Basket

  • No products in the cart.

7 Plus JAGS Guide

The 7 Plus JAGS entrance process is highly competitive, requiring strong academic skills, creativity, and independent thinking.

A Guide to the JAGS 7 Plus Entrance Exam

James Allen’s Girls’ School (JAGS) is one of London’s leading independent schools for girls, known for its strong academic curriculum and excellent pastoral care. Located in Dulwich, it provides a stimulating learning environment and a wealth of extracurricular activities. The admissions process for JAGS at 7 Plus is highly selective. Each year, around 200 applicants compete for just 12 available spots. We regularly succeed in getting 3-4 students a place, helping them navigate the rigorous assessment process with confidence.

JAGS 7 Plus Assessment Format 

The entrance exam for JAGS evaluates a wide range of academic and cognitive skills. It consists of:

  • English – Includes reading comprehension and creative writing, assessing a child’s ability to interpret texts and construct well-formed written responses.
  • Mathematics – Focuses on number fluency, problem-solving, and logical reasoning, incorporating multi-step word problems and numerical patterns.
  • Reasoning – Tests both verbal and non-verbal reasoning skills, requiring children to analyse sequences, relationships, and patterns.
  • Interview & Group Exercises – Provides an opportunity for children to showcase their ability to communicate, work collaboratively, and demonstrate curiosity and enthusiasm.

Academic Expectations – Working Beyond Year 2

The JAGS 7 Plus exam takes place in January of Year 2, but applicants are expected to be working at an advanced level, often beyond the Year 3 curriculum. This requires early exposure to higher-level reading comprehension, advanced writing techniques, and a secure grasp of mathematical reasoning, including fractions, problem-solving, and number operations.

Girls colouring for the 7 Plus JAGS exam

Challenges for State School Applicants

Families applying from state schools often find the transition demanding, as mainstream primary education does not typically cover the breadth of knowledge and exam techniques required for JAGS entry. We recommend that children attend a pre-prep school to develop the necessary foundations. Schools such as The Villa, Herne Hill, and DUCKs provide structured learning environments that align closely with the expectations of independent school entrance exams.

Preparing for the 7 Plus JAGS Exam

JAGS seeks girls who demonstrate intellectual curiosity, strong analytical skills, and a love for learning. The school values creative thinkers, problem-solvers, and confident communicators who are ready to engage with a challenging and enriching curriculum. Successful preparation involves:

  • Strengthening comprehension and creative writing skills to excel in English assessments.
  • Enhancing problem-solving abilities and number fluency in Maths, ensuring a deep understanding of key topics.
  • Regularly practising reasoning exercises to build logical thinking and pattern recognition.
  • Developing strong verbal communication skills for interview and group assessments, fostering confidence in discussion and collaboration.

When to Begin Preparation – A Step-by-Step Approach

Most children begin structured preparation from pre-reception, progressing through reception and Year 1 with targeted learning strategies. This ensures they acquire the necessary skills gradually, building confidence and competence well before the 7 Plus exam. By Year 1, children should be comfortable with Year 2 and early Year 3 material to meet the high expectations of JAGS assessments.

How Mentor Education Can Support Your Child

How Mentor Education Can Support Your Child

At Mentor Education, we specialise in guiding pupils through the King’s 7 Plus admissions process. Our 7 Plus education team are patient, positive, and nurturing. All our programmes and services are bespoke and adaptable, because we know that children come to us at different and unique stages of their 7+ journey.  Some are beginning phonics, some can already read, some cannot yet hold a pencil in a tripod grip, while some can already write well in a cursive script. Everyone on our 7 Plus programme is a qualified teacher and has completed our 12-part 7 Plus training course.  They are experts in adapting the curriculum and meeting your child where they currently are.

We partner with you in every aspect of 7+ exam preparation. Our services include:

Our 7 Plus programme.

This is a proprietary tutoring programme that accelerates the relevant curriculum in time, bespoke to each child and bespoke to each target school. This is overseen by our Director of Education, previously Head of Maths at a prestigious North London Prep School.  Lessons take place at one of our London locations, currently Hampstead or Dulwich. Options include:

  • Pre school programme: The year before schools starts is key for mastering the early building blocks of numeracy and literacy. Many children graduating from our 4 Plus Programme simply continue onto our pre school programme. 
  • Reception: This is when we recommend 7 Plus prep begins gently and with no pressure, one hour per week.
  • Year one: Lessons are now 90 mins and we introduce Verbal and Non Verbal Reasoning and Dictation if appropriate. We will focus heavily on handwriting and mastery of the Maths syllabus.
  • Year two first term only: We now stretch your child’s focus to 2 hours if possible, because 7 Plus exams are 2.5 to 3 hours long.  We focus heavily on exam technique and practice interview sessions, both individual and group.

How else can we help?

Groups Tasks: These are a growing part of 7 Plus assessments and children can really benefit from a run through at this sort of task, thinking about sharing with other children and how to collaborate well to impress.

Tuition online: by 7+ experts who have deep knowledge of 7 Plus school assessments and who have trained on our 12 session 7 Plus Exam CPD course for tutors.

Academic assessments: in conjunction with Cambridge University (CEM) to understand your child’s academic strengths and weaknesses and help you with school signposting.

Consultations: with our Director of Education to discuss your child’s odds of success at a competitive school 7+ exam. We can also advise you on interviews, assessment days and guide you to schools where we believe your child will thrive.

Mock exams: These are vital for young children with no experience of invigilated exam conditions.  We recommend several practises.

Individual Interviews: This is an opportunity for schools to get to know your child beyond academics, focusing on their personality, social skills and how they approach challenges.

Next Steps for the JAGS 7 Plus – Contact Us

Have questions? Unsure where to start?

Use the form below. We’ll get straight back to you to offer the guidance you need

DD slash MM slash YYYY

London’s No.1 Tuition Agency

Media coverage

Mentor Education won Tutoring Provider of the Year at the Education Investor Awards in 2022 and 2024. We also won at the National Tutoring Awards and an Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2024. We are regularly featured in the Education Press, including School Report Magazine, the Good Schools Guide, and more.

Our Clients Journeys

Case studies

We want you to feel in a safe pair of hands and our tutors are KS1 qualified and have passed our 7 Plus training course. Our tutors are carefully recruited based on their 7 plus experience, warmth and talent for getting the best out of younger students.

They will share your ambition and have a teaching tool kit to motivate and encourage young learners, building essential skills, including stretch numeracy and literacy. Here are some recent case studies about families on our 7 Plus programme.

Customers love what we do

What our parents have to say about Mentor

We are so proud of our 5 star reviews and 7 Plus testimonials which are a testament to the relationships our teachers build with their young pupils and the success they create together.