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Introduction
The Henrietta Barnett School (HBS) is a highly-regarded all-girls grammar school with academy status, nestled in the scenic Hampstead Garden Suburb, London. Philanthropist Dame Henrietta Barnett established the school in 1911. Her vision for the school was to provide a high-quality education to girls from various backgrounds, thereby promoting social equality and cohesion. The campus masterfully merges contemporary facilities with historic architecture, situated within the conservation area that offers a serene and stimulating learning atmosphere.
HBS features an all-encompassing, balanced, and forward-thinking curriculum designed to foster intellectual, creative, and physical development in its students. It provides a holistic education focusing on key subjects like mathematics, science, humanities, and languages that help build a strong foundation for students’ academic and personal development.
Students have the opportunity to engage in a wide variety of clubs catering to interests like debating, robotics, creative writing, and environmental conservation. The school also provides a comprehensive sports program, facilitating participation in athletics, netball, gymnastics, tennis, and other activities. These extra-curricular experiences enable students to nurture essential life and soft skills, including teamwork, leadership, effective communication, and problem-solving.
At the core of Henrietta Barnett School’s philosophy is a dedication to academic distinction and personal growth and the cultivation of a supportive community. It fosters intellectual inquisitiveness, determination, and autonomous thinking, empowering students to realise their maximum potential.
The Henrietta Barnett School has consistently garnered recognition for its outstanding academic accomplishments, frequently ranking among the UK’s top educational institutions. Its students consistently excel in their examinations, achieving impressive pass rates and top grades. Reputable university placements further demonstrate its success, with a considerable number of students securing admissions to esteemed institutions like the University of Oxford and Cambridge, as well as other notable Russell Group universities.
To learn more about Henrietta Barnett School, please watch the Virtual Open Day video below.
The Henrietta Barnett School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Information 2026
Address: Central Square, Hampstead Garden Suburb, London NW11 7BN
County: Hertfordshire/London Borough of Barnet
Admissions info: admissions@hbschool.org.uk, 020 8458 8999
School type: Girls’ grammar
Number of places in Year 7: 104
Open Day date: July
11+ Exam date: September (Round 1) and October (Round 2)
Pass mark: Aim for 90%+ in our practice tests for Part 1. See below for more details.
Exam type / Board: Part 1: GL Assessment | Part 2: set by the school
The Henrietta Barnett School 11 Plus (11+) Admissions
Admission to The Henrietta Barnett School for Year 7 is by academic selection, based on 11 Plus exam results. HBS has over 2,000 applications and around 100 Year 7 places available.
The school strongly encourages prospective students and their parents to attend one of their Open Days, which take place in July. These typically include tours of facilities and meetings with staff, including the Head.
In the likely event that there are more applicants than available places, the school uses the following oversubscription criteria, giving priority to:
- Children in looked after care, or those who have previously been in looked after care.
- Children eligible for Pupil Premium funding (up to 20 candidates only).
- All remaining candidates in rank score order from 11 Plus exam(s).
For more information on The Henrietta Barnett School’s admission criteria, please visit the school’s website. You can view the school’s exact location on the map below:
How to Apply for 11 Plus (11+) Entry to The Henrietta Barnett School
HBS follows the admissions process operated by the London Borough of Barnet. For your daughter to be considered for a Year 7 place, you must complete both the Common Application Form (CAF) via Barnet Local Authority and The Henrietta Barnett School Entrance Test Entry Form, which can be found on the school’s website when registration is open.
It is important that parents apply to the school to be considered for a Year 7 place at HBS. If parents do not complete the school’s entry form on time, their daughter will not be able to take the entrance exam. Parents must also name the school on their Common Application Form (CAF) by the Local Authority’s deadline (end of October).
The Henrietta Barnett School Catchment Area
Does The Henrietta Barnett School have a catchment area?
The school doesn’t have a catchment area, anyone can apply and anyone can sit their first round test. However, following round two of the exam, they do consider distance from the school in the case of determining an offer of a place. Applicants living within 3 miles will be offered places ahead of the rest.
The Henrietta Barnett School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Format
The Henrietta Barnett School entrance exams consist of two rounds, divided as follows:
- Round One: English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning multiple-choice assessments set by GL Assessment.
Following Round One, results from both sections will be combined and placed in rank order. The top 300 students will be invited back to sit the second exam (below).
- Round Two: English and Mathematics. The English section will test a student’s comprehension and creative writing skills, while the maths section focuses on problem solving skills.
The results of both tests will be used to determine the final rankings and place allocations for Year 7.
The Henrietta Barnett School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Pass Marks and Target Scores
Entrance to HBS is extremely competitive. Hence, strong exam performance is crucial to success at this school. Only the top 300 applicants in the Stage 1 exam will be considered for the Stage 2 test.
There is no specific pass mark, but pupils who are able to score 90%+ consistently in our 11+ practice tests should be on track to pass the Stage 1 Henrietta Barnett 11+ assessment.
Whilst there are no guarantees, this has historically been a fairly strong indicator that your child should do well in the HBS 11+ exam. Click here to learn about this school’s performance in comparison to other schools in the area.
How to Prepare for The Henrietta Barnett School 11 Plus (11+) Exam?
To prepare your daughter successfully for the HBS 11+ entrance exam, we suggest that you make use of our targeted resources. Our practice tests enable familiarisation with the types of questions and the format of the actual exam, which will help her gain confidence in the lead up to the big day.
With the use of our practice papers, you will be able to precisely identify your daughter’s strengths and weaknesses, which will guide you in devising a carefully thought-out revision plan that focuses on studying ‘little and often’. Moreover, our 11+ resources will help her get used to answering questions quickly and under time pressure.
Due to their practicality and effectiveness, our practice tests are used successfully by hundreds of thousands of students every year. Our recommendations to help your child prepare for The Henrietta Barnett 11 plus entrance examination can be found below.
Round 1
The Henrietta Barnett School (HBS) Pre-11+ Practice Tests are designed for Year 4 and 5 students to introduce the exam format and boost their confidence. These tests are less challenging than the Henrietta Barnett School 11+ Exam. They offer an accurate yet more straightforward representation of the actual exam, allowing students to familiarise themselves with exam specifics. This approach provides a solid foundation for students to progress to more challenging 11+ Practice Tests.
Practice Papers
The following practice tests are specifically designed to help your child prepare for the HBS Stage One 11+ Exam. They provide excellent mock exam preparation, highlighting your child’s strengths and weaknesses:
Practice Papers
The HBS 11+ Stage 1 English Exam last year consisted of Comprehension questions only. Therefore, we especially recommend focusing on these packs. However, there is always a possibility that Technical English will be included this year so it’s worth covering the following too just in case:
Practice Papers
Video Masterclasses
10 Minutes Test
Practice Papers
Video Masterclasses
Practice Papers
Video Masterclasses
Round 2
The following practice tests are specifically designed to help your child prepare for the HBS Stage Two 11+ Exam. They provide excellent mock exam preparation, highlighting your child’s strengths and weaknesses:
Practice Papers
Practice Papers
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 Henrietta Barnett 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 The Henrietta Barnett School 11+ past papers. The information provided about The Henrietta Barnett 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 The Henrietta Barnett School.
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Author(s)
Louise Lang
Director of Learning
