The Queen’s School, Chester, 11 Plus (11+) Entrance Exam Information 2026

Introduction

The Queen’s School is an independent secondary school and sixth form for girls with academy status situated in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is a large school, spanning a 52-acre (21 ha) site on both sides of Aldenham Road with current specialisms in science.

The story of Queen’s began in Watford in the early 20th century. In September 1969, Watford Central School and Bushey Grammar School were amalgamated to form Queen’s School. The school was awarded a grant-maintained status in April 1993 and became a foundation school in September 1999. In September 2003, the school was designated a Specialist Sports College, and in April 2008, it also became a Science College.

The school encourages intellectual curiosity, bravery and creative lifelong learning as it aims to develop the next generation of leaders, innovators and creators.

Girls are inspired to believe that there is no one ‘right answer’, to take risks and to put forward their own ideas within a creative culture that helps them realise that very rarely is anything ever perfect, but that progress is a process of improvement. 

The primary focus is given to language learning and cultural understanding and The Queen’s School is the only independent school in the north of England to be officially recognised for its excellent work in promoting the study of Mandarin Chinese. With a designated Confucius Classroom, an appreciation of both Chinese language and culture is strongly encouraged. 

The Environmental Warrior initiative provides the girls with opportunities to participate in charitable work and partnerships across the world. Raising money for charity through a sponsored run, learning about plastic pollution during Beach School, or building a new school in Borneo are just a few of the community-conscious activities girls can engage in.

The curriculum learning encompasses a wide variety of academic clubs, competitions and excursions which are organised through the school’s departments. Educational trips to theatres, museums and both local and regional sites of interest take place every week. Expeditions to locations such as China, Africa, America, Latin America and Europe take place several times a year. 

The Queen’s School, Chester, 11 Plus (11+) Open Events

Senior School Open Morning for Year 7 entry offers families an opportunity to visit the school and learn about its core values. Tours of the school are led by current pupils who will introduce you and your child to the facilities.

The date for the event is set for October. However, you and your child are always welcome to have a look around and taster days can be arranged in accordance with your schedule. You can view the school’s exact location on the map below:

The Queen’s School, Chester, 11 Plus (11+) Admissions

Girls interested in joining the Senior School in Year 7 are invited to sit the entrance examination. The date is set in January of the year of entry into the school.  Applications may also be made mid-year, where special arrangements can be made if a place is available. References from the Head of your daughter’s current school are required.

The assessment is processed in the morning and it consists of three papers. Breaks for refreshments are included. Staff and students are available throughout the morning to assist candidates, who are allowed to ask for help at any time.

Besides examinations, the school also relies on interviews. Interviews with parents and their daughters are in the form of an informal chat with the Headmistress or a different senior member of staff. The child will most likely be asked about her responses in the examination papers and she may also be asked more general questions about her interests, things she enjoys at school or any other relevant topics. 

There are no ‘correct’ answers to most interview questions. The school is rather interested in determining each girl’s level of genuine enthusiasm for learning, curiosity about the world and the ability to think about issues in depth.

After the examinations and interview, formal offer letters are sent to parents. The deadline for responding to the offer is strict. The letter contains an offer of a place, an offer of a place on the reserve list, or indicates that the school is unable to offer a place. Separate letters will be sent to those who have made enquiries about bursaries and scholarships.

How to Prepare for The Queen’s School, Chester, 11 Plus (11+) Exam

One of the best ways to prepare for competitive entrance exams is to use practice tests. They provide students with the opportunity to become familiar with the format and question types that they will encounter in the actual test.

Due to its formal nature, your child may feel intimidated about sitting The Queen’s School 11+ exam. To prevent the overflow of insecurities, parents should work with their child on identifying any weaker areas that require additional work. Our practice tests will highlight those weaknesses very early on and are a great way to monitor a student’s progress and increase their confidence.

Designed to be both efficient and effective, our practice tests are extremely convenient for students who need to practise answering questions under time pressure. Every year, they are used successfully by hundreds of thousands of students to drastically improve their chances of passing the 11+ exam.

The Queen’s School, Chester, 11 Plus (11+) Exam Pass Marks and Target Scores

Pupils who are able to score 75%+ consistently in our 11+ practice tests should be on track to pass The Queen’s School, Chester, 11+ test.

Whilst there are no guarantees, this has historically been a fairly strong indicator that your child should do well in The Queen’s School 11+ exam.

Don’t worry if your child is not scoring well in our practice papers from the outset. With targeted practice and focus, it’s possible to make big improvements in a short amount of time!

The Queen’s School, Chester, 11 Plus (11+) Exam Practice Papers

The Queen’s School 11+ Online Practice Tests

Our The Queen’s School 11+ Online Entrance Assessment Practice Tests are available on our other website, Pretest Plus, and provide realistic and highly accurate preparation for the actual exam. Each full mock test replicates the modules, timings and question types used in the real assessment, ensuring your child becomes familiar with the format and expectations. Covering Maths, English, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning, these tests are all pitched at the same difficulty level, allowing you to benchmark your child’s progress, track improvement and identify key areas for further practice.

11+ The Queen’s School Practice Test 1

11+ The Queen’s School Practice Test 2

11+ The Queen’s School Practice Test 3

11+ The Queen’s School Practice Test 4

✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended resources for The Queen’s School 11+ Online Test at a large discount. These are available on our other site, Pretest Plus. Click the button below to learn more:

11+ The Queen’s School Practice Tests Bundle

The Queen’s School 11+ Skill Practice

The following Skill Practice exercises focus on one module that will come up in The Queen’s School 11+ Online Test, allowing you to target the specific exam sections that your child finds challenging.

11+ The Queen’s School Mathematics

Our practice tests aim to show what sort of questions have been included in The Queen’s School, Chester 11+ past papers. The information provided about The Queen’s School, Chester 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 Queen’s School, Chester.

Other entry points for The Queen’s School, Chester:
Click here to learn about Year 3 entry via the 7 Plus (7+) Exam

Click here to learn about Year 4 entry via the 8 Plus (8+) Exam