Introduction
School Name: Francis Holland School, Sloane Square
Description: Independent Day School for Girls
Acceptance Ages: 11+
Overview
Francis Holland School (SW1) was founded in 1881 and is located in London’s Sloane Square which currently has 450 pupils on roll. An independent day school for girls that makes up one half of the Francis Holland School institution; the other is located close to Regent’s Park.
Francis Holland (SW1) is a Church of England school that follows Christian beliefs, but is open to girls from all religious backgrounds. Its mission is to provide students with a balanced education in a supportive and friendly community. Its curriculum is challenging and encourages students to be creative and curious, while its co-curricular timetable includes sports, languages and drama.
Francis Holland School (SW1) Admissions Criteria
Francis Holland School (SW1) is a member of the London Consortium and follows its Agreed Code of Practice.
For aspiring students to gain a chance for a Year 7 place at Francis Holland School (SW1) must sit the school’s 11+ entrance test, which will be in January of the year of entry. Applicants are also required to attend an interview, in which it will discover their current skill set and intellectual ability. Applicants must also submit a reference from their current school, providing a detailed commentary on their academic performance and character.
The school doesn’t place emphasis on one part of the application process alone. The examination, interview and reference are all considered equally important and complementary.
For further information on Francis Holland School (SW1)’s Year 7 admissions process, please contact the Registrar on 020 7824 5005, or email registrar@fhs-sw1.org.uk.
How to Apply for 11 plus Entry to Francis Holland School (SW1)
Application for a Year 7 place at Francis Holland School (SW1), parents should directly contact the school to request an application form. Please note, that a separate application form needs to be completed for each school applied to, as schools process the applications individually.
For parents and students’ better understanding about the school’s environment, Francis Holland holds open events, which will be in between September and November that includes a talk from the Headteacher and a chance to meet current pupils and teaching staff.
For more information on the registration process, the school’s website has a useful FAQs section.
Francis Holland School (SW1) Year 7 entry, 11 Plus Assessment
The London Consortium replaced its traditional eleven plus exam with a bespoke Cognitive Abilities Test which evaluates Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. The test has been created for the London Consortium by the Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring (CEM). It’s worth noting that the CEM definition of Verbal Reasoning includes question types, such as comprehension, that you would usually find in an English test.
Some of the questions will be in a multiple-choice format and students will be required to mark their answers on a separate answer sheet. The test lasts for approximately 75 minutes, with a 30-minute break midway. CEM tests consist of shorter timed sections focusing on a specific question type. These sections are then taken in a mixed order rather than one subject after another. For example, a 5-minute Verbal Reasoning comprehension section could be followed by a 10-minute Maths LNR section, followed by a 6-minute Verbal Reasoning cloze section.
There will be no other written assessments. The Consortium implemented this new cognitive test to identify pupils’ overall academic potential, rather than their ability to retain knowledge for a particular exam.
Students can take the test at any school in the Consortium and parents will receive test results in February.
