How to apply

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

Go to the ‘Visit us’ section of our website to find the most suitable event for you.

Book an open event

Candidates should be registered by the appropriate deadline, although late applications may be considered.

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

Late applications for current Year 7 2025 may still be considered. Please contact the Admissions team directly.

The closing date for registrations for 2026 entry is 7 November 2025. Earlier registration is recommended. 

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

Register your daughter

Registered candidates are required to attend a taster day at St Helen’s as part of the entrance assessment process. Taster days take place in the autumn term of Year 6, throughout October, November and December. A choice of dates will be given to candidates following registration.

The day will take the form of a normal school day and will include lessons in known and new subjects. There will also be an opportunity to meet students already at St Helen’s and the Headmistress will meet candidates individually throughout the day. The afternoon will end with candidates breaking into small groups for an informal discussion with a senior member of staff.

The entrance assessment is normally taken in January of the academic year in which the student turns 11 years old (eg Year 6). Under- or over-age students may be considered at the discretion of the Headmistress. No special preparation is necessary.

The entrance assessment for entry in 2026 will take place on Saturday 17 January 2026.

The entrance assessments comprise a one-hour paper in mathematics and a paper of one hour and fifteen minutes in English, which incorporates a reading comprehension and a creative writing task (see entry requirements for further details).

Each element of the assessment process together with a confidential headteacher’s reference will be taken into account by the Headmistress in order to determine suitability for a place at St Helen’s.

Diagnostic assessment – parents who are unsure whether their daughter is performing to the standard required for entry in Year 7 may wish to take advantage of the opportunity to take a diagnostic assessment. This assessment is separate from the entrance examination and takes place at the same time as the assessment for entry into Year 5 and Year 6. Students taking the diagnostic assessment will still need to sit the entrance examination for the required year of entry in January with all registered candidates.

Parents will be notified of the outcome of their daughter’s application within ten days of the entrance assessment. At this stage, if parents or students remain uncertain of their decision, they are welcome to contact the Admissions office for further information or to arrange another visit to St Helen’s. Parents are asked to accept the place as early as possible as there could be implications for those on the waiting list.

After accepting a place, students are invited to the School on two occasions; the first in June when they attend an induction day with team activities to get to know their form group and form tutor; the second in September on ‘intake afternoon’ the day before the beginning of term.

For more detailed information about the assessments and admissions process for this entry point, please refer to the relevant pages of the booklet below.

Admissions information booklet