St Helen's School

Since September 2024, Bridget Ward, previously head of Merchant Taylors’ Girls’ School in Liverpool. She has worked in both girls’ and co-ed schools, including two years as deputy head at Woldingham School in Surrey and three years as director of

At 3+ and 4+ by observation and interview. Part of the London 11+ Consortium for 11+ entry – now a single cognitive ability test, plus interview, for which around 460 apply (around half each from state and independent sector) for approximately 100

A small number leave after the prep and up to a quarter after GCSEs, mostly to local state schools. Eighty per cent of sixth formers to Russell Group universities. Edinburgh, Durham, Manchester, Warwick, St Andrews and all the big London unis all

In 2024, 82 per cent 9-7 at GCSE; 53 per cent A*/A at A level (83 per cent A*-B).

Not top of the highly competitive north London academic tree, but no slouch. ‘We are more interested in value added and in the girls being happy than pure results,’ says the school, though all agree academics are on a steep upward trajectory, with

Not masses of SEN, as you might expect, but the SENCo and assistant support students with eg dyslexia and dyspraxia, as well as more general problems relating to processing and sequencing. Mostly takes place in the classroom. Annual screening from

Extracurricular is a key reason parents pick the school and indeed why girls feel tunnel-visioned bookworms should probably stay clear – ‘the opportunities outside the classroom would simply be wasted on them.’ Every girl we met belonged to, or had

Don’t be fooled by St Helen’s close proximity to Northwood town centre. So vast are the playing fields, floodlit courts and pitches extending in all directions that you soon realise that most of this end of Northwood is St Helen's. Tremendous sports

Behaviour exemplary. Down to high expectations (‘they expect a lot of the girls,’ thought parent) and clear boundaries rather than long lists of rules. Most go through whole school life without a detention. Inner London problems kept at bay -

A clear mobile phone policy is a really important part of modern schooling. This school has provided us with their policy.

Families come from far and wide, especially in seniors, some travelling up to 50 minutes. Radius swoops out along the Met line and coach routes - latter cover Beaconsfield, Elstree, Barnet, Amersham, Ealing, Hemel Hempstead and points between. Lots

Currently supporting 76 girls on means-tested bursaries (just under half of these on 100 per cent bursaries). Hardship fund also available, plus expanded range of scholarships.

May not soar the peak of the league tables, but plenty of ambition - academic and otherwise - with a superb extracurricular offering to boot. Staff have put the foot on the gas for just about every area of the school, with girls and parents we spoke