About the school
Dame Alice Owen’s School is a co-educational, partially selective secondary school and sixth form with academy status in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, educating around 1,500 pupils aged 11 to 18. It is one of the highest-performing state schools in England, with particular strengths in music, science and sport.
Founded in 1613 in Islington by the philanthropist Dame Alice Owen, it is one of the oldest schools in the United Kingdom and is part of the Dame Alice Owen’s Foundation, whose trustees are the Worshipful Company of Brewers. The school moved to its current 34-acre site at Dugdale Hill Lane in Potters Bar in stages between 1973 and 1976.
Dame Alice Owen’s School is partially selective and is not part of the South West Herts Schools Consortium, running its own separate two-part entrance examination. It admits 200 pupils into Year 7 each year, of whom up to 65 are selected by academic ability.
School type
Co-Educational Partially Selective
Exam date
Tue 1st Sep & Sat 26th Sep 2026 (Two-Part Test)
Exam board
GL Assessment (VR) + School-set (English & Maths)
Address
Dugdale Hill Lane, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, EN6 2DU
Age range
11–18 (Years 7–13)
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Admissions information
The Dame Alice Owens School entrance test is a separate two-part examination set by the school. Here is everything you need to know about the Dame Alice Owen’s School admissions criteria and exam structure.
Dame Alice Owen’s School is partially selective and runs its own two-part entrance examination, separate from the South West Herts Schools Consortium. Part 1 is a Verbal Reasoning paper produced by GL Assessment, and Part 2, sat by the highest-ranked candidates, consists of English and Mathematics papers set in-house by the school.
Part 1 is a 50-minute multiple-choice Verbal Reasoning paper of around 80 questions, taken by all eligible registered children on Tuesday 1st September 2026. The results are age-standardised and the top candidates, approximately 325, are invited back to sit Part 2 on Saturday 26th September 2026, which comprises a one-hour English paper and a one-hour Mathematics paper. The marks are combined into a final ranked score.
Parents register their child for the entrance examination using the online test registration form on the school website. For September 2027 entry, registration opens at 10:00 on 29th April 2026 and closes at 4:00pm on 10th June 2026, with no late registrations accepted. Parents must also name Dame Alice Owen’s School on the Common Application Form by the 31st October.
Part 1 results are emailed to parents on 18th September 2026, confirming which children are invited to Part 2. Final results and rankings follow in late October. School place offers are confirmed on National Offer Day, 1st March 2027. Performing well does not guarantee an academic place, as the school is heavily oversubscribed and places are offered strictly in rank order.
Key admissions details
Dame Alice Owen’s School admits 200 pupils into Year 7 each year, of whom up to 65 are academic places, up to 10 are music places and 22 are for children living closest to the school.
Dame Alice Owen’s School operates Local Priority Areas rather than a single catchment. Only children who live within these areas, which include named Hertfordshire parishes such as Potters Bar, Hatfield and Borehamwood and London postcodes in Barnet, Enfield and Islington, or who are educated in the London Borough of Islington, are eligible to sit the test for an academic place.
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Dame Alice Owen’s School is located on Dugdale Hill Lane in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, EN6 2DU, on a 34-acre site just north of the M25. It is a co-educational, partially selective secondary school serving pupils aged 11 to 18.
Dame Alice Owen’s School was founded in 1613 in Islington by the philanthropist Dame Alice Owen, making it one of the oldest schools in the United Kingdom. It moved to its current Potters Bar site in stages between 1973 and 1976.
Dame Alice Owen’s School uses its own two-part entrance examination. Part 1 is a GL Assessment Verbal Reasoning paper, and the highest-ranked candidates are invited to Part 2, which consists of school-set English and Mathematics papers.
Yes, for an academic place. Only children living within Dame Alice Owen’s Local Priority Areas, which include named Hertfordshire parishes and London postcodes in Barnet, Enfield and Islington, or who are educated in Islington, are eligible to sit the entrance examination.
For September 2027 entry, registration for the entrance examination opens at 10:00 on 29th April 2026 and closes at 4:00pm on 10th June 2026, through the school website. Parents must also name Dame Alice Owen’s School on the Common Application Form by the 31st October.
Dame Alice Owen’s School is a partially selective school rather than a fully selective grammar school. Of its 200 Year 7 places, up to 65 are awarded by academic ability, with others awarded for musical aptitude, proximity to the school and the sibling criterion.
Yes, all our tuition is available both in-person at our Edgbaston, Birmingham centre and online via live video sessions. Online tuition gives families across Hertfordshire, London and the wider region access to our expert tutors without the need to travel. The quality and personalisation of sessions is identical in both formats.
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