Start free trial

How to prepare for the Hampton Court House 11+ exam

A practical parent guide to Hampton Court House 11+ entry: format, dates, admissions, preparation and what to expect on exam day.

GL Assessment Computer-based Last reviewed 4 October 2026

The exam at a glance

For Year 7 entry to Hampton Court House, the entrance assessment for this cycle is a GL Assessment test taken on computer. For 2028 entry, the school assesses Maths and English only. Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning are not part of this school’s 11+ assessment, so preparation should stay tightly focused on the two tested subjects.

Because the assessment is computer-based and timed, children need two things at once: secure subject knowledge and enough familiarity with on-screen answering to work at a sensible pace. That means practice should not be limited to paper exercises. It is worth getting your child used to reading carefully on a screen, keeping an eye on the clock and moving on calmly if a question feels sticky.

The school’s admissions information for the current published cycle shows that applicants attend an entrance assessment day, followed later by group interviews for shortlisted candidates. In practice, parents should expect the process to involve more than a single test sitting: an application, an assessment day, and then further contact from the school if the application progresses.

As an all-through independent school, Hampton Court House presents Year 7 as one of its key entry points. The admissions page says entry is offered subject to availability of a place and to whether a child is considered likely to thrive within the school’s ethos and curriculum. So the assessment is important, but schools like this are usually looking at suitability and readiness more broadly as well.

  • Exam board: GL Assessment
  • Subjects: Maths and English
  • Delivery: Computer-based
  • Reasoning papers: Not tested
  • What the day looks like: entrance assessment day, with group interviews held later in the process for the published 2027 entry cycle

Registration and key dates

Hampton Court House runs its own admissions process through the school rather than through a local-authority 11+ portal. Parents should begin on the school’s admissions page and enquiry route, where the school explains its entry points and assessment process.

For the next published cycle currently visible on the school site, the dates are for September 2027 entry, not yet for September 2028 entry. Those published dates are still useful because they show the school’s usual rhythm.

  • Application deadline for September 2027 entry: 13 November 2026
  • 11+ and 13+ entrance assessment days: 6 January 2027 and 7 January 2027
  • Group interviews: held between 26 January 2027 and 28 January 2027

For families aiming for September 2028 entry, the safest wording is that registration and assessment are typically on a similar timetable, based on the school’s published 2027 cycle. In other words, applications are typically due in mid-November, with the assessment usually in early January and interviews later in January. Parents should not rely on previous-year dates alone, though: check the school’s admissions page regularly for the 2028 entry page once it is published.

Independent schools often ask for a completed registration or application form and may request school reports or other supporting information as part of the admissions process. Hampton Court House’s published admissions page does not, on the pages reviewed, set out a single detailed checklist of documents for Year 7 applicants, so it is sensible to confirm directly with the admissions team what they would like submitted for your child’s application.

Two practical tips help here. First, do not wait until the deadline month to make contact, especially if your child may need access arrangements or if you want to visit the school first. Second, sign up for reminders so you are not depending on memory alone. Useful links:

Who can apply: catchment and admissions

Hampton Court House is an independent coeducational school, so there is no catchment area in the state-school grammar sense. Families do not need to live within a defined distance to apply.

The school describes Year 7 as one of its key entry points. Its admissions information says that guaranteed entry is offered at key entry points including Year 7, subject to availability of a place and to a child’s ability to thrive within the school’s ethos and curriculum. In plain terms, that means Year 7 is a standard point of admission, but places are not unlimited and the school still assesses whether the setting is the right fit.

Because this is an independent-school process, the question is not catchment priority but whether there is a place available and whether the applicant meets the school’s admissions criteria. The school page reviewed does not publish a Year 7 intake number, a pass mark, a lowest qualifying score or a distance rule. If you are trying to judge competitiveness, the honest position is that the school does not publish those figures on the admissions pages reviewed, so parents should contact admissions directly for the most current picture of likely availability.

For families comparing this school with selective grammars, one important difference is the admissions route. There is no local-authority ranking and no equal-preference system in the grammar-school sense on the school pages reviewed. Instead, you apply to the school itself and move through its own assessment and interview stages.

A month-by-month preparation plan

For a child sitting the assessment in early January of Year 6, it is usually best to prepare steadily through Year 5 rather than rush at the end. Hampton Court House tests only English and Maths, which helps: you can keep practice focused and avoid wasting time on reasoning papers that are not needed.

January to March of Year 5

Keep it light and skill-based. Around 1 to 2 hours a week is plenty at this stage, split into short sessions. In Maths, make sure number fluency is secure: the four operations, fractions, decimals, percentages and word problems. In English, focus on careful reading, vocabulary in context, grammar basics and clear written expression. If your child is not confident reading on screen, start introducing short digital tasks now.

April to June of Year 5

Increase gently to about 2 to 3 hours a week. Start mixing topic practice with short timed sections. The aim is not intense pressure; it is learning to stay accurate while working at a reasonable pace. Use one or two computer-based practice tasks each week so your child gets used to scrolling, clicking and keeping concentration without paper in front of them all the time.

July to August before Year 6

Summer is a good time to strengthen weaker areas without school-term fatigue. Around 2 to 3 hours a week is usually enough. Keep sessions short, and include reading every day. In Maths, revisit any topics your child still gets wrong under time pressure. In English, build stamina by reading a wider range of fiction and non-fiction and discussing tone, meaning and evidence. If your child will type any responses, a little typing fluency can help, but accuracy matters more than speed.

September of Year 6

This is the point to become more structured. Aim for about 3 to 4 hours a week. Begin regular timed practice in both subjects. One timed task in English and one in Maths each week is a sensible starting point. Review mistakes carefully: was it a knowledge gap, a rushed read, a vocabulary issue or poor time management?

October of Year 6

Keep to 3 to 4 hours a week, with a little more if your child is coping well. Now is the right time for occasional half-length or full-length practice under realistic conditions. Because the real assessment is computer-based, try to do at least some timed practice on a screen. Track recurring errors in a notebook so revision stays targeted.

November of Year 6

By now, the application deadline is typically close or just passed, based on the latest published cycle. Preparation should be calm and consistent rather than frantic. Continue with 3 to 4 hours a week. One full timed practice every week or ten days is usually enough, followed by careful review. If scores fluctuate, look first at stamina and concentration before assuming your child has forgotten content.

December of Year 6

This is for consolidation, not cramming. Keep work to about 2 to 3 hours a week, plus regular reading. Focus on familiar question styles, accuracy and confidence. In the final week or so, reduce workload slightly so your child goes into the assessment fresh.

January of Year 6

In the days before the assessment, use only light review: a few warm-up questions, key methods in Maths and some short comprehension or grammar refreshers in English. Prioritise sleep, routine and a calm tone at home.

Subject by subject: what to practise

Maths

For Hampton Court House, Maths preparation should centre on solid Key Stage 2 content used in a selective setting. That means number operations, place value, fractions, decimals, percentages, ratio-style thinking at an age-appropriate level, word problems, measures, geometry and data handling. Because the test is by GL and computer-based, it is sensible to prepare for straightforward multiple-choice or short-answer style work presented on screen, with an emphasis on reading each question carefully and managing time.

The best way to practise is to combine topic revision with timed mixed sets. Start untimed so methods are secure, then move to short timed sections. Encourage your child to spot what the question is really asking before calculating. Many children lose marks in selective Maths not because the arithmetic is beyond them, but because they rush the wording.

English

English practice should cover reading and language skills first, and then clear written expression if the school’s format for the cycle includes typed or written responses within the computer-based assessment. For GL-style English work, useful preparation includes comprehension, vocabulary in context, grammar, punctuation, sentence control and spelling. Children should be comfortable identifying meaning from evidence, understanding why a writer has chosen a word or phrase and selecting the most accurate answer from close alternatives.

Build English steadily through regular reading as well as test practice. Short bursts work well: one comprehension, one vocabulary task and one grammar task across the week. Discuss books, articles and information texts out loud, because verbal explanation often strengthens understanding before it shows up in a test. On screen, children should practise reading all answer options before choosing, as tempting distractors are common in multiple-choice formats.

Practice papers and mock exams

Practice papers are most useful when they are used sparingly and reviewed properly. Doing large numbers of papers without reflection can make children tired without making them better. A more effective pattern is this: one timed paper or section, a careful review of mistakes, then a few days of targeted work on the weak areas that showed up.

For Hampton Court House, keep your practice tightly matched to the actual assessment. Since the school tests only Maths and English, there is no need to spend time on verbal or non-verbal reasoning for this application. And because the real test is computer-based, include some on-screen work in your routine so timing and concentration feel familiar.

Use free school-specific resources first:

If you use mock exams, choose them for familiarity and confidence rather than pressure. A mock can be helpful in autumn of Year 6, once your child already knows the basics of the format. One or two is usually enough. Afterwards, talk through what felt difficult: the pace, the screen, the instructions, the concentration, or the actual content. That gives you something practical to work on.

When reviewing papers, sort mistakes into four groups:

  1. Knowledge gaps — a topic needs teaching or revising.
  2. Misreads — your child knew it, but did not read carefully enough.
  3. Timing issues — too long on one question, then rushed later.
  4. Screen habits — skipped part of the text, clicked too fast, or lost place on screen.

That kind of review is much more useful than looking only at the final score.

On the day

Keep the morning simple. Aim for a normal breakfast, comfortable clothes and plenty of time to travel so there is no sense of rushing. For a computer-based assessment, remind your child that the skills they need are the same as in practice: read carefully, manage time sensibly and move on if one question is taking too long.

It often helps to give just three reminders:

  • Read the whole question.
  • Do the questions you can do first.
  • Stay calm if one section feels hard. It may feel hard for everyone.

Avoid last-minute cramming in the car or at the school gate. That usually raises nerves without changing performance. A few easy warm-up questions at home can be helpful, but once you are on the way, the best job for parents is to keep the atmosphere steady and matter-of-fact.

After the assessment, try not to conduct a full post-mortem. Most children remember only the questions they found difficult, which can give a misleading impression of how things went. A snack, some fresh air and moving on with the day is often best.

After the exam: results, allocation and appeals

For the published 2027 cycle, the school’s process included group interviews later in January after the January assessment days. That suggests families should expect the admissions process to continue after the test itself rather than ending with the assessment day.

The pages reviewed do not publish a specific results release date, nor do they set out a state-school-style national offer day process. That is normal for an independent school: offers are usually handled directly by the school according to its own admissions timeline. The practical advice is to watch the admissions communications from Hampton Court House closely and respond promptly to any invitation to interview or any offer deadline.

The school pages reviewed also do not publish a formal appeals process in the way maintained schools and academies must. If your child is unsuccessful and you would like feedback or want to know whether a waiting list operates, the best step is to contact the admissions team directly and ask what options remain for that entry year.

If you are applying to both independent and state schools, keep the two processes separate in your planning. Independent-school offers and deadlines may arrive on a different timetable from local-authority secondary applications, so it is worth keeping a written calendar for both.

What has changed recently

On the sources reviewed, the school has published the September 2027 entry dates for applications, assessment days and group interviews. For families targeting September 2028 entry, the main change is simply that the next cycle’s dates were not yet published on the admissions pages reviewed, so parents should treat the current dates as a guide to likely timing rather than as confirmed dates.

No separately announced recent change to catchment, places or tested subjects was found on the school admissions pages reviewed for the last two years beyond the currently published 2027 admissions timetable.

Frequently asked questions

Does Hampton Court House use GL Assessment for 11+ entry?

Yes. For 2028 entry, ElevenReady’s verified information is that the school uses GL Assessment.

What subjects are in the Hampton Court House 11+ exam?

Maths and English only. Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning are not tested for this school’s 2028 entry assessment.

Is the Hampton Court House 11+ exam on paper or computer?

It is computer-based. Children should practise working accurately on screen and keeping to time.

Is there a catchment area for Hampton Court House?

No. It is an independent school and there is no catchment area in the grammar-school sense.

When is the Hampton Court House 11+ exam usually held?

Based on the published 2027 cycle, the entrance assessment is usually in early January. Parents applying for 2028 entry should check the school website for the confirmed date once published.

Does Hampton Court House publish a pass mark or cut-off score?

Not on the admissions pages reviewed. If you want the latest information about availability or assessment standards, contact the school’s admissions team directly.

📄 Free Hampton Court House practice papers Start free and track readiness for Hampton Court House 🔔 Email me this school's key dates

Sources

  • Hampton Court House Admissions: School runs its own admissions process; Year 7 is a key entry point; entry subject to availability of a place and a child’s ability to thrive within the school’s ethos and curriculum.
  • Hampton Court House: School identity as an independent coeducational all-through school and part of Dukes Education.

Preparing for other schools in Richmond upon Thames

Written by ElevenReady from the school's published information and reviewed by a person before publishing. Last reviewed 4 October 2026. Exam arrangements change. Check the school's admissions page for the current year.