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.
Online Application
We recommend applying as early as possible in the year preceding entry using our online application form. Please check our Key Admissions Dates. You will be asked to upload a current passport photo. There is a non-refundable registration fee of £100 (£150 for overseas applicants). If you are currently in receipt of Income Support, please speak to our Registrar to discuss the possibility of waiving the required registration fee.
We will also contact her current school to request a reference.
Bursary Application
Our GDST Bursaries range from 30% to 100% of school fees are available at Year 7, Year 9 (external candidates only) and Year 12 entry. All Bursary applications are assessed independently by the Fees Office of the GDST and not Oxford High School itself, and applications are means-tested taking into account parental income and assets. In addition to satisfying means-testing criteria, recipients of bursary awards must also score highly in our admissions assessments.
To apply for a bursary, you must tick the bursary application box on the application form or let the Admissions Team know. Once the Trust’s online bursary application portal is open in October, we will send you the login details for you to complete the bursary application. Applications for bursaries cannot be made to the Trust once offers have been made. Please see our Bursaries page for further details.
Admissions Day
All applicants will sit the school’s entrance examination on Admissions Day. We do not recommend any specific preparation for the Admissions Day and do not make past papers available to parents or schools.
The Year 7 examination comprises papers in English, Mathematics, and Reasoning (verbal and non-verbal) . Applicants for Year 9 entry sit papers in English, Mathematics and a Modern Foreign Language (usually French, German or Spanish), and an online Cognitive Abilities Test. The Year 12 examination include a short written task on global topics and an online Cognitive Abilities Test.
Virtual Interview
We invite every girl who attends the Year 7 and Year 9 Admissions Day to take part in a virtual interview in the following week with the Head and other senior members of staff. Again, we do not recommend any preparation. To help the girls feel at ease, we ask the girls to bring a familiar object that is of interest to them to discuss at the virtual interview. The choice of object is not assessed.
Year 12 applicants will attend two interviews with the Head, Director of Sixth Form and the Deputy Head. Girls will also be asked to bring a Portfolio if she wants to study Art-related subjects.
Place Offer and Bursary Outcome
Parents and girls will be informed of the outcome of the Admissions Day by first-class post. Bursary awards, Academic and Head’s Scholarship and Exhibition awards will also be communicated to parents at this point. Scholarships and exhibitions are held for the duration of the time that your daughter is at Oxford High School, subject to satisfactory progress and behaviour. The deadline for accepting offered places is set by the GSA and is usually early March .
Acceptance of Offers
On the acceptance of a place, a deposit of £1,000 is payable, which the school retains until the end of the pupil’s final term in the school and which is refunded within 12 weeks of her leaving, less any sums owing to the Girls’ Day School Trust or the school at that time. It is forfeited if the pupil does not take up the accepted place.
Art, Drama, Music and Sport Scholarships Application
Girls in receipt of an offer for Year 7, Year 9 and Year 12 entry also have the opportunity to apply for an Art, Drama, Music or Sport Scholarship. We also offer Exhibitions in these categories. These Scholarships are held for the duration of the time that your daughter is at Oxford High School, subject to satisfactory progress and behaviour. To ensure fairness in the application process, we will only disclose the scholarship application details when your daughter has been offered a place.
If you have further questions about the admissions process, please check out our FAQs page or email us at admissions@oxf.gdst.net.