Specialist 11+ preparation for Highgate School’s English, Mathematics and interview stage
Book a Free ConsultationHighgate School is a co-educational independent school in Highgate, north London, that hopes to admit approximately 80 children into Year 7 through 11+ entry for September 2027, alongside around 105 pupils moving up from its own Junior School. For September 2027 entry, Highgate has removed the non-verbal reasoning paper from its written tests, which now cover English and Mathematics only, followed by a group interview stage for shortlisted candidates.
Specialist 11+ preparation for Highgate School
Our expert 11+ tutors help students across Highgate and north London prepare for Highgate's English and Mathematics papers and its group interview stage, building a programme around each child's own school and target areas.
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Highgate's applications for Year 7 entry in September 2027 close at noon on Wednesday 4 November 2026, with a £210 application fee (including VAT), and the written tests are on Tuesday 1 December 2026 (provisional). Entry is for children born between 1 September 2015 and 31 August 2016. Sources: Highgate's admissions, fees, Admissions Policy and Key Dates pages.
Highgate's own Junior School feeds the larger part of the Year 7 cohort, with around 105 pupils moving up for September 2027 entry, while 11+ entry brings in approximately 80 new children. Because competition for those places is intense, preparation needs to be specific to Highgate's own written tests and interview stage, not a generic 11+ syllabus.
Highgate's Admissions Policy states that the school looks for “academically able children who have a love of learning and are willing to rise to the challenges of a fast-paced, exciting curriculum”. That is a broader brief than exam technique alone, and preparation built only around past papers tends to underperform against it.
Our tutors working with families across Highgate build every programme around the school's English and Mathematics tests for September 2027 entry, not a generic syllabus.
Highgate sets its own entrance papers, taken at the school, and its Admissions Policy for 2027 entry confirms that the written tests now comprise English and Mathematics only: the non-verbal reasoning paper was removed from the assessment in May 2026. The school also requests a confidential reference from each candidate's current Headteacher.
Highgate says its English paper reflects the KS2 National Curriculum. Highgate describes its Mathematics paper differently — the school says it “is designed so no specific syllabus or preparation is desirable or necessary”.
A proportion of candidates are then invited to the second stage in January, based on their results in the written tests. Highgate's Admissions Policy is explicit that this is not a further academic test: candidates are interviewed in groups that “test their listening skills, their ability to collaborate with other children and their problem-solving ability”, alongside intellectual curiosity, teachability and interpersonal skills, and the school interviews more children than it has places for. Final offers are informed predominantly by the ranking order in the written tests, but interview performance, the Headteacher's reference and reports from the candidate's current school all feed into the decision.
Highgate's own Key Dates document (provisional) sets the written tests for Tuesday 1 December 2026 and the interview and activities window for Monday 11 to Friday 15 January 2027, for entry in September 2027, with offer letters sent on Friday 12 February 2027 and the acceptance deadline on Wednesday 3 March 2027. For the complete year-by-year calendar of registration, exam and offer dates, see our Highgate School 11+ Entry Guide.
For the Class of 2026, 34 pupils received places at Oxbridge (19 at Cambridge and 15 at Oxford) and 86% of pupils received places at Russell Group institutions. At A-level, 52% of all grades awarded in 2026 were A*, and 87% were A* or A.
That academic culture begins at admissions. Highgate is not looking for children who have been drilled to pass a test — its own Admissions Policy says it wants candidates who “should cope with the scholarly nature of the academic education offered by Highgate”. Children who arrive at the written tests having read widely, thought carefully and practised working through unfamiliar problems have an advantage over those who have only worked through past papers.
Highgate offers means-tested bursaries for 11+ entry, alongside music awards; the school states plainly that it does not offer academic scholarships at this stage. Families applying for a bursary indicate this on the application form, and if total family income is below £45,000 the application fee is reduced from £210 to £30. Highgate's fees page gives the 2026-27 Senior School (Years 7-13) tuition as £10,929 per term including VAT, plus an obligatory lunch charge of £369 per term that is not subject to VAT.
An independent company, Bursary Assessment Associates, helps Highgate assess each bursary application, looking at the family's income, outgoings, assets, liabilities and the value of the family home. As a guide, Highgate says a family income below £45,000 with no significant assets could be entitled to 100% funding of school fees, plus help with uniforms, IT or educational trips; a family income between £45,000 and £107,000 may be eligible for a partial bursary.
Bursary candidates take the same academic assessment as every other applicant, in December, and if shortlisted attend a further online meeting with a Bursary Assessment Associates representative in January before Highgate confirms the size of any award by the end of January. If you would like to talk through whether a bursary application might suit your family, book a free consultation and we can go through the process alongside a preparation plan for the Highgate School 11+.
My son was low in confidence after COVID and the gaps in learning were building up. Using this service helped plug those gaps, rebuild confidence, and improve his ability to learn properly again.
We arranged maths and English tuition ahead of GCSEs and both tutors were brilliant. My daughter's grades improved, and by results day she achieved two grades higher than in her mock exams.
I attended an English bootcamp with Leading Tuition and the experience was excellent. The teacher gave focused attention to the small group while keeping the lessons interactive and engaging.
Leading Tuition provides 1-to-1 specialist tutoring for children preparing for the Highgate School 11+. Every programme is built around the school's current written tests — English and Mathematics only, with no non-verbal reasoning paper for 2027 entry — and, for children who reach the second stage, preparation for a group interview that tests listening, collaboration and problem-solving rather than further exam technique.
Our 11+ specialists work with Highgate applicants on the English and Mathematics papers Highgate sets for September 2027 entry, tailoring preparation to the academic standards the school expects from its incoming Year 7 pupils, while also helping children practise the kind of group discussion and collaborative problem-solving Highgate's interview stage tests.
Tutoring typically begins in Year 5, allowing enough time to build genuine ability rather than surface familiarity with question types. In the early stages, the focus is on closing gaps in core English and Maths, developing reading habits, and building the stamina for extended written work. As the written tests approach, sessions shift towards timed practice and detailed feedback on written responses; ahead of the interview stage, sessions move to group-style discussion practice and unscripted problem-solving.
Progress is monitored carefully throughout, and parents receive honest, specific feedback rather than reassurance for its own sake. To discuss a preparation plan for the Highgate School 11+, book a free consultation.
Leading Tuition is rated 4.8 out of 5 on Trustpilot from 59 reviews, read on 3 October 2026, and 91% of our students achieve their desired grades.
The 11+ is not just a challenge for the child sitting the exam. For parents, the months of preparation can bring their own pressures — managing your child's workload alongside school, keeping motivation alive over a long period, and making decisions about which schools to apply to and in what order.
It helps to be realistic from the start. Highgate is a genuinely demanding school to gain entry to, and not every child who prepares thoroughly will receive an offer. That is not a reflection of failure — it is a reflection of how competitive the field is. What preparation can do is ensure that your child performs to the best of their ability, develops skills that will serve them regardless of outcome, and approaches the exam with confidence rather than anxiety.
Keeping the process in proportion matters too. Children who feel that their entire worth is tied to the result of one exam tend to perform less well than those who feel supported, capable, and genuinely interested in the work. A good tutor helps to maintain that balance.
For official entry requirements and registration details, see the Highgate School 11+ admissions.
Families weighing Highgate may also consider other selective schools across north London; managing several applications at once, each with its own dates and format, benefits from a clear overview rather than treating every school's process as interchangeable. Our North London Selective Schools Guide sets out how the main schools in the area compare, alongside Highgate.
Highgate operates a reserve list of children it has assessed and is confident could cope well but could not offer a place, and the list closes once the academic year preceding entry is completed. The school notes that it is highly unlikely to accept another application for an entry point any sooner than two years after the original anticipated entry point. Families who do secure a Highgate place are also choosing a school that carries through to sixth form: our guide to Highgate's 16+ entry covers what changes for pupils moving up internally and those joining at that later stage.
Reviewed October 2026: dates, figures and rules checked against Highgate School's 11+ admissions page, Admissions Policy 11+ 2027 entry, 11+ Key Dates 2027, fees page, 11+ Bursaries page and Exam Success page.
We usually recommend beginning structured preparation in Year 5, well ahead of the entrance exam. Starting earlier than this can be counterproductive if it leads to burnout; starting later leaves less time to build extended writing and problem-solving skills. A Year 5 start allows preparation to be thorough without becoming overwhelming. Families starting at this point also benefit from focusing early on extended writing and non-routine problem-solving, rather than rote practice of past questions alone.
Motivation tends to hold up best when preparation feels purposeful rather than repetitive. Varying the type of work, celebrating genuine progress, and keeping sessions focused and time-limited all help. It also matters that your child has a life outside preparation — regular downtime, hobbies, and social time are not distractions from exam success; they support it. Short, well-defined sessions with a clear goal tend to sustain motivation far better than long, open-ended ones, and involving your child in choosing what to work on next can help them feel ownership of their own preparation.
No — and this is one of the most common preparation mistakes. Highgate publishes three English sample papers and one Mathematics sample paper, and working through papers without expert feedback rarely leads to meaningful improvement. Children need to understand why answers are right or wrong, how to structure extended writing effectively, and how to approach unfamiliar problem types. Papers are a useful tool, but they are not a preparation strategy on their own.
Some families apply to several independent schools alongside Highgate, and the exam dates and formats can differ between them. It is important to understand what each school specifically tests and not assume that preparation for one will fully transfer to another. Prioritise the schools your child is most likely to attend if offered a place, and make sure preparation time reflects those priorities rather than being spread too thinly across every application.
The published position is that, for September 2027 entry, Highgate hopes to welcome approximately 80 new children into Year 7, alongside around 105 pupils moving up from Highgate's own Junior School, and that Highgate interviews more children than it has places for. Candidates are ranked mainly on the English and Mathematics tests, with the interview, a Headteacher's reference and school reports also weighed. In practice, that makes 11+ entry genuinely competitive, and preparation needs to be specific to Highgate's own tests rather than generic 11+ practice.
Yes. Highgate offers means-tested bursaries for children joining at 11+, assessed with help from an independent organisation, Bursary Assessment Associates, alongside the family's own financial information. As a guide, the school says a family income below £45,000 with no significant assets could be entitled to 100% funding of school fees, and a family income between £45,000 and £107,000 may be eligible for a partial bursary; families with total income below £45,000 also have the application fee reduced from £210 to £30. A separate Keyworker Bursary is available to eligible families with income up to £125,000. Highgate does not offer academic scholarships at 11+, only music awards by audition. Book a free consultation to talk through preparation alongside a bursary application.
Leading Tuition provides 1-to-1 specialist tutoring built specifically around Highgate's admissions process for September 2027 entry: the English and Mathematics written tests, and the group interview stage for shortlisted candidates. Preparation typically starts in Year 5, giving time to build genuine subject strength and extended-writing skill rather than last-minute exam technique, and moves towards timed practice and structured feedback as the written tests approach. Closer to the interview stage, sessions shift to the kind of group discussion and collaborative problem-solving Highgate's own Admissions Policy says it is assessing. Book a free consultation to discuss a preparation plan for the Highgate School 11+.
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