Admissions

Joining Highgate

Entry to Reception class at 4+

4+ entry September 2021 will have around 20 places for children born between 1.9.16 and 31.8.17 to join the 40 children progressing from our final Nursery classes.

4+ entry September 2022 will have 60 places for children born between 1.9.17 and 31.8.18.

Our Pre-Prep is heavily over-subscribed and we are unfortunately unable to see all the children who make an application for assessment.

Children born before 1.9.16 are advised to consider entry to the Junior School at 7+ as it is unlikely occasional places will be available for Pre-Prep.

Key dates 4+ entry in 2021

Virtual Open Days: Saturday 26 September (now full) and Saturday 3 October 2020, in the morning. Register here for 3 October.
Applications open: Monday 14 September at 9am. Apply here for a Pre-Prep place in 2021.
Application deadline: Friday 9 October at noon
Application fee: £150 (payable when shortlisted for an assessment)
4+ entrance assessments: Two rounds of assessment take place in the January preceding entry to Highgate. The first round will be 6-8 January 2021 and second round for shortlisted candidates will be 14-15 and 18 January.
The birth date of a child is taken into consideration when scheduling and reviewing assessments.
Offer letters sent: Friday 29 January 2021
Acceptance deadline: Friday 5 February 2021 at noon

Fee information

Open Mornings

Our main Saturday Open Day for families looking at 4+ 2021 entry and beyond will take place online on Saturday 26 September and Saturday 3 October 2020, in the morning. This will be a great opportunity to view all parts of the school site virtually and meet staff and pupils. We would be delighted to see you at a virtual event during the Autumn term: please register here.

We apologise to those families who planned to come to previous Open Mornings that were cancelled due to COVID-19. “In person” Open Mornings, which take place during the school day, will be rescheduled as soon as possible, giving priority to families looking at 2021 entry. The safety of our pupils, staff and visitors is our priority and, if we are unable to welcome families in person in the Michaelmas term, we will ensure families of children shortlisted for interview and/or who receive the offer of a place are able to visit in early 2021.

We very much look forward to meeting you as soon as we are able.

Application Period 4+
Autumn 2020

Our admissions policy for 4+ entry will be published here shortly. Once you have reviewed this, you will be able to complete and submit your application here between 9am on Monday 14 September and Friday 9 October at noon. We will be unable to accept applications before or after these dates. All applications are acknowledged.

Shortlisting of Applications 4+
November 2020

All applications are reviewed in late October, with shortlisted candidates invited to the first round of assessments in January and asked to pay the application fee. Candidates not shortlisted are also notified.

Assessments 4+
January 2021

The first round of assessments takes place from 6-8 January 2021. Candidates are seen in groups for an informal play session of around an hour.

Subsequently, some candidates are invited to a second assessment a few days later 14, 15 and 18 January. This follows the same format but explores children’s understanding and capabilities in greater depth.

Successful candidates 4+
Early February 2021

The outcome of our assessments are sent on Friday 29 January 2021, a date agreed with a variety of other schools.

Successful candidates must respond to any offer by Friday 5 February at noon.

Some candidates who narrowly missed out on the offer of a place are placed on a ‘reserve’ list which remains active for the rest of the academic year.

A warm welcome
Summer term 2021

Our EYFS team visits new pupils at home or in their current childcare setting. There are taster visits to our Reception classes, ‘Stay and Sing’ sessions, and a family picnic to help our new pupils feel comfortable and excited about starting at Highgate.