Registration for James Allen's Girls' School 11+ closes in 36 days, on 10 November 2026. A free consultation now leaves time to plan the preparation before the assessment.
Book a free consultationKey Facts
| School type | Independent day school, girls, ages 4 to 18 |
|---|---|
| Location | Dulwich, south London |
| Entry points | 4+ (Reception), 7+ (Year 3), 11+ (Year 7) and 16+ (Sixth Form), plus occasional chance vacancies in other year groups |
| Assessment | Welcome Morning (interview, creative writing task, group task) plus the online ISEB Common Pre-Test in Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning |
| Test provider | ISEB (Independent Schools Examination Board) Common Pre-Test |
| Day fees (From September 2026) | £10,146 per term for the Senior School, inclusive of VAT (Pre-Prep £8,857 and Prep £8,918 per term); a £3,000 registration/acceptance deposit also applies |
| Registration deadline | 10 November 2026, for entry in September 2027 (11+ registration policy sets a general deadline of 4pm on 31 October in the year before entry, subject to annual review) |
| Assessment date | Welcome Mornings held throughout the autumn term of Year 6; the ISEB Common Pre-Test is completed online by early January, ahead of September 2027 entry |
Figures correct at the time of writing — always confirm current fees and deadlines with the school directly.
Entry to James Allen's Girls' School at 11+ is by competitive assessment, independent of catchment area or automatic transfer: girls register during Year 5, attend a Welcome Morning and sit the ISEB Common Pre-Test in Year 6, and the school offers places based on those results together with a reference from the applicant's current school. JAGS is an independent day school in Dulwich, south London, educating girls from Reception through to Sixth Form, with the senior school beginning at Year 7.
There is no sibling or staff priority; every candidate goes through the same process. Alongside the main entrance assessment, the school runs its own scholarship and bursary schemes for 11+ entrants, covering academic, art, music and sporting talent, and means-tested financial support for families who need it.
How entry to JAGS works at 11+
The main point of entry to the senior school is 11+ (Year 7), alongside 4+ and 7+ into the junior school and 16+ into the Sixth Form; occasional chance vacancies arise in other year groups. Entry at 11+ is competitive and open to applicants from both the independent and maintained sectors, including from JAGS's own Prep School, which sits the same assessment as external candidates. The school states it looks for candidates showing spark, curiosity and potential over pre-prepared knowledge. Admission depends on the candidate's performance in the school's own assessments and on a satisfactory reference from her current school or nursery.
How the 11+ assessment works
The 11+ process for external candidates runs in two parts: a Welcome Morning during the autumn term, followed by the ISEB Common Pre-Test, completed online by early January. At the Welcome Morning, girls take part in an interactive group task, complete a creative writing task and have a one-to-one interview with a senior member of staff. The ISEB Common Pre-Test covers Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning; it is adaptive, so each question depends on the previous answer, and candidates cannot return to change earlier responses. The test can usually be sat at the candidate's own junior school, another senior school using the same test, or at JAGS itself.
Registration and the admissions process, step by step
Registration for 11+ entry follows a fixed sequence on set dates, and parents may register from the start of the summer term when their daughter is in Year 5.
- Register online, providing a birth certificate, a photograph and, for overseas applicants, passport or visa details, and pay the registration fee (waived for applicants receiving Pupil Premium or Universal Credit)
- Attend the Welcome Morning in the autumn term of Year 6 for the interview, creative writing task and group activity
- Complete the ISEB Common Pre-Test online within the specified window, by early January
- A reference is requested from the applicant's current school before an offer is made
- Receive the offer decision on the date the school publishes, then accept the place
Scholarships available at 11+
JAGS awards Academic Scholarships at 11+ automatically to the strongest candidates from the entrance assessment, so no separate application is needed. Talent-based Art, Music and Sport Scholarships are also available at 11+, awarded on entrance-assessment performance combined with a talent-specific assessment; families apply for these separately through the scholarship portal, which opens during the autumn term ahead of the assessment period. Awards are valued at 10% of school fees, and Music Scholarships may additionally cover fees for up to two instruments at the Head's discretion.
Bursaries and fee assistance
Bursaries at JAGS are means-tested financial awards, available at 11+ and 16+ entry, and can cover up to 100% of tuition fees plus contributions towards uniform, travel, trips and lunches. Around one in six senior school pupils receive a bursary, with most supported at more than 80% of fees. Families indicate interest on the registration form, submit a bursary application by the school's published deadline, attend the usual entrance assessments, and take part in a video interview conducted by an external assessor before a decision is made alongside the main 11+ offers.
Preparing for the JAGS 11+ assessment
The ISEB Common Pre-Test is adaptive and designed to gauge intellectual potential, without a fixed syllabus to prepare against, so familiarity with the format is the priority over drilling specific content; practising untimed and timed online multiple-choice questions across Maths, English, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning helps a child get used to the pace and to not being able to revisit earlier answers. For the Welcome Morning, girls benefit from practising short, unplanned creative writing and from experience working in small groups, since the interactive task and the one-to-one interview both reward children who can think and talk about their ideas calmly instead of reciting prepared answers.
Related guides
Preparing for the James Allen's Girls' School 11+ with Taylor Tuition
The James Allen's Girls' 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.
Frequently asked questions
- What test does James Allen's Girls' School use for 11+ entry?
- JAGS uses the ISEB Common Pre-Test, an adaptive online test covering Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning, usually completed in the autumn term of Year 6. It can typically be sat at the candidate's own junior school, at another school using the same test, or at JAGS.
- Is there an interview as part of JAGS 11+ admissions?
- Yes. During the Welcome Morning, each candidate has a one-to-one interview with a senior member of staff, alongside a creative writing task and an interactive group task, in addition to sitting the ISEB Common Pre-Test.
- Do siblings of current pupils get priority at JAGS?
- No. The school's admissions policy states that entry is competitive and that JAGS has no sibling, family or staff preference; siblings of current or former pupils go through the same assessment and selection process as all other applicants.
- How are JAGS scholarships awarded at 11+?
- Academic Scholarships are awarded automatically to the strongest performers in the 11+ entrance assessment, with no separate application required. Art, Music and Sport Scholarships are applied for separately and combine entrance-assessment performance with a talent-specific assessment; awards are worth 10% of school fees.
- What proportion of JAGS pupils receive a bursary?
- The school states that around one in six senior school pupils hold a bursary, with most supported at more than 80% of fees; awards are means-tested and can cover up to 100% of fees plus uniform, travel, trips and lunches.
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