Highgate School

Entry points and who can apply

Highgate is co-educational. The main way into the Senior School is at 11+.

• 11+ (Year 7). For children born between 1 September 2015 and 31 August 2016, for entry in September 2027. The school expects to take about 80 new children. They join more than 100 pupils moving up from Highgate's own Junior School.
• Occasional places (Years 8, 9 and 10). For September 2027, the enquiry form is open until noon on Friday 12 February 2027. If places come up, the school assesses in March with English and maths tests and an interview. These places are full fee-paying.

Your child must be in Year 6, or its equivalent, when they sit the tests. A child out of year should normally have been so since Reception; the school may ask for evidence.

You apply online. The application fee is £210, and the deadline is noon on Wednesday 4 November 2026. Read the 11+ Admissions Policy before you apply. If your child has a learning difficulty, disability or other particular need, say so on the application, with a report from a doctor or educational psychologist. It also asks your child's current Headteacher for a confidential reference.

Open events for 2027 entry have finished. The 2028 entry event will be announced in spring 2027.

The assessment: what your child will sit

The first stage is the written exam, taken at the school. The school's key dates list puts it on Tuesday 1 December 2026 and marks all its dates as provisional.

There are two papers, both written by the school: English and maths. The admissions policy for 2027 entry removed the non-verbal reasoning paper, so there is no reasoning test.

• English reflects the Key Stage 2 National Curriculum.
• Maths, in the school's words, is "designed so no specific syllabus or preparation is desirable or necessary".

The school does not publish live exam timings, but its sample papers do:

What this means in practice

• The writing task is short. Fifteen minutes includes checking, and a sixth of the English marks in the sample are for accuracy.
• Reading time is not extra. In English, reading the passage comes out of the 30 minutes.
• Maths is paced page by page. Your child cannot go back to an earlier page, so checking before the page turns matters. Showing working is expected.
• Both papers count. A child who does poorly in one but strongly in the other may still be considered. Children are ranked against everyone applying that year.

Group interview, taster lessons and the decision

The school says "a significant proportion" of candidates are invited back in January for a group interview and taster lessons. Its key dates list gives Monday 11 to Friday 15 January 2027.

The admissions policy says the interview "is not a second academic test". Children are seen in groups, by a team of staff. The school looks at listening, working with other children and solving problems. It also looks for curiosity, teachability and behaviour "during the interviews and at other times". More children are interviewed than there are places.

Decisions are made by the school's 11+ Admissions Panel. The policy says they are "predominantly" based on the test ranking, and also take into account:

• performance at interview
• the confidential reference and reports from your child's current school

Offer letters go out in early February; the key dates list gives Friday 12 February 2027. There is an event for offer holders in late February. You must accept or decline by early March (Wednesday 3 March 2027 on the key dates list), with a £4,000 deposit on accepting. Decisions cannot be appealed. The school does not give detailed feedback, return papers or share scores. Siblings have no guarantee of a place. If your child is unsuccessful, the school is highly unlikely to accept another application within two years.

Help with fees: bursaries and scholarships

Senior School fees for 2026–27 are £10,929 a term, including VAT, plus £369 a term for lunch. The school offers means-tested bursaries at 11+ that can cover up to 100% of fees.

• How to apply. Tick the bursary box on the application form. The bursary deadline is the same as the application deadline: noon on Wednesday 4 November 2026. If your total family income is under £45,000, the application fee drops from £210 to £30.
• The process. You complete a financial assessment form by the application deadline, with any further documents by early December. If your child is invited to the January round, you have an online meeting with Bursary Assessment Associates, an independent company that assesses applications for the school.
• Income guide. The 11+ bursary page and the 2026–27 bursary brochure say a family with total income under £45,000 and no significant assets could receive 100% of fees, and a family with £45,000 to £107,000 may be eligible for a partial bursary. The older Bursary Policy, written for 2026 entry and still on the school's website, gives a lower figure: it says a bursary is unlikely above £70,000. If your income is between £70,000 and £107,000, check with the bursary team before you decide not to apply.
• Key worker bursary. Each year the school offers one full-fee equivalent bursary for a child of key workers living locally. Families can consider applying with income up to £125,000.
• Who gets priority. Children at state schools. A bursary for a child now at an independent school needs "particular and unusual circumstances".

You hear about any bursary at the same time as the offer of a place. Awards are reviewed every year.

Highgate does not offer academic scholarships. It does offer music awards at 11+: Music Scholarships, Music Exhibitions and Music Potential Awards. Your child must first win a place through the normal tests and interview. The deadline is noon on Wednesday 4 November 2026. There is a Musical Discovery Day on Thursday 7 January 2027 and auditions on Thursday 14 or Friday 15 January 2027. All awards include free lessons on one or two instruments. Only Scholarships carry a fee reduction, usually 5 to 10% of fees.

How to prepare

The school publishes three English practice papers, a maths sample paper with answers, and a short tutorial film for each subject on its 11+ page. Start with these to see the format.

1. Apply by noon on Wednesday 4 November 2026. Tick the bursary or music box if either applies, and give details of any additional needs.
2. Try the school's sample papers under time. Thirty minutes for comprehension, including reading, and 15 minutes for writing. About 45 minutes for maths.
3. Practise short, accurate writing. One task, 15 minutes, with the last few minutes kept for checking spelling, punctuation and grammar.
4. Read widely and talk about it. The comprehension questions ask for analysis, so ask your child why a writer chose a word or how a character feels, and how they know.
5. Build careful maths habits. Practise showing working and checking each page before moving on, because there is no going back.
6. Get used to working in a group. The interview looks at listening, teamwork and problem-solving. Everyday group activities are good practice.

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