Guildford High School

Entry points and who can apply

Guildford High School is an independent day school for girls aged 4 to 18. In the Senior School, the main way in is at 11+.

• 11+ (Year 7). For girls joining Year 7 in September 2027. The school's 11+ page says there are approximately 80 places, and that between 70 and 80 girls from other schools join Year 7 each year. It also says it assesses several candidates for every place. Its admissions FAQ gives a different figure: just over 100 pupils in Year 7, with about 60% joining at 11+. Girls already in the school's own Year 6 move up without sitting the 11+.
• Occasional places (Years 8 to 10). The school says a number of places are available in Years 8 to 10, with assessments only if a year group has space. Applicants for Years 8 and 9 sit one-hour English (comprehension) and maths papers written by the school, plus an interview with a senior teacher. Year 10 applicants also sit a one-hour science paper. The school does not issue past papers, and offers no scholarships or assisted places at these points. If Year 9 entry matters to your family, ask the admissions team whether there is space.

You register online and pay a non-refundable registration fee of £150. The 11+ deadline is Sunday 1 November 2026. The school says there is no advantage to registering early. It strongly encourages a visit first, and its visitor mornings are booked through its website.

If your daughter has a special educational need, a disability or a medical condition, you must give full written details when you register, before any assessment. The school says late requests will not be accepted, except for a recent injury. If she has had exam access arrangements before, tell the school and send evidence.

The assessment: what your daughter will sit

The 11+ has two stages at the school, on two separate dates. Your daughter must attend both to be considered.

Stage 1: the online assessment

The school's admissions guide calls this a one-hour computer-based test (CEM test), made up of verbal reasoning, numerical, comprehension and non-verbal reasoning exercises. The school's 11+ web page describes it differently, as measuring verbal, non-verbal and mathematical skills.

The school says the assessment lets children show their academic potential "without coaching and excessive preparation". It also says the assessments support developed abilities in reading and maths that rely on "genuine understanding rather than learning through repetition".

The school does not publish the number of sections, the timing of each section, or the question format. We could not find a practice or familiarisation test on its website.

What this means in practice

• It is all on screen. Your daughter will read and answer every question on a computer, rather than on paper.
• One hour covers four areas. Verbal, numerical, comprehension and non-verbal work all fit into a single hour.
• No written papers on the Interview Day. The school says girls will not sit written test papers on the Interview Day.
• The content is curriculum-based. The school says all its assessments suit the age group and are accessible to anyone who has studied the National Curriculum for their year.

Interview Day and the decision

Every 11+ applicant is invited to the Interview Day on Friday 8 January 2027. The school calls it a day in the life of a Year 7 pupil. Activities can include science, creative writing, PE, drama and music.

The interview is short and informal; the school's web page says about 10 minutes. The admissions guide says it will explore creative thinking and analytical skills, and give your daughter the chance to tell the school about herself.

The school also asks your daughter's current school for a report before the assessment.

The school's key dates say offers are made in January 2027, and its assisted places policy says families hear at the end of January. The school gives the acceptance deadline as March 2027 and has not published an exact date. To accept, you return a signed form and pay a non-refundable £2,000 deposit, of which £1,000 is credited to the first term's fees.

Help with fees: assisted places and scholarships

Fees for Year 7 from September 2026 are £8,923 a term, including VAT. Lunches, trips, extra subjects and public exams are extra.

Assisted places (means-tested)

The school calls its means-tested awards assisted places. They are available only at 11+ (and, in exceptional circumstances and at the school's discretion, for Sixth Form). Awards range up to 100% of fees, can include help with lunches, uniform, essential trips and travel, and are reviewed every year.

• For a larger award, the school expects total family income to be £65,000 or less, with no capital assets other than the family home. Smaller awards follow a sliding scale.
• You must live within 12 miles of the school's postcode (GU1 1SJ) when you apply, and must have attended a visitor event before the assessment.
• Your daughter must be registered (with the £150 fee paid) and you must apply before 1 November 2026, so by Saturday 31 October. The school's admissions guide says application forms are sent before the November assessment. If the fee is a difficulty, the school says to contact admissions, as it may waive it.
• An external company, Bursary Administration Limited, assesses applications and visits families at home or interviews them online, usually in November or December.
• You hear about the award at the same time as the offer of a place. If demand exceeds funds, the school ranks awards by assessment performance, and gives priority to families who live closest.

Separate bursaries are available for daughters of full-time Christian clergy, usually up to 75%.

Scholarships

Every 11+ applicant who attends both days is automatically considered for an academic scholarship. There is no separate exam. Scholarships usually carry a 5% to 10% fee reduction. The school may also give exhibitions (usually £300 a year) and honorary awards.

Music scholarships need a separate application by Tuesday 3 November 2026, including a video clip of up to one minute. Shortlisted girls audition on Tuesday 12 January 2027. The school says applicants should normally be at Grade 4 to 5 on an orchestral instrument, playing at Distinction standard. Music awards are usually also 5% to 10%, and girls must still meet the academic standard.

How to prepare

The school says extra tutoring should not be required and is not recommended. Here is what follows from what it publishes.

1. Visit, then register. Visit first (it is a condition for assisted places) and register by Sunday 1 November 2026. Keep Sunday 15 November 2026 and Friday 8 January 2027 free. Both days are compulsory.
2. Read widely and talk about it. The test includes verbal reasoning and comprehension, and the school says the test relies on "genuine understanding rather than learning through repetition". Discuss what she reads, and the meaning of new words.
3. Keep Year 5 and Year 6 maths secure. The school says its content follows the National Curriculum. Make sure the core topics for her year feel secure.
4. Look at non-verbal puzzles together. Non-verbal reasoning is one of the four areas the school lists. Seeing shapes, patterns and sequences beforehand means the format is not new on the day.
5. Practise on screen, at a steady pace. One hour covers four areas. If she has not done much timed work on a computer, try some short timed sets on screen.
6. Treat the Interview Day as a day out. The school describes the interview as short and informal, and says it gives girls the chance to tell the school about themselves.
7. Sort the paperwork early. Send any SEND or access arrangement details with your registration, and start an assisted place application before 1 November (by Saturday 31 October) if it applies to you.

Akiru makes prep packs one school at a time. Join the waitlist on this page and we'll email you when there's a Guildford High School pack.