How to get into a top school

Entry to Badminton can be very competitive – for example, there is a one-in-ten chance of getting into sixth form. However, it is easier to enter lower down the school and there is more flexibility for pupils joining as day students.

We try to be as fair as possible, operating on a first come, first served basis and look for girls who are bright, interesting and have outside interests. For junior school some parents will register their children at birth, others wait until six months prior to reception – 18 months is probably the average. However, as our reception class is limited and very popular, we recommend parents to register early as children will be assessed in registration order.

Parents normally look at websites and request a prospectus that can be done online via our website and arrange to visit. They then register their child, which costs £100, and enables the pupil to take entrance exams. Visits and taster days are a vital part of the process and we encourage all parents and children to come to the school if they can. Reports and references are requested from a girl’s current school and entrance and scholarship exams are sat for senior school each January and for sixth form in November.

Junior school children don’t sit entrance exams but come for a taster day to meet their classmates in the autumn or spring terms. Those aged seven plus may be asked to do short tests in maths, English and non-verbal reasoning.

The school then offers a place, parents formally accept or decline the offer – normally within a week – and we send out joining instructions and lots of paperwork on school uniform, health forms and trip information in early summer.

It’s so important to come and visit the school. I’d really recommend it so that you can see how the pupils behave, meet the teachers and have an in-depth conversation with the headmistress. It gives you a good idea about the ethos and community spirit of the school.

Taster days are an ideal time for girls to meet their other peers. They’re also a lot of fun. Every girl coming to Badminton spends a day as a pupil at the school, attends lessons, meets other pupils and takes part in extra-curricular activities. We like to find out in advance what she is interested in, for instance sport, art or music, and match her with a pupil who shares her interests so that she can have a happy time and make a friend.

Boarders spend the night in classic ‘Malory Towers style’ and can join in activities such as cookery club, art club, sports nights, judo or dance classes. We make sure they have guides to show them around and look after them while they are there.

The taster days are tailored towards the pupils. We want them to come and enjoy the school and feel as comfortable as possible. We don’t put on a great show because it’s so important that the reality matches the pupil’s perception.

Around 20 per cent of our students are international and sometimes it’s difficult for them to come and visit, so we do in-depth interviews over the telephone and set them entrance examinations. We also do video interviews with younger students and it’s amazing what you can see from them.

It’s so important to ensure that international students are at the stage where they’re not going to drown in a top British school and that we try to prepare them in terms of culture and what will be expected. Our pupils tend to be of average and above average level and international pupils almost have to be better because English is not their first language.

We have very small class sizes so the teacher-pupil relationship is really special. Our staff are very involved with pupils, help them with extra lessons if they are struggling and try to inspire them in their subjects. Badminton has a strong sense of community and is very friendly. People make friends for life here.

Despite its reputation as a leading academic school, Badminton is not at all snobby – the girls here work and play hard but are extremely supportive towards each other. There is definitely a feeling of respect, not just for themselves but for others and good manners are a prerequisite. We consider our successes to be those who leave Badminton as well-rounded individuals, ready to face life and all its challenges.

Indira Gandhi attended Badminton, as did the writer Iris Murdoch, journalist Polly Toynbee and actress Rosamund Pike.