The main points of entry to our Senior School are at age 11 (Year 7), age 13 (Year 9) or age 16 (Year 12). Parents looking for entry to Year 8 or Year 10 should contact the Admissions team to enquire if there are places available in these year groups in the year preceding entry. If places are available, we are happy to receive registrations for entry at these points.
All applicants attend an Admissions Day to visit the school, talk to senior staff and take our assessment papers.
Bursaries and Support
If you are intending to apply for a bursary, please tick the box regarding bursaries on the application form. If you are currently in receipt of Income Support, please speak to our Registrar to discuss the possibility of waiving the required registration fee.
Entry into Year 7
Learning More
We recommend that anyone considering applying to Oxford High finds out more by attending either the Senior School Open Evening in early October or one of our Meet the Head events throughout the school year. If this is not convenient, please contact the Admissions team to arrange an individual visit at a time and date that works for you. We encourage parents and daughters to visit as often as they would like in the years preceding entry.
Registration
We recommend registering your daughter as early as possible in the year preceding entry. All registrations for entry to Year 7 should be submitted by the end of September when your daughter is in Year 6. We do not recommend any specific preparation for the Admissions Day and do not make past papers available to parents or schools. We will request a reference from your daughter’s current school at this point.
The Admissions Day for entry to Year 7 will take place on the second Saturday in November. The Admissions Day takes the form of a combined admissions and taster day. During the day, girls sit assessment papers in English, Maths and Reasoning (verbal and non-verbal). They also have the opportunity to participate in activities chosen from Art, Drama, Music and Sport, with a fun Science session for all. The activities do not form any part of the assessment process.
We invite every girl who attends the Admissions Day to return for an interview in the following week with the Head and other senior members of staff. Again, we do not recommend any preparation. Girls are asked to bring an object that is of interest to them to discuss. The choice of object is not assessed.
Parents and girls will be informed of the outcome of the Admissions Day in early December. Bursary awards, Academic and Head’s Scholarship and Exhibition awards will also be communicated to parents at this point. The deadline for accepting offered places is set by the GSA and is usually early March. Candidates holding an offer will be invited for Taster Days throughout January and February to give them the opportunity to spend more time at the school and experience a typical day at OHS.
Entry into Year 9
Applicants for entry to Year 9 will be invited for an Admissions Day in the Spring Term of Year 7. We suggest that registration is completed by the beginning of the Spring Term of Year 7. We will request a reference from your daughter’s current school at this point.
We do encourage prospective parents to visit prior to registering their daughter at one of the events scheduled throughout the year or via a private appointment, which can be arranged through the Admissions team.
Bursaries are also available for entry to Year 9 for external candidates only and there is provision on the registration form to indicate interest. Girls who have been offered a place in Year 9 in September 2020 will not be able to complete their bursary application until the Autumn Term of the 2019/20 school year. Please see our Scholarships and Bursaries Booklet for more information
The Year 9 Admissions Day for all girls registered for entry to Year 9 in September 2020 will take place in early March. The girls take written assessment papers in English, Mathematics and Reasoning (verbal and non-verbal). All applicants also have an interview with the Head or a member of the Senior Leadership Team.
In the weeks following the Admissions Day, all girls will be invited to a Taster Day where they will spend a full day at the school and experience Oxford High School. The Taster Day is not part of the assessment process and is simply an opportunity for girls to enjoy a day at the school, try out different lessons and get a better feel for the school.
Offer letters will be sent to parents of girls who have been successful in achieving a Year 9 offer before the end of the Spring Term. Parents who wish to accept the offer of a place will be asked to do so before the end of the Summer Term. Girls who are not offered a place at this point can reapply and will be invited for a second Admissions Day in the Autumn Term of Year 8, subject to place availability.
Girls in receipt of an offer for Year 9 also have the opportunity to apply for a Scholarship and details of how to submit a Scholarship application will be sent to girls in the Autumn Term of the year preceding entry. The Scholarship process starts in the Spring Term preceding entry and eligible girls are invited to apply for Academic, Art, Music, Drama and Sport Scholarships.