being A* to A and 97% being A* or B. A remarkable 94% of GCSE grades were 8 and 9 for Summer 2022.
These are some of the best results in the UK, which also translates through to the school’s amazing successes with university offers. In fact, girls from Henrietta Barnett received 34 Oxbridge offers in January 2023, which accounts for 24% of the Year 13 group.
What’s the Henrietta Barnett catchment area?
The Henrietta Barnett School doesn’t have a catchment area. This means any child can take the entrance exam, no matter where they live.
However, the school does give priority to candidates sitting the round two test (which we’ll cover in more detail below) who live within 3 miles of the school.
Further admissions policies and documents are available on the school’s website.
What are Henrietta Barnett School fees?
As Henrietta Barnett School is state funded, attending Henrietta Barnett School is completely free. The school does not charge any fees.
What’s the application process for Henrietta Barnett School?
The application process for Henrietta Barnett School (for September 2024 entry) opens on 28 April 2023. After this date, the school will publish details on their admissions pages.
There’s also an Open Day planned for 11 July 2023, which is a great way for parents and prospective students to get to know the school, its staff and facilities.
As well as applying with Henrietta Barnett School itself, you’ll have to fill-in a “Common Application Form” with your Local Authority.
If you have any questions about the application process, email the school directly at: admissions@hbschool.org.uk
Are you also applying to schools in the South West Hertfordshire Consortium? If so, check out our Parent’s Guide for 2024 South West Herts Consortium 11+ Admissions.
Who sets the 11+ test for Henrietta Barnett School?
The first round of the Henrietta Barnett 11+ exam is set by GL Assessment.
GL Assessment is a leading provider of educational assessments in the UK. Their 11+ exams are particularly well-known and respected; used by many selective schools as part of their admissions process.
Henrietta Barnett’s first round of test papers (created by GL Assessment) typically cover a range of Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning and English multiple-choice assessments. The exams are designed to be challenging and are intended to identify the most academically capable students for admission to the school.
If your daughter performs well in this first round of testing, they’ll be invited back to sit another test. This second round (attended by around 300 candidates) is set by the school and includes an English and Maths exam.
Where can I find Henrietta Barnett School test papers?
Henrietta Barnett doesn’t release any past papers.
Even so, you can find GL Assessment familiarisation booklets for the First Round entrance exam – with worked examples and practice materials.
Now, we know, preparing for an 11+ exam is a daunting prospect at the best of times. This is even more so when there’s no guarantee on the exact exam format your child will face.
Nonetheless, there are several ways you can use past papers to help your daughter prepare for the Henrietta Barnett test. Here are a few ideas:
- Practice makes perfect: Encourage your child to practise with as many papers as possible, from different schools and exam boards. This will help them to become more familiar with the types of questions that might be asked and to develop their test-taking skills.
- Analyse strengths and weaknesses: After your child has taken a test paper, go over the results with them to identify key strengths and weaknesses. This will help you to focus your preparation efforts on the areas your child needs the most help.
- Focus on core skills: When it comes to the Henrietta Barnett 11+ exam, the core skills your child will need are reading, writing, maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning. Make sure your child is comfortable with these skills by practising regularly.
- Manage time: All 11+ exams are timed, so it’s important for your child to be comfortable working under pressure. Encourage them to practise working against the clock to develop their time management skills.
- Develop test-taking strategies: Practice papers are a great way to develop test-taking strategies such as eliminating obviously wrong answers, using context clues to understand unfamiliar words, and reading instructions carefully.
Overall, the key to using test papers effectively is to practise regularly and to identify areas where your child needs most help. By doing this, you can help your child feel confident and prepared for the Henrietta Barnett exam, no matter the exact format.
How can I help my child prepare for the Henrietta Barnett 11+ exam?
Given Henrietta Barnett’s high rankings and astounding academic performance, competition for spaces is unsurprisingly fierce. With this in mind, extensive preparation is required – giving your daughter plenty of encouragement and support throughout.
The entrance exams are designed to be challenging, encompassing both Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning as well as Key Stage 2 Maths and English content. Advanced problem solving (for maths) and creative writing (for English) are particularly important skills for the second round of testing.
Work alongside your child to improve their speed and accuracy, and make sure they feel comfortable asking questions and talking to you (or professional tutors, like us at Achieve Learning!) if they need any help.
Here are a few extra tips to keep in mind:
- Start early: Give your child plenty of time to practise and build their skills gradually. You can’t wind the clock back, but whenever you’re reading this post, know it’s never too early to get started!
- Make the most of practice papers: We’ve already spoken about the importance of practice papers (using as many different types as you can find!), but they really are essential for helping you identify areas of improvement.
- Focus on time management: The Henrietta Barnett 11+ exam is designed to test your child’s ability to work under pressure. Work together on speed and accuracy, so your daughter can complete the exam within the given time limit.
- Develop problem-solving skills: The exam includes advanced problem-solving questions, so it’s important to help your child approach problems from different angles.
- Read widely: As well as key Maths content, the exam tests your daughter’s comprehension and creative writing skills. So, encourage them to read and write widely, including books, newspapers, and online articles… anything they enjoy!
Find out how Achieve Learning can help your child excel, whatever exams they’re preparing for. We have over 18 years’ experience offering one-to-one support and academic assistance, with plenty of mock exams and practice papers to help your child prepare.
Book a free assessment today to chat with one of our experienced tutors, and receive personalised support for your child.
