Francis Holland School 11+ Preparation 2026

Francis Holland School, Sloane Square (SW1) is an independent girls' day school at 39 Graham Terrace, London SW1W 8JF, founded in 1881. Gaining a place involves three elements: the London 11+ Consortium online exam, an interview in January, and a reference from the Head of your daughter's current school. In its own words, the school says: "We welcome girls who are curious, imaginative and eager to explore". This guide covers the 2026/27 admissions process, including the exam components and timings, key dates, the interview, scholarships and what the Consortium says about preparation.

What Are the Key Facts and Dates for Francis Holland 11+ Entry 2026/27?

Francis Holland Sloane Square is a member of the London 11+ Consortium, a group of 13 independent girls' day schools in London that share a single bespoke entrance exam. The table below summarises the essential entry facts and official 2026/27 dates confirmed by the school:

Registration fees, for UK and for overseas residents, are listed on the school's fees page. The school's visiting page says its open events offer "the chance to hear from our staff and girls, and a talk from our Head". The school also holds scholarship assessment and audition days in January 2027; its scholarships page lists them.

What Does the London Consortium 11+ Exam Involve?

Francis Holland Sloane Square uses the London 11+ Consortium exam — a single bespoke online assessment shared by 13 independent girls' day schools in London. This means that if your daughter applies to multiple Consortium schools, she only sits the exam once, and that single result is shared with all the schools to which she has registered. The school says the assessment "looks beyond academic ability and focuses on your daughter's potential in problem-solving, critical thinking and creativity".

The Consortium describes the assessment as "100 minutes in total", made up of "six distinct components" taken in this order: 20 minutes of Maths, 10 minutes of Non-Verbal Reasoning, 20 minutes of English and 10 minutes of Verbal Reasoning, then a break of up to 30 minutes, then 15 minutes of Problem Solving and 25 minutes of Creative Comprehension. Of the English section it says "There is no extended writing required."

The Consortium's familiarisation materials are linked from the school's admissions page, and the Consortium says "We recommend that all candidates look at these before taking the assessment."

Candidates usually sit the exam at their own current school; the Consortium says the test "should be sat at the child's current school if possible". For the 2026/27 cycle, Francis Holland Sloane Square's own assessment date is Tuesday 1 December 2026.

What Does the Consortium Say About the Francis Holland Interview?

All applicants are invited to interview at Francis Holland Sloane Square on Friday 8 January 2027, and the school's admissions page confirms that all applicants attend an interview. The Consortium says its "selection process covers three complementary assessment approaches": the online test, a common reference form and an interview that is individual to each senior school.

The Consortium describes that interview as "An imaginative interview experience (individual to each senior school) which explores the skills, aptitudes and intellectual acuity of the candidates".

On preparing for it, the Consortium says "We actively discourage preparation for the interview." It adds that its interviewers can easily identify a candidate who has been coached for this part of the process, and that it is "looking for evidence of creative and independent thinking, and suitability for our schools".

A reference from the Head of your daughter's current school is also part of the application, and Sloane Square requests it directly. The Consortium describes its common reference form as requiring, "amongst wider contextual information on attitudes and character, detailed commentary on the candidate's academic performance".

What Do Francis Holland Sloane Square's Own Results Show?

Francis Holland Sloane Square is at 39 Graham Terrace, London SW1W 8JF. Its admissions page says "We celebrate academic ambition, intellectual curiosity, creativity and co-curricular achievement".

The school's results page gives its figures by year. In 2026, girls at Francis Holland Sloane Square achieved 55% A*/A grades at A Level. At GCSE in the same year, the results table shows 91% of grades at Grade 9–7 (equivalent to A*/A under the old system). The same page records that in 2025 two leavers won offers from Oxford or Cambridge.

The results page puts these results down to "a close and dynamic partnership between students and their teachers".

For comparison with other selective girls' schools in London, see our guides to South Hampstead High School (a Consortium member) and, separately, City of London School for Girls (not one of the Consortium's 13 member schools). You can also browse all our 11+ Tuition options for London independent school preparation.

How Much Preparation Does the Francis Holland 11+ Need?

The London 11+ Consortium's own guidance on preparation is short. It says "We recommend that all candidates look at the familiarisation materials available on the Consortium website." Beyond that, it says the exam "tests knowledge of the Year 5 Maths National Curriculum", and that "your daughter does not need special tuition or intensive practice for this assessment".

For the two reasoning sections the Consortium adds "We do not, however, recommend intense preparation as any gains quickly become very marginal." On the English section it says "candidates who read widely will be well prepared for this section". The assessment is taken when the child is in Year 6. For Francis Holland Sloane Square, registration closes on 6 November 2026, the assessment is on 1 December 2026 and interviews are on 8 January 2027.

Applying to Francis Holland From Overseas: Where She Sits the Test and How to Register

Two Francis Holland schools take girls at 11+, Sloane Square (SW1) and Regent's Park (NW1), and each is a member of the London 11+ Consortium. A family abroad registers with each campus separately, and both give Friday 6 November 2026 as the closing date for 2027 entry. The Consortium, which owns the exam, answers the overseas question in its own FAQ, and what follows sets that answer beside what each campus publishes about where the test is sat. Each quotation below is linked, or sits beside a link, to the page it comes from, as retrieved on 9 October 2026.

Two campuses, one exam, two registrations

Each campus has its own Admissions Portal and its own Head of Admissions. The Regent's Park 11+ page offers "REGISTER NOW – UK" and "REGISTER NOW – OVERSEAS" as separate buttons and states "Deadline to register – Friday 6 November 2026". The Sloane Square 11+ page gives the same date for September 2027 entry and sends applicants to its Admissions Portal. The London 11+ Consortium gives that date as the deadline "for applications to any Consortium school".

Registration fees are set out on each school's own fees page. The Sloane Square fees page and the Regent's Park fees page each list a registration fee for UK residents and a separate one for overseas residents, effective 1 July 2026. Ask the admissions team at each campus which band applies to your family before you pay.

Where a girl living abroad can sit the test

The Consortium describes one online assessment: "The exam is 100 minutes long (1 hour 40 minutes). There will be a 30-minute break in the middle." Its running order lists "BREAK for up to 30 minutes" after the first four of its six components. For 2027 entry it schedules the assessment on Friday 27 November, Tuesday 1 December or Thursday 3 December 2026. The table sets out the venue wording each source publishes.

Where a girl's school does not offer to host the test, the Consortium says the schools you apply to "will ask you to indicate a 1st and 2nd choice Consortium exam centre when you apply", and that "The 1st and 2nd choice must be a Consortium school to which you have applied." On whether the venue matters, it says: "The location at which a candidate sits the exam has no bearing on the outcome of the application." That sentence sits in its answer comparing a Consortium school with a girl's own school. Both Francis Holland campuses are Consortium schools, so either can be named as a centre once the girl has applied to it.

Regent's Park's key-dates sheet adds "other agreed assessment centre", and the Consortium's overseas answer sends a family that prefers to sit abroad to a Consortium school's admissions team. Ask each campus to confirm in writing which of the three dates and which venue it will accept for your daughter, and do so before 6 November 2026. The published contacts are +44 (0)20 7535 2777 and registrar@fhs-nw1.org.uk for Regent's Park, and +44 (0)20 7824 5005 for Sloane Square.

The school reference and the January interview from a school abroad

Both campuses ask the Head of the girl's current school for a reference. Sloane Square writes "We will also request a reference from the Head of your daughter's current school", and Regent's Park writes "(We'll also ask her current school for a reference.)". The Consortium adds that each school a girl applies to "will seek a reference separately", "prior to the entrance examination". A girl who applies to both campuses therefore generates two requests to her school before the test, so tell the Head's office before 6 November 2026 that they are coming.

Every applicant is interviewed: Sloane Square on Friday 8 January 2027 ("All applicants will attend an interview") and Regent's Park on Monday 4 January 2027 ("All applicants are invited for interview"). Each school publishes one interview date for 2027 entry. Regent's Park gives an offer date of Friday 12 February 2027 and an acceptance deadline of 12pm on Wednesday 3 March 2027. Ask each Head of Admissions in writing how a girl living abroad is to take part in the interview, and keep the reply with the registration papers.

If she is older than Year 6: Years 8, 9 and 10 (12+, 13+, 14+)

Francis Holland Sloane Square's Years 8, 9 or 10 page says "each year there are a few places available for entry into Years 8, 9 and 10", and asks families to complete either its "Occasional Place Registration Form" or its "Overseas Occasional Place Registration Form". For September 2027 entry into those years it gives registration by Friday 22 January 2027, the assessment on Tuesday 2 February 2027 and interviews, for shortlisted candidates, on Wednesday 24 or Thursday 25 February 2027. The same page states: "Please note we do not accept pupils into Year 11 or Year 13."

Francis Holland Regent's Park's occasional places page says that "occasionally places arise throughout the year in other year groups" and that families are "welcome to register at any point in the year", using a UK form or an overseas form. For 12+, 13+ or 14+ entry it asks families to contact the Head of Admissions about "the likely availability of a place", and adds: "Please note we do not accept pupils into Upper Fifth (Year 11) or Upper Sixth (Year 13)." For occasional places only, it also says: "If you are applying from overseas, please liaise with the Head of Admissions who will be able to discuss possible arrangements for sitting the assessment locally."

A family planning a move to the UK can read our guide to relocating to the UK mid-cycle. The hub for 11+ families abroad covers the other areas, and London independent schools from overseas compares overseas arrangements across London day schools.

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Scholarships, Bursaries and Financial Support at Francis Holland

Francis Holland Sloane Square's scholarships page lists "Academic, Art, Classical Ballet, Drama, Music and Sports Scholarships for Year 7 and Year 12 entry". The school's 11+ scholarships booklet says "Academic Scholarships cannot be applied for directly"; they are offered to the candidates with the best academic results in the school's 11+ assessment process. The other 11+ scholarships are applied for through the 11+ Examination Form, which is sent to the parents of all registered candidates in the first half of the Autumn Term, and the scholarships page lists their 2027-entry assessment and audition days: Classical Ballet on Sunday 10 January 2027, Art on Tuesday 12 January, Music on Wednesday 13 January, Sport on Thursday 14 January and Drama on Friday 15 January 2027.

Bursaries are a separate, means-tested route. The Francis Holland Schools Trust's bursary procedure says "The bursary application process is integrated into the school admissions process": parents indicate on the 11+ Examination Entrance Form that they wish to apply for financial assistance, and "The deadline for completion of the Bursary Application Form is mid-November each year". The school's bursaries page says bursary awards are offered at Year 7 and on entry to the Sixth Form. For questions, the school's Head of Admissions, Rowena Kibblewhite, is on +44 (0)20 7824 5005.

What Does Francis Holland Look for Beyond Exam Performance?

On its philosophy page, the school says "We are a school where every girl belongs, believes in herself and becomes the person she hopes to be". Its philosophy rests on three pillars — Belong, Believe, Become — which, in its words, "guide all that we do".

The school's pastoral page describes "Additional layers of care fostering connection across year groups" that include its House system, Daffodils programme, Year 7 & 8 Big Sister programme and Sixth Form Pastoral Ambassadors.

The school's co-curricular offering is exceptionally broad, covering ballet, orchestra, environmental initiatives, engineering clubs and sport, among many others.

The school also has a strong tradition of charity fundraising and community engagement.

The London 11+ Consortium Assessment at Francis Holland School

Francis Holland School's 11+ entry exam is the London 11+ Consortium's online assessment, shared across the Consortium's 13 member schools.

The Consortium says its bespoke assessment "goes beyond testing cognitive ability alone and seeks to discover a child's potential in creative and critical thinking, analysis, synthesis and problem-solving".

Our specialist tutors prepare candidates across the full range of skills the assessment draws on — from mathematical and verbal reasoning to comprehension and problem solving.

Leading Tuition is rated 4.8 out of 5 on Trustpilot from 59 reviews, read on 3 October 2026, and 91% of our students achieve their desired grades.

Reviewed October 2026: dates, figures and rules checked against Francis Holland Sloane Square's own admissions, scholarships and results pages (fhs-sw1.org.uk) and the London 11+ Consortium's website (london11plus.co.uk).

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