The 11+ Guide 2026

In January 2025 the government added 20 % VAT to independent-school fees for the first time, the biggest policy change in private education for decades. Some families have absorbed the rise. Others, especially those already stretching to pay, have left the sector.

The market has split. Elite London schools (St Paul’s, Westminster, Highgate, KCS Wimbledon) are largely unaffected, with long waiting lists and low offer rates. Smaller regional schools with less affluent catchments are closing: over one hundred since the policy took effect.

Most leavers are in the “squeezed middle”, households earning £80,000 to £150,000 a year, for whom 20 % on top of already high fees is the tipping point. The very wealthy are paying, and bursary recipients (34.5 % of ISC pupils) are insulated.

St Paul’s is the top-ranked boys’ school in the country, with 93 % of A-level grades at A*/A. Westminster made 96 Oxbridge offers from 179 applicants in the 2025 cycle, a 54 % offer rate.

The big change: from 2026 Westminster admits girls at 11+ and 16+ (13+ from 2028) for the first time in its history, opening a new route for daughters into one of the country’s most selective schools.

NLCS climbed to #3 nationally in the Sunday Times Parent Power 2026 ranking. Godolphin & Latymer rose to #4 on sustained exam results and growing demand.

The London 11+ Consortium members are Channing, Francis Holland (Regent’s Park), Francis Holland (Sloane Square), Godolphin & Latymer, More House, Northwood College, Notting Hill & Ealing High, Queen’s College London, Queen’s Gate, South Hampstead High, St Augustine’s Priory, St Helen’s, St James Senior Girls’, and St Margaret’s. Assessments for September 2027 entry are in late November / early December 2026.

Latymer Upper is the biggest riser in the 2026 tables, up six places into the UK Top 10 with a record 32 Oxbridge places in 2025 (22 Oxford, 10 Cambridge). KCS Wimbledon is London’s strongest all-round co-ed at #7 nationally, and Highgate is the usual co-ed choice for North London families. Outside the independent sector, the Imperial College London Mathematics School is a state sixth form rivalling top independents.

Weighing single-sex against co-ed? Our single-sex vs co-ed guide sets out what the research does and does not show.

If Oxbridge matters to you, look at the offer rate as well as the count. St Paul’s Girls’ converts 55% of applicants into offers; Westminster has the most offers (96) from a larger cohort.

How competitive is 11+ entry?

What does the 11+ exam test?

Independent school exams test up to four areas, though not every school uses all four.

• English: Comprehension and creative writing (creative writing sets these apart from grammar school exams)
• Maths: Fractions, decimals, percentages, ratio, algebra, geometry, statistics
• Verbal Reasoning: Codes, analogies, hidden words, letter sequences (~80 questions)
• Non-Verbal Reasoning: Patterns, sequences, logical deduction (~80 questions)

Target SAS of 120+ for selective schools.

What changes in the ISEB Common Pre-Test for 2026?

The ISEB Common Pre-Test is used by about 79 schools, including Eton, Harrow, Charterhouse, JAGS and Benenden. Changes for 2026:

• Parents now register directly with ISEB (not through schools)
• Two separate English scores (comprehension and SPaG)
• Pencil and paper allowed throughout
• Children can hide the timer and adjust font and colour overlays
• Still adaptive (difficulty adjusts to performance)

If your child may need extra time or other support in the Pre-Test or a school’s own papers, see our guide to exam access arrangements. Requests usually close well before the test.

When are the 11+ exams?

How much does 11+ preparation cost?

• Year 4: Light foundations, not formal tutoring (daily reading, mental arithmetic). The strongest candidates often start here.
• Year 5: Serious prep begins for most families, usually in September or January
• Year 6: Exam-ready practice, mock tests, interview prep

In London, 45 % of pupils receive private tuition, against 27 % nationally.

Can you get a bursary at 11+?

34.5 % of ISC pupils receive some fee assistance. The sector spends £1.5 billion a year on bursaries, up 11.5 % year on year, and the average means-tested bursary is £13,852 a year. Some schools offer 100 %+ bursaries that also cover uniform, trips and music lessons. Always ask.

The Grammar School Alternative

Since VAT, interest in grammar schools has surged, especially from families who would once have gone private. London-area grammars such as Tiffin Boys and Tiffin Girls (Kingston), Queen Elizabeth’s Barnet and the Sutton grammars (Nonsuch, Wilson’s, Wallington) get outstanding results at no cost, but they are fiercely competitive and heavily postcode-dependent.

What are parents saying?

On parent forums the question has moved from “which school?” to “can we still afford it?” Elite schools such as Highgate and UCS report little change in demand. Smaller schools named more often as concerns include Alleyn’s, St Mary’s, South Hampstead and St Margaret’s. Worry about children’s mental health runs through every thread.

The AI Gap

Independent school teachers are 3.5x more likely than state teachers to embed AI in subject teaching, and 3x more likely to have a school-wide AI strategy. The device gap is wider: 38 % of independent primary schools lend devices to pupils, against 1 % of state primaries.

AI Tutoring

The global AI tutoring market is projected to reach $7.99 billion by 2030. Khanmigo costs as little as $4 a month and serves 700,000 students, yet only 15 % of students with access use AI tools regularly; Sal Khan called engagement “a non-event” for most. It works for motivated students; motivation, emotional support and confidence-building still come from great teachers.

The Screen Backlash

Some of Silicon Valley’s wealthiest choose low-tech schools for their own children: the Waldorf School of the Peninsula bans devices for under-11s and counts eBay, Apple and Google staff among its parents. A Fortune series argued that technology in schools correlates with declining test scores, and a growing number of schools are reversing tech-first policies.

Phone Bans

The UK government is proposing legislation to ban phones in schools. LSE research found bans improved test scores by 6.4 % overall and 14.23 % for the lowest-achieving pupils. Only 53 % of secondaries have fully implemented a ban so far.

What some schools are doing

• Eton: Tony Little Centre for Innovation; every boy gets an iPad; digital education across the curriculum
• Brighton College: UK Boarding School of the Year 2026
• Atelier 21: Progressive independent school teaching “how to think, not what to think”
• London School of Innovation: UK’s first AI-native university (Degree Awarding Powers granted March 2026)

Government Policy

All schools must have an AI policy by the end of 2025/26. Ofsted is studying twenty “AI pioneer” schools, and the government estimates 450,000 disadvantaged pupils could benefit from AI tutoring. KCSIE 2026 (Keeping Children Safe in Education) will include AI safeguarding requirements for the first time.

The Micro-School Movement

The US has about 95,000 microschools serving over one million students, a figure that has doubled since 2021. Prenda serves more than 10,000 students and plans to be in all 50 states by 2026; Acton Academy runs over 300 campuses in 30 countries. UK homeschooling is surging too, to 126,000 children (up 13 % year on year), but without the infrastructure to support it at scale.

Parent Priorities Have Shifted

In both cities, 61 % of parents now put wellbeing above academics, the first time it has ranked first. Millennial parents of Generation Alpha look for schools that share their values.

What should you ask at an open day?

Ask whether your child will be happy, healthy and resilient there, not only whether the school gets pupils into good universities.

1. What is your approach to student mental health and wellbeing?
2. How do you use AI in teaching, and what is your policy on student AI use?
3. How many applicants do you have per place at 11+?
4. What percentage of pupils receive bursaries, and what is the average award?
5. How have pupil numbers changed since the VAT introduction?
6. What happens to students who don’t get into Oxbridge or Russell Group?
7. How do you handle phone/device use during the school day?
8. What does your pastoral care system look like in practice?
9. Can I speak to current parents, not just the ones you’ve selected?
10. What are your plans for the next five years, including any structural changes?

Co-Ed vs Single-Sex

Co-ed schools mirror the wider world and can encourage broader social development. Single-sex schools can reduce stereotype pressure and let pupils build confidence without gender dynamics. Both get excellent results, so the right choice depends on your child.

Day vs Boarding

Day schools suit most London families. Boarding averages £55,000–£63,000 a year at the top end. State boarding schools, a lesser-known option, charge £12,000–£25,000 for accommodation only, with tuition free.