Your Comprehensive Guide to the 11+ Exam and Entry to Francis Holland
Interested in 11+ entry to Francis Holland? The school’s fantastic academic reputation and desirable central London location mean it’s a top choice for many parents. Preparation is key to ensuring your daughter can excel through the selective admissions process and the demands of the 11 plus exam. This guide supports that preparation detailing the format of the London consortium 11+ exam, how to support your child in preparation, benefits of practising 11 plus mock exams, and how working with an excellent 11+ tutor (our tutors are very familiar with the school!) can maximise your daughter’s chance of success. Book a complimentary 20-minute consultation with us to discuss how one of our experienced 11+ Francis Holland tutors can support your child here.
Why Francis Holland for 11 Plus Entry?
Francis Holland has its roots in the Church of England, founded by Reverend Francis Holland in the 19th century. Today, the school is open to girls of all faiths or none, offering an inclusive environment for girls aged 11+. It situates traditional values within the contemporary world, helping pupils to navigate the fast-paced, changing modern world. It is an excellent school to guide your daughter through the bountiful opportunities open to girls today, with the perfect balance of tradition and forward-thinking.
The trust is focused on nurturing academic excellence and personal growth, offering a well-rounded education. It does so via plentiful clubs, societies, and enrichment opportunities, fostering girls willing to take risks, give things a go and discover what truly excites them. Whilst Francis Holland produces excellent academic grades, it is not their only focus. They celebrate individuality, foster curiosity, and support their pupils to become compassionate and confident young women, ready to face the future. As a company founded by a sister duo, Ilana and Camille Goodman, with a large focus on inspiring the next generation of great female thinkers, this fits extremely well with our ethos!
Francis Holland Sloane Square or Francis Holland Regent’s Park?
Alongside Francis Holland Prep, the trust comprises two sister schools, Francis Holland Regent’s Park and Francis Holland Sloane Square. They both offer 11+ entry and share an overarching purpose, to nurture pupils to be best placed to make their mark on the fast-changing modern world. It is important to note that the schools possess unique identities and have some key differences, relevant to the 11 plus entry and exam. As a very brief overview:
Francis Holland Sloane Square
Founded in 1881
Located in SW1
All 11 plus applicants are invited to interview, regardless of 11 plus exam performance.
Francis Holland Regent’s Park
Founded in 1878
Located in NW1
Selects for 11+ interviews based on assessment performance.
For 11+ entry, both require a reference from the head teacher of your daughter’s current school.
Regarding academic performance, Francis Holland Sloane Square recently appears to have a slight edge in GCSE and A-Level examination results. For further details, please refer to the following webpages:
When considering which Francis Holland best suits your daughter at 11+, academic results should be viewed as part of a broader picture, encompassing extra-curricular activities, ethos, environment, and other factors intrinsic to considering your daughter’s happiness and ability to thrive. For informing such a decision, we recommend looking at the school’s respective prospectuses:
The Format of the Francis Holland 11 Plus Exam
Both Francis Holland sister schools are part of the London 11+ consortium, which prescribes their 11+ exam format.
What is the London 11+ Consortium?
The London consortium streamlines the 11 plus admissions process by grouping 14 independent girls’ day schools under one entrance exam. Whether your daughter is applying to one or multiple of these consortium schools, she needs to sit only one entrance exam, rather than an individual assessment for each institution.
To read more about the London 11+ Consortium in general, including the schools it comprises, read our Ultimate Guide to the London Consortium Exam Blog.
Is the London 11+ Consortium Exam Sat at Francis Holland?
The 11+ exam is taken in your daughter’s current school on the morning of one of a few specified dates, for the security of the test content. If her current school lacks the facilities to support test provision, your daughter can sit the exam in a consortium school she has applied for. This will still have to be on one of the specified dates, but it may be either a morning or an afternoon exam. The school will be in contact to advise about the specific details. Remember, your daughter only needs to sit the test once.
For queries and this year’s exam dates, it is advisable to consult the London 11 plus Consortium's FAQs page
The London 11 Plus Consortium Exam Format
In 2022, a new bespoke assessment was introduced to add creative questions that assess problem-solving and analysis skills to the exam. This new format offers girls a more stimulating, innovative exam experience geared towards deeper thinking. It still tests math and verbal ability like the old exam.
The 11+ London consortium exam is a 100-minute online assessment with a 30-minute break in the middle.
First Section
This is made up of adaptive questions, which are tailored to a student’s performance.
20 minutes - Maths
This section consists of questions based on the Year 5 national curriculum for Maths, including fractions, prime numbers, and perimeters.
10 minutes - Non-Verbal Reasoning
Non-verbal reasoning tests your child’s problem-solving abilities using visual clues, such as patterns and shapes.
20 minutes - English
This section consists of questions based on the Year 5 national curriculum for English, involving comprehension, identifying the correct use of standard English in context, basic grammar, and the like.
Although candidates see the same comprehension passage, the questions are adaptive.
There is no extended writing piece.
20 minutes - Verbal Reasoning
Here, problem-solving abilities are tested via drawing conclusions based on language.
30-minute break
Second Section
This consists of non-adaptive questions. All candidates see the same questions. The content varies per exam day for security reasons.
15 minutes - Problem Solving
This section is testing your child’s ability to solve multi-step problems involving words and numbers.
25 Minutes - Creative Comprehension
Creative comprehension involves drawing conclusions from multiple sources, such as a writing passage, a graph, and a map.
Knowledge and Skills Tested by the 11 Plus London Consortium Exam
The different sections of the London consortium 11+ exam encompass a range of key subject areas and a broad skill set. Crucially, the basis of what’s being tested is the year 5 national curriculum, so parents should familiarise themselves with this and check that their daughter has strong foundational and even advanced knowledge of this, especially as the adaptive sections of the exam offer a chance to stretch and challenge themselves.
Essential knowledge and skills include
Year 5 Maths and English Skills
Cognitive Reasoning: the brain’s ability to connect ideas, spot patterns, and solve problems logically.
Analysis: sifting through ideas or data to answer questions.
Problem-Solving: thinking, potentially synthesising information, and trying different approaches to answer a question.
Creative Thinking: thinking outside the box, such as exploring new ideas or making innovative, unexpected connections.
Critical Thinking: using curiosity to delve below face value, involving questioning, comparison, and reasoning.
When Should Your Daughter Start Preparing for the 11 Plus Exam?
Preparation should begin as soon as possible so that your daughter has optimal time to familiarise herself with the content and format of the 11+ London Consortium exam. For her best chance of success at Francis Holland entry, she should begin preparations at least a term before registration, if not sooner. This would equate to the summer term of year 5. Many families opt to begin preparation earlier to build strong foundations and ensure a less stressful and intense final preparation period.
Key dates for Francis Holland Regent’s Park and Sloane Square 11 plus entry
Registration deadline: early November of the year before entry
London Consortium 11+ Assessment: typically a few dates in late November and early December
Interview: early January
Offer: Mid-February
Acceptance Deadline: early March
For this year’s dates, please consult the school’s websites:
Effective 11 Plus Mock Exam Practice for Admission to Francis Holland
Mock exam practice for the London Consortium 11+ Exam is invaluable for three reasons:
1) Familiarisation
2) Providing Feedback on Students’ Abilities
3) Reducing Anxiety on Exam Day
1) Familiarisation
The exam tests a wide range of skills and knowledge in formats unfamiliar to the traditional classroom setting.
Getting to grips with the content and unique exam format increases confidence, enabling more natural and successful application of knowledge to questions.
2) Providing Feedback on Students’ Abilities
Mock exams can be instrumental in targeting specific skills and subject areas by highlighting your child’s strengths and topics that need additional help.
This includes checking your daughter’s confidence with national curriculum topics.
3) Reducing Anxiety on Exam Day
Repeated experience of the timing, structure, and pressure of sitting the exam helps familiarise a child with what to expect on the day.
Hopefully, they will enter the exam more confident than if it were all completely new.
Specific Francis Holland 11-Plus Mock Exam Resources
11+ London Consortium Familiarisation
The exam provider, Quest Assessments, offers an online familiarisation practice test with three sample questions for each assessment section.
This is particularly useful for non-verbal reasoning or creative comprehension, which your daughter may be less used to.
The question bank provided by the London Consortium is limited in size, so preparation should utilise other resources.
Other 11+ Mock Exams
11+ mock papers from schools outside of the London consortium
These should be used with the understanding that they will not directly resemble the London consortium exam.
They still help provide a bank of questions for your daughter to practice her application of year 5 curriculum knowledge or to learn more about unfamiliar content like non-verbal reasoning.
They also help familiarise students with the practice of taking exams under timed, closed-book conditions.
Sevenoaks School provides 11+ papers in English and Maths, and a Maths topic list.
Should you enlist U2 Tuition to help your daughter prepare for the 11+ Francis Holland entry exam, our expert tutors have a huge wealth of materials, including mock papers, designed with the consortium exam in mind.
Reading Lists
General reading, over a broad range of categories, is an excellent way to improve your daughter’s comprehension skills and inspire their creative imagination.
Francis Holland Prep School offers a ‘Reading for Pleasure’ list – note that it is grouped by book category rather than age group.
Eaton Square Prep School also has a specific Year 5 and 6 ‘Recommended Reading’ list.
Why U2 Tuition for an 11+ Tutor for Francis Holland Entry
U2 Tuition offers expert, tailored tutoring (online and in-person in London) to give your daughter the best support on the market through the competitive 11+ admissions process to Francis Holland. Our inspiring Oxbridge-educated tutors have top academic credentials, as well as a proven track record of success. We have strong experience in the London 11+ Consortium exam and can prepare students for all aspects of the test. We also support many current Francis Holland students with subject tuition, exam preparation and university applications, so are highly familiar with the school’s ethos and curricula. You can book a complimentary consultation with a Director of U2 Tuition to discuss how we can support here.
The specific 11+ tutoring support we would provide includes:
Building a bespoke support plan based on your daughter’s specific needs following an initial diagnostic session.
Curriculum-linked support to ensure her Year 5 Maths and English skills are in place, helping extend her knowledge for the adaptive questions.
Strengthening your daughter’s core 11 plus skills, including problem-solving, cognitive reasoning and comprehension.
Providing a range of resources to support her preparation, including mock exams.
Our targeted mock exam practice will help build her exam stamina, confidence, and technique, offering her the best chance at exam success.
Mock interviews to encourage your daughter to develop independent thinking, confidence, and the ability to answer unseen questions without sounding rehearsed. Crucial skills for the Francis Holland imaginative interview experience.
We also have some fantastic co-curricular opportunities for this age group via our co-curricular division, Minds Underground, including our dynamic weekly Debate sessions. This builds public speaking skills, argument structure, and engagement with current affairs. Ideal for boosting confidence and communication ahead of any 11+ interviews.
Whether you're aiming for Francis Holland Regent’s Park or Francis Holland Sloane Square, we would be delighted to support your daughter in preparation for the entrance process.
For more information on the 11+ support we offer, check out the following resources: