The Henrietta Barnett School
Barnet, Greater London · Girls · 11-18
Reviewed against the school’s own admissions policy · September 2026
The Henrietta Barnett School, Barnet — one of England's most selective girls' grammar schools. Its two-round entrance test, oversubscription criteria, and real competitiveness figures.
Key facts
| Gender intake | Girls |
| Age range | 11-18 |
| Admissions test | Own two-round entrance test |
| Year 7 places (PAN) | 120 |
| Official website | www.hbschool.org.uk/ |
The entrance test
Every applicant sits the first stage; each step below narrows to the last.
Everyone who registers sits Round 1
~2,700 girls
Round 1 — verbal & non-verbal reasoning, English
Set by a national provider
Top 300 scores go through
Round 2 — English & maths
School-set
Ranked on both rounds → ~120 offered
One of the most selective schools in England. Round 1 (verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and English) is sat by every applicant; only the top 300 scorers are invited to Round 2 (English and maths), which is what actually decides rank order. The Year 7 intake has grown from 104 places (2019-20) to 120 for the 2026 and 2027 entry years. Oversubscription order: an EHCP naming the school, then looked-after children, then Pupil Premium-eligible girls, then girls living within 3 miles, then the rest by rank score.
How places are decided
Priority order when the school is oversubscribed. The small categories are settled first.
- 1An EHCP naming the school
- 2Looked-after & previously looked-after children
- 3Pupil Premium eligible
- 4Lives within 3 miles of the school
- 5Everyone else — in exam-rank ordermost places
Catchment & priority area
No catchment area in the usual sense, but a defined 3-mile-radius priority category exists (ranked below looked-after-children and Pupil Premium priority, above the general rank-order list) — most places are still decided by test rank, not geography.
How competitive is it
2,746 applications for 104 places in 2019-20 — around 26 applicants per place, among the most oversubscribed schools in the country.
Key dates
The shape repeats every year; the exact dates don't — confirm the current cycle with the school.
Early June – early July
Register with the school
September
Round 1 sat
October
Round 2, then results
1 March
National offer day
Always verify against the school’s own current admissions policy — criteria, catchment boundaries and places-available can all change between admissions cycles, and The Henrietta Barnett School’s own website is the authoritative source, not this page.
Unlike Kent, London has no single test — every school or small consortium sets its own — see the format, timeline and registration process. For the wider picture of grammar schools across England, see UK Grammar Schools: List, Competition & Results.
Common questions about The Henrietta Barnett School
Does The Henrietta Barnett School have a catchment area?
No. A 3-mile priority tier exists, but it sits below the looked-after and Pupil Premium tiers, and most of the 120 places are decided purely on exam rank.
How competitive is The Henrietta Barnett School?
Extremely — around 2,746 girls applied for 104 places in 2019-20, roughly 26 applicants per place. The intake has since risen to about 120.
What is the Henrietta Barnett entrance test?
Round 1 covers verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and English; only the top 300 scorers are invited to Round 2 (English and maths), which sets the final rank order.
When do you register for The Henrietta Barnett School?
Registration typically runs from early June to early July of Year 6, separately from your council's Common Application Form — you need both. Confirm exact dates with the school.
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