Frequently Asked Questions

We are unable to accept any further applications for places for entry in 2008.

Questions about Admissions

At what age do pupils come to Harrow?

Most pupils come to Harrow in the September following their thirteenth birthday. This arrangement is negotiable for pupils who are a year ahead of their chronological age in their present school and whose birthdays are in July, August or September. A few come a little later if places become available, and a number join the School in the Lower Sixth when they are sixteen.

Do I have to apply as soon as my son is born?

No. We accept registrations from birth onwards but in terms of admissions to the School there is no particular advantage to be gained from a very early application. It is ideal to register your son three years in advance of entry. After that there may be less scope for influencing which boarding house your son may be considered for.

Can I see round the School?

We have Open Mornings on one Saturday every month during term time: click here for more information and dates. Alternatively you can ring the Admissions Secretary and arrange to come for an individual tour with or without your son.

How do I choose a boarding house?

At some stage between registration and entry you will meet and be offered a place by a House Master for his particular boarding house. Descriptions of the House Masters and Houses are given on the boarding houses page. If you have no particular preference, the Registrar will be able to advise you.

If, at the time of application, a House Master's lists are full we will direct you to another House. You do not have to express a preference for a particular boarding house. Being signed up for a boarding house does not increase the chances of being offered a place at Harrow.

House Masters each take between 10 and 20 boys a year depending on the size of the boarding house. House Masters are appointed about three years in advance of taking over their House and normally do the job for 12 years. The House Master of any House can provisionally accept boys for several years in advance, even if he will not himself be the House Master when they come to Harrow.

It sometimes happens that parents would like their son to go to a different House from the one to which they originally applied and we always make the change if possible. While many parents like to have the opportunity to express a preference for a particular House we cannot, of course, guarantee a given House Master. House Masters may leave their posts or transfer responsibilities within Harrow.

In general the Registrar will seek to arrange for you to visit boarding houses; occasionally a House Master may be contacted directly to arrange a visit. Their contact details are on the House Contact Details page. This can be done at any stage.

How hard is it to obtain a place at Harrow at 13?

There are about 160 places in the Shell year (at age 13) for which we have on average 500 applications at the 11+ admissions test stage.

Most pupils who have been offered a conditional place achieve an average score of between 60% and 80% in the Common Entrance exam.

It will help your son's application if there is some activity in which he excels. For example, if he is very good at Mathematics or swimming, or is an actor or an all-rounder who will be active in School life in lots of ways, this will increase his chances of getting a place. The School is looking for boys who will contribute significantly and make the most of the opportunities offered to them by Harrow.

If a pupil has not studied Latin or French this does not reduce his chances of admission. At Harrow beginners can learn Latin or French from scratch.

What are the 11+ admissions tests?

The 11+ tests take place in September and October two years before entry. Pupils come to Harrow, either with their parents or a teacher from their boarding prep school. They take a Verbal Reasoning Test and have an interview with a Harrow master, usually a House Master. While they are doing that the parents can, if they wish, have a tour of the school.

The best way to prepare for the tests is to do some Verbal Reasoning Tests (available in W H Smith's) and to think about the answers to obvious questions such as 'what do you like to do in your free time?', 'what book have you read that you enjoyed?' and 'what have been your greatest achievements at school?'

It is usually possible to arrange for pupils who live abroad to sit the tests abroad. But they will be disadvantaged if they cannot come for an interview at Harrow at some point, ideally after they have sat the test.

Once the tests are completed we offer as many places as we can on the basis of the three pieces of evidence:

• the references we have taken up from the boys' current schools
• the Verbal Reasoning and English Literacy test results
• the interviews

For pupils whose schools are able to prepare them for the Common Entrance Exam these places will be subject to achieving a pass in this exam.

We are looking for boys who are bright AND who are going to benefit from being at a boarding school (in other words they have interests outside the classroom). The purpose of the tests is not to make Harrow more academically selective: it is to help us to make offers on a controlled basis and in a way which is fair. We receive many more applications than we have places.

Some candidates are placed on a Waiting List and they will be offered places if vacancies arise. Unsuccessful candidates will be encouraged to register for an alternative school but they will also be told that they may apply to be reassessed in a year's time if their prep school feels that a great deal of academic progress has been made in that year. We always leave a number of places for good late applicants or late developers.

What proportion of pupils are the sons or other relatives of Old Harrovians?

About 20%.

What proportion of pupils live abroad?

About 10%

Is there any assistance for those who cannot afford the fees?

There are a number of Scholarships which cover some or all of the fees. Click here for more information about Scholarships.

Additionally, there are a small number of means-tested bursaries which are awarded to boys who win academic or music scholarships and whose family income is less than £35,000 a year.

Bursaries are not normally available for pupils whose parents find that they cannot afford the fees once the boy has started at Harrow. School fees protection insurance will pay for a year's education on the death of the fee-paying parent; details of such insurance will be sent to parents before their son starts at Harrow.

Can my son apply to more than one school?

Yes, you can register your son for more than one school, but he is only permitted to take the Common Entrance Examination for one.

Questions about the School

How many pupils are there at Harrow?

800

What is the average class size?

Fifteen.

Does Harrow take girls?

No, Harrow is a boys-only school in all year groups.

What are the main strengths of Harrow School?

Committed teachers, who live in School, high expectations of pupils, adherence to the concept of an all-round education, high quality pastoral care.

What are the School's main achievements?

Excellent exam results, high standards of success in national academic competitions, sport, music, acting and other cultural pursuits. Keeping teenage boys active, challenged and interested all day.

Do the boys ever meet girls while they are at School?

There are many activities' run with girls' schools (including Wycombe Abbey, Francis Holland, North London Collegiate, Downe House, Heathfield and St. Mary's) such as acting, music and debating. In addition, there are reciprocal parties with girls' schools most Saturdays of the year.

Is it a problem that the School is in London?

It is a significant advantage as we are within easy reach of West End shows and some of the nation's finest art galleries and museums. Pupils are not allowed into London without an adult, and the School's position on the Hill means we live in a place with the atmosphere of a country village while being only 40 minutes from the centre of the capital.

Questions about boarding

What are the strengths of a boarding school compared to a day school?

• The development of personal qualities which will be so important to success in later life, such as learning to be considerate towards others and to share resources and amenities with their fellows.

• Pupils at a boarding school do not face problems of traffic and poor public transport; they can use the time saved to do worthwhile activities.

• Academic lessons do not have to be crammed in between 9am and 4pm; they can be spread over a longer period, with intervals for sport and other activities.

• The volume of sport, music, acting and other creative activities is far greater at a boarding than a day school.

• Boarding pupils thrive in the life of a busy community. They learn a degree of independence which is invaluable when they go on to university.

• They still see a great deal of their parents, with long weekends every third week, long half terms and much longer holidays than those enjoyed by pupils in day schools. Parents are welcome to come at weekends to take their sons out to tea and many do visit very regularly.

Who looks after the pupils in their boarding houses?

At least three adults live in the boarding house: the House Master, a younger teacher who assists the House Master and the Matron who is responsible for the younger pupils and the domestic arrangements in the House. All boys also have an Academic Tutor who comes into the House once a week to discuss academic progress and help the pupil solve any problems he might be having.

Do pupils sleep in dormitories?

No. In their first two years boys will share a room with one another, after which they have their own room.

What are the differences between the eleven boarding houses?

There are no important differences between the way each House is run. Each House Master's personality has an impact on his House, but we try to make sure each House has a relatively even complement of boys who are talented in each area so that there is no particularly "sporty" or "musical" House. Each House has the same facilities.