Hill House School 11+ Entry: Admissions, Assessment and Fees Guide

Entry to Hill House School at 11+ runs through registration, a visit to the school, and a Year 7 Entrance Examination sat in the January before entry, covering reasoning, English and mathematics; a place is then offered on the strength of that exam together with the pupil's current school report. Every child who sits the exam is automatically considered for an academic scholarship, with separate assessments available for sport, music, art and performing arts.

The process applies equally to external candidates and to children moving up from Hill House Junior School, all of whom sit the same three papers. Families who want a place at the Senior School register their interest, visit during an Open Day or private tour, and then move through the exam and trial day before an offer is made.

How entry to Year 7 works

Year 7 is the main entry point into the Senior School at 11+, sitting alongside Nursery, Junior School and Sixth Form entry on the school's admissions pages. Places are offered to external candidates and to pupils already in Hill House Junior School on the same basis, once the entrance exam and school report have been considered.

The school describes itself as accepting applications into other year groups too, subject to available spaces, so families are not limited to the September Year 7 intake if a place opens up elsewhere in the school.

How the 11+ assessment works

The Year 7 Entrance Examination consists of three one-hour written papers: reasoning, combining verbal and non-verbal reasoning with general knowledge; English, mixing comprehension with creative writing; and mathematics, covering a variety of question types. All prospective Year 7 pupils sit the same three papers, whether they are external applicants or already at Hill House Junior School.

Alongside the exam, the school considers the child's current school report as part of the decision, and academic scholarship consideration is automatic for anyone who sits the exam.

• Reasoning: verbal and non-verbal reasoning plus general knowledge, one hour
• English: comprehension and creative writing, one hour
• Mathematics: a variety of question types, one hour

The admissions process step by step

The school sets out a consistent sequence for Junior and Senior School entry. Families first visit the school, either at an Open Day or through a private tour arranged individually; external candidates are expected to have visited before registering.

Registering formally expresses interest without committing either side. For Year 7 entry, the Entrance Examination Day then sits between registration and the trial day, after which the child spends a trial day at the school so both family and school can judge fit. A written offer follows, a deposit secures the place, and a welcome pack with uniform and term details is sent once the offer is accepted.

• Visit the school (Open Day or private tour)
• Register interest
• Sit the Year 7 Entrance Examination (January before entry)
• Trial day at the school
• Offer made and deposit paid
• Place accepted and welcome pack sent

Scholarships available at 11+

Open Scholarships are awarded at 11+ in five categories: academic ability, sport, music, art and performing arts, each carrying a standard 10% reduction in fees and running until the end of Year 11. Every child who sits the Year 7 Entrance Examination is automatically considered for the academic award, based on the exam and the pupil's school report; the sport, music, art and performing arts awards are judged at a separate Scholarship Assessment Day.

Pupils who hold an Open Scholarship and come from a lower-income family can apply to the Bursar for an additional means-tested reduction. The school also states it can occasionally offer a very small number of Foundation Scholarships, by invitation only, assessed outside the normal Open Scholarship process, and reviews all scholars' performance and commitment annually.

Bursaries and financial support

The school awards a small number of bursaries each year to families according to need, separately from the scholarship scheme, with one or two places occasionally offered entirely free of charge. The School Accountant handles applications, which can be made at any time and are not tied to the Year 7 admissions round.

Pupils from any school within the Rose Learning Trust can also be considered for a separate, annual means-tested Rose Learning Trust Scholarship aimed at those who show particular promise.

Fees for Year 7 entry

Fees are charged termly, in advance, or can be paid monthly by direct debit through the school's Fee Plan. They are published annually on the school's fees page and cover lunches and swimming where applicable, with transport, individual music tuition and examination entries charged separately.

Families with more than one child at the school at the same time receive a sibling discount, rising with each additional child enrolled simultaneously (Nursery places are not counted towards this).

How to prepare for the assessment

As the school itself sets and marks the exam, without using an external test provider, preparation is best focused on the general skills the three papers cover: reasoning with both verbal and non-verbal questions, comprehension and creative writing for English, and a broad range of mathematics question types, avoiding a narrow syllabus.

Because the current school report feeds into the decision alongside the exam, steady classroom performance in the run-up to the assessment matters as much as exam technique on the day itself. Familiarising a child with sitting timed, unfamiliar papers calmly tends to help more than last-minute cramming.

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Preparing for the Hill House School 11+ with Taylor Tuition

The Hill House School 11+ rewards steady preparation over a year or so, with the last term given to timed practice and interview confidence. Having prepared pupils for entry to leading independent and grammar schools, with placements including Westminster, St Paul's, Wycombe Abbey and Eton, our tutors match the programme to the school's assessment format and to where the child is starting from.

Because the pool includes former heads of department, exam-board examiners and teachers from independent and boarding schools, and more than half of our tutors hold Qualified Teacher Status, families get a tutor who understands what the assessors are looking for. Every tutor who works with children holds an enhanced DBS check.

Families work with us online from anywhere in the UK or abroad, 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.