James Allen’s Girls’ School (JAGS) 11 Plus (11+) Exam Guide

James Allen’s Girls’ School (JAGS) is an independent day school for girls in Dulwich, London. It contains a Junior School (for 4 to 11-year-olds), a Senior School (11 to 16-year-olds) and a Sixth Form (16 to 18-year-olds). The school’s history dates back to 1741 when it was opened by James Allen, offering girls the opportunity to learn to read and sew, making it the oldest independent girls’ school in London. Today, JAGS supports over 1100 students in total, with 800 being in the senior school. They offer a diverse and dynamic environment rooted in academic excellence and with a focus on individuality and inclusivity, in which girls can grow and flourish with no limit to their ambitions.

The school boasts generous grounds with state-of-the-art facilities, including 22 acres of playing fields and sports centre, a music centre, a purpose-built theatre, an ozone-filtered swimming pool and botany gardens. JAGS also offers a vast range of extra-curricular activities including art, music, theatre, sports, as well as offering clubs and trips. Upon joining the school, students also join one of four Houses – Bettany, Clarke, Desenfans and Holst – as a part of which they may participate in inter-house competitions, challenges, assemblies and charity fundraisers.

In addition, JAGS has been well reviewed; in their most recent ISI inspection, they scored ‘excellent’ in all categories. They were chosen as the Independent Secondary School of the Year in London by The Sunday Times Schools Guide 2024. In 2022, Tatler described the school as ‘socially conscious’ and ‘a beacon of single-sex education where STEM subjects are alive and kicking’ the Good Schools Guide (GSG) wrote highly of them in their latest report, stating that the school was ‘forward-thinking and outward-looking, with boundless opportunities for clever girls who have the grit and determination to succeed. The gold standard of schools.’

Furthermore, JAGS boasts great academic performance, which is reflected in their 2024 exam results, with 81% of GCSE grades being 9-8 and 92% of A-Level grades being A*-B.