Key Facts
| School type | Independent day and boarding, co-educational, 13 to 18 (senior school and sixth form), part of a group with Belmont Prep (7 to 13) and Grimsdell Pre-Prep (3 to 7) |
|---|---|
| Location | Mill Hill, Barnet, London |
| Entry points | 7+, 11+, 13+, 14+, 16+ |
| Assessment | Stage 1 computer-based ATOM Assessment in Maths, English, NVR and VR plus a creative learning task in Year 8; a Year 6 deferred pathway uses a computer-based assessment in the same four subjects |
| Test provider | ATOM Assessment (named Quest Assessments, formerly Atom Learning, on the Year 6 deferred pathway): computer-based Maths, English, NVR and VR |
| Day fees (2026/2027) | £11,198 per term (tuition £8,982, VAT £1,796, lunch £420) |
| Boarding fees (2026/2027) | Weekly boarding £16,118 per term; full boarding £19,302 per term (VAT and lunch included) |
| Scholarships and bursaries | Academic, creative and sport scholarships at 13+ and 16+; means-tested bursaries up to 100% of tuition fees |
| A level average point score per entry (DfE, 2024/25) | 43.94 (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.
Mill Hill Schools admissions for the senior school run mainly through 13+ entry into Year 9 and 16+ entry into the Lower Sixth, with a few places at 14+ for Year 10 and a Year 6 deferred pathway for children who stay at their prep school until the end of Year 8. The 13+ route centres on a computer-based assessment in maths, English, non-verbal reasoning and verbal reasoning, followed by interviews.
The group's junior schools, Grimsdell for ages 3 to 7 and Belmont for ages 7 to 13, run their own admissions, and Belmont admits at 7+ and 11+. Registration, scholarships, bursaries and fees each have a separate page on the school's site, and the summaries below follow the order in which a family meets them.
| Entry point | Year group | Assessment | Interview | Places |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7+ | Year 3 (Belmont Prep) | Entrance exams in the autumn term; the dates page gives no format details | Belmont states entry is by examination, interview and a reference from the current school | Not published |
| 11+ | Year 7 (Belmont Prep) | Stage 1 computer-based adaptive tests in English, Maths, NVR and VR; Stage 2 group interview, problem-solving task and creative writing | Group interview at Stage 2, with discussion of interests, general knowledge and current affairs | Not published |
| 13+ | Year 9 | Stage 1 computer-based ATOM Assessment in Maths, English, NVR and VR plus a creative learning task in Year 8; a Year 6 deferred pathway uses a computer-based assessment in the same four subjects | Stage 2 interviews on the standard pathway; a group interview on the deferred pathway | Around 180 pupils join Year 9 |
| 14+ | Year 10 | Assessment is not described on the pages read; contact the admissions office | Not stated | 6 to 10 pupils join Year 10 |
| 16+ | Year 12 (Lower Sixth) | References and predicted GCSE grades, then an academic interview for successful candidates | Academic interview for successful candidates | About 50 pupils have historically joined the Lower Sixth |
Entry points and places
Senior entry comes at 13+ into Year 9 and 16+ into the Lower Sixth, with a few places at 14+ for Year 10. The Year 9 intake is around 180 pupils, 6 to 10 more join in Year 10, and about 50 pupils have historically joined the Lower Sixth. Places are co-educational and available as day, weekly boarding or full boarding.
Children can also join through the Year 6 deferred entry pathway, which secures a Year 9 place whilst they remain at their prep school until the end of Year 8. Places can open at other points in the year, and families enquire through the online form, by phone or by email to the admissions office. Belmont admits at 7+ for Year 3 and 11+ for Year 7 through its own team.
How the 13+ assessment works
The 13+ assessment has two stages for Year 8 pupils applying for a Year 9 place: a computer-based Stage 1 test, then interviews at Stage 2.
Stage 1 covers maths, English, non-verbal reasoning and verbal reasoning, plus a creative learning task, and the school's dates page names ATOM Assessment as the provider. Stage 2 consists of interviews held at the school. Offers follow, then an evening event for offer holders and an acceptance deadline a couple of weeks later.
Testing takes place in the autumn of Year 8 and interviews early in the new year, and the school's Year 9 page describes the process as including an interview and entrance tests.
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Hannah
Master TutorI am a UK-qualified teacher with 15+ years across private and state schools in the UK and abroad, and hold a BSc from LSE and a PGCE with QTS. I teach English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning, 11+ and Common Entrance preparation. My approach is personalised, confidence-building and rigorous.
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Johanna
Expert TutorI have two decades' teaching experience in English Literature, English Language and Philosophy, and hold a PhD in English Literature. I teach GCSE, A-Level, Oxbridge entrance and UCAS personal statements. My approach is person-centred, working through dialogue and ongoing assessment.
Enquire about this tutorHow the Year 6 deferred entry pathway works
The Year 6 deferred entry pathway lets a child sit the assessment in Year 6 and hold a guaranteed Year 9 place whilst staying at their prep school until the end of Year 8. Registration closes early in the autumn term of Year 6.
Stage 1 is an 11+ style computer-based assessment in maths, English, non-verbal reasoning and verbal reasoning, with Quest named as the provider on the dates page, and a group interview forms part of the process. The admissions page describes maths and the two reasoning papers as adaptive, whereas English is non-adaptive and takes 1 hour 10 minutes.
Offers arrive within about a week of Stage 1, followed by an offer holder event. The acceptance deadline falls the following spring, and a deposit is payable at acceptance.
Registration and the admissions timeline
Registration is an online form with a non-returnable fee, completed before the closing date for the relevant pathway, which falls in the autumn of Year 8 for standard 13+ and early in the autumn of Year 6 for deferred entry.
Families interested in a scholarship or bursary flag it at registration, and international applicants have no fixed deadlines and contact the international admissions team directly. The sequence runs from a visit and online registration through Stage 1, interviews, an emailed offer and acceptance with a deposit, and the list below sets out each step in order.
- Visit through a formal open morning or a mid-week tour in term time
- Register online and pay the non-returnable registration fee
- Sit the Stage 1 computer-based assessment
- Attend Stage 2 interviews on the standard 13+ pathway, or the group interview on the deferred pathway
- Receive the offer by email
- Accept by the published deadline and pay the acceptance deposit
How 16+ entry works
16+ entry into the Lower Sixth relies on references, predicted GCSE grades and an academic interview for successful candidates, with offers made from the start of December.
Applications open early in the academic year and the dates page publishes no closing date. References and predicted grades are requested from the start of October, and interviews begin from the same point. The school describes itself as academically selective and links a Sixth Form Curriculum Guide, which is where subject choices are set out.
The GCSE grade thresholds were not stated on the pages read, so the admissions office is the place to confirm them for your chosen subjects. Scholarship applications at 16+ follow a separate, earlier timetable.
Scholarships and bursaries
Scholarships are offered at 13+ for Year 9 and at 16+ for Year 12 in academic, creative and sport categories. Academic and creative candidates attend a shared assessment day, whilst sport candidates take a separate sport assessment, with rugby and other sports on different days at 16+.
The school describes the main benefit as additional support, extension and challenge and does not state a monetary value. Sport scholars follow a programme covering movement mechanics, speed and power, performance nutrition and performance lifestyle in the Lower School, and individual strength and conditioning programmes in the senior years.
Means-tested bursaries support families with limited income and limited assets and can cover up to 100 per cent of tuition fees, with boarding fees covered only in rare circumstances. Applicants complete a Statement of Financial Circumstances with supporting information, a Bursary Committee reviews it, and awards depend on available funding and are reviewed annually. Separate hardship bursaries exist for sudden, unexpected hardship.
Fees and what they include
Fees are published per term for day, weekly boarding and full boarding, and the figures in the key facts include VAT and lunch. Tuition covers curriculum expenses and contributions towards basic sports trips and visits.
Extras such as residential trips, exam charges and lost books are billed separately. Registration carries a non-returnable fee that is higher for international applicants.
Accepting a place requires a deposit, credited back after the final term less any sums owed, and families normally resident outside the UK pay an additional deposit of one term's fees. Termly direct debit is preferred, invoices fall due on or before the first day of term, and a full term's fee may apply if a pupil is withdrawn without proper notice.
Where pupils join from
Pupils join the senior school from the group's own Belmont Prep and Grimsdell Pre-Prep as well as from other schools, and the Year 6 deferred pathway is designed for children at outside prep schools.
Grimsdell takes children aged 3 to 7 at 3+ Nursery and 4+ Reception. Belmont, for ages 7 to 13, admits at 7+ and 11+ by examination, interview and a reference from the current school, and also welcomes applications for Years 4, 5, 6 and 8 when space allows.
Belmont's 11+ route has a computer-based adaptive Stage 1 in English, maths, non-verbal reasoning, verbal reasoning and creative comprehension, then a Stage 2 with a group interview, a problem-solving or teamwork activity and creative writing. The pages read describe the three schools as a continuous sequence without setting out an automatic transfer, so the admissions office can confirm how Belmont pupils apply at 13+.
How to prepare
Preparation for 13+ centres on the four computer-based papers: maths, English, non-verbal reasoning and verbal reasoning, plus the creative learning task. The school describes maths and the two reasoning papers as adaptive, so questions adjust to a child's answers, and regular practice on screen builds familiarity with that format.
English is non-adaptive and lasts 1 hour 10 minutes on the deferred pathway, so practising sustained reading and writing to time suits that paper. For the interview, talking through interests and school activities in conversation and in a small group helps, since Belmont's published Stage 2 includes discussion of interests, general knowledge and current affairs.
Sport and creative scholarship candidates plan for the separate assessment days, and 16+ applicants ask their school early for the reference and predicted grades requested from the start of October.
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Preparing for the Mill Hill School 13+ with Taylor Tuition
Preparation for the Mill Hill School 13+ tends to go best when it starts early and stays steady, and most families who work with us begin between twelve and eighteen months out. Our tutors, who have prepared pupils for entry to leading independent and grammar schools including Westminster, St Paul's, Wycombe Abbey and Eton, plan the work backwards from the school's own assessment format and registration deadline.
The tutors we match to 13+ preparation are drawn from a pool in which more than half hold Qualified Teacher Status, around three in five hold a master's degree or doctorate, and which includes former heads of department, exam-board examiners and teachers from independent and boarding schools. Every tutor who works with children holds an enhanced DBS check.
Families in London 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 13+. Families receive progress reports after sessions and have a dedicated point of contact.
Read more about our 13+ Common Entrance tutors, or send an enquiry and we will come back with tutor recommendations.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the Mill Hill Schools entrance exam at 13+?
- It is a computer-based Stage 1 assessment in maths, English, non-verbal reasoning and verbal reasoning, plus a creative learning task, with ATOM Assessment named as the provider. Stage 2 consists of interviews at the school, and offers follow. The Year 6 deferred pathway uses a similar four-subject assessment plus a group interview.
- How much are Mill Hill Schools fees?
- The school publishes termly fees for day, weekly boarding and full boarding, each including VAT and lunch. Tuition covers curriculum expenses and contributions towards basic sports trips and visits, whilst residential trips and exam charges are billed separately. An acceptance deposit is credited back after the final term. The exact figures are on the school's fees page.
- When do you register for Mill Hill 13+?
- Standard 13+ registration closes in the autumn of Year 8 for a Year 9 place the following September, and the Year 6 deferred pathway closes early in the autumn of Year 6. Registration is an online form with a non-returnable fee, and scholarship or bursary interest is flagged at that stage.
- Does Mill Hill offer scholarships and bursaries?
- Scholarships are available at 13+ and 16+ in academic, creative and sport categories, assessed on an assessment day or a separate sport assessment. Means-tested bursaries can cover up to 100 per cent of tuition fees, with boarding fees covered only in rare circumstances, and the Bursary Committee reviews each Statement of Financial Circumstances.
- How do you get into the Mill Hill sixth form?
- Applicants for the Lower Sixth supply a reference and predicted GCSE grades, and successful candidates are invited to an academic interview. Offers are made from the start of December. Around 50 pupils have historically joined at 16+, and the Sixth Form Curriculum Guide sets out subjects.
- Is there a catchment area for Mill Hill School?
- The pages read publish no catchment area. The school is independent and selective, so entry depends on the assessment, interview and, at 16+, references and predicted grades. Places are offered as day, weekly boarding or full boarding, and international applicants have no fixed deadlines and contact the international admissions team.
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