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11 Plus Admissions

How to get into Putney High School

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‘Holistic in their approach, as well as ethical’

Looking to register your daughter for the 11 plus at Putney High School? Find out everything you need to know about the admissions process, and how to help her succeed.

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Introduction to Putney High

Part of the Girls Day School Trust, Putney High School is an independent day school for girls in Putney, southwest London. Since its foundation in 1893, Putney High has strived to achieve academic excellence for all its pupils.

Putney High prides itself on a combination of academic excellence; a fun, supportive environment; and a kind, down-to-earth community. Putney High fosters a passion for learning, shaping its students into confident, creative thinkers that are equipped with knowledge and skills that will allow them to thrive in whatever they do. The Putney High application process is competitive, which is no surprise considering its outstanding results when it comes to higher education and university admissions. In 2022, 92% of GCSEs achieved at Grade 9, 8 or 7 (A*-A), while 13 students achieved 10 or more straight 9s. In the same year, 71% of A Levels were achieved at A* or A. Of the 2022 leavers, the most popular destinations were Durham, Edinburgh Bath and Cambridge.

While Putney High is highly successful academically, its top priority is the happiness, personal development and wellbeing of its girls. Putney High does not have the same reputation of a “hothouse” as similar schools such as JAGS in Dulwich, however it is not as academically focused or successful as JAGS. The Good Schools Guide praised Putney High as: “A down to earth and real world school… this school has caught the tide and is beginning to set the pace.” Jo Sharrock has been appointed as the new Head from September 2023.

The main entry points at Putney High are 4+, 7+, 11+ and 16+. There are over 1,030 pupils aged 4-18, with 705 of those girls occupying the senior school. The co-curricular life at Putney high is packed with opportunity from Art, Drama, Music, Sport and Charity. There are over 100 clubs on offer including Zumba, Model UN, code-breaking and embroidery. There is a buzzing community of musicians at Putney High, with almost half the girls enrolled in a choir and the annual Music Festival attracting over 450 entries.

Putney boasts a wide variety of sport, giving everyone regardless of taste or skill level an opportunity to get active. Some of the sports students will get to try include tennis, athletics, cricket, volleyball and the highly successful rowing team that use their own Putney High boathouse on the Thames. School Sport Magazine has named Putney High as the top girls school for sport and the 2nd best school in the UK for 2022.

Fees at Putney High

£7,718 per term for Years 7-13. An acceptance deposit is required upon entry of £1,500. This is refunded when your daughter leaves Putney High. Putney High offer a sibling discount of 20% off school fees for the third (and any subsequent) child of parents with three or more children at the school at the same time. The discount will remain with the pupil until they leave the school.

11 plus open days at Putney High

Putney High host a number of open events in the Autumn term for prospective parents and students. For students hoping to join Year 7 in 2024, there are Open days on the 5th, 6th and 7th of October 2023 available to book via the school website. These events are an opportunity to tour the school, hear from the Head and pupils, and attend a Q and A session with their Senior Leadership Team. We have found girls who attend Open Events are better prepared in interviews and more confident upon entering in September.

young girl smiling and holding her glasses

11 Plus admissions to Putney High

Application for 2024 entry is now open. The application deadline is the 1st of November 2023 at noon. Entry registration for 11 plus opens in April when your child is in Year 5 and closes at the beginning of November of her Year 6. The registration form requires you to pay a fee of £150 for UK based applicants and £200 for international applicants.

At 11 plus, Putney High accepts around 110 girls into the senior school. Around 40 of those transition from the Junior School, while the rest will come from a variety of state and independent schools. Around 600 to 1,000 girls usually apply at the 11 plus for 60 available places. Year on year, however, this number is subject to change. Odds of securing a place is usually around 1 in 10 but can get as low as 1 in 20 in some years. Putney High does not give priority to siblings of current students.

Putney High 11+ Exam content

All applicants will be invited to Putney High to sit the initial entrance exam on the 24th of November. This will be an online assessment created by Putney taking around an hour to complete. Candidates will be tested in Maths and English. It will be an online assessment which means time is of the essence and candidates are expected to work quickly and concisely in order to finish the paper. The English exam will test girls’ ability to read, understand and respond to a text. They would also be judged on their aptitude at spelling, vocabulary, grammar, punctuation and ability to understand character. The Maths exam tested numeracy, logic and ability to problem solve. 

Tailored tutoring could be the key to helping your daughter to stand out. From academic support to exam technique, our tutors can provide her with the knowledge and self-confidence to tackle the online test. Find out more about how Mentor can help your child prepare for the Pre Test.

11 plus interviews and Athena assessment at Putney High

Those who are successful in the initial assessment will be invited back for a second and final assessment and interview in January. This will take place on the 17th of January 2024.

The Putney High interview has a friendly and informal tone. They aim to put the girls at ease and have a relaxed, conversational style interview with them. To get into Putney High, girls should be grounded, curious and confident. The goal of the interviewer at Putney High is to see if the girl will be happy there. They want to see bubbly, interesting girls who are well rounded and able to talk with conviction and ease. To be successful your daughter should be able to demonstrate an enthusiasm for learning and be eager to make a positive contribution to the community at Putney High. 

Preparation is key if you want your daughter to be successful at the interview. It is a challenging prospect and without some practice she may easily get thrown on the day. However, it is also vital that she does not come across as rehearsed. Putney High will be unimpressed if she is reciting pre-made answers rather than answering the question given.

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 Putney High School

Many of our tutors have great success securing scholarships and are experienced with pushing the boundaries of learning for exceptional students. All applicants at Putney High are automatically eligible for an academic scholarship. Those who perform exceptionally well on the entrance exam and in interview will be awarded an academic scholarship.

Putney High also offers scholarships in Music and Sport at 11 plus. On the registration form, you need to indicate that your daughter is applying for a scholarship. You will then be sent specific scholarship application forms that must be filled out by November. Shortlisted applicant will then be invited to Putney High at a late date for an in-person assessment.

Meet our tutors

To guarantee your daughter the best chance of admission to Putney High, offer her some additional support from one of our tutors. Many of our tutors are experts in the Putney 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 Putney 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 up-to-date DBS certificates and references. Wherever possible we will match your daughter with a tutor who has a track record at Putney High School.

For some information on our tutors’ unique approach to testing children in preparation for exams, contact our team.

More information on Putney High

Address: Putney High School, 35 Putney Hill, London, SW15 6BH

Telephone: 020 8788 4886

Email: putneyhigh@put.gdst.net 

Website: www.putneyhigh.gdst.net

Local Authority: Wandsworth

School’s Unique Reference Number (URN): 101072

Gender: Girls

Age Range: 4-18

We have many experts on entrance to Putney High here at Mentor. Get in touch to find out more about how we can help your daughter gain admission to Putney High at 11 plus, or for further information on admissions into the top London schools.

Get in touch

We have many experts on entrance to Putney High here at Mentor. Get in touch to find out more about how we can help your daughter gain admission to Putney High at 11 plus, or for further information on admissions into the top London schools.

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