Are you looking to get your daughter into Wimbledon High School at 11 plus? Find out everything you need to know about the admissions process, and how to help your child succeed.
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- 11 plus admissions process
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- Scholarships
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Introduction to Wimbledon High School
Wimbledon High is an independent day school for girls in Wimbledon founded in 1880. It has been offering an inspiring and challenging curriculum that it hopes will help its students combine a joy in learning with intellectual agility and creativity. Wimbledon High School is proud to be a beacon school of the Girls’ Day School Trust.
In addition to its stellar academic record, Wimbledon High boasts a warm community, with fun and kindness at its heart. It aims to encourage resilience, independence and curiosity in addition to upholding a high standard of education and co-curricular programme. Wimbledon High is highly competitive, which is no surprise considering its outstanding results when it comes to higher education and university admissions. In 2022, 93% of GCSEs achieved at Grade 9, 8 or 7 (A*-A), while 60% achieved at Grade 9. In the same year, 83% of A Levels were achieved at A* or A.
The main entry points at Wimbledon High are 4+, 11+, and 16+. There are over 1,030 students at Wimbledon High, aged 4-18. Outside of academic success, Wimbledon High is a thriving community of music, sport and drama. Girls can enjoy the on-site sports centre, swimming pool, fully equipped theatre, drama and art studios, and music rooms. Beyond the school staples of hockey, netball, swimming and tennis, as they move up the school, girls get the opportunity to try a wide range of sports including basketball, martial arts, yoga, and football. Wimbledon High also offers 25 musical ensembles rehearsing weekly amongst concerts, orchestras and even “Battle of the Bands” events.
Fionnuala Kennedy took over as Head in September 2020, after holding her position as Senior Deputy Head in Wimbledon High since 2018. Kennedy continues to focus on curricular and assessment reform, cultivating a teaching and learning approach that is innovative, robust and forward-thinking. Known for bringing energy and vision to Wimbledon High, Kennedy has said: “Above all, I’m proud to be leading a dynamic, academically adventurous school where staff and girls take themselves seriously but hold themselves lightly.”
Wimbledon High School fees
£7,718 per term for Years 7-13. A sibling discount is offered to parents with 3 or more daughters at Wimbledon High at any one time. A discount of 20% is applied to the third child, and any subsequent daughters, for the full duration of their time at Wimbledon High.
11 plus open days at Wimbledon
Before registering your daughter for admission, we recommend that you and your daughter attend a Wimbledon High Open Event. This will give your daughter a sense of what life is like attending Wimbledon High, the facilities it offers, and a chance to meet members of staff and current pupils. Girls who attend Open Events are better prepared in interviews and more confident upon entering in September.
Wimbledon offer open mornings during the summer term of your daughter’s Year 5 and the Autumn term of her Year 6. For families aiming to join Year 7 in 2024, there are Open Mornings scheduled on the 20th and 30th of September and the 10th of October. These are available to book via the school website.
The 11 Plus admissions process at Wimbledon High School
Applications for 2024 entry to Wimbledon High are now open. The deadline to submit your application is November 1st, 2023. Typically, applications for 11 plus at Wimbledon High are open from May when your daughter is in Year 5 to the beginning of November of her Year 6. There is a registration fee for UK based applicants of £150 and £200 for those applying from abroad.
At 11 plus, Wimbledon High accept around 100 girls into their Senior School. Of these, 40 will come from the Junior School while the rest come from a variety of state and independent schools. The ratio of applicants to offers tends to be 10 to 1, however this is subject to change and can go as high as 20 to 1. Despite not having an official sibling policy, sisters of girls currently attending Wimbledon High will be given preference when up against an equally strong applicant.
The 11 plus exam
In 2013 Wimbledon High moved away from assessing applicants in Maths and English, opting instead for purely Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning. All applicants to Wimbledon High are invited to sit the academic assessment, which comprises Stage 1 of the admission process. In Stage 1, girls sit two papers, a Verbal Reasoning paper lasting approximately 50 minutes, and a Non-Verbal Reasoning paper lasting approximately 40 minutes. These are completed using a question booklet, pencil and separate answer sheet, this will then be marked on a computer. If your daughter is unfamiliar with this type of test, we strongly recommend she practises beforehand, so she is not thrown off on the day. The Wimbledon High entrance exam is extremely time sensitive, with many girls losing out as they are unable to complete the paper.
Half of the applicants are cut after the exam and are not invited back for Stage 2. It is vital that your daughter is not only practised and familiar with Reasoning papers, but she also must have been taught effective exam technique including how to work accurately under tight time constraints. Often, children are not taught Reasoning at primary school. This is an important discipline that plays a big part in 11+ success, particularly at Wimbledon High where they must first excel at Reasoning to have any chance at getting in. Children will have a natural ability level at Reasoning, but practice definitely helps, and confidence grows with familiarity. If you want an experienced third party to help you stay on track with your preparation our specialist 11 plus tutors with significant Wimbledon High entrance experience can help.
The first assessment will take place on the 15th or 16th of November 2023 for 2024 applicants.
The Wimbledon High School 11 plus assessment day
Girls who score highly in their Reasoning exam are invited to Wimbledon High for a Creative Assessment Day: Stage 2. This process is in place of an interview, so it is vital for your daughter to excel here in order to get into Wimbledon High. Previously, girls were invited for group assessments, which were a more informal style of interview where each girl would only get a few minutes of speaking time during the process. In 2018 this was replaced by the Creative Assessment Day, implemented to match the educational philosophy at Wimbledon High. Amongst other things, girls will be assessed on their problem solving skills, curiosity, risk-taking, creativity and teamwork. Girls will be observed by staff as they participate in a carousel of group activities during the 4 hour Creative Assessment Day.
Wimbledon High says that the aim of Stage 2 is to engage girls in creative and problem-solving assessments, where it is keen to see candidates throw themselves into the task at hand, be curious, look around them and ask questions. Previously, girls have been asked to work out how to escape a locked room with materials given. Wimbledon High prefers not to have girls appear over practised in the group assessments. In our experience, teachers look for bright, engaged, confident girls who are eager to learn and able to express themselves in conversation. The teachers pick children they would like to teach.
This is scheduled to take place on the 8th of January 2024.
The thought of an interview can be quite daunting for some children who find it harder to express their views. So, every year Mentor runs individual and group sessions to build confidence. Focusing on interview prep and what to expect, we encourage children to develop answers and present their best self.
11 plus scholarships at Wimbledon High School
Many of our tutors have great success securing scholarships and are experienced with pushing the boundaries of learning for exceptional students. Wimbledon High does not disclose how many scholarships are awarded per year. All Wimbledon High applicants are automatically eligible for an academic scholarship. Academic scholarships are awarded to girls who perform exceptionally well on the entrance exam and Creative Assessment Day.
Wimbledon High also offer scholarships in music and sport. To apply for these, you must submit a separate application online before the registration deadline in November. If your daughter is exceptionally skilled and keen at sports or music, we recommend you submit the 11 plus application form as early as possible to allow time to complete the separate scholarship applications. The scholarship application forms will only be made available once Wimbledon High has received your 11 plus registration. Invitations to Music or Sport Assessments will be sent to applicants with the results of the Stage 1 assessment, these will then be held at Wimbledon High in January. Academic, music and sports scholarships at Wimbledon High can be worth up to 20% of the school fees but are usually 5 to 10%.
Meet our tutors
To guarantee your daughter the best chance of admission to Wimbledon High, offer her some additional support from one of our tutors. Many of our over 200 tutors are experts in the Wimbledon High 11 plus and with bespoke one-to-one tuition, they can help children to achieve success at exams and interviews.
With more than 40 years of experience in tutoring children to gain admission to some of London’s most competitive independent schools, we at Mentor have a wealth of knowledge on how best to prepare your daughter for entry to Wimbledon High.
Over 80% of our tutors are qualified teachers, so they have an in-depth knowledge of their subject, the syllabus and the most effective teaching methods. Many have been heads of department, head teachers or examiners and all come with a wealth of experience and a great track record of success. All have been reference checked and have up-to-date DBS certificates. Wherever possible we will match your daughter with a tutor who has a track record at Wimbledon High themselves.
For some information on our tutors’ unique approach to testing children in preparation for exams, contact our team.
More information on Wimbledon High School
Address: Wimbledon High School, Mansel Road, Wimbledon, London, SW19 4AB
Telephone: 020 8971 0900
Email: [email protected]
Local Authority: Merton
School’s Unique Reference Number (URN): 102692
Gender: Girls
Age Range: 4-18
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