Admissions

We recommend applying at least 12-18 months before your child’s intended start date. Our main entry points are September for Reception, Year 3, Year 7, and Year 9, though we welcome applications throughout the year into all year groups, subject to space availability.

Prospective pupils for Year 7 entry will sit 11+ assessments in the November preceding their entry to the school.

Please complete the Abbot’s Hill Registration Form, and your child’s most recent school report if available, a copy of their passport (or birth certificate if the child does not hold a passport), and the non-refundable Registration Fee (£120).

Our assessment is designed to understand your child’s potential rather than test specific knowledge.

Prospective Pre-Prep pupils typically participate in informal activities and observation sessions, while those looking for a place in the Prep School (Year 3 to 6) will sit assessments in Maths and English during the course of a Taster Day with us.

11+ candidates will sit their 11+ entrance examinations in the November preceding entry in September the following year, and attend an interview with a member of the Senior Leadership Team in core subjects and attend an interview.

Pupils applying for a place in Year 8,9, or 10 will typically spend two days in school during which they will follow a typical timetable for the year group, as well as sitting CAT Maths, English and Reasoning assessments.

We encourage children to be well-rested and confident rather than intensively tutored. Sample papers for older pupils and guidance notes may available, but we are really looking for potential and enthusiasm for learning rather than coached responses.

Current fee information is available here. Fees cover tuition, most textbooks, and many co-curricular activities. Additional costs include lunches, music lessons, and some educational visits.

We offer academic, music, art & design, drama, and sports scholarships at 11+ entry, typically providing fee remissions of between 10% and 20%.

Our Bursary programme (usually restricted to the Senior School) can provide means-tested support of up to 100% fee remission for families who would benefit from our education but require financial assistance. Click here for more information.

Every pupil belongs to a Clan (a nod to our Scottish roots – Abbot’s Hill was founded by three Scottish sisters in 1912 – hence the tartan in our uniform too) and the School dedicated pastoral staff who monitor every pupil’s academic progress, wellbeing, and personal development.

We maintain small class sizes and foster close relationships between staff and pupils to ensure individual needs are met.

We pride ourselves on our extensive co-curricular programme in both the Prep and the Senior schools with over 50 different clubs running each week, from cricket, pickleball, skiing and netball to Duke of Edinburgh, outdoor adventure, baking and Dungeons and Dragons. Pupils can participate in everything from lacrosse and netball to debating, Duke of Edinburgh Award, and volunteering, with many activities available at both recreational and competitive levels.

We welcome pupils with a range of learning differences and provide tailored support through our Learning Support Department. We conduct thorough assessments and work closely with families and external specialists to ensure every child can thrive academically and socially.

The school day typically runs from 8.15am to 4.20pm for senior pupils (with the exception of Wednesdays when school finishes at 4.05pm), with younger children finishing at 3.20pm (Pre Prep) and 3.45pm (Prep).

We offer supervised prep sessions and a wide range of after-school activities until 5.30 PM.

We operate a network of school buses covering key areas around the school, including St Albans, Harpenden, Berkhamsted, Radlett, Watford, Rickmansworth and Tring.  Full route information and costs are available from the School Office.

Our Catering Team can accommodate most dietary requirements, including allergies, religious needs, and lifestyle choices. We ask families to inform us of any requirements during the application process so we can make appropriate arrangements.

Full uniform lists are provided upon acceptance, with items available from our approved supplier, School Blazer.

Our Parents’ Association also holds regular Pre-Loved Uniform Sales.

We warmly welcome prospective families to visit during our regular Open Days or to arrange individual tours. Please contact our Admissions team to book your visit – we’re delighted to show you around and answer any questions you may have about our school community.

This is a popular question!  Abbot’s Hill has educated pupils from 4-16 for many years, and there are no plans to change this.  The school you choose for and with your child at the age of 4 or 11 will be the right choice for them THEN, but by the age of 16, young people have a much clearer sense of what kind of school they may like – this is why so many schools lose pupils after Year 11.  At Abbot’s Hill, the stress of deciding whether to stay or go is removed – all pupils leave us on completion of their GCSEs, moving onto a range of different options – state and independent, day and boarding, local and further afield, traditional schools or specialist colleges.

Added to this, the benefits to our Year 10 and 11 students of being the oldest in the school are many and varied – with no Sixth Form, our 15 and 16 year old students enjoy positions of leadership and responsibility that in a 11-18 school would be set aside for Year 12 and 13 students.  Our School Leadership Team of Head and Deputy Head Students and Prefects are actively involved in school life, they deliver presentations, assemblies and speeches, make decisions in key areas, and learn so much that they can take into their life beyond Abbot’s Hill.

Alumnae have reported that having already made the transition from Abbot’s Hill to Sixth Form, the later transition to university or the world of work is significantly easier as they are already adept at forging a new path in a new place.