Selection Procedure for Entry to Year 7 in September 2024

We  are delighted you and your daughter are considering Howell's.  

We still have spaces in Year 7 so please contact our Admissions team in the first instance.  In order to register your daughter for the entrance examination please complete the registration form here. 

The Examination

Mathematics

Time: 45 minutes

We are looking for evidence of numeracy skills and problem-solving ability in the answers to the questions on the mathematics paper. The students will not be able to use calculators. The questions will be on topics your daughter will have covered in school and will include:

• 4 rules (it is important that your daughter knows her times tables)
• Simple percentages, sequences and easy fractions
• Easy money and time
• Area and perimeter of a rectangle
• Metric units
• Problem-solving

English

Time: 1 hour (Comprehension: 35 minutes, Extended Writing: 25 minutes)

Students will be asked to read a non-fiction and a fiction passage and answer questions about what they have read and understood. The extended writing is a chance for your daughter to show us the standard of her vocabulary and the accuracy of her writing. We expect all students to be working within Level 4 in both English and Mathematics and we are looking for evidence of Level 5. If you are aware that your daughter has any additional learning needs (such as dyslexia, dyscalculia or dyspraxia) or any physical disability or impairment, it is very important you let us know so that we can make appropriate preparation. Usually, we allow students with additional learning needs 25% extra time. We will require evidence, such as an Educational Psychologist’s report, a Statement, or a medical note in support of any request.

For the Examination, your daughter should bring with her: a pencil, biro or ink pen, rubber and ruler and a bottle of water. We are happy for her to wear her own clothes and not her school uniform on this day. 

Academic Scholarships

The Scholarships are usually to the value of 5% of the tuition fees. They are awarded to students who perform exceptionally well in the entrance examination and who show great potential at the interview.

All scholarships have been awarded for the September 2024 entry.

GDST Bursaries

The Girls’ Day School Trust provides financial assistance to enable students, whose parents could not otherwise afford the fees, to enter the Senior School. Bursaries are awarded on the basis of financial need, though academic merit is taken into account. You will need to register in order to apply for a bursary.  Some initial information can be found on the GDST website here. 

All bursaries have been awarded for the September 2024 entry.

Music Scholarship

The scholarship is usually to the value of 5% of the tuition fees.

Applicants must have passed Grade 5 in their first study instrument / voice and a second study instrument / voice is highly desirable. Please send a scanned copy of your daughter's most recent Examination Certificate to admissions@how.gdst.net and complete the application form here.

If your daughter meets the requirements she will attend an audition with the Director of Music. The audition requirements are:

• To perform two contrasting pieces of no more than eight minutes in total
• Scales/arpeggios/sight reading
• Simple aural tests and interview

All music scholarships have been awarded for the September 2024 entry

Reference

When you apply for a place, please upload your daughter’s most recent school report.

After the Examination

We will let you know as soon as possible after the entrance examination whether we are able to make an offer of a place to your daughter. Please do contact Chrissie Hall-Davis, our Admissions Officer, with any questions. She can be reached on 029 2026 1832 or admissions@how.gdst.net.