James Allen’s Girls’ School (JAGS) entrance guide

Open Days and Events at James Allen's Girl's School (JAGs)

JAGS encourages prospective pupils and their families to visit the school prior to application. There are separate Open Days for Junior (4+ and 7+), Senior (11+) and Sixth Form (16+) entry which are bookable on the JAGS website. These fill up well in advance but the school does operate a waiting list. Weekday small group tours and taster days (for registered families only) are also bookable, and a virtual tour is available on the website. 

4+ Entry to JAGs

Following registration at least a year in advance, assessment days for 4+ entry to JAGS are held near the end of the Autumn Term or the start of the Spring Term. They offer prospective pupils the chance to spend around an hour in the pre-prep building (on a different site to the main school) and to undertake informal activities with staff. During the hour they will be assessed on their knowledge and understanding of age-appropriate concepts. Offers for pupils to start in September are sent out by the end of January.

7+ Entry to JAGs

7+ (Year 3) entry to JAGS is a popular entry point, with the assessment days taking place in the January of Year 2. This is a two-stage process. The first stage comprises English, Maths and Reasoning assessments, with the English paper consisting of both comprehension and creative writing. If girls are successful in passing these assessments, they are invited back to a second stage the same month, with further interview-based tests in Maths (mental maths) and English (reading aloud). Offers for pupils to start in September are sent out in February and must be accepted promptly.

11+ Entry to JAGs

11+ (Year 7) entry to JAGS is a two-stage process, and is another popular entry point. Prospective pupils must take the ISEB pre-test (consisting of papers in English, Maths and Reasoning) and also attend a Welcome Morning at JAGS. Both these stages take place in the Autumn term of Year 6, and can be completed in either order. The Welcome Morning is a chance for girls to meet key staff, and to have an interview. They will also be expected to undertake an English paper (creative writing only) and to complete a group task with other prospective pupils. Once both stages are complete (Welcome Morning and ISEB pre-test), offers will be sent out in the Spring Term, and must be accepted promptly.

16+ Entry to JAGs

Entrance to the Sixth Form (16+) at JAGS is another popular point to join the school. There are four components: an entrance exam (consisting of Critical Thinking, both test and essay), an interview, success at GCSE and a reference from the current school. The entrance test and interview take place in the Autumn Term of Year 11. Before considering an application, it is worth checking that the subjects your daughter wishes to study are offered by the school – a comprehensive Sixth Form booklet is available on the website to help with this decision. Offers are sent out at the end of the Autumn Term and must be accepted immediately after the Christmas period.

Scholarships and Bursaries at JAGs

Scholarships are available at JAGS for 11+ and 16+ entry only, with Academic and Music Scholarships also available at 13+ for those pupils applying for an occasional place. All scholarship awards carry a small fee remission. 11+ academic scholarships are selected purely on the basis of the entrance exams. 11+ scholarships at JAGS are also available in Sport, Music and Art, and applications must be made at the time of registration. 16+ academic scholarships are awarded automatically to those who achieve the highest possible GCSE grades; Music and Art scholarships are also possible at 16+, and applications must be made at the time of registration. 

Bursaries are available at JAGS for 11+ and 16+ entry, and also for occasional entry for those year groups in between. They are not available at 4+ or 7+ entry points. Applications for bursaries, which are means-tested and can be worth up to 100% of the fees, are made during the registration process.