St. Albans High School for Girls (STAHS) 11 Plus (11+) Exam 2024, Year 7 Entry – Key Details
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Table of Contents
Introduction
St Albans High School for Girls (STAHS) is an independent day school based on Townsend Avenue, in the heart of St Albans. Founded in 1889, it boasts a rich selection of modern facilities, including an indoor swimming pool, a performing arts centre and a Design & Technology block. [1]
Academic life at STAHS is characterised by diversity of interests and abilities, and reflects the school’s reputation for consistently outstanding exam results achieved by pupils on national level. Teaching is highly individualised, as staff are actively invested in getting to know each girl’s learning style so that they can deliver lessons accordingly.
The educational provision is flexible, encompassing core courses, elective options and lots of experiential learning in parallel with practical work, comprehensively preparing girls for the next stages of their academic journey. Through the Careers and Higher Education programme, STAHS provides pupils with guidance and support in their future endeavours, while simultaneously benefitting from a strong network of inspirational alumni. [2]
Besides the extensive classroom learning, the school also provides a comprehensive activities programme, featuring everything from lacrosse, creative writing and orchestra to drama, debating and tennis. Trips and expeditions are organised on a regular basis, stretching girls’ awareness of cultural differences and maximising their appreciation of diversity. To serve this purpose, destinations are selected meticulously, and have included Iceland, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Australia and Malawi. [3]
All aspects of the Senior School were recently rated as ‘excellent’ by the ISI, who also recognised and praised the transformational nature of the education on offer. Benefitting from the school’s exemplary standards and the vibrant yet safe community, girls mature into persons of character who, in their later lives, approach both personal and professional interactions with integrity.
St. Albans High School for Girls 11 Plus (11+) Exam Information 2024
Address: Townsend Avenue, St Albans AL1 3SJ
County: Hertfordshire
Admissions info: admissions@stahs.org.uk or 01727 792 509
School type: Independent day school for girls
Open day: In the Spring and Autumn terms
11+ Exam date: January 2024
Exam type / Board: ISEB Pretest and school’s own
Pass mark (Online ISEB Pretest Exam): Aim for 80%+ in our online practice tests.
Pass mark (Papers): Aim for 80%+ in our paper-based practice tests.
Open Events for St. Albans High School for Girls (STAHS) 11 Plus (11+) Entry
Snapshot sessions offer families the rare opportunity to experience a typical day on campus and hear from the Head. These events are usually held in November.
The school also hosts Open Mornings, welcoming prospective families for a day packed with activities, including pupil-led tours of facilities. More details are available here. You can view the school’s exact location on the map below:
St. Albans High School for Girls (STAHS) 11 Plus (11+) Admissions
To register your child for Year 7 entry to St. Albans High School for Girls, you need to complete the registration form and pay a £125 registration fee. The registration deadline is in November.
As STAHS is an academically selective school, entry is dependent upon performance in entrance examinations and an interview. The exam takes place in early January and candidates who have met the required standard are invited back for interviews later the same month.
Both the exam and interview are intended to assess skills like problem solving, mental ability, creativity and communication, as well as factual knowledge.
To help with the selection process, a report from the candidate’s current school will be requested. Offers of places are made in early February and the acceptance deadline is at the beginning of March.
St. Albans High School for Girls (STAHS) 11 Plus (11+) Scholarships and Bursaries
Academic Scholarships are offered following an assessment, which only applicants who perform exceptionally well in the entrance examinations and interviews are invited to take. Scholarships in Drama, Music and Sports are also available and they require a separate application.
Forms can be accessed through this page. All scholarship awards carry a 10% fee reduction.
Drama Scholarships are awarded following an audition, during which applicants will perform a prepared monologue, followed by a feedback session. There will also be an interview.
Music (Instrumental and Choral) Scholarships are offered to outstanding musicians, as assessed during an audition and interview. Instrumental Scholarships are typically valued at 10%, although, in exceptional circumstances, the value of the award can reach 25% of fees.
Sports Scholarships are awarded following a practical assessment, during which the school will also look into your daughter’s motor ability and games sense. As part of the evaluation process, she will attend an interview with the Director of Sport.
11+ entry applicants who come from low-income families are encouraged to apply for a means-tested bursary, which can be valued at 100% of fees. The award may also cover additional costs, such as music lessons, uniform, school lunches and trips.
Bursaries are subject to annual review and may vary in value, depending on changes in your household’s financial circumstances. If you wish to be considered for a bursary, you should indicate this in the registration form. Please note that a home visit by an external company may be conducted. More details are available in the Bursary policy, which can be accessed through this page.
St. Albans High School for Girls 11 Plus (11+) Entrance Exam Format
The entrance exam for St. Albans High School for Girls comprises:
- ISEB Common Pretest
- English – writing task
The pretest assesses skills in Maths, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. The English paper is a composition task that will be marked according to creative thinking, originality, accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar.
How to Prepare for the St. Albans High School for Girls 11 Plus (11+) Entrance Exam
One of the best ways of preparing for competitive entrance exams is to use practice papers. These help students familiarise themselves with the format and question types they will encounter in the actual test in an efficient and effective manner. They also provide an excellent opportunity for students to practise working under time pressure.
Our practice tests offer excellent practice and preparation for the St. Albans High School for Girls’ 11+ entrance exam. They cover all the key skills and can be used to identify any weaker areas that require additional work ahead of the tests and build confidence.
Our 11+ resources are thoroughly researched and up to date. Every year, they are used successfully by hundreds of thousands of students targeting schools with a competitive entrance examination process.
St. Albans High School for Girls (STAHS) 11 Plus (11+) Exam Pass Marks and Target Scores
Pupils who are able to score 80%+ consistently in our online practice tests should be on track to pass the STAHS 11+ online ISEB Pre-test.
Pupils who are able to score 80%+ consistently in our practice papers should be on track to pass the written sections of the STAHS 11+ exam.
Whilst there are no guarantees, this has historically been a fairly strong indicator that your child should do well in the St. Albans High School for Girls 11 Plus examinations.
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!
St. Albans High School for Girls (STAHS) 11 Plus (11+) Exam Practice Tests
Recommendations for each section of the STAHS 11 Plus exam can be found below:
ISEB Common Pretest
St. Albans High School for Girls use the online ISEB Pretest for their 11+ exam. We thus recommend the following online practice tests, which are specifically designed to help students familiarise themselves with the online test format in all four key subjects:
NEW ISEB Pretest Practice Test 1
NEW ISEB Pretest Practice Test 2
NEW ISEB Pretest Practice Test 3
NEW ISEB Pretest Practice Test 4
NEW ISEB Pretest Practice Test 5
NEW ISEB Pretest Practice Test 6
NEW ISEB Pretest Practice Test 7
NEW ISEB Pretest Practice Test 8
NEW ISEB Pretest Practice Test 9
NEW ISEB Pretest Practice Test 10
NEW ISEB Pretest Practice Test 11
NEW ISEB Pretest Practice Test 12
NEW ISEB Pretest Practice Test 13
NEW ISEB Pretest Practice Test 14
NEW ISEB Pretest Practice Test 15
✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended full practice tests for the St. Albans High School for Girls ISEB Pretest exam at a large discount. These are available on our other site, Pretest Plus. Click the button below to learn more:
ISEB Pretest Practice Tests 1-15 Bundle - Save 35%
✅ Alternatively, you can choose a bundle of five of our recommended full practice tests for the St. Albans High School for Girls ISEB Pretest exam and still save 25%. Select the relevant bundle below to learn more:
ISEB Pretest Practice Tests 1-5 Bundle - Save 25%
ISEB Pretest Practice Tests 6-10 Bundle - Save 25%
ISEB Pretest Practice Tests 11-15 Bundle - Save 25%
The following video courses cover everything your child needs to know to do well in the ISEB Pretest:
ISEB Pretest Non-Verbal Reasoning Course
ISEB Pretest Verbal Reasoning Course
✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended video courses for the St. Albans High School for Girls ISEB Pretest exam at a large discount. These are available on our other site, Pretest Plus. Click the button below to learn more:
ISEB Pretest Video Courses Bundle - Save 25%
Our Skill Practice products consist of focused tests that allow your child to improve targeted skills ahead of the ISEB Pretest:
NEW ISEB Pretest English – Reading Comprehension
NEW ISEB Pretest English – Cloze Sentences
NEW ISEB Pretest English – Shuffled Sentences
NEW ISEB Pretest English – SPAG
NEW ISEB Pretest 2D Non-Verbal Reasoning
NEW ISEB Pretest Spatial Reasoning
NEW ISEB Pretest Verbal Reasoning
✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended skill practice tests for the St. Albans High School for Girls ISEB Pretest exam at a large discount. These are available on our other site, Pretest Plus. Click the button below to learn more:
ISEB Pretest Skill Practice Bundle - Save 30%
Don’t forget to use the code ppdiscount at checkout to get 10% off orders over £80 and 20% off orders over £200 if you don’t buy a bundle.
English – Writing Task
To prepare for the St. Albans High School for Girls’ English paper, we would highly recommend using the following practice papers, which will help to improve writing skills, including spelling and vocabulary:
✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended 11+ resources for the STAHS English exam at a large discount. Click the button below to learn more:
11+ English Bundle - Save 15%
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.
Don’t forget to use the code eppdiscount at checkout to get 10% off orders over £70 and 20% off orders over £250 if you don’t buy a bundle.
Interviews
This interview guide covers all the key concepts your child needs to be aware of for the 11+ Interview:
11+ Interviews – The Complete Guide
Our practice tests aim to show what sort of questions were included in St. Albans High School for Girls 11+ past papers. The information provided about St. Albans High School for Girls was 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 post.
Other entry points for St. Albans High School for Girls:
Click here to learn about Year 1 entry via the 5 Plus (5+) Exam
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
Click here to learn about Year 9 entry via the 13 Plus (13+) Exam
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