Wimbledon High School 11 plus guide

Considering Wimbledon High School for your child? We’ve collated everything you need to know about 11+ entry. Learn how to apply, what’s on the entrance exam, and how to help your child prepare for success.

Key information for Wimbledon High School

• Address: Wimbledon High School, Mansel Road, London, SW19 4AB
• Age range and gender: girls aged 11–18
• Type of school: independent day
• Number of students: 1,051
• Admissions contact: [email protected]
• 11+ open days: September
• 11+ selection criteria: first-stage entrance exam and second-stage creative assessment
• Financial assistance: means-tested bursaries
• 11+ scholarships: academic, music, sport

About Wimbledon High School

Wimbledon High School is an independent day school for girls in southwest London. It was founded in 1880 and became fully independent in 1976. The school is a member of the Girls' Day School Trust (GDST) – a family of 25 girls' schools in England and Wales.

The school offers a range of subjects and specialises in modern languages. Parents' feedback is that English, humanities and classics are also stand-outs. Exam results at Wimbledon high are excellent, with over 70% of A level grades awarded A* or A. Most students go on to Russell Group universities, as well as Oxford and Cambridge.

The school is currently extending and improving its existing facilities. Recent additions include a sports pavilion, facilities for STEAM, and a new sixth form centre.

Dates for your diary

• Registration opens: April in Year 5
• Registration closes: October in Year 6
• Bursary application deadline: October in Year 6
• Verbal & non-verbal assessments: November in Year 6
• Creative assessment: January in Year 6
• Scholarships auditions and trials: mid-January in Year 6
• Offers of places: February in Year 6
• School tours and taster events for offer holders: late February in Year 6
• Acceptance offer deadline: March in Year 6

Wimbledon High School 11+ entrance exam

There is a two-stage entrance process for Wimbledon High School. All children who are registered for 11+ entry take a verbal and non-verbal reasoning exam in November in Year 6. Shortlisted children are then invited back for a second-stage creative assessment in January.

Stage 1: verbal and non-verbal reasoning exam

The Wimbledon High School entrance exam tests verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. The exam lasts 45 minutes.

The verbal reasoning test will include finding common words and combinations, identifying antonyms, letter transfer and number codes. The non-verbal reasoning test may include patterns and shapes.

Verbal and non-verbal reasoning are not taught on the national curriculum. Wimbledon High School recommends trying practice tests before the exam day to help your child get familiar with these types of questions.

Stage 2: creative assessment

Children who perform well in the first-stage exam are invited to take part in a creative assessment in January.

This will be a mixture of group and individual activities, based on a fun theme. The intention is to challenge the girls within a collaborative environment, while being able to show how they think and express themselves creatively, and how they solve problems.

Atom’s top tips for applying to Wimbledon High School

Wimbledon High School is a popular selective school in South-West London, and competition for places can be high. Roughly 10% of applicants are successful. Here are our top tips to help your child prepare for the selection process.

Bitesize learning

It’s important to build a good knowledge base before school entrance exams. Your child should have a good understanding of the content they’ve been taught at school before testing their knowledge with practice tests.

Using a ‘little and often’ approach when learning is key – our brains encode new information more effectively when dealing with smaller ‘chunks’ of information. For children aged 10–11, child psychologists recommend regular study sessions of 20–30 minutes.

With Atom Home, you don’t need to worry about creating a study schedule. When you enter your target schools, you’ll get a bespoke learning plan tailored to your schools’ entrance exams. Know exactly what your child needs to do each week to confidently pass.

Read widely

Entrance exams test children’s ability to analyse and interpret written information. Regular reading is a great way to help your child build these skills.

Encourage them to read books from different genres and by a diverse range of authors. Increasing the variety of your child’s reading will help them understand different styles, tones and purposes. Meanwhile, reading a little every day will help widen their vocabulary, sharpen their analytical thinking, and enhance their imagination.

Looking for reading inspiration? Check out our Key Stage 2 reading list.

Hone curiosity

Selective schools are often looking for children who are interested in learning. You can help by supporting your child’s broader learning, their intellectual curiosity, and their passion for developing an understanding of the world.

Talk to your child about the world we live in and inspire an interest in current affairs with age-appropriate journalism. It’s also a good idea to make sure they’re benefitting from a rich variety of experiences, such as visiting libraries, museums and galleries.

Refine exam technique

When your child feels confident with their knowledge of the exam topics, they’ll be ready to put their knowledge to the test.

Mock tests can help your child develop problem-solving skills and refine exam technique. They’re also a great way to consolidate learning, while highlighting any knowledge gaps they might want to tackle before exam day.

When you set Wimbledon High School as a target school on Atom Home, your child will get tailored mock tests for Wimbledon High School as part of their learning plan. Know what to expect on exam day.

Celebrate progress

Setting regular, achievable goals and celebrating your child’s progress – no matter how big or small – will help keep their motivation high.

Make sure to encourage a growth mindset. This means celebrating effort, as well as achievement! When your child makes mistakes or struggles to understand a particular topic, help them understand that they’ll improve through practice. Regular praise will help your child improve their resilience when tackling new and challenging topics.

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