Highgate School 7 Plus (7+) Exam Guide

About Highgate School

Highgate School admits around 50 children into Year 3 of its Junior School at 7+, alongside roughly 60 coming up from its own Pre-Prep. The 7+ is the main external entry point to the Junior School, and it is co-educational.

The assessment is deliberately simple in shape: two written papers, English and maths, then a second day of a taster lesson and group interview for shortlisted children in early January.

Key information for 2027 entry to Highgate School at 7 Plus (7+)

• School type: co-educational, North Road, Highgate, London N6
• Places at 7+: approximately 50 external, joining about 60 internal children
• Two written papers only: English and maths; no reasoning paper
• First assessment day: Tuesday 1 December 2026
• Second stage (shortlisted children): taster lesson and group interview, early January 2027 (exact day not yet published)
• Registration deadline: noon, Wednesday 4 November 2026 (applications for 2027 entry are open now)
• Registration fee: £210, paid online
• Offers: Friday 22 January 2027; response by Wednesday 3 February
• Means-tested bursaries exist at 7+, with preference for state-school and key-worker parents (per the school’s most recent published policy)
• Siblings: no guaranteed places; a sibling only reaches interview on their own test performance

Admissions information for 2027 entry to Highgate School at 7 Plus (7+)

Highgate’s 7+ has one distinction almost no comparable London school offers: means-tested bursary support at this age. The school’s most recently published admissions policy gives preference to children currently at state schools and to key-worker parents, and bursary applicants can pay a reduced application fee. (That policy is dated for 2026 entry and the school says it will be reviewed for 2027, so check the current version when you apply.)

The sibling policy is unusually candid: no guaranteed places, and a sibling is only invited to interview if their own written papers earn it. Twins can and do receive different outcomes. Offers go out on Friday 22 January 2027, the same day as North London Collegiate’s, with responses due by 3 February.

How can I register my child for the 7 Plus (7+) assessment at Highgate School?

Applications for 7+ 2027 entry are open now on the school’s website and close at noon on Wednesday 4 November 2026, with a £210 fee payable online. The first assessment day is Tuesday 1 December 2026 at the school.

What is the 7 Plus (7+) assessment format at Highgate School?

Two written papers, English and maths, and nothing else on the first day: no reasoning, no computer element. Shortlisted children come back in early January for a taster lesson and a group interview, usually a shared task designed to show how children collaborate, solve problems and listen to each other.

Two papers rather than four concentrates the preparation: daily reading, regular writing practice, and confident Year 2 arithmetic cover everything the first day can ask.

Highgate School 7 Plus (7+) top tips for your child

• Two papers only, so go deep on English and maths rather than wide across subjects that aren’t tested
• The group interview is collaborative: children used to sharing a task and hearing others out show well
• If a bursary would make Highgate possible, apply for it from the start; the reduced application fee applies at registration
• Managing sibling expectations matters here, since the school itself guarantees nothing
• Watch the school’s site for the exact early-January second-stage date if your child is shortlisted

How to prepare your child for the 7 Plus (7+) Highgate School assessment

Our 7+ English and maths packs below match Highgate’s two papers precisely, with complete answers for marking at home. A steady rhythm from September, one English and one maths paper a week, arrives at 1 December with the format familiar and no cramming in November.