Schools / Haberdashers' Girls' School
Haberdashers' Girls' School
- Independent school
- Girls
- Day
- Ages 4–18
- 1,118 pupils
Haberdashers' Girls' School is an independent school for girls in Elstree, Hertfordshire, educating around 1,100 pupils aged 4 to 18. Entrance is reported to begin with a bespoke online assessment plus a creative writing task, with interviews for shortlisted candidates in a second round; secondary sources attribute the online assessment to Quest Assessments, but an ISEB Common Pre-Test first stage is also reported and the school's official pages do not settle the provider. It is one of the Haberdashers' Company schools, sharing its Elstree campus with Haberdashers' Boys' School.
RegionEast of England
DfE URN117649
The exam
Athena holds admission-route records for Haberdashers' Girls' School. They are shown by entry cycle below; where the provider changes between cycles, each cycle keeps its own recorded exam.
2027 entry
Set by Quest Assessments (produced in partnership with Atom Learning)
First round: Quest Admissions assessment plus creative writing (November, Year 6); second round interviews (January). Shared assessment format with Haberdashers' Boys' School from 2026 entry. Confirmation status (October 2026): secondary sources lean towards a bespoke Quest assessment with creative writing, but an ISEB Common Pre-Test first stage is also reported and the school's official pages do not settle it. Treat the attribution as unconfirmed.
10391 published practice questions tagged for this exam
Route record: needs review · Athena schools expansion research 2026-10-27
Set by Individual schools / small consortia (no board)
First round: Quest Admissions assessment plus creative writing (November, Year 6); second round interviews (January). Shared assessment format with Haberdashers' Boys' School from 2026 entry. Confirmation status (October 2026): secondary sources lean towards a bespoke Quest assessment with creative writing, but an ISEB Common Pre-Test first stage is also reported and the school's official pages do not settle it. Treat the attribution as unconfirmed.
1038 published practice questions tagged for this exam
Route record: needs review · Athena schools expansion research 2026-10-27
2028 entry
Set by Quest Assessments (produced in partnership with Atom Learning)
First round: Quest Admissions assessment plus creative writing (November, Year 6); second round interviews (January). Shared assessment format with Haberdashers' Boys' School from 2026 entry. Confirmation status (October 2026): secondary sources lean towards a bespoke Quest assessment with creative writing, but an ISEB Common Pre-Test first stage is also reported and the school's official pages do not settle it. Treat the attribution as unconfirmed.
10391 published practice questions tagged for this exam
Route record: needs review · Athena schools expansion research 2026-10-27
Set by Individual schools / small consortia (no board)
First round: Quest Admissions assessment plus creative writing (November, Year 6); second round interviews (January). Shared assessment format with Haberdashers' Boys' School from 2026 entry. Confirmation status (October 2026): secondary sources lean towards a bespoke Quest assessment with creative writing, but an ISEB Common Pre-Test first stage is also reported and the school's official pages do not settle it. Treat the attribution as unconfirmed.
1038 published practice questions tagged for this exam
Route record: needs review · Athena schools expansion research 2026-10-27
Free lessons for this exam
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Key dates & preparation
2028 entry
Test: Late November of Year 6 — the London Consortium online assessment
Results: Outcomes are released through the consortium in the new year
Offers: Mid-February of Year 6 — the consortium’s shared offer point
When to start preparing: Start preparing in the spring term of Year 5 (the standing rule: about 18 months before the test).
General guidance: this follows the rule of thumb of starting about 18 months before the test. It is not the school's own published advice.
Source: official admissions information · checked 2026-10-28
2027 entry
Test: Late November of Year 6 — the London Consortium online assessment
Results: Outcomes are released through the consortium in the new year
Offers: Mid-February of Year 6 — the consortium’s shared offer point
When to start preparing: Start preparing in the spring term of Year 5 (the standing rule: about 18 months before the test).
General guidance: this follows the rule of thumb of starting about 18 months before the test. It is not the school's own published advice.
Source: official admissions information · checked 2026-10-28
Admissions rules
No catchment — open competition
There is no catchment area. Admission is by the school’s own assessment process (examinations and, usually, an interview); the school sets its own oversubscription criteria in its admissions policy — commonly the assessment result first, with sibling or other connections considered at some schools.
Read the school's admissions policy
Results & destinations
2025 results
GCSE: 52% of grades at grade 9; 80% at grades 9–8; 93% at grades 9–7
School-published
A level: Average point score per A level entry 50.94 (average grade A); 63.6% of A level students achieved AAB or higher
DfE performance tables
Source: official source · checked 2026-10-28
2024 results
A level: Average point score per A level entry 50.88 (average grade A)
DfE performance tables
University destinations:
- 53 leavers — UK top-10 universities — counted from school-published destinations list
- 12 leavers — Oxford or Cambridge — Summed from the school's published per-university destinations document — the same document counted for this school's top-10 row: Cambridge 7 + Oxford 5 (places).
Source: official source · checked 2026-10-28
Athena counts a fixed UK top-10: University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, London School of Economics, University College London, Durham University, King's College London, University of Edinburgh, University of St Andrews and University of Warwick.
Scholarships & bursaries
Schemes recorded from the school's own published information. A scholarship is a merit award; a bursary is means-tested. Values are shown exactly as the school states them — where a scheme is honorary, its stated value says so.
11+ entry
Academic Scholarship
ScholarshipAcademic
What is assessed: Outstanding results in entrance examination and subsequent interviews; no special scholarship examinations
When: Entrance assessment in November, interviews in January
What it's worth: Up to 50% of fees (school's GSA text); typically 10-20% per school's scholarship details
How to apply: All entrance candidates automatically considered; no separate application necessary
Official scholarship information
Checked 2026-10-28
Art Scholarship
ScholarshipArt
What is assessed: Exceptional ability and flair with different media and techniques; enthusiastic art pursuits outside school
When: Scholarship deadline in November
What it's worth: 10% of school fees (per school's scholarship details reproduced from habsgirls.org.uk)
How to apply: Separate application required
Official scholarship information
Checked 2026-10-28
Creative Writing Scholarship
ScholarshipOther
What is assessed: Exceptional potential as a writer; originality, imagination and precision
When: Scholarship deadline in November
What it's worth: 10% of school fees
How to apply: Separate application required
Official scholarship information
Checked 2026-10-28
Drama Scholarship
ScholarshipDrama
What is assessed: Exceptional potential as a theatre practitioner
When: Scholarship deadline in November
What it's worth: 10% of school fees
How to apply: Separate application required
Official scholarship information
Checked 2026-10-28
Music Scholarship
ScholarshipMusic
What is assessed: Must first pass entrance examination, then music audition with Director of Music; exceptional musical potential
When: Scholarship application deadline in November; audition after entrance exam
What it's worth: Value not stated on the school's published pages
How to apply: Separate application required (Music Scholarship application form)
Official scholarship information
Checked 2026-10-28
Sports Scholarship
ScholarshipSport
What is assessed: Sustained sporting excellence, talent and potential; includes mentorship, coaching and sports psychology seminars
When: Scholarship deadline in November
What it's worth: Value not stated on the school's published pages
How to apply: Separate application required
Official scholarship information
Checked 2026-10-28
Bright Futures Bursary
BursaryOther
What is assessed: Donor-supported, means-tested, for students of Black African or Caribbean heritage whose families could not afford Habs without substantial support
When: With main bursary application
What it's worth: Up to two fully funded spaces for 11+ or 16+ entry at Habs Girls
How to apply: Separate application required via admissions team
Official scholarship information
Checked 2026-10-28
Bursary
BursaryOther
What is assessed: Means-tested on income and assets, annual review; sliding scale; free places where assessable household gross income below £38,000, ceiling approx £80,000 (school's GSA text); official Habs page: full or nearly full support for lower-income families
When: Bursary deadline in November before entry
What it's worth: 10% to 100% of school fees
How to apply: Separate application required
Official scholarship information
Checked 2026-10-28
16+ entry
Music Scholarship
ScholarshipMusic
What is assessed: Awarded occasionally at 16+; audition with Director of Music after passing entrance examination
When: Sixth Form entry
What it's worth: Value not stated on the school's published pages
How to apply: Separate application required
Official scholarship information
Checked 2026-10-28
Bright Futures Bursary
BursaryOther
What is assessed: Donor-supported, means-tested, for students of Black African or Caribbean heritage
When: With main bursary application
What it's worth: Fully funded place (up to two spaces across 11+/16+)
How to apply: Separate application required
Official scholarship information
Checked 2026-10-28
Bursary
BursaryOther
What is assessed: Means-tested on income and assets, annual review
When: Sixth Form entry
What it's worth: 10% to 100% of school fees
How to apply: Separate application required
Official scholarship information
Checked 2026-10-28
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