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Secondary education

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Original poster

North London 11+ 2027

21 replies

Snoozingnotlosing · 29/08/2026 08:12

Hi, just setting this up if there isnt already one? Trying out NLCS, SHHS, FH with Henrietta Barnett next week!

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whatawonderfulworlddd · 20/10/2026 21:55

Hopping onto this thread very late but I wondered if anyone did the Dame Alice Owen’s test this year?

Breeze67 · 20/10/2026 18:53

Snoozingnotlosing · 20/10/2026 17:44

@Breeze67 SPGS specifies that you cant live further than a 1hr commute. I think if you are prepared to travel 2hrs to HB, then you must really want it!

Such parents would likely move closer to the school upon securing a place.

Original poster
Snoozingnotlosing · 20/10/2026 17:44

@Breeze67 SPGS specifies that you cant live further than a 1hr commute. I think if you are prepared to travel 2hrs to HB, then you must really want it!

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Breeze67 · 20/10/2026 13:10

Snoozingnotlosing · 20/10/2026 12:07

I happened to chat to someone in the queue and they had come from Luton. I also know of a girl already there travelling 2hrs one way from South London to get there. My feeling is they must really want the place, much more than mine did if im honest. The demand is there for that school.

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Looking at past data, the majority of the 300 girls in round 2 are beyond 10km, while about a third live 15+ km away or don't even apply. Anyway, I just hope every child gets into a school they really want to go.

Original poster
Snoozingnotlosing · 20/10/2026 12:07

Breeze67 · 20/10/2026 11:41

We also sat HBS for exam practice, but didn't make the cut. Based on DD's score, she ranked in the top third, but with candidates applying from all over and only the top 10% reaching Stage 2 regardless of catchment, the competition is just far too intense. I wasn't a fan of the HBS exam format either, as DD excels at maths rather than VR and NVR prep. The whole 11+ is pretty messy overall, but I'm just glad SW grammars have regional boundaries to keep things more localized and less intense.

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I happened to chat to someone in the queue and they had come from Luton. I also know of a girl already there travelling 2hrs one way from South London to get there. My feeling is they must really want the place, much more than mine did if im honest. The demand is there for that school.

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Breeze67 · 20/10/2026 11:41

Snoozingnotlosing · 20/10/2026 11:12

Hi @Breeze67 , we didnt pass HB though there were so many children there, we didnt really stand a chance!

Well done everyone! Those for St Michael, we didnt try as arent catholic and assumed very strict on that. Hoping we do ok on indies, NLCS, South Hampstead, St Paul's

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We also sat HBS for exam practice, but didn't make the cut. Based on DD's score, she ranked in the top third, but with candidates applying from all over and only the top 10% reaching Stage 2 regardless of catchment, the competition is just far too intense. I wasn't a fan of the HBS exam format either, as DD excels at maths rather than VR and NVR prep. The whole 11+ is pretty messy overall, but I'm just glad SW grammars have regional boundaries to keep things more localized and less intense.

Original poster
Snoozingnotlosing · 20/10/2026 11:12

Breeze67 · 18/10/2026 10:58

We are sitting exams in SW London, though. How did your DD do in the Henrietta Barnett exam?

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Hi @Breeze67 , we didnt pass HB though there were so many children there, we didnt really stand a chance!

Well done everyone! Those for St Michael, we didnt try as arent catholic and assumed very strict on that. Hoping we do ok on indies, NLCS, South Hampstead, St Paul's

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FavoredOne · 19/10/2026 22:34

AvalonCar · 19/10/2026 21:54

My daughter also made the cut for St Michael’s grammar in Finchley.
where do you live? We are in Ealing

Oh wow, congratulations to your DD. We are literally 5mins away from the school luckily.

AvalonCar · 19/10/2026 21:54

My daughter also made the cut for St Michael’s grammar in Finchley.
where do you live? We are in Ealing

FavoredOne · 19/10/2026 14:33

We just got our results this for St Michael's grammar in Finchley, super excited that DD made the cut 🎉. So glad we don't have to fork out private fees!

Breeze67 · 18/10/2026 10:58

Snoozingnotlosing · 18/10/2026 09:21

is anyone out there doing the exams, just a month or two to go!

We are sitting exams in SW London, though. How did your DD do in the Henrietta Barnett exam?

Original poster
Snoozingnotlosing · 18/10/2026 09:21

is anyone out there doing the exams, just a month or two to go!

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Original poster
Snoozingnotlosing · 26/09/2026 12:36

bump!

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Original poster
Snoozingnotlosing · 11/09/2026 08:19

@RatherBeOnVacation apologies, it was the wrong terminology. I was in the zone of what happens if we didnt get any offers so was thinking if there was a place more achievable for us

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RatherBeOnVacation · 11/09/2026 08:14

Snoozingnotlosing · 09/09/2026 04:36

Just wondering what people's backups are?

Please don’t refer to schools as “backups”. You might be referring to schools that have less impressive exam results but this in no way makes them lesser schools. I have seen children literally turn their noses up at other children where they tell them where they are going - it’s upsetting for the child going to the “backups” as they are made to feel inferior. Don’t even get me started on parents sympathy reactions……..

We turned down a place at NLCS to go to a school you’d almost certainly describe as a “backup”. Other parents told us we were mad. It was just we got so caught up in looking for the “best” school and not the RIGHT school. As it came to acceptance time we all realised we didn’t actually like the vibe at NLCS very much. Anyway, daughter went on to get all 9s at GCSE at her school and is applying to Oxbridge and Imperial so has done just as brilliantly in a school that has made her extremely happy over the years.

I would add that girls have joined her school after leaving some of the schools on your list because they were miserable. Parents admit that they never even gave the school proper consideration at 11 but wish they had because their daughters have been transformed.

So please don’t refer to these schools as backups. They just serve a different set of requirements, neither of which are right or wrong.

Original poster
Snoozingnotlosing · 09/09/2026 13:59

year 6

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notanothernvr · 09/09/2026 11:32

Is this for children currently in Y6 or Y5?

Original poster
Snoozingnotlosing · 09/09/2026 04:36

Just wondering what people's backups are?

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BalanceBeam123 · 29/08/2026 20:31

i have a DS, and we’re looking at Westminster, Highgate, City, UCS and Mill Hill.

Original poster
Snoozingnotlosing · 29/08/2026 09:14

@Rocknrollstar Habs was lovely but so far from anything.

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Rocknrollstar · 29/08/2026 09:10

Not Habs? My GD loves it there and is doing very well.