The Queen’s School, Chester, 11 Plus (11+) Entrance Exam Information 2024
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Table of Contents
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+) Exam Information 2024
Address: City Walls Road Chester CH1 2NN
County: Cheshire
Admissions info: admissions@thequeensschool.co.uk or 01244 312078
School type: Independent day school for girls
Number of students: 1700 (approx.)
Open day: October
11+ Exam date: January of Year 6
11+ Exam type / Board: School’s own
Pass mark: Aim for 75%+ in our practice tests. See below for more details.
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.
The Queen’s School, Chester, 11 Plus (11+) Exam Format
The 11+ exam at The Queen’s School consists of the following papers:
- English
- Mathematics
- Non-Verbal Reasoning
The English paper is one hour long, testing comprehension, imagination and accuracy. It includes a short prose extract with questions to test reading; a mixture of short-answer questions and questions which demand a longer response and an imaginative writing task.
The mathematics paper is 45 minutes long and calculators are not allowed. Candidates will be expected to solve a variety of mathematical problems and respond to arithmetic and simple algebra questions.
The Non-Verbal Reasoning paper is designed to test the ability to understand, interpret and problem-solve, testing logic and intelligence rather than knowledge.
Please see below for further details and recommendations on how to prepare for The Queen’s School 11+ examination.
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
NOTE: The following English and Mathematics practice tests are in standard format, which means that students need to write in their own answers rather than choose from a list of multiple-choice options. This matches the 11+ Exam format used by the school.
English
The following practice papers are highly recommended for successful preparation for The Queen’s School 11+ English paper. They will help improve your child’s comprehension and writing skills, including spelling, vocabulary and inference:
Comprehension
11+ Complete Comprehension Guide
Writing
✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended 11+ resources for The Queen’s School English exam at a large discount. Click the button below to learn more:
11+ English Bundle - Save 30%
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.
Mathematics
The following practice papers strongly correspond with the demands of The Queen’s School 11+ maths test:
Full Practice Tests
Skill Specific Practice
11+ Fractions, Decimals & Percentages
11+ Reflection, Rotation & Symmetry
✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended 11+ resources for The Queen’s School mathematics exam at a large discount. Click the button below to learn more:
11+ Mathematics Bundle - Save 30%
Non-Verbal Reasoning
For The Queen’s School’s Non-Verbal reasoning paper, make use of these highly recommended packs of practice tests that cover all of the key question types:
Full Practice Tests
11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning Pack 1
11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning Pack 2
11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning Pack 3
11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning Pack 4
Skill Specific Practice
Masterclasses
11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning Masterclass
✅ You can now purchase a bundle of all of our recommended 11+ resources for The Queen’s School Non-Verbal Reasoning exam at a large discount. Click the button below to learn more:
11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning Bundle - Save 30%
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Interviews
This 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 The Queen’s School, Chester, 11+ exam past papers. The information provided about The Queen’s School, Chester, 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 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
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