Located in Central Square Hampstead Garden Suburb, the Henrietta Barnett School is a grammar school for girls aged 11 to 18. The school was converted into an academy in 2012. The school is known as one of the best academic state schools in the UK. HBS has consistently received ‘outstanding’ Ofsted ratings.

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General information
Address: Henrietta Barnett School, Central Square, Hampstead Garden Suburb, London NW11 7BN
General enquiries: 020 8458 8999
Local authority: Hertfordshire/London Borough of Barnet
Website: https://www.hbschool.org.uk/
Email: office@hbschool.org.uk
Gender of Entry: girls
Day/boarding type: Day School
Age Range: 11 to 18
Exam board type/format: CSSE (Essex 11 Plus)
Admissions policy: Selective
Pupils: 802
Places in Year 7: 95 places
Ofsted Report: Outstanding
Headteacher: Mrs Clare Wagner
Admission to Henrietta Barnett School
Admission to HBS in year seven is based on pupils performance in the 11 plus exam organized by CSSE. In case the school is oversubscribed and there are more applicants than the places available the school follows the given priority criteria.
- Looked after children or the ones that have been previously looked after.
- Children eligible for pupil premium funding
- Children in the order of their rank from the 11 plus exam.
We suggest parents attend one of the open evenings by the school to make sure the HBS is the right place for their child. For more information about the admission process, you can visit the school’s website.
How to apply for Henrietta Barnett School
The 11+ exam for the HBS is administered by the London Borough of Barnet. To apply for a place in year 7 of HBS, parents must complete the two forms, the Common Application Form (CAF) which you can fill through Barnet Local Authority and the Henrietta Barnett School Entrance Test Entry Form, which you can fill through the school’s website.
Parents need to apply to both Local Authority and school to get their child considered for a place at HBS. In case parents do not complete the school’s entry form on time, their child will not be able to take the entrance exam.
Catchment area of Henrietta Barnett School
Although the Henrietta Barnett Grammar School doesn’t follow any catchment area when it comes to applying for the entrance test and any child can apply, the school consider the distance from the school in determining an offer of a place in round two. Applicants that live within 3 miles will be given priority amongst all.
Exam format for Henrietta Barnett School
The 11 plus entrance exam for the Henrietta Barnett School consist of two rounds the first round test covers English, Verbal and Non-verbal Reasoning. The second round test covers English and Mathematics. Both the exams are for one hour each with 10 minute reading time in between.
The 11 plus scores are age-standardised to ensure all students get a fair chance in the exam.
How to prepare for Henrietta Barnett School
HBS received over 2900 applications for year 7 in the year 2020, which directly indicates the fierce competition. If you want your child to get a place in this school, you will need to make them well prepared for the 11 plus exam. To know more about the 11 plus exam, you can read our 11 plus guide for parents.
You can start with preparing a schedule that covers all the important topics of the exam, apart from learning the topics, you need to add activities that can help your child develop their 11 plus skills that are important for the 11 plus exam. These skills can include comprehensive skills, vocabulary skills, verbal and non-verbal reasoning, and creative writing skills.
For comprehension, you can ask your child to learn these 7 comprehension strategies and for vocabulary, you can enrol your child into our 11+ vocabulary module to strengthen their vocabulary skills.
List of Grammar Schools
For a comprehensive list of Grammar schools, visit the Comprehensive List of Grammar Schools and Consortiums