How to get into JAGS at 11+

Introduction

James Allen’s Girls’ School (JAGS) has 120 places available at 11 Plus, for which there are in the region of 1200 applicants. Places are awarded on the basis of performance in the ISEB pre-tests, a separate creative writing assessment, an interview and assessed group activity . Pre-assessment (the Welcome Morning) takes place in either November or December of Year 6, and ISEB examinations take place the same term of Year 6 (the school year before admission), when students will be 10 or 11 years old.

Registration

Parents must register their daughters by late October of Year 6. For example, for entry in September 2026, parents are required to register their children by 31st October 2025. Students can be registered from mid April of Year 5 (the school year before the assessments).

To register, parents must complete an online application form and pay a small fee.

Pre-testing

JAGS use pre-testing at 11+. Students attend a Welcome Morning at the school in the Autumn term of Year 6. Here they sit an interview, take part in a group assessment, join in a group lesson and sit a creative writing paper.

JAGS run their pre-assessments in the autumn of Year 6.

Examinations

Applicants to JAGs sit the standardised ISEB Pre-Tests. These consist of timed examinations in English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. For 2026 entrants, the examinations will be sat in the Autumn Term 2025.

Please feel free to use our guides explaining what the ISEB Pre-test is and how to prepare for it.

In addition, we recommend using the usual suspects such Bond books and GL-Assessment practice papers. Up until the time of writing, the examinations always took place in early January. The papers assume Level 5 on the old National Curriculum level system.

Although they aren’t exactly the same, parents wishing to give their child extra exam practice papers have two main routes: the practice papers written by the ISEB (purchasable from Galore Park’s website), and the free papers that we provide on our website.

Buy ISEB papers from Galore Park.

View free 11+ papers from Owl Tutors.

Interviews

Interviews take place in the pre-assessment phase. For further help, you may find the below blog post helpful:

Five helpful tips on how to help your child with their 11+ interview.

Scholarships and Bursaries

Bursaries and Scholarships are both offered by JAGS at 11 Plus.

General information on scholarships and bursaries at JAGS at 11 Plus.

Scholarships

Academic scholarships are offered on the basis of performance on the school’s entrance test.  The value is a discount of £2000 of the school’s annual fees. Up to 20 Academic scholarships are awarded at 11+ each year.

Further information can be found here:

https://www.jags.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/11_Plus_Scholarships_2026.pdf

Bursaries and Exhibitions

Bursaries are offered under the usual circumstances, i.e. when parents cannot pay full fees. As usual, parents must complete a financial return, which is reviewed each year. Bursaries can be applied for through the regular application form.

Fees

Parents must pay a deposit on accepting a place at 11+. At the time of writing, this was £2,750 for day students. Deposits are repaid once the student leaves, assuming all bills are paid (as of July 2025).

Senior school fees (payable termly) from 31 August 2025 will be £9,784 for the senior school. This comes to £29,352 a year. Lunch is not included in this fee.

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