When it comes to the top schools in the UK, few rival Henrietta Barnett School. If you are planning on enrolling your daughter in this North London School of Excellence, you need to know all about it. This article spells out the Henrietta Barnett experience, from its founding to its ongoing activities. Keep these dates in mind as you explore what awaits your future Barnett learner.
| 🔢Stage | 🔎Details | 📆Important Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Registration Opens | Online registration for the HGSS 11+ entrance test | 1 April 2026 |
| Registration Closes | Last day to submit the school’s entrance test application | 1 July 2026 (5 pm) |
| Open Day | School Open Day for current Year 5 families | Tuesday 30 June 2026 |
| Stage 1 Test | GL Assessment: English | Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning, 2-4 September 2026 |
| Stage 1 Results & Invites | Notifications and invitations for top ~300 candidates | 28 September 2026 |
| Stage 2 Test | School’s own English & Mathematics papers | 5 October 2026 |
| Common Application Deadline | Local Authority’s secondary school preference form | 31 October 2026 |
| National Offer Day | Secondary school places allocated nationally | 1 March 2027 |
| Appeals / Acceptance Deadline | Deadline to accept offer or submit an appeal | Early–Mid March 2027 |
About The Henrietta Barnett School
Henrietta Barnett School is a religious grammar school for girls aged between 11 and 18 years old. It was established in 1911 thanks to Dame Henrietta Barnett's tireless efforts.
The Henrietta Barnett School: Who Was Henrietta Barnett?
Henrietta Barnett was a passionate advocate for social justice and education. She worked to improve the lives of poor families in Victorian London; she believed every child deserved access to a high-quality education, regardless of their background.
She founded The Henrietta Barnett School in Hampstead Garden Suburb as part of her wider vision for a socially integrated, intellectually rich community1. The school was established as a non-fee-paying grammar school for girls, aiming to combine academic excellence with character development and social awareness.
The Henrietta Barnett School is a grammar school, meaning the state pays the fees.
The school does not require students to pay any tuition fees.
Her goal was clear: to provide exceptional education for bright girls from all backgrounds, empowering them to become future leaders, professionals, and engaged citizens. Over a century later, the school remains one of the top-performing state schools in the UK, renowned for its academic results, inspiring ethos, and commitment to Henrietta’s original ideals.
Henrietta Barnett School Reviews
From Ofsted2 to opinion polls and student surveys, Henrietta Barnett School ranking results are consistently positive.
- The 2025 Sunday Times Parent Power Guide4 named Henrietta Barnett School London's best grammar school.
- This school received the State Scondary School of the Year for Academic Excellence in 2025.
- The Great British Schools Guide ranked it 14th on its national performance tables (2023-24 academic year).
- The 2024 school year saw 90% of Henrietta Barnett School pupils achieve GCSE grades of 8 and higher. A-Level were even more impressive: 81.16 attained A/A*
- Henrietta Barnett School boasts a superlative admission rate to Russell Group universities. In January 2025, 34 Barnett students received an Oxbridge offer.
Since 2016, The Telegraph reported that Henrietta Barnett was the best-performing state school in England. In a similar tone, the Sunday Times extolled Henrietta Barnett School as a sterling example of single-sex state school success.
Henrietta Barnett School Campus and Amenities
If we are to make progress, we must educate the minds and hearts of the young.
Henrietta Barnett
In keeping with Dame Barnett's vision, the campus boasts a host of amenities to tantalise both hearts and minds.
Many parents see the school as a target destination for their daughters because of the high-achieving environment it offers. They also tout its practice of enriching the learning experience outside of the classroom. This virtual campus tour gives you an idea of what to expect when you visit on Open Day.
Henrietta Barnett School: In Summary
- In 1911, Dame Henrietta Barnett launched her school with an aim towards educational excellence and equality.
- Today's Barnett educators and students reflect that vision through quality learning and high achievement.
- The campus and amenities form the backdrop for student inspiration and accomplishment.
The school is an attractive option for commuting students who might live a little further afield. You'll find it in the Hampstead Garden Suburb of London, just a short walk from Golders Green Station on the Northern Line and is around the corner from some major roads.
📍School address: Central Square, London NW11 7BN
📞Phone number: 20 8458 8999
🌐website: http://www.hbschool.org.uk/
Like North London Collegiate School, Henrietta Barnett is recognised as one of the top girls’ schools in the country.
Henrietta Barnett School Entry and Admission Process
Before diving into Year-level particulars, we must appreciate this dramatic statistic:
Historically, this school has only 90 places each intake year so, if you are interested, you must submit an Entry Test Application Form. That's not so unusual; Francis Holland at Regent's Park requests the same. But does your address qualify you to apply with Henrietta Barnett?
The Henrietta Barnett Grammar School does not have a catchment area.
All eligible students are welcome to apply, regardless of home address.
With that said, the school nevertheless has limitations. Your daughter may be one of the best students in the UK, but if they don't meet the deadlines for the application process, they may put their application in jeopardy.
Year 7 Entry
If you haven't already started the process for September 2027 entry, you can get the ball rolling after you finish reading this post, since the applications for Year 7 Entry are currently open3.The deadline for submission is 5 pm on the 1 of July 2026. Other Year 7 entry requirements and dates include:
- First Round Entrance test (English, verbal and non-verbal reasoning): 2-4 September 2026
- First Round results; invitations to Second Round: by 28 September 2026
- Second Round test (English and Maths; top 300 candidates): 5 October 2026
- Submit the Common Application Form (CAF) through the local authority by October 31 2026.
- Offers made: 1 March 2027
You may tour the campus with your daughter on June 30 2026. Do note that the school is specific in insisting that only the candidate and one parent may attend Open Day. Otherwise, the campus will be too crowded and you won't get the most out of your visit.
Sixth Form Entry
With all that you've read so far, you'll likely agree that the Henrietta Barnett School provides a superlative educational experience. So, it's no surprise that so many pupils hope to benefit from all it has to offer.
But the school can only take in so many Year 11 pupils. No worries, though, you still have a chance to round out your education at this institution.
The Sixth Form entry application process differs from lower-level entry procedures. In fact, grade levels are the only qualifiers.
- Every applicant must have at least a Grade 6 in English and Maths, even if they don't plan to study those subjects at A-Level.
- For subjects you intend to study at A-Level, you must have at least a Grade 7.
- You must have at least Grade 8 if you plan to study A-Level Further Maths and/or Chemistry.
With the relatively low number of places available for Year 12 placement, you'd be right to guess that entry would be quite competitive. You can boost your application's chances by cultivating non-academic skills: language learning, volunteering, and leardership skills, for example.
The application process is straightforward: you/your daughter only need to fill out the school's online application form5. After that, it's just a matter of waiting for the school's decision.
The application window closed on February 1 2026.
The application window for the 2027-28 school year has not yet been set.
If you don't receive an offer from the Henrietta Barnett School, that doesn't mean you will jeopardise your chances of being given a place at your next preference school. Admittedly, this is a far more complicated process than applying to most other schools in England.
Notable Alumni
Besides yearly rankings and student surveys, we can find other ways to measure a school’s performance. For instance, past students are also a great indicator of the standard produced. These Barnett alumni are sterling examples of this school's excellence and lasting impact on students' lives.
| 👩Alumni name | 🥇What they're famous for | ✨Memorable quote |
|---|---|---|
| Lydia Wilson | Acting Notable roles: The Score, Flack, King Charles III | I'm thinking it would be nice to keep challenging myself. |
| Debbie Wiseman | Composing (film scores) Notable works: The Mythos Suite, The Music of Kings and Queens, Wolf Hall | Write something every day! |
| Dina Rabinovitch | Journalism Notable works: The Enemy Within | They call this the fashionable cancer, but nobody's tackling the basic fashion question: what do you wear? |
| Ingrid Simler | Legal work Notable contributions: For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers; Kostal UK Ltd v Dunkley | I really can’t point to anything in my career where I felt that I was held back by being a woman ... |
| Jo Ankier | Athlete and television presenter Notable achievements: record setter (Britain) for the women's 2000 metre steeplechase; record setter for the women's 3000 metre steeplechase; London Olympics video starring role. | It’s good to be stubborn, to be hard on yourself. |
| Helena Cronin | Philosophy, writing Notable works: The Ant and the Peacock; The Battle of the Sexes Revisited. | If we want to change the world, we first need to understand it. |
| Susanna Lau | Fashion blogger Notable works: Style Bubble, Style Feed (with William Oliver) | Perhaps the haphazard style will itself become a signature? |
| Natalie Evans, Baroness Evans of Bowes Park | Politician (House of Lords) Notable work: longest serving Lords leader (since 1951); first Lords leader to serve under 2 prime ministers (since 1974) | Education must be at the heart of our prison system if we are to rehabilitate effectively. |
A list of successful alumni is one way to determine that your child is at one of the top schools in London. It’s reassuring to know that your daughter will be joining astudent body of high achievers, isn't it?
Maximise your Child's Chances of Success with Superprof
If you are looking for ways to prepare your daughter for the series of assessments involved in the application process, then there is definitely no better resource than a private tutor.
A tutor from Superprof will have worked with countless students in the same position in the past and can work through the 11+ practice materials so that they are well up to speed by the time the tests roll around.
The platform’s 11+ tutors will have worked with countless students in their application process and be able to work through practice papers in a one-on-one setting so that they become familiar with the question formats and strategies.
Since, unlike other schools such as Lady Eleanor Holles School and others, there are no interviews as part of the application process, there is even more of an emphasis placed on the grades that candidates attain throughout the assessments.
Working with a private tutor from Supeprof is a great way of ensuring that your child has a grasp of the various topics that can appear on the exams. To get started, just reach out to one of the 11+ tutors who list their services in your area on the Superprof homepage.
Henrietta Barnett Grammar School Facts and Resources
- HBS. “About Us - Henrietta Barnett School.” Henrietta Barnett School, 24 Nov. 2025, www.hbschool.org.uk/about-us/. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
- Team., Communications. “The Henrietta Barnett School - Open - Find an Inspection Report - Ofsted.” Ofsted.gov.uk, 5 Sept. 2023, reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/23/138051. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
- ---. “Admissions - Henrietta Barnett School.” Henrietta Barnett School, 29 Jan. 2026, www.hbschool.org.uk/admissions/. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
- Anjum, Husna. “UK’s Best-Performing Secondary Schools Named - Check Full List for Your Area.” The Mirror, 5 Dec. 2025, www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/breaking-uk-best-performing-secondary-36355168. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
- ---. “Year 12 - Henrietta Barnett School.” Henrietta Barnett School, 17 Nov. 2025, www.hbschool.org.uk/admissions/year-12/. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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