The Henrietta Barnett School 11+ Guide

About The Henrietta Barnett School

The Henrietta Barnett School is a selective secondary school in Barnet, London. For children to get into The Henrietta Barnett School they need to pass the school's 11+ entrance test. Hence, The Henrietta Barnett School is a traditional grammar school, one of only 163 remaining in England.

Nestled in the picturesque Hampstead Garden Suburb, The Henrietta Barnett School (HBS) is a prestigious all-girls grammar school that has garnered a reputation for academic prowess and holistic student development. The school's visionary founder, philanthropist Dame Henrietta Barnett, aspired to create an institution that would provide high-quality education to girls from diverse backgrounds, fostering social equality and cohesion. The campus seamlessly blends modern facilities with historic architecture, creating a tranquil and inspiring learning environment within the conservation area.

At HBS, students embark on a comprehensive, well-rounded, and progressive curriculum that nurtures their intellectual, creative, and physical growth. The school places a strong emphasis on core subjects such as mathematics, science, humanities, and languages, laying a robust foundation for students' academic and personal development. Beyond the classroom, HBS offers an extensive array of clubs and societies, catering to a wide range of interests, from debating and robotics to creative writing and environmental conservation. The school's comprehensive sports program encourages participation in various activities, including athletics, netball, gymnastics, and tennis, enabling students to cultivate essential life skills such as teamwork, leadership, effective communication, and problem-solving.

Central to the philosophy of The Henrietta Barnett School is a steadfast commitment to academic excellence, personal growth, and the nurturing of a supportive community. The school fosters an atmosphere that encourages intellectual curiosity, resilience, and independent thinking, empowering students to reach their full potential. HBS takes pride in its consistently outstanding academic achievements, with its students regularly securing top grades and impressive pass rates in examinations. The school's success is further evidenced by the significant number of students who gain admission to prestigious universities, including the University of Oxford, Cambridge, and other esteemed Russell Group institutions.

Recent refurbishments at HBS have enhanced the school's facilities, with the addition of eight state-of-the-art science laboratories, a dedicated music and drama school, and a modern art and design centre. These improvements reflect the school's commitment to providing students with the best possible learning environment and resources to support their academic and creative pursuits. The Henrietta Barnett School prides itself on its diverse, inclusive, high-performing, friendly, and supportive community, where every student is encouraged to thrive and reach their full potential.

School Information

Below you will find further information about The Henrietta Barnett School together with their admissions contact details.

The Henrietta Barnett School is a girls only school. It is also an academy, meaning the school is run independently by a trust or sponsor and is directly funded by the central government (not the local authority).

In total 795 pupils attend The Henrietta Barnett School and it's led by the Head, Mrs Mandy Watts.

The Henrietta Barnett School Location

Below you will find a map showing the school's location:

GCSE & A-Level Subjects

Below you will find a complete list of GCSE and A-Level subjects offered to pupils at The Henrietta Barnett School for the 2022-23 academic year.

Henrietta Barnett 11+ Information

In order to get into The Henrietta Barnett School, children need to pass the Henrietta Barnett 11+. This 11+ test is written by GL Assessment for use by the school's admissions process.

Henrietta Barnett 11+ Subjects & Structure

The Henrietta Barnett 11+ requires children to complete tests in the following subjects:

• English
• Verbal Reasoning
• Non-verbal Reasoning
• English Comprehension
• Creative Writing
• Maths

The admissions process for The Henrietta Barnett School involves a two-stage entrance examination. The initial round consists of an 11 plus assessment provided by GL Assessment, covering English, verbal reasoning, and non-verbal reasoning. These multiple-choice tests evaluate the candidate's proficiency in the national curriculum, as well as their ability to analyze and solve problems using written and visual information.

Candidates who excel in the first round are invited to participate in the second round, which comprises two papers created by the school's staff. These papers assess the candidate's skills in English comprehension, creative writing, and mathematics. The questions in this stage are not multiple-choice and may include content from both Year 5 and Year 6 national curriculum objectives, requiring the applicant to demonstrate their ability to apply their knowledge to new situations.

The top 300 performers from the first round are selected to progress to the second round of the entrance examination. This rigorous two-stage process ensures that The Henrietta Barnett School identifies and admits the most academically capable students.

Henrietta Barnett 11+ Marking Process

The reality of 11+ tests, selective education and academic institutions such as The Henrietta Barnett School is that only children with particularly high marks are admitted. Hence why it is important that children perform well in their 11+ papers.

Different schools (and different 11+ tests) have different marking processes. Some tests are marked in person, some remotely, while others utilise computer-based optical recognition technologies for quickly marking multiple-choice answer sheets.

Many 11+ tests are age-standardised to ensure younger children are not disadvantaged (i.e. their marks may be moderated depending on the month in which they were born). While creative writing papers can be used as tie-breakers, multiple-choice tests in Maths, Comprehension, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning normally make up the bulk of a child's marks. The specific details and weightings can vary from year to year.

It's worth remembering that once children's 11+ tests are being marked, the admissions process is completely outside of the parents' control. Hence, parents should not worry themselves about whether their child has got a place!

Henrietta Barnett 11+ Pass Mark

The pass mark for the Henrietta Barnett 11+ changes every year and isn't generally made public knowledge. This is due to the academic strength of the children taking the test varying and how challenging the test ends up being (as well as plenty of other smaller variables).

Hence, as a vague rule-of-thumb, it's recommended that children aim for roughly 75-80% in their practice tests. Whilst this won't guarantee them a place at The Henrietta Barnett School, it's a ballpark exam result figure for successful candidates.

Henrietta Barnett 11+ Key Dates for your Diary

Here are all the important dates for the Henrietta Barnett 11+ tests (to get into The Henrietta Barnett School) as well as other relevant dates.

Although the utmost care has been taken to gather these dates, parents should treat them as a guide and check with The Henrietta Barnett School as they may well change.

Ofsted Information

The Henrietta Barnett School was last inspected by Ofsted on 04/05/2022 and the inspection only lasted one day. Ofsted published their report on 21/09/2022, declaring that the school was 'Good'. This information is summarised in the table below along with a link to the full report.

Last Ofsted Report Data

Ofsted Report Summary

The Henrietta Barnett School was inspected by Ofsted on 21/09/2022 and received an overall rating of Good. The school demonstrated a good quality of education, outstanding behaviour and attitudes, good personal development, good leadership and management, and good sixth form provision.

The inspection highlighted the school's strengths in providing a well-rounded education to its students. The outstanding behaviour and attitudes of the students were particularly noteworthy, indicating a positive learning environment and a strong sense of community within the school.

The Henrietta Barnett School's leadership and management were also deemed good, suggesting that the school is well-run and has effective strategies in place to support student learning and development. The good sixth form provision indicates that the school is successfully preparing its students for higher education and future careers.

GCSE & A-Level Performance

Below are the individual GCSE and A-Level performance tables for The Henrietta Barnett School per subject. Note that this may include children taking GCSEs early (e.g. taking a language GCSE in Year 10) or indeed a child in Year 12 retaking a GCSE.

GCSE Results Information (2022-23)

A-Level Results Information (2022-23)

Past 11+ Paper Downloads

Unfortunately, The Henrietta Barnett School has not made any of their past 11+ papers publicly available.

Practice 11+ Paper Downloads

Here are some superb free 11+ practice papers that children can download and use to help prepare for the Henrietta Barnett 11+ Ensure you double-check with The Henrietta Barnett School which subjects and topics your child's 11+ tests are in to ensure you prepare for the right tests.