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Haberdashers' Girls' School

School typeIndependent

AddressAldenham Road, Elstree, Hertfordshire, England, WD6 3BT

Haberdashers' Girls' School uses the Independents and Quest Admissions exam boards for its 11+ entrance exam. The admissions process involves two stages, including an interview. It is a highly academic independent school for girls.

If your daughter is bright, motivated and wants to be surrounded by girls who feel the same, Haberdashers' Girls' is one of the names parents in north London say with a certain reverence. It is one of the strongest academic girls' schools in the country, but the Good Schools Guide is keen to point out it has caught up pastorally too, with extra pastoral staff and proper mental-health support brought in under the current head. For all its size, parents and pupils describe a close-knit, collegiate place. The girls are, in the Guide's words, 'diligent, resilient, articulate and go-getting', and not the type to trample over others on the way up.

The school traces back to 1698, when Robert Aske, master of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers, left money for a school and almshouses in east London. It moved to its present home beside the boys' school in leafy Elstree in the early 1970s, and the 100-acre rural site still feels a world away from the capital despite sitting minutes from the M1 and M25, with a 34-route coach network gathering girls from a wide area. Sport is a particular point of pride, with seven tennis courts, a pool, sports hall and fitness suite, and there are around 160 clubs to dip into. One nice quirk for older girls: every sixth former is taught at least one subject alongside the neighbouring boys. Old girls range from broadcaster Vanessa Feltz to actress Talulah Riley.

Led since 2023 by headmistress Dr Hazel Bagworth-Mann, Habs Girls suits a girl who wants high expectations and real rigour without losing the warmth. Places are scarce and hard-won, and most girls choose to stay right through to the end.

Key facts

Gender

Girls

Year 7 places

Between 80 and 85 (Year 7 / 11+ entry)

Website

Visit school website

Admissions

Registration closes

Nov

Admissions contact

admissionsgirls@habselstree.org.uk

Admissions phone

0208 266 2300

Registration form

View registration details

What this school tests

11+ Assessment

English17 question types

GrammarPunctuationReading Comprehension - ComparisonReading Comprehension - EvaluationReading Comprehension - Grammar and punctuationReading Comprehension - Inference and DeductionReading Comprehension - Information RetrievalReading Comprehension - Language Techniques and ImageryReading Comprehension - Sentence-level ComprehensionReading Comprehension - SequencingReading Comprehension - Structure, Form, Voice and ToneReading Comprehension - SummarisingReading Comprehension - Types of Words and PhrasesReading Comprehension - Word Meaning / ChoiceSpellingVocabularyReading Comprehension - Text Classification and Purpose

Maths21 question types

AlgebraAngles and DegreesBIDMASCoordinate GridsEstimation and RoundingFactors and MultiplesFractions, Decimals and PercentagesMeasurementMoneyNumber and Place ValueOperationsPerimeter, Area and VolumePosition and DirectionProperties of ShapesRatio and ProportionReflection, Rotation and SymmetrySequencesSpecial NumbersSpeed, Distance and TimeStatisticsTime

Non-verbal Reasoning12 question types

Figure AnalogiesFigure MatricesFigure SeriesGrid MatricesHorizontal CodesMatch to a Group of FiguresMost Like Three FiguresOdd Figure OutOdd Shaped MatricesStar MatricesTriangle MatricesVertical Codes

Verbal Reasoning23 question types

Alphabet LogicAnagramsCompound WordsEmbedded WordsForm a WordInsert 2 / 3 LettersInsert a LetterLetter AnalogiesLetter SequencesMove 1 / 2 LettersOrdering WordsRhyming SynonymsShuffled SentencesSynonymsWord / Logic PuzzlesWord AnalogiesWord CompletionWord MatchWord OppositesWord PairsWord RelationshipsWord SwapWords and Codes

Spatial Reasoning14 question types

2D Rotations2D View of 3D Shape3D RotationsBlock CountingBuilding BlocksCombining ShapesDiagonal ReflectionsFigure Missing from ImageFold and PunchFolding CubesHidden ShapesMissing Face of CubeNets of 3D ShapesShape Completion

Critical Thinking7 question types

Logical & Deductive ReasoningInference & EvaluationExtracting & Distilling InformationVisual SourcesComparison & OrderingData AnalysisCodes & Decoding

Creative Writing

English4 question types

Creative Writing - DescriptiveCreative Writing - NarrativeCreative Writing - PersonalCreative Writing - Persuasive

Previous exam results

GCSE results

Most pupils at this school sit IGCSE and Pre-U qualifications, which are not reflected in DfE's published GCSE measures. See the school's own website for full results. Reference: https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/

A-level results

In 2025 students achieved an A average grade per A-Level entry. 68.1% gained AAB or better including two facilitating subjects. Reference: https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/

Frequently asked questions

What exam boards does Haberdashers' Girls' School use for the 11+?

Haberdashers' Girls' School uses the Independents and Quest Admissions exam boards for its 11+ entrance exam.

Does Haberdashers' Girls' School interview as part of the 11+ process?

Yes, an interview stage is part of the 11+ admissions process at Haberdashers' Girls' School. The overall process has two stages.

Is Haberdashers' Girls' School co-educational or single-sex?

Haberdashers' Girls' School is a single-sex independent school for girls.

What is the official website for Haberdashers' Girls' School admissions?

The official website for admissions information is https://www.habselstree.org.uk/girls/admissions/admissions-process/.

How many stages are there in the Haberdashers' Girls' School 11+ entrance exam process?

The 11+ entrance exam process at Haberdashers' Girls' School consists of two distinct stages.

Does Haberdashers' Girls' School offer bursaries or help with fees?

Yes. The governors make a number of means-tested bursary awards each year for families whose daughter would benefit from the school but who couldn't otherwise afford it. These aren't academic awards: your daughter still needs to win a place through the entrance assessment, and financial need is checked through a confidential statement of income. Awards vary with need and the funds available, and can come with help towards coach travel, lunches, trips, uniform and music lessons. You apply alongside the application for a place, by the published deadline, and you renew the application each year as circumstances change. A bursary can be held alongside a scholarship.

What scholarships does Haberdashers' Girls' School offer?

Academic scholarships at 11+ are awarded to the strongest performers in the entrance assessment; there's no separate application and all candidates are considered automatically. The school also offers Music, Art, Drama, Sport and Creative Writing scholarships at 11+. For these, your daughter must first pass the entrance assessment, then the strongest applicants are invited to an audition or interview with the relevant head of department. Scholarships are worth between 10% and 25% off the fees and run for her time at the school, subject to her keeping up the standard expected. They're reviewed each year, and a scholarship can be held alongside a means-tested bursary.

Location

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