Lady Eleanor Holles Overseas Applicants: 11+ for 2027 Entry

Lady Eleanor Holles School (LEH) is an independent day school for girls aged 7 to 18 in Hampton, and its 11+ FAQ answers a family asking about her current school overseas: “Yes, we can arrange for your daughter to sit the entrance examinations overseas.” Applications for Year 7 entry in September 2027 are “open until midday on Tuesday 3rd November 2026”, and Stage 1a, the ISEB Common Pre-Test, has “LEH Sessions: 17th, 18th and 19th November 2026”.

This page follows one school. The other London independent schools’ overseas rules are in our London independent schools from-overseas guide. Every date and rule below is for Year 7 (11+) entry in September 2027, with two exceptions: Open Events dates are from Visit Us (no entry year printed); the policy text carries no entry year (see question 7).

What does LEH’s 11+ page say about sitting the entrance examinations overseas?

The sentence in the opening paragraph answers a FAQ on LEH’s 11+ Entry Procedure page, whose question is “Can my daughter take the entrance examination at her current school overseas?” The rest of the answer is “Please contact the Registrar for further information.” The page then sets out two assessment stages and an interview stage, each in a sentence of its own, and the table sets each sentence beside the question it raises for a girl whose school is abroad.

The entry point is Year 7, which LEH calls the Thirds: “our Year 7 pupils – known at LEH as the Thirds”. Lady Eleanor Holles School says “Applications are made during the year prior to the proposed year of admission to the school.” Which England year group a child abroad belongs in is the subject of our which-year-group guide, and LEH’s Admissions Policy for External Candidates adds: “Very occasionally, we may offer places to pupils one year ahead or behind their standard year group if we consider, as a matter of professional judgement, that this would be in the best interests of the pupil and the school.”

On numbers, LEH’s FAQ says “There are usually around 120 places available for entry to the Senior School, of these approximately one-third go to pupils from our own Junior School with the remaining two-thirds being offered to girls joining LEH at 11+.”

The Registrar is the contact LEH names. On LEH’s 11+ page, the “Admissions department” link in the application-window paragraph opens an email to registrar@lehs.org.uk, and LEH’s Contact Us page lists admissions@lehs.org.uk under Admissions. The questions worth putting in writing are collected near the end of this page.

What are LEH’s dates for each stage of 11+ entry in September 2027?

LEH’s 11+ page lists the steps from open event to first day. The table keeps LEH’s name for each step and the date as LEH prints it. The Weekday column gives the weekday where LEH prints it, and marks every other weekday as our calendar check.

Source: LEH’s 11+ Entry Procedure page, Visit Us page and Term Dates page, read on 10 October 2026. Every row is for September 2027 entry (11+, Year 7), except the Open Events row, whose dates are from Visit Us (no entry year printed).

The Sunday for Stage 1b on 29 November 2026 is our calendar check, and question 3 below asks the Registrar where, and at what local clock time, the Problem-Solving Exam is sat.

What is LEH’s midday deadline on 3 November 2026 in Dubai, Doha and Hong Kong?

Lady Eleanor Holles School words the close of applications as a time of day: “Applications for entry in September 2027 are open until midday on Tuesday 3rd November 2026.” The conversion below holds only if this is UK time, and whether LEH’s midday is UK time is a question for the Registrar.

On that date the UK is on Greenwich Mean Time: GOV.UK’s clock-change table lists 25 October for 2026, and “When the clocks go back, the UK is on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).” The offsets in the table come from the IANA time zone database.

Source: LEH’s 11+ Entry Procedure page for midday; GOV.UK for the UK clock dates; the IANA time zone database for the offsets. The local times are our working, not LEH’s.

All three local times fall on the same calendar date as the UK deadline. LEH’s FAQ also says “There is no advantage to early applications, all candidates are considered based on their performance in the admissions process.” Our online tuition and time zones guide shows how UK closing times read in Dubai, Doha, Hong Kong, Singapore, New York and Paris for 2027 entry.

Stage 1a: the ISEB Common Pre-Test at LEH or at her current school

Lady Eleanor Holles School’s wording for the first stage is “All applicants take the ISEB Common Pre-Test, either at LEH or their current school.” The dates LEH gives are “LEH Sessions: 17th, 18th and 19th November 2026”, which our calendar check puts on a Tuesday, a Wednesday and a Thursday. LEH describes the test in its FAQ: “The ISEB Common Pre-Tests are computer-based, age-standardised tests in Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, Maths and English.”

Our ISEB Pre-Test abroad guide covers where a child abroad can sit the ISEB Pre-Test in 2026-27. Which test each London independent school sets is in our guide to the entrance test each London school sets. For her overseas school and the three days, see question 2 below.

Stage 1b: where is the Problem-Solving Exam sat on 29 November 2026?

Lady Eleanor Holles School’s sentence is “All applicants are invited to LEH to sit a Problem-Solving Entrance Examination.” The date it gives is “29th November 2026”, a Sunday by our calendar check.

LEH answers the question “Do you recommend tutoring before the assessments?” in full: “We do not recommend tutoring, although, at 11+, it is sensible to ensure your daughter is prepared for examination-style conditions and to working in a timed environment. If your daughter has never worked in timed conditions before the entrance examinations, you may wish to prepare her at home for this style of working. We aim to ensure each girl is relaxed and able to work at her best during the assessments.”

Stage 1b is worded as an invitation to LEH, and whether it is arranged overseas as well is question 3 below.

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Stage 2: the LEH Admissions Panel, January interviews and the decision

Lady Eleanor Holles School lists “Assessment Results Letters Sent Mid-December 2026” before Stage 2. Of Stage 2 it says that results are “reviewed by the LEH Admissions Panel” and that applicants who perform well are “invited back to LEH for interviews with senior members of the teaching staff”. The interview days are “26th, 27th and 29th January 2027”.

The Admissions Policy for External Candidates words the interview step with its condition: “In the case of external applications, the normal procedure is that after consideration of the test results, the reference and any special circumstances, candidates may be invited for interview(s).” Whether an interview can be held by video is question 4 below; our video interviews guide collects what UK independent schools say about interviewing a child abroad.

The same policy ends its section on the decision: “The School’s decision is final, and there is no right of appeal.”

The reference from the Head of her current school

Lady Eleanor Holles School’s FAQ says “For all entries to the Senior School, we request a reference from the Head of your daughter’s current school in the November preceding the entrance examination.” The sentence names the month, November. The day, and the form a school outside the UK should use, are question 5 below.

Lady Eleanor Holles School’s Admissions Policy page links the Admissions Policy for External Candidates, which sets out what the reference covers: “The Head Teacher of the candidate’s current school will be asked to provide a written reference as to the candidate’s academic ability, attitude and behaviour, involvement in the school community, talents and interests, and any other special circumstances such as special education needs or disabilities.” It adds: “The reference may also include the results of tests taken at school, e.g. NFER and SATs, or predicted grades e.g. at GCSE, as appropriate.”

Special circumstances: education outside the British system and English as a first language

Section 6 of the Admissions Policy for External Candidates is headed Special Circumstances, and its list includes two cases: “If there is a relevant educational history, for example education outside the British system” and “If English is not the candidate’s first language”. The policy continues: “The school must be made aware of these circumstances at least two weeks in advance of the entrance tests.”

Lady Eleanor Holles School’s SEND page says “We welcome students for whom English is not the first language. Where helpful, we offer support in school or may recommend external tuition to boost language confidence and fluency.” The 11+ FAQ says “Applications seeking special consideration in assessments should be submitted in time for review by the Head of Learning Support.” Which date the two weeks count back from for a girl who sits overseas is question 6 below.

Offers, acceptance and the Thirds’ Autumn Term start on 3 September 2027

Lady Eleanor Holles School’s list continues with offers sent “By 12th February 2027”, an acceptance deadline in “Early March 2027”, joining information in “May 2027” and a “Year 7 Joiners Day at LEH” in “Late June 2027”. Whether a girl still living abroad is expected at the Joiners Day is question 9 below.

For 2027-2028 Lady Eleanor Holles School’s term dates page lists the Autumn Term start as “Term Begins: Friday 3rd September: new Form 1(Year 3), Thirds (Year 7), Lower 6 Induction and Lower 5 Team Building Morning” and “Monday 6th September (all other pupils)”.

LEH describes itself as “one of the UK’s leading independent day schools for girls aged 7 to 18”. Where a girl will live while she attends, and what the school needs to know about that and when, are questions for the family to put to the Registrar (question 10). Our Child Student visa guide quotes what GOV.UK and the Immigration Rules say, written for 13+ boarding school entry in September 2027.

Which questions should a family abroad put to the Registrar in writing?

Each question is about the family’s own daughter, with the LEH words that prompt it quoted and linked.

1. Our daughter’s school is in [country]. Which of Stage 1a, Stage 1b and the interview can LEH arrange in [country], and which must be sat in Hampton?
2. Stage 1a is “either at LEH or their current school”. If our daughter sits the ISEB Common Pre-Test at her current school, which of 17, 18 or 19 November 2026 applies to her, and what is the start time on our local clock?
3. Stage 1b is “29th November 2026”. Is the Problem-Solving Exam arranged overseas for our daughter, on that date and on our local clock, or is she expected to travel to LEH?
4. Stage 2 interviews are on “26th, 27th and 29th January 2027”. If our daughter is invited, can her interview be held by video, or which of the three days will she be offered at LEH?
5. LEH requests a reference “in the November preceding the entrance examination”. On which date does LEH write to the Head of our daughter’s school, and what form should a school outside the UK use if it has no NFER or SATs results?
6. If our daughter’s schooling has been outside the British system, or English is not her first language, how do we tell LEH, and does “at least two weeks in advance of the entrance tests” count back from the day she sits her own papers overseas?
7. Which version of the Admissions Policy for External Candidates, linked from LEH’s Admissions Policy page, applies to our daughter’s application for September 2027 entry?
8. The acceptance deadline is “Early March 2027”. On what date and at what clock time must we accept an offer?
9. The Joiners Day is “Late June 2027”. What is the date, and is a girl who will still be living abroad expected to attend in person?
10. LEH calls itself a day school. Where will our daughter be living in term time, and what does LEH need to be told about that, and by what date?

Quick answers for families abroad about LEH

Reviewed 10 October 2026 against Lady Eleanor Holles School’s own pages (lehs.org.uk), its Admissions Policy for External Candidates, GOV.UK and the IANA time zone database.