Haileybury 11 Plus (11+) Exam Guide

About Haileybury

Haileybury is a co-educational independent day and boarding school in Hertford, Hertfordshire.

It admits around 60 pupils each year into Lower School One, its name for Year 7, assessed in the autumn term of Year 6 on the school’s own papers.

Key information for 2027 entry to Haileybury at 11 Plus (11+)

• School type: co-educational independent day and boarding school
• Places: around 60 each year into Lower School One (Year 7)
• Assessment: Haileybury’s own maths and English papers, set in-house with no external provider
• Plus a small-group reading and discussion task on a short play extract, and a staff interview for every applicant
• Registration deadline: Monday 9 November 2026. Fee £240
• Assessment dates: Friday 27 and Saturday 28 November 2026
• Offers: Thursday 10 December 2026; accept by Monday 1 March 2027
• Open mornings: whole school Saturday 3 October 2026; 11+ Wednesday 5 November 2026
• Contact details: haileybury.com, [email protected], 01992 706 353

Admissions information for 2027 entry to Haileybury at 11 Plus (11+)

Haileybury sets its own papers rather than buying in an external test, so no ISEB, GL or online adaptive score travels with your child here: everything is assessed by the school itself, in the autumn term of Year 6.

The distinctive part of the day is a small-group reading and discussion task on a short play extract, watching how children engage with a text, think critically and work with others. Every applicant is also interviewed by a member of staff. With around 60 places, the intake is roughly half the size of the biggest London independent 11+ entries.

Offers arrive quickly, on 10 December 2026, less than a fortnight after the assessment days, with acceptance by 1 March 2027.

How can I register my child for the 11 Plus (11+) exams at Haileybury?

1. Visit if you can: the whole-school open morning is Saturday 3 October 2026 and the 11+ open morning is Wednesday 5 November 2026.
2. Register by Monday 9 November 2026. The fee is £240.
3. Your child attends an assessment day on Friday 27 or Saturday 28 November 2026: the maths and English papers, the group reading and discussion task, and an interview.
4. Offers arrive on Thursday 10 December 2026; accept by Monday 1 March 2027.

What is the 11 Plus (11+) entrance exam format for Haileybury?

The assessment is Haileybury’s own, in three parts across the day:

• A maths paper and an English paper, both set in-house. The school does not state whether they are answered on paper or on screen.
• A small-group reading and discussion task on a short play extract, assessing how your child engages with a text, thinks critically and works collaboratively.
• An interview with a member of staff, for every applicant.

There is no separate reasoning paper and no creative writing paper. Strong, flexible English and maths, practised in both written and multiple-choice styles, covers the papers however they are delivered.

Haileybury 11 Plus (11+) top tips for your child

• Focus on English and maths. Haileybury sets no reasoning paper.
• Practise both written and multiple-choice styles, since the school does not state the answer format.
• Practise reading a passage aloud and discussing it in a group: the play-extract task is unique to this school and rewards children who listen as well as talk.
• Prepare for a full assessment day, not a bare exam sitting.
• Note the early offer date: 10 December, before most schools have even assessed.

How to prepare your child for the 11 Plus (11+) Haileybury exam

Preparation for Haileybury is English and maths worked to time in both written and multiple-choice styles, plus regular practice discussing what your child reads. A late November assessment makes the autumn half term the deadline for serious preparation.

For Haileybury 11+ preparation, we recommend the following packs: