Sydenham & Dulwich Girls GDST
Same Southwark area with a comparable local commute
School profile
Verified 18 August 2026
James Allen's Girls' School is a private secondary-stage school in London, Greater London, with a published age range of 4-18.
Private school Girls Ages 4-18 Sixth form No boarders
- Application ?
- Apply direct to school
- Age range
- 4-18
- ISI ?
- Standards met
- Boarding ?
- No boarders
James Allen's Girls' School
1
On this page
At a glance
Key facts
- Sector
- Private school
- Gender
- Girls only
- Application ?
- Apply direct to school
- Age range
- 4-18
- Boarding ?
- No boarders
- Route check
- Independent schools do not use the local-authority grammar-school catchment model; check the school site for boarding, transport and eligibility rules.
- ISI ?
- Standards met
Overview
Overview
James Allen's Girls' School grew from James Allen's 1741 reading schools in Dulwich Village, moving to East Dulwich Grove in 1886; a purpose-built laboratory followed in 1901. That history now frames a 4-to-18 girls' day education with a sixth form and no boarding. Curiosity, critical thought and analysis carry through the senior curriculum rather than appearing only at examination points.
Subject choice runs from Key Stage 3 through GCSE and the sixth form, where societies, cross-subject work and expert speakers continue academic interests beyond lessons. Music, drama, sport, clubs and societies sit alongside charity work, pupil leadership and residential trips. Sixth-form pupils also take part in co-educational enrichment with Dulwich College and Sydenham High School.
The later academic route has detailed careers and university guidance alongside its A-level choices. Sixth-form applicants sit entrance examinations and provide a reference; offers depend on the required GCSE grades. Scholarships, bursaries and fee assistance are available through defined routes, making the transition at 16 more than a simple continuation from the senior years.
Key points
Key points
- Assessment route
- Applications are made directly to the school. Check the school's own admissions pages for registration dates, entrance assessment stages, interviews, fees, scholarships and bursaries.
- Places and demand
- Published Year 7 place numbers and applicant-per-place data are not included in GIAS for this private-school seed profile.
- Catchment
- Private-school eligibility is not controlled by the local-authority grammar catchment model; check boarding, day-pupil, transport and any sibling or faith rules on the school site.
- Results
- 0% grade 5+ in English and maths and 56.8 Attainment 8
- Sixth form
- Sixth form available with 65.7% AAB or better.
GCSE benchmark
Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Southwark and England.
School Local authority England
- Attainment 8
- 56.8
- Grade 5+ English and maths
- 0%
- EBacc APS
- 4.86
- EBacc entry
- 0%
Attainment 8 trend
Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Southwark and England.
School Local authority England
School details
School details
- Sector
- Private school
- School type
- Other independent school
- Funding
- Independent fee-paying
- Application
- Apply direct to school
- Gender
- Girls only
- Age range
- 4-18
- Headteacher
- Mrs Alex Hutchinson
- Pupil roll
- 1,223 pupils
- Sixth form
- Yes
Location and contact
Location and contact
Address
- Address
- East Dulwich Grove, London, Greater London
- Postcode
- SE22 8TE
- Area
- Southwark
School leadership
- Headteacher
- Mrs Alex Hutchinson
School contact
- School phone
- 02086931181
Admissions contact
- Admissions team
- Admissions
- Admissions phone
- 02086933465
Admissions
Admissions
- Application route
- Apply direct to school
- Age range
- 4-18
- Gender
- Girls only
- Boarding
- No boarders
- Day fees
- Senior School: £10,146/term (incl VAT)
- Scholarships and bursaries
- Bursaries available
- Entrance details
- JAGS assessment is route-specific. At 11+, candidates take the age-standardised ISEB Common Pre-Test and attend a Welcome Morning with writing task, group activity and interview. Sixth Form entry uses Thinking Skills, Critical Essay and interviews, with a school reference.
- Admissions note
- GIAS confirms the school type and age range; fees, scholarships, bursaries and entrance assessments should be checked on the school's own website.
GIAS confirms the school type and age range; fees, scholarships, bursaries and entrance assessments should be checked on the school's own website.
Independent schools do not use the local-authority grammar-school catchment model; check the school site for boarding, transport and eligibility rules.
Oversubscription and eligibility
Use the official admissions policy for the current priority order and eligibility rules.
Exam and test format
Exam and test format
Entrance route and assessment
JAGS assessment is route-specific. At 11+, candidates take the age-standardised ISEB Common Pre-Test and attend a Welcome Morning with writing task, group activity and interview. Sixth Form entry uses Thinking Skills, Critical Essay and interviews, with a school reference.
- Assessment route
- Apply direct to school
- Papers and stages
- 3 papers
- Format
- Mixed format
Papers and rounds
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Paper 1
Maths, English, Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning
11+ ISEB Common Pre-Test
11+ candidates sit the age-standardised ISEB Common Pre-Test in Mathematics, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning.
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Paper 2
Writing task, Interview
11+ Welcome Morning
The Welcome Morning includes a one-to-one interview, writing task task and interactive group task.
-
Paper 3
Interview
Sixth Form entrance assessment
Sixth Form entry uses a Thinking Skills paper, Critical Essay paper, general and subject-specific interviews and a school reference.
Published assessment components
Maths, English, Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning, Writing task and Interview are listed across the school's published assessment routes.
Published
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Maths
-
English
-
Verbal reasoning
11+ candidates sit the age-standardised ISEB Common Pre-Test in Mathematics, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning.
-
Non-verbal reasoning
11+ candidates sit the age-standardised ISEB Common Pre-Test in Mathematics, English, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning.
-
Writing task
The Welcome Morning includes a one-to-one interview, writing task task and interactive group task.
-
Interview
The Welcome Morning includes a one-to-one interview, writing task task and interactive group task.
Application
Application
How to apply
- 1
Apply direct to the school
Independent-school admissions are handled by the school rather than the local authority CAF.
Check school admissions
Official admissions documents
Results
Results
Attainment snapshot
- Attainment 8 ?
- 56.8 Attainment 8
- GCSE results
- 0% grade 4+ in English and maths
- Grade 5+ English and maths ?
- 0% grade 5+ in English and maths
- EBacc average point score ?
- 4.86 EBacc APS
- A-level results
- 65.7% AAB or better
- A-level average points
- 50.79 A-level points per entry
Inspection
Inspection
Standards met
Latest inspection: 26 November 2024
- Leadership, management and governance
- Standards met
- Quality of education, training and recreation
- Standards met
- Physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing
- Standards met
- Social and economic education and contribution to society
- Standards met
- Safeguarding
- Standards met
Quick summary
- Latest ISI report: Routine Inspections 2024 records an inspection beginning 26 November 2024. The report says the relevant standards were met.
Similar schools and comparisons
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Shortlist comparisons
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Related pages and guides
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Guides and related reading
Related guides are still being added.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How does James Allen's Girls' School handle admissions?
James Allen's Girls' School handles applications directly. Check the school website for registration dates, entrance assessments, interviews, fees, scholarships and bursaries.
How do I apply to James Allen's Girls' School?
1. Apply direct to the school: Independent-school admissions are handled by the school rather than the local authority CAF.
When are the key dates for James Allen's Girls' School?
Use the school admissions page to confirm registration, assessment, interview and offer dates.
What does the latest inspection picture look like for James Allen's Girls' School?
James Allen's Girls' School is currently rated Standards met following the latest published inspection dated 26 November 2024.