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Book a Free ConsultationNorth London has one of the most competitive independent school 11+ landscapes in the country. Several schools share a common entrance paper through a consortium arrangement, while others — including some of the most academically demanding girls' schools in England — set their own assessments entirely. For parents trying to plan applications across multiple schools, understanding which process applies where, and what each one actually tests, is essential before preparation begins in earnest.
The North London Independent Girls' Schools' Consortium brings together a group of selective independent schools that use a shared examination paper for 11+ entry. The main consortium schools include Channing School, Highgate Girls (the junior department of Highgate School), City of London School for Girls, Francis Holland School (Regent's Park), Notting Hill and Ealing High School, and South Hampstead High School — though it is worth noting that South Hampstead also sets its own additional assessment, which we will return to below.
The consortium paper is sat on a single date each January, which means a child can apply to multiple consortium schools and sit the exam only once. This is one of the most misunderstood aspects of the process: families sometimes assume they need to prepare differently for each school, when in fact the shared paper is the same across all consortium members. What differs is how each school uses the results, and what additional stages — such as interviews or further written tasks — they apply afterwards.
The consortium format typically includes three components: English comprehension, creative writing, and Mathematics. The English comprehension section requires children to read an unseen passage and respond to questions that test both literal understanding and inference. The Maths paper covers the primary curriculum but is pitched at a level that rewards children who have gone beyond standard Year 6 classroom work — topics such as fractions, ratio, algebra foundations, and problem-solving under time pressure are all fair game.
The creative writing task is where many children either distinguish themselves or lose marks unnecessarily. Children are typically given a prompt — a title, an image, or an opening line — and asked to write a piece of fiction or descriptive prose within a set time. Preparation for this section should begin well before the exam date, as fluency and confidence in written expression take months to develop.
Families preparing for the consortium paper will find it useful to work through past papers from consortium schools and other North London independents, which give a reliable sense of the style and difficulty of questions children will face in the real assessment.
Selectivity varies considerably across consortium schools, and it is worth being honest about this. Some consortium schools receive eight to ten applicants for every available place, making them highly competitive by any national standard. However, there is a meaningful difference between, say, Francis Holland and City of London Girls in terms of the academic profile of children who receive offers — and parents should research each school's intake carefully rather than treating the consortium as a single, uniform tier.
Channing School, for example, is known for a slightly broader intake than some of its consortium peers, and places a strong emphasis on character and community alongside academic ability. Highgate Girls draws from a wide catchment and is highly regarded, but the school's ethos and environment are distinct from the more central London schools in the consortium. Understanding these differences matters not just for strategy, but because the right school for a child is rarely just the most selective one available.
What all consortium schools share is a high standard of expectation. A child sitting the paper without structured preparation is at a significant disadvantage, regardless of natural ability.
South Hampstead High School and North London Collegiate School (NLCS) are among the most academically selective girls' schools in the country. Both set their own entrance papers and run their own admissions timelines, separate from the consortium process. This means that a child applying to NLCS or South Hampstead alongside consortium schools will need to prepare for additional assessments — and in some cases, sit exams on different dates.
NLCS, based in Edgware, consistently ranks among the top independent schools nationally by academic results. Its 11+ assessment is demanding, and the school is known for seeking children who demonstrate genuine intellectual curiosity rather than simply strong exam technique. South Hampstead, located in NW3, is a GDST school with an exceptional academic record and a similarly rigorous admissions process. Both schools interview shortlisted candidates, and the interview stage is a meaningful part of the selection — not a formality.
The Latymer School in Edmonton is a state selective school — a grammar school — and operates under a different framework entirely. It is worth mentioning here as context, because many North London families consider it alongside independent options. Latymer sets its own 11+ test and is oversubscribed, but as a state school it does not charge fees and its admissions process is governed by different rules to the independent sector.
Most children applying to North London girls' schools at 11+ will be in Year 5 when serious preparation begins, with the exam itself falling in Year 6 — typically January of that year. The timeline is tighter than many parents initially realise.
A sensible approach is to build a strong foundation in core skills first — reading widely, writing regularly, and consolidating Maths beyond the Year 5 curriculum — before moving into exam-specific practice in the autumn term of Year 6. Children applying to both consortium schools and non-consortium schools like NLCS or South Hampstead will need to manage two or more distinct preparation tracks, which requires careful planning to avoid burnout.
It is also worth thinking about the emotional dimension. Sitting multiple exams across different schools, potentially on different dates, is tiring for ten and eleven-year-olds. Keeping preparation structured but not relentless, and maintaining perspective about outcomes, makes a real difference to how children perform on the day.
Families working with a tutor should ensure that preparation covers all three consortium components — comprehension, creative writing, and Maths — while also building the additional skills that NLCS and South Hampstead reward: extended reasoning, verbal fluency, and the ability to think independently under pressure.
Do consortium schools interview all applicants, or only those who reach a certain score?
No — consortium schools do not interview all applicants. Each school uses the shared paper results to create a shortlist, and only children who reach the school's internal threshold are invited to interview or a further assessment day. The threshold varies by school, and schools do not publish exact cut-off scores. This means the written paper is the primary filter, and performing well in all three sections — not just Maths — is essential to reach the interview stage.
Is the creative writing section marked on style or content — and does it matter?
Both matter, but style and technical accuracy tend to carry significant weight. Markers are looking for children who can write with control — accurate punctuation and grammar, varied sentence structure, and a clear sense of voice. Content matters in the sense that the piece should be coherent and engaging, but a technically polished response will generally score better than a creative but error-filled one. Children should practise writing to a prompt within a time limit, and should be taught to plan briefly before writing rather than starting immediately.
What does Year 6 actually look like for a child preparing for multiple North London schools?
For most children, the autumn term of Year 6 is the most intensive period. The consortium exam falls in January, and NLCS and South Hampstead assessments typically follow in the same window. A child applying to three or four schools may be sitting exams across several weeks, alongside normal school commitments. Weekly tuition, regular timed practice, and deliberate rest time are all part of a sustainable approach. Parents should also be prepared for the possibility that results and offers arrive at different times, which can be emotionally complex to manage as a family.
Is it worth applying to both consortium and non-consortium schools, or does that spread preparation too thin?
For many families, applying to a mix of consortium and non-consortium schools is a sensible strategy — it broadens options and reflects the reality that different schools suit different children. The key is being realistic about the additional preparation required for NLCS and South Hampstead, which have distinct and demanding papers. If a child is genuinely well-suited to a highly selective school, the extra preparation is worthwhile. If the primary goal is finding the right fit rather than the most prestigious name, focusing on consortium schools where the child is a strong candidate may be a better use of time and energy.
The North London girls' school 11+ process rewards children who are well-prepared, but also those who are well-matched to the schools they apply to. Understanding the difference between consortium and non-consortium routes, and being honest about where a child is likely to thrive, is the most useful starting point for any family beginning this process.
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