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West London (Hammersmith & Fulham) independent school 11+ entry
West London is home to some of the most competitive independent day schools in the country. St Paul's School and St Paul's Girls' School, Godolphin and Latymer, and Lady Margaret School all take 11+ entrants in this area, each with their own admissions process.
Places at these schools are highly sought after, so early, structured preparation across all core areas (not just one subject) makes a real difference.
West London independent schools 11+ at a glance
4 verified West London (Hammersmith & Fulham) independent schools take 11+ entrants in our data.
St Paul's School uses the ISEB Common Pre-Test; the other schools on this list run own bespoke assessments.
Most take their assessment in November of Year 6, ahead of September Year 7 entry; Lady Margaret School has used an October window.
Written assessment is typically paired with an interview and a report from the child's current school.
Exam boards, formats and test dates can change year to year, and schools sometimes move between consortia. Always confirm the current arrangements directly with the school or admissions authority before relying on any single source, including this page.
Schools and format
St Paul's School — ISEB Common Pre-Test, November
St Paul's Girls' School — own entrance assessment, November
Godolphin and Latymer School — own entrance assessment, November
Lady Margaret School — own entrance assessment, October
Why West London 11+ entry is so competitive
These schools sit among the highest-achieving in the country academically, and the applicant pool draws from across London, so places-to-applicants ratios are steep. That makes broad-based preparation — strong reading habits, solid arithmetic fluency, comfortable exam technique — more valuable than narrowly drilling one school's exact past-paper style, since format and questions change and interview performance matters too.
How to prepare effectively
Start with the fundamentals rather than exam tricks: a child who reads widely and has a solid grip on KS2 maths will out-perform one who has only drilled past papers. Build in short, regular sessions (15–25 minutes, most days) rather than long weekend cram sessions — consistency beats intensity for children this age.
Mix the four areas: maths, English, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning each need separate practice — strength in one doesn't transfer to another.
Time it properly: once the basics are solid, practise under exam conditions so pace and exam-day nerves stop being a surprise.
Review every mistake: the value in a practice question is in the five minutes after getting it wrong, not the getting it wrong.
Protect downtime: children preparing for a selective exam still need rest, hobbies and unstructured time — burnout in Year 5 shows up as underperformance in Year 6.
Try real West London independent schools 11+ practice questions
Pulled straight from PipPrep's own question bank — not invented for this page.
Question 1
What is 40% of 320?
Answer: 128. 40% of 320 = 40/100 × 320 = 128.
Question 2
Which word is closest in meaning to "crucial"?
Answer: vital. Crucial means of great importance, ie vital.
Question 3
Using A=1, B=2, C=3... what is the value of URN?
Answer: 53. U=21 + R=18 + N=14 = 53.
Question 4
What comes next?
10, 39, 68, 97, 126, ?
Answer: 155. Add 29 each time. 126 + 29 = 155.
Practice every day, the easy way
PipPrep adapts to your child's target school with 100,000+ questions across maths, English, verbal and non-verbal reasoning. Free to start, no card needed.
Do St Paul's School and St Paul's Girls' School use the same test?
Not necessarily. In our data, St Paul's School uses the ISEB Common Pre-Test, while St Paul's Girls' School runs its own bespoke assessment. Confirm current arrangements with each school directly, as they are separate institutions.
When should we register?
Independent school registration deadlines are typically well ahead of the test date itself, often in the preceding school year. Contact each admissions office as early as possible, ideally in Year 4 or early Year 5.
Is there an interview?
Commonly yes for West London independent day schools at 11+, alongside the written assessment and a school reference.
What subjects come up most?
English (comprehension and writing), maths, and for schools using ISEB, verbal and non-verbal reasoning too. Bespoke school papers vary but usually test English and maths at minimum.