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Introduction
Dame Alice Owen’s School (DAOS) is a co-educational secondary establishment with academy status in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire. Founded in 1613, it is one of the oldest schools in the country. DAOS is also among the top-performing schools nationally, producing competitive results and boasting a high rate of leavers who continue their education at either Oxford University or Cambridge University. [1]
DAOS’ academic life is a thriving one, maximising pupils’ abilities across a broad range of subject areas, including MFL, computing, art & design, politics and mathematics. Through the Learning 4 Life initiative, the school helps safeguard pupils’ welfare by educating them about the emotional, physical, mental and social aspects of becoming an adult, as well as their civic responsibilities. [2]
The varied extracurricular programme aims to familiarise students with a plethora of academic, creative and sporting opportunities. The activities on offer range from debating, chess and robotics to choir, Jazz Collective and hockey, helping DAOS facilitate children’s personal growth, character development and all-round successes. [3]
The values and ethos at DAOS revolve around providing an environment where students can strive for excellence, high achievement and personal improvement daily. The school understands the importance of self-discipline while pursuing knowledge, hence students are taught to be respectful towards themselves and of others and encouraged to be self-confident in their quest for knowledge.
DAOS takes pride in nurturing some of the top-performing students in national exams. Its graduates leave the school equipped with the critical thinking skills they need to excel in a variety of professional roles. Ofsted rewarded the school with an “Outstanding” grade based on its latest inspection. [4]
Experience life at Dame Alice Owen’s School in the brief video below:
Dame Alice Owen’s School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Information 2025
Address: Dugdale Hill Lane, Potters Bar EN6 2DU
County: Hertfordshire
Admissions info: admissions@damealiceowens.herts.sch.uk, 01707 643441
School type: Co-educational, partially selective
Number of pupils: 1,466 (approx.)
Number of places in Year 7: 200
Open Day date: July
11+ Exam date: September 2025
Pass mark: Aim for 85%+ in our practice tests. See below for more details.
Exam type / Board: GL Assessment and set by school
Dame Alice Owen’s School 11 Plus (11+) Admissions
This article is relevant for those aiming for entry to the school based on the Academic Criterion. The school also offers an entry point via the Music criterion, which is not discussed here.
Admission to the school is determined by pupil performance in the 11 Plus exam. Prospective students and their parents are actively encouraged to attend one of the school’s Open Events prior to applying for a place. During the event, they will have the opportunity to tour the school and speak to staff, as well as current pupils.
Dame Alice Owen’s School is often oversubscribed for places, hence it uses the following oversubscription criteria, giving priority to:
- Looked After, or previously Looked After children
- 22 children whose permanent home address is closest to the school at the date of application
- Children who have a sibling attending the school at the date of application
- Children demonstrating musical aptitude (up to 10 places)
- Up to 65 children selected by academic ability
- Children with a parent who is a member of staff at the school
- Children whose permanent home address is closest to the school.
Please follow this link to read the full admissions policy for Dame Alice Owen’s School. You can view the school’s exact location on the map below:
Dame Alice Owen’s School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Format
The DAOS 11+ entrance exam consists of two parts. The top 325 performers in Part 1 are invited back to take the Part 2 test.
Part 1
- Verbal Reasoning – This consists of a Verbal Reasoning paper in the GL Assessment format.
Part 2
- Mathematics – Standard format mathematics
- English – Standard format comprehension and extended writing.
How to Prepare for the Dame Alice Owen’s School 11 Plus (11+) Exam?
To successfully prepare your child for the Dame Alice Owen’s School entrance exams, we recommend that you utilise 11+ resources that provide an insight into the types of questions that they could be asked in the actual exam. Our practice papers offer exactly that and much more.
Aside from reflecting the demands of the DAOS 11+ exam, our practice tests will help you identify any weaker areas that require additional work, and thus enable you to adjust your child’s study schedule accordingly. Students who approach preparation in such a methodical way generally have a competitive advantage over their peers who prefer a less structured approach.
Our practice tests tend to make the preparation process easily manageable and less demanding in order for your child to feel confident and less stressed about the upcoming 11+ exam. For that reason, they are used successfully by hundreds of thousands of students every year.
Dame Alice Owen’s School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Pass Marks and Target Scores
Applicants ranked within the top 325 in the Verbal Reasoning test will be invited to the school to sit further Maths and English assessments. The age-standardised pass score largely depends on the rate of acceptance of places.
Although there is no formal pass mark, pupils who are able to score 85%+ consistently in our 11+ practice tests should be on track to pass the 11+ Dame Alice Owen’s School test.
Whilst there are no guarantees, this has historically been a fairly strong indicator that your child should do well in the Dame Alice Owen’s School 11+ exam. Click here to learn about this school’s performance in comparison to other schools in the area.
Dame Alice Owen’s School 11 Plus (11+) Practice Exam Papers
The following practice tests are specifically designed to help your child prepare for the DAOS 11+ Exam. They provide excellent mock exam preparation, highlighting your child’s strengths and weaknesses.
Practice Papers
Part 1
To develop your child’s Verbal Reasoning skills ahead of the DAOS exam, we suggest that you make use of the following packs that cover all of the key question types.
Practice Papers
Video Masterclasses
Part 2
The DAOS English test is very similar to that of an independent school, standard format exam covering comprehension and composition. As such, we recommend the following packs to help your child prepare.
Practice Papers
The DAOS Mathematics test is very similar to that of an independent school, standard format exam. As such, we recommend the following packs to help your child prepare.
Practice Papers
If you’d like to have your child’s writing assessed and marked, you may be interested in our Writing Marking Service. Please click here to learn more.
Why do some of the recommendations above show me independent school papers?
The main difference between independent and grammar school papers is the question format. Independent schools usually assess with standard format questions, which means students need to write out full answers. Grammar schools usually use multiple-choice format questions.
Whilst Dame Alice Owen’s School is a grammar school, they actually use the independent school (standard) format for some of their exams, which is why they are included in the recommendations above.
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Our practice tests aim to show what sort of questions have been included in Dame Alice Owen’s School 11+ past papers. The information provided about Dame Alice Owen’s School is believed to be correct at the time of publishing. However, please be aware of future changes. We advise you to contact the school directly if you are unsure of anything. School contact details are provided within the article.
Please note that Exam Papers Plus is an independent publisher of practice tests and resources, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Dame Alice Owen’s School.
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Author(s)
Louise Lang
Director of Learning
