Introduction
School Name: Francis Holland School, Regent’s Park
Description: Independent Day School for Girls
Acceptance Ages: 11+
Overview
Francis Holland School founded in 1878 and is located in Regent’s Park, London, is an independent day school for girls. The school makes up one half of the Francis Holland School institution; the other school is located near Sloane Square (SW1).
The school has a strong academic reputation that provides a caring and nurturing environment for 450+ students. Teachers focus on building the girls’ self-confidence during their time at the school, giving them the independence to thrive in life after education.
Together with a packed academic curriculum, students have unlimited opportunities to participate in different extracurricular activities, such as sports, drama and music. Francis Holland School takes full advantage of its location in London, giving students the chance to regularly visit the capital throughout their school life.
Francis Holland School (NW1) Admissions Criteria
Francis Holland School (NW1) is one of 12 members of the London Consortium that follows its Agreed Code of Practice.
Application for Year 7 to Francis Holland School (NW1) is determined by student performance in the school’s 11+ entrance test in January of the year of entry. Once the examination is complete, applicants are required to attend one or more interviews, designed to evaluate their general intelligence. Applicants must also provide both character and academic references from their current school as part of their application.
Year 7 entry is not determined by student performance in the 11 plus exam alone but with the policy of the London Consortium to consider overall performance in the cognitive test, interview and reference(s). Each of these assessment procedures will allow the school to discover a student’s potential. Should the school have to decide between two or more candidates who meet the admission requirements, they may give preference to girls:
- who already have a sister in the school
- whose parent is a former pupil of the school
- whose parent is a current member of staff
- with a particular skill, talent or aptitude
- who are daughters of Church of England clergy
However, girls from the above list will not necessarily be given automatic priority.
For further information on Francis Holland School’s Year 7 admissions process, please contact the Registrar on 020 7535 2777 or email registrar@fhs-nw1.org.uk.
How to Apply for 11 plus Entry to Francis Holland School (NW1)
Parents and students are advised to attend one of the school’s open events from September to November. These events give parents the opportunity to ask current teaching staff questions about the admissions process and to also take a tour of the school with current pupils. Parents can book a place at one of the open events at the school’s website, please click here. Parents must request a registration form for the Cognitive Abilities Test directly from the school.
For more information on the registration process, read the school’s FAQs document.
Francis Holland School (NW1) Year 7 Entry, 11 Plus Assessment
The London Consortium replaced its traditional eleven plus exam with a bespoke Cognitive Abilities Test. The test 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, each 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 the 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.
