Introduction
School Name: St. James Senior Girls School
Description: Independent Day School for Girls
Acceptance Ages: 11+
Overview
St. James Senior Girls’ School is an independent day school for girls aged 11-18 which is based in London’s Kensington Olympia. Senior school accommodates a two-form year group, allowing teachers to focus closely on pupils’ wellbeing and progress.
The school aims to provide a happy, united environment for its girls, allowing students the best chance of seeking out and developing their individual talents. Provides spiritual enrichment to its pupils by giving regular time to meditate or be still at the beginning and end of each school day.
St. James Senior Girls’ School Admissions Criteria
St. James Senior Girls’ School is a member of the London Consortium which follows the Agreed Code of Practice for admissions.
Year 7 of St. James Senior Girls’ School is the main entry point wherein admission is determined by student performance in the entrance examination in January of the year of entry. However, the school does not focus solely for the academic results but also asks to attend an interview to help the school ensure that it can meet the student’s needs. A report is also requested from the girl’s current school.
The London Consortium’s policy will offer places based on a student’s overall performance in the cognitive test, interview, and reference.
For further information on St. James Senior Girls’ School Year 7 admissions process, please contact the Registrar on 020 7348 1748 or admissions@sjsg.org.uk.
How to Apply for 11 plus Entry to St. James Senior Girls’ School
Prior to the application for a Year 7 place at St. James Senior Girls’ School, parents and prospective students are requested to attend one of the school’s Open Events. These events take place throughout the school year and need to be booked in advance.
Registration for Cognitive Abilities Test is available for download and must return both the Registration Form and Confidential Pupil Information Form to the school, together with two recent passport photographs and a non-refundable registration fee of £125. A confirmation letter acknowledging receipt of the documentation will be sent to parents.
St. James Senior Girls’ School Year 7 entry Eleven 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 which 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 in an English test.
Some of the questions will be in a multiple-choice format and students are 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 tend to 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 Mathematics 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 applicants’ 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.
