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Book a Free ConsultationThe best grammar schools in Barnet and Enfield include Queen Elizabeth's School Barnet, Henrietta Barnett School, St Michael's Catholic Grammar School, and Latymer School Edmonton. These are among the most academically selective state schools in London, consistently producing outstanding GCSE and A-level results. If your child is in Year 5 or Year 6 and you're weighing up options for September 2026 entry, this guide covers what each school offers, how selective they are, and what the admissions process actually involves.
Unlike many parts of England where grammar schools were phased out, the London Boroughs of Barnet and Enfield retained a small number of selective state schools. These schools are funded by the local authority but select their entire intake based on academic ability, typically assessed through the 11-plus examination sat in Year 6. Places are highly sought after — Queen Elizabeth's School Barnet, for example, receives well over 2,000 applications for around 180 Year 7 places each year.
It's worth understanding that these schools are not independent schools. They charge no fees and are subject to the same Ofsted inspection framework as other state schools. However, their admissions criteria are entirely based on performance in the selective entrance test, which means preparation matters enormously.
Queen Elizabeth's School is a boys' grammar school in Barnet, consistently ranked among the top state schools in England. In recent years it has appeared in the top five state schools nationally by A-level results, with a significant proportion of leavers gaining places at Russell Group universities, including Oxford and Cambridge. At GCSE, the vast majority of pupils achieve grade 7 or above across their subjects.
QE uses its own entrance examination, administered through the Barnet Grammar School Consortium. The test covers English and mathematics and is sat in September of Year 6. Children do not need to be Barnet residents to apply, but the school is heavily oversubscribed and the qualifying score threshold is high. Boys who sit the test and meet the standard are ranked, and offers are made based on score order.
Henrietta Barnett School (HBS) is a girls' grammar school in Hampstead Garden Suburb, within the London Borough of Barnet. It is routinely ranked as the top state school in England for A-level results and is extraordinarily selective. In a typical year, around 3,000 girls sit the entrance test for approximately 93 places.
HBS also participates in the Barnet Grammar School Consortium test, sat in September of Year 6. The school has its own second-stage assessment for girls who pass the initial threshold. Given the competition, many families begin structured preparation in Year 4 or early Year 5. The school has a strong tradition of Oxbridge entry and offers a wide range of A-level subjects, including Further Mathematics and multiple modern languages.
St Michael's is a girls' Catholic grammar school in North Finchley, Barnet. It combines academic selectivity with a faith-based admissions criterion — applicants must demonstrate Catholic practice through a Supplementary Information Form (SIF) completed by a priest. This means the admissions process has two components: passing the selective entrance test and meeting the faith criteria.
The school uses the same Barnet Consortium test as QE and HBS. Results at GCSE and A-level are consistently strong, and the school has a supportive community ethos that many families find appealing. If your daughter is Catholic and academically able, St Michael's is well worth considering alongside HBS.
Latymer School is a co-educational grammar school in Edmonton, within the London Borough of Enfield. It is the only fully selective state grammar school in Enfield and one of the few co-educational grammar schools in London. Latymer has an excellent academic reputation, with strong GCSE and A-level outcomes and a broad curriculum that includes arts, sport, and music alongside academic subjects.
Latymer runs its own separate entrance examination, distinct from the Barnet Consortium test. The test is sat in the autumn of Year 6 and assesses verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, and mathematics. Around 1,500 children typically apply for approximately 180 places. Because Latymer is co-educational and in Enfield, it draws applicants from a wide catchment including Haringey, Waltham Forest, and Hertfordshire.
The entrance tests for these schools are competitive enough that most successful candidates have undertaken structured preparation. Here is what that typically looks like in practice:
It is also worth noting that these tests are designed to assess potential, not just what has been taught in school. However, preparation still makes a meaningful difference — particularly in building confidence and ensuring no avoidable gaps remain.
For September 2026 entry, the Barnet Grammar School Consortium test is typically held in September 2025, during the first weeks of Year 6. Registration usually opens in the summer term of Year 5 (around May or June 2025). Latymer's test follows a similar timeline but is registered separately through the school directly.
Secondary school applications are submitted through the local authority's common application form (CAF) by the national deadline of 31 October each year. You can list up to six schools. Receiving a grammar school offer does not prevent you from listing non-selective schools as alternatives — and it is sensible to do so.
Results from the selective tests are usually released before the CAF deadline, so you will know whether your child has met the qualifying standard before you submit your preferences. Leading Tuition works with families across North London preparing for these tests, and the most common mistake we see is leaving preparation too late or underestimating the standard required.
Do I need to live in Barnet or Enfield to apply to these grammar schools?
No. All four schools are open to applicants from any borough or county. However, because places are allocated by score (and faith criteria at St Michael's), distance from the school is not a factor in most cases. Children from Hertfordshire, Haringey, and beyond regularly gain places.
Is the 11-plus test the same for all four schools?
No. Queen Elizabeth's, Henrietta Barnett, and St Michael's all use the Barnet Grammar School Consortium test, which you register for once to be considered by all three. Latymer School runs its own separate test with a different format, including verbal and non-verbal reasoning, so you must register independently with Latymer.
What score does my child need to pass the 11-plus for these schools?
The schools do not publish fixed pass marks, as the threshold varies each year depending on the cohort. For QE and HBS in particular, the effective qualifying score is very high — children typically need to perform in the top few percent of all applicants. Latymer's threshold is also competitive but draws from a slightly broader ability range given its co-educational intake.
What happens if my child passes the test but doesn't get a place?
Passing the selective test means your child is on the qualified list, but a place is only offered if they rank highly enough. If no offer is made on National Offer Day (1 March), you can ask to be placed on the waiting list. Waiting list movement does occur, particularly in the weeks after offers are made, as some families accept places at independent schools instead.
Choosing the right grammar school — and deciding whether to pursue the selective route at all — is a significant decision. The schools above each have distinct characters, and visiting open days in Year 5 is genuinely worthwhile. Understanding the admissions process early gives your child the best chance of a calm, well-prepared test experience.
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