Registration for Duchy College 11+ closes in 33 days, on 4 December 2026. A free consultation now leaves time to plan the preparation before the assessment.
Book a free consultationKey Facts
| School type | Independent day and boarding school, co-educational, 2 to 18 |
|---|---|
| Location | Harrogate, North Yorkshire |
| Entry points | 4+, 11+, 13+, 16+ |
| Assessment | Taster Day in the autumn of Year 6, then an Entrance Exam Day in mid-January with Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning, plus English or Verbal Reasoning depending on the page. |
| Test provider | The school's own Entrance Exam Day tests; no external test provider is named on the school's pages |
| Day fees (2026/27) | £8,570 for Seniors (Years 7 to 11) and Sixth Form day pupils as listed; the page does not state the billing period per term |
| Boarding fees (2026/27) | Full boarding £15,125 (Years 7 to 8) and £16,270 (Years 9 to 11 and Sixth Form); weekly boarding (4 nights) £13,275; international £17 |
| Registration deadline | Friday 4 December 2026, for Year 7 entry in September 2027 |
| Assessment date | Saturday 16 January 2027 |
| Scholarships and bursaries | Academic, sport, music, choral, drama and creative arts scholarships; bursaries up to 100% of fees |
| A level average point score per entry (DfE, 2024/25) | 36.34 (average grade B-) |
Figures correct at the time of writing. Confirm current fees and deadlines with the school or university directly. Compare fees at other independent schools.
To get into Duchy College, most senior school applicants register for Year 7 entry, attend a Taster Day in the autumn of Year 6 and sit an Entrance Exam Day in mid-January that combines Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning tests (with English or Verbal Reasoning named on different pages) and an interview with the Principal or a senior member of staff. The school, formerly Harrogate Ladies' College and Highfield Prep, takes boys and girls and also admits at Reception, in later senior years and into the Sixth Form.
Entrance is set by the school's own exam day, and the pages read name no external test provider. Scholarships and bursaries are assessed alongside entry, and fees are published on the school's fees page.
| Entry point | Year group | Assessment | Interview | Places |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4+ | Reception | Informal Discovery Sessions and a registration form; Prep pupils in Prep 1 and above complete a short literacy and numeracy assessment on a Discovery Day. | No interview stated; a visit with the Head of Prep comes first. | Not published |
| 11+ | Year 7 | Taster Day in the autumn of Year 6, then an Entrance Exam Day in mid-January with Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning, plus English or Verbal Reasoning depending on the page. | Interview with the Principal or a senior member of staff on exam day. | The largest intake into the senior school; number of places not published |
| 13+ | Year 9 | Visit, registration form, school reports and a Discovery Day, which replaces the Taster Day and entrance exam for Years 8 to 11. | Not stated beyond the Discovery Day. | Subject to availability |
| 16+ | Year 12 | Registration form with recent reports and predicted GCSE grades, then a Discovery Day with lessons. | Not stated beyond the Discovery Day; a confidential reference is requested from the current UK school. | Subject to availability |
Entry points and places
The school admits at Pre-School from age 2, at Reception, at Year 7 and into the Sixth Form, with other senior years considered when places exist. Year 7 is the largest intake into the senior school, and the school does not publish a number of places.
Entry into Years 8 to 11, which includes 13+ entry into Year 9, depends on availability. Applicants follow a Discovery Day route in place of the Taster Day and entrance exam. Sixth Form applications are welcomed from pupils in Years 10 and 11.
- Pre-School: ages 2 to 4, places through the year subject to availability
- Prep: Reception and other year groups, including in-year entry
- Seniors: Year 7 as the main intake; other years subject to availability
- Sixth Form: Year 12 entry, direct from other schools
How the Year 7 (11+) assessment works
The Year 7 assessment is a single Entrance Exam Day for Year 6 boys and girls, made up of written tests and an interview. Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning are named on every page that describes it, whilst the exam page also lists Verbal Reasoning and the How to Apply page lists English.
The pages do not state the length of each test, the question types or the pass mark, and they name no external test provider. Families who need the exact papers can ask the Admissions Team, who also arrange another day if a child cannot attend on the set date.
11+ tutors
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Master TutorI'm a qualified teacher in a London classroom every day, with a BSc in Computer Science from Brunel and a PGCE with QTS. I teach Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Computer Science to A-Level, plus 11+ preparation, through project-based work that suits SEND learners well.
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Robert
Master TutorI am a qualified teacher with over twenty years' experience in the UK, Gulf and New Zealand, holding an MA in History and PGCE. I teach English, History, Geography and French from KS2 to A-Level and IB, preparing 11+/13+ candidates. My approach is student-led, focused and diagnostic.
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Registration for Year 7 starts with a visit and a Registration Form, and the school advises registering by the beginning of the autumn term of Year 6 for the full process. The exam page sets a closing date in December for both entrance exams and scholarships, and late applications may be considered where places remain.
Offers for Year 7 are usually made by the end of January in Year 6, after the exam day and references. Accepting a place means returning the Acceptance Form with a deposit, the amount of which sits in the fees information sheet.
- Visit with the Principal and a campus tour
- Taster Day in the autumn term of Year 6
- Registration Form and registration fee (not charged to Prep pupils)
- References and recent school reports
- Entrance Exam Day with tests and interview
- Offer, then Acceptance Form and deposit
Interviews and references
Every Year 7 applicant has an interview with the Principal or a senior member of staff on the Entrance Exam Day. For international applicants aged 11 to 18, the interview with the Principal is by video or in person after English and maths assessments.
The applicant's current school is contacted for a confidential reference once the form is submitted, with parental permission, and recent school reports are requested as well. Reports are not required for Reception.
Scholarships and bursaries
The school offers scholarships in Academic Achievement, Sport, Music, Choral Singing, Drama and Creative Arts, with Year 7 as the main intake and applications also accepted for Years 9, 10 and 12. Scholarship holders receive a reduction on standard day fees, mentoring from specialist teachers or senior scholars, scholars' events and a dinner with the Principal.
For Year 7, candidates may apply for up to two scholarships but only one can be awarded, and each submits a handwritten statement of about 250 words in their own voice. The pages read do not describe how each scholarship is assessed.
Means-tested bursaries can cover up to 100% of school fees, and the school states there are no specific academic criteria. The level of support depends on household income and assets, with an initial indication after application and confirmation alongside the offer.
Bursary applications close at the end of October in the year before the pupil joins, and a direct debit scheme spreads fee payments.
Fees and what they include
Fees are published on the school's fees page by year group, with separate columns for day, weekly boarding (based on four nights), full boarding and international pupils. Day fees are the same across Years 7 to 11 and the Sixth Form, whilst full boarding costs more from Year 9 than in Years 7 and 8.
Fees include tuition, most textbooks (all textbooks for Prep pupils), stationery, lunch, personal accident insurance, medical provision from the school's Medical Centre and an extensive extra-curricular programme. Before and after school care, early years funding, registration fees and deposits are set out in the separate fees information sheet.
Where pupils join from
The school's own Pre-School and Prep sit on the same Harrogate campus, and Prep pupils applying for Year 7 do not pay the registration fee. Pupils from other schools apply through the same Year 7 route, with a reference from their current school.
The pages read name no other feeder or partner schools. Families at Menwith Hill apply through a dedicated page, and international applicants need a UK-based educational guardian living within two hours of the college.
Sixth form entry (16+)
Sixth Form entry is by registration form, recent school reports, predicted GCSE grades and a Discovery Day, and applicants should be academically prepared for A Level study. Applications are welcome throughout Years 10 and 11, with early applications encouraged.
The Discovery Day includes lessons and a view of the study space, and a confidential reference is requested from the current UK school with parental permission. The pages do not publish minimum GCSE grades. A Sixth Form Taster Morning offers a subject fair, taster lessons and scholarship information.
How to prepare
Preparing for the Year 7 exam day means practising the subjects the school names: Maths, Non-Verbal Reasoning and either Verbal Reasoning or English, in short timed sets because the lengths are unpublished. Attending the Taster Day in the autumn of Year 6 shows the format and the staff beforehand.
The interview with the Principal or a senior member of staff usually goes best when a child has talked through their school interests aloud beforehand. Scholarship applicants also have time to draft the handwritten statement of about 250 words in their own voice.
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Preparing for the Duchy College 11+ with Taylor Tuition
Families preparing for the Duchy College 11+ usually come to us a year or so before the assessment, though shorter runs work where the foundations are already sound. Having prepared pupils for entry to leading independent and grammar schools, with placements including Westminster, St Paul's, Wycombe Abbey and Eton, our tutors build each programme around the format the school actually uses, whether a written paper, an online pre-test, an interview or a combination of them.
More than half of our tutors hold Qualified Teacher Status and around three in five hold a master's degree or doctorate, and the pool includes former heads of department, exam-board examiners and teachers from independent and boarding schools, so the preparation is led by people who know how selective schools assess. Every tutor who works with children holds an enhanced DBS check.
Families in the North of England and further afield work with us online, and in person in central London. Fees start from £50 per 50-minute session and depend on tutor level and subject, with no registration fee and a free initial consultation to talk through your child's current level and the timeline to the 11+. Families receive progress reports after sessions and have a dedicated point of contact.
Read more about our 11+ entrance exam tutors, or send an enquiry and we will come back with tutor recommendations.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the Duchy College entrance exam for Year 7?
- The Entrance Exam Day for Year 6 boys and girls includes Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning tests, with Verbal Reasoning named on the exam page and English on the How to Apply page, plus an interview with the Principal or a senior member of staff. The pages give no test lengths and name no external test provider.
- How much are Duchy College fees?
- Fees are published by year group on the school's fees page, with columns for day, weekly boarding, full boarding and international pupils. They include tuition, most textbooks, stationery, lunch, accident insurance and medical provision. Deposits, registration fees and care costs are in a separate fees information sheet.
- Does Duchy College offer scholarships and bursaries?
- Yes. Scholarships cover Academic Achievement, Sport, Music, Choral Singing, Drama and Creative Arts, mainly at Year 7 with applications also open for Years 9, 10 and 12. Means-tested bursaries can cover up to 100% of fees, based on household income and assets, with applications due by the end of October.
- When should families register for Duchy College Year 7?
- The school advises registering by the beginning of the autumn term of Year 6 for the full process, and the exam page sets a December closing date for exams and scholarships. Year 7 offers are usually made by the end of January in Year 6. Late applications may be considered if places remain.
- How can students apply for the Duchy College sixth form?
- Applications are welcome throughout Years 10 and 11. You submit a registration form with recent school reports and predicted GCSE grades, attend a Discovery Day with lessons, and the school requests a confidential reference. The pages do not publish minimum GCSE grades, so contact the Admissions Team.
- Is Duchy College co-educational, and what happened to Harrogate Ladies' College?
- Duchy College is the new name of Harrogate Ladies' College and Highfield Prep, an independent day and boarding school for ages 2 to 18 in Harrogate. The school's admissions pages invite both boys and girls to the Year 7 Taster Day, entrance exams and Sixth Form events.
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