How to apply

Your first visit to St Helen’s should ideally be on our whole School Open Day or another open event at least one year prior to entry.

St Helen and St Katharine Prep Open Doors events

In June, we welcome you and your daughter to this event where you can learn more about the ethos and structure of the SHSK Prep and its integral place within the school community. You will have a tour of key parts of the school campus, an opportunity to hear from both the Head, Sarah Rollings, and the Joint Heads of the of Section – SHSK Prep, and most importantly the Prep classrooms will have ‘open doors’ for you to observe current students in typical classroom activities.

Throughout the year there are further opportunities to come and learn more at our SHSK Prep Head’s Breakfasts. At these small informal open events there will be a presentation by the Head, Sarah Rollings, and one of our Joint Heads of the of Section – SHSK Prep, followed by a Q&A session. You will also enjoy a tour of the school campus and its facilities.

Invitations to our open events will be sent to all registered candidates and those on our enquiry lists.

Book your place:

Book an open event

Candidates should ideally be registered by the relevant deadline, although late applications may still be considered. Please do get in touch with the Admissions team.

A registration form should be completed online and the registration fee of £180 paid (£300 for students resident overseas).

The closing date for registrations for 2027 entry is 13 November 2026. If you have missed the deadline, please do get in touch with the Admissions team as it may still be possible to register your daughter for entry.

Once your daughter is fully registered you will automatically receive details of the admissions process at the appropriate time.

Register your daughter

After registration, your daughter will be invited to spend a taster day at St Helen’s in the Autumn term of the year prior to entry. The day will take the form of a normal school day and will include lessons in known and new subjects. Your daughter will also have the opportunity to meet students already at St Helen’s and members of the teaching staff.

For entry in 2027, registered candidates for Year 5 and Year 6 will attend a taster day in late November.

We want to get to know each individual girl, understand her passions and strengths and see how she approaches learning.

The entrance assessment for entry to Year 5 and Year 6 in 2027 will take place on Saturday 16 January 2027.

Candidates being assessed for diagnostic purposes take the assessment papers at the same time as the main entrance assessment process in January. They do not take part in a taster day and references are not sought from their current school.

All candidates will be interviewed in the week after the written entrance assessment by SHSK Prep staff.

SHSK Prep Years 5 and 6 Admissions information sheet

Following interview, places will be offered based on performance in the tests and interview and the reference from the current school. Parents will be notified of the outcome of the assessment within two weeks of the assessment day. If your daughter is offered a place, parents are asked to accept the place as early as possible as there could be important implications for those on the waiting list.

After accepting a place, our new SHSK Prep joiners re invited into School on two occasions; the first in June when they come for an induction afternoon with team activities to start getting to know the other girls in the form group and their new form tutor; the second in September on ‘intake afternoon’ – a re-familiarisation session on the day before the beginning of term.