Durham High School for Girls: Comprehensive 11+ Admissions Guide

Key Information Summary

• School Type: Independent day school for girls
• Age Range: 3-18 years (Nursery to Sixth Form)
• Location: Durham, North East England
• Entry Points: Multiple entry points including 11+ for Year 7
• Inspection Rating: Outstanding across all areas (Independent Schools Inspectorate)
• Ethos: Christian values with focus on nurturing confident, capable young women
• Notable Features: Continuous education pathway, strong pastoral care, excellent academic results

About Durham High School for Girls

Durham High School for Girls occupies a distinctive position within Durham's educational landscape, providing seamless education from nursery through to sixth form. Located in the historic cathedral city of Durham, the school benefits from its proximity to Durham University and the city's rich academic heritage.

The school's Christian foundation provides a moral framework that emphasises service to others, integrity, and personal responsibility. This ethos permeates all aspects of school life, creating a supportive community where girls develop both academically and personally. The school's commitment to nurturing each pupil's individual talents ensures that girls leave as confident, articulate young women prepared for university and beyond.

Durham High School for Girls prides itself on its strong academic performance whilst maintaining a balanced approach to education. The school offers an extensive co-curricular programme including music, drama, sport, and outdoor education. The sixth form provides excellent preparation for university entrance, with many pupils securing places at Russell Group universities including Oxford and Cambridge.

Class sizes remain deliberately small to ensure personalised attention, allowing teachers to identify and develop each pupil's strengths. The school's pastoral care system is particularly noteworthy, with form tutors and heads of year working closely with families to support each girl's development.

The 11+ Assessment Process

Durham High School for Girls employs a comprehensive assessment process for Year 7 entry that evaluates both academic ability and potential for growth within the school community. The 11+ examination typically takes place in late January or early February, allowing sufficient time for preparation whilst maintaining academic focus.

Assessment Components

The entrance assessment consists of four core elements:

• Mathematics: Focuses on problem-solving abilities, numerical reasoning, and mathematical concepts appropriate to Year 6 level. Questions assess understanding rather than mechanical calculation
• English: Evaluates reading comprehension, creative writing skills, and vocabulary through various text types and writing exercises
• Verbal Reasoning: Tests logical thinking, language comprehension, and ability to identify patterns in words and concepts
• Non-Verbal Reasoning: Assesses spatial awareness, pattern recognition, and logical thinking through visual puzzles and sequences

Assessment Format

Each paper is designed to be completed within specified time limits, typically 45-60 minutes per subject. The school ensures assessments are age-appropriate and focus on understanding rather than rote learning. Questions are carefully crafted to identify pupils who will thrive in Durham High School's academic environment.

Beyond the written assessments, the school may invite candidates for an informal interview or activity session. This allows staff to understand each candidate's personality, interests, and potential contribution to the school community.

How to Apply

The application process for Durham High School for Girls requires careful planning and attention to deadlines. Families are strongly encouraged to begin the process early to ensure adequate preparation time.

Application Timeline

• September-October: Submit application form and registration fee
• November-December: School sends assessment information and preparation guidance
• January-February: 11+ assessment takes place
• March: Assessment results and offers communicated to families
• April: Deadline for accepting offers and paying deposit

Required Documentation

Applications must include completed registration forms, recent school reports, and references from the current headteacher. The school may request additional information about any special educational needs or circumstances that might affect assessment performance.

School Visits

Durham High School for Girls warmly welcomes prospective families to visit during open days or individual tours. These visits provide invaluable insight into the school's atmosphere, facilities, and educational approach. Families can meet staff, observe lessons, and speak with current pupils about their experiences.

The school typically holds open events in September and October, with additional opportunities for individual visits throughout the academic year. Advance booking is essential for all visits.

Preparing for the Durham High School for Girls 11+ with Taylor Tuition

Families preparing for the Durham High School for Girls 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, and we reply to enquiries within one working day with tutor recommendations.

Read more about our 11+ entrance exam tutors, or send an enquiry and we will come back with tutor recommendations.