Admissions Process
We are delighted that you are considering Manchester High School for Girls for your daughter. We provide a seamless all-round education for girls from the ages of 4 to 18 and proudly prepare them for happy, successful lives.
For all points of entry (Preparatory Department, Senior School & Sixth Form), create your online applications account via this link, and once registered you will be automatically emailed with the next steps.
Please contact our Admissions Team at [email protected] or call 0161 224 0447 with any queries.
To jump to information on the different School entry points please click on the links below:
Prep Admissions | Senior Admissions | Sixth Form Admissions | Open Events
| The Admissions Process for Entry in September | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Start your Manchester High journey with a visit to School at one of our Autumn Open Events. |
| 2 | Applications should be made online via our Admissions Portal. The deadline for applications is the middle of December (dates will change each year) for pupils applying for places in the following September. |
| 3 | Entrance Examinations for entry in September take place on January of the same year of entry. |
| 4 | Supplementary Examination for those who miss the main examination take place a week or so after. (Please note, this date is only for those children who are ill at the time of the initial Entrance Examination.) |
| 5 | Interviews for candidates begin the week after the main examination (Senior School & Sixth Form only). |
| 6 | Successful candidates’ offer letters posted in February and emailed in March (within two weeks of Entrance Examination for Preparatory Department). |
| 7 | Places to be accepted by mid-March (including offers with Financial Assistance - excluding Preparatory Department). |
| 8 | Welcome Information sent to new pupils along with details of transition events in the summer term. |
| 9 | September – We welcome new starters to Manchester High School for Girls. |
NB. Assessments days for Within Year applications may be arranged on a subsequent date.
If you are considering enrolling your daughter before Year 7, please contact the School's Registrar on [email protected] or call 0161 224 0447.
Prep Admissions | Senior Admissions | Sixth Form Admissions | Open Events
Preparatory Admissions Information
Infants (ages 4-6)
The Reception year is the start of the exciting journey into school life. Each Reception class has a full time class teacher and a classroom assistant to ensure the girls receive plenty of care and support. Classrooms are well resourced and have access to an outdoor area.
Reception Assessment Information
Girls are encouraged to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding through adult-led and child-instigated activities, with a strong emphasis on active learning and investigation. Our aim is to give girls the best possible start to enable them to become confident, happy learners.
A systematic phonic-based approach to reading and writing is introduced within the first week at school.
For entry into the Reception class at age four plus, girls are normally invited into school for an assessment, during which they work on a one to one basis with a teacher, as well as socialising in small groups with girls of a similar age. In this informal and friendly atmosphere, they take part in a series of activities and tasks, which establish whether they would settle happily into our school environment.
Likewise, applicants for admission at age five plus are usually invited to visit the School and join their peers during lessons, as well as spending time individually with the teacher. The girls are expected to read to the teacher and their ability in English and Mathematics is assessed. A school report is requested from the Head Teacher of the applicant’s present school.
Applications may be considered later in the year, subject to the availability of places. The results of these assessments and the offer of places are posted to parents within two weeks of the assessment date.
Our Preparatory Department entrance examination for September 2025 entry will take place on Saturday 11th January 2025.
Online application forms must be completed by 18th December 2024 for pupils applying for Preparatory Department (ages 4-11) for September 2025 entry.
If you are interested in applying for within year entry, please contact our Admissions Team to arrange a tour and discuss any applications by email, on 0161 224 0447 or register your interest.
Junior (ages 6-11)
Girls applying into Key Stage 2 are normally required to sit an entrance test. Applicants are tested in Mathematics and English and there are problem solving and cognitive ability tests. Papers set in previous examinations are not published, as the form may vary from year to year. Guidelines indicating the kind of work applicants are expected to be familiar with is sent to parents on receipt of a completed registration form. A school report is requested from the Head Teacher of the applicant’s present school.
The results of the Junior entrance test and the offer of places are posted to parents within two weeks.
The Entrance Examinations
The Preparatory Department's entrance examinations will take place on Saturday 11th January 2025, for September 2025 entry.
Online application forms must be completed by 18th December 2024 for pupils applying for Preparatory Department (ages 4-11) for September 2025 entry.
The Reception assessment day lasts for 1 hour, the Key Stage 1 assessment day lasts for three hours and 15 minutes and the Key Stage 2 assessment day lasts for three and a half hours.
Each day includes:
- Welcome and introduction
- Comprehension task
- Writing task
- Maths task
In addition to the entrance assessment in January, there is the opportunity for assessment to join the Preparatory Department within in the school year, subject to availability. For further information, or to book, please contact the Registrar via email here.
Additional Year 5 Class from September 2024
To meet demand, we are thrilled to announce that we are adding an additional class to our Year 5 group from September 2024.
There will now be three classes in this year group, all benefitting from small class sizes and dedicated teaching from our expert staff. With guaranteed entry into our Senior School from our Preparatory Department, please enquire by contacting us at [email protected] or calling 0161 224 0447.
If you are interested in applying for within year entry, please contact our Admissions Team to arrange a tour and discuss any applications by email, on 0161 224 0447 or register your interest.
Within year admissions
Occasional vacancies occur from time to time as families move out of the area. The results of occasional vacancy assessments and offers of places are posted to parents at the earliest opportunity after the assessment date.
For further information, contact the Registrar on 0161 224 0447 or email them at [email protected].
Equality Policy
The School operates an equality policy and all girls are considered on merit.
The School welcomes girls from age four. However, there are opportunities to join the Preparatory Department in all other year groups, subject to places being available. Please contact the Registrar for further information or enquire online.
Senior Admissions Information
Manchester High School for Girls is an academically selective school and, as such, sets its own entrance examination. Applicants for entry into Year 7 are normally examined in Mathematics, Essay Writing, Comprehension and Reasoning.
Applicants to the Senior School who do well enough in the initial written examination will be invited to attend for interview. Not all those interviewed, however, will be offered a place. At the interview stage we are looking for potential, a wide range of interests and a match between the ability of the child and her performance in the entrance examination.
Girls may be asked to read aloud at the interview, and they may also be given the chance to exhibit their potential through different activities from those set in the initial examinations. Each candidate will also be asked to bring something of interest with her to talk about with her interviewer.
A school reference is requested from the Head Teacher of the applicant’s present school.
Manchester High School for Girls is part of the Greater Manchester Consortium of Independent Schools, and offers of places are made in line with the agreed dates of the Consortium. Examination results are not made available to individuals.
Scholarship
At age 11 plus, scholarships are awarded on the basis of performance in the entrance assessment and, in the case of music scholarships, and sports/dance scholarships, the individual’s performance at the audition, or assessment. Academic scholarships are awarded at the Head Mistress' discretion. Only a very small number of Bursaries are awarded each year. The decision to award a Bursary is based upon meeting the financial criteria and performing exceptionally well in the entrance assessment.
Entrance Assessment
The Entrance Examination for entry into the Senior School in September 2025 will take place on Friday 10th January 2025.
A supplementary examination (strictly reserved for candidates that were unable to attend the original Entrance Examination due to illness) will be held on Thursday 16th January 2025.
Papers set in previous years are not published, as the format may vary from year to year. However, sample questions are available to download at the link below.
Sample Questions, Entrance Assessment
Guidelines to indicate their general nature and the kind of work with which students are expected to be familiar will be sent to all candidates on receipt of a completed registration form.
Every effort is made to make the candidate feel relaxed and we try to make the day as varied and as interesting as possible.
Further details about procedures on the day of the examination and on interview days, and details about notification of results, will be sent to applicants. A supplementary examination will be held for any candidate who is prevented by illness from attending, providing that a medical certificate is supplied to the School in support of her absence.
Online application forms must be completed by 18th December 2024 for pupils applying for Senior School places (ages 11-16) for September 2025 entry.
Within Year Admissions
Occasional vacancies occur from time to time as families move out of the area. Applicants for occasional vacancies in Years 7 to 10 will be tested in Mathematics, English, and a Modern Foreign Language. They will be asked to bring their Science exercise books with them to the assessment, as they will be interviewed by a specialist teacher in Science. The results of occasional vacancy assessments and offers of places are posted to parents at the earliest opportunity after the assessment date.
For further information, contact the Registrar on 0161 224 0447 or email them at [email protected].
Sixth Form Admissions Information
We welcome applications for admission into the Sixth Form, which is normally conditional upon students achieving at least a grade A or 7 at GCSE in the subjects they wish to study, good passes in English and Mathematics and having at least five GCSEs at grade 7 or above. Applicants studying Science and Additional Science at GCSE should note that grade 7 or above in Mathematics is required if they wish to study a Science subject at A level.
There is, however, a measure of flexibility in these entry requirements to cover unexpected circumstances and illness. When selecting candidates for admission into the Sixth Form, we are looking for enthusiastic learners with a proven track record of participation in extra-curricular activities. The school report is an important part of the selection process, as are the interviews with the Director of Sixth Form Studies and the Head Mistress.
Students applying for entry into the Sixth Form are interviewed during the spring and summer terms.
Online application forms for September 2025 entry must be completed for Sixth Form places (ages 16-18) by Friday 28th February 2025, you can do so here.
Occasionally, scholarships and bursaries are available to girls entering the Sixth Form. These are awarded, at the discretion of the Head Mistress, on the basis of GCSE results and also, in the case of bursaries, on parental income.
For more information on admission for any stage of Manchester High School for Girls, please contact 0161 224 0447 or email [email protected].
Open Events & Working Day Tours
To register for one of our Open Events or Working Day Tours, please visit our Open Events page.
