Admissions FAQs

Stormont is a non-selective school on entry to Reception. Pupils wishing to join Stormont at the start of the academic year in Reception are able to providing there is a space available. Parents and pupils are encouraged to view the school which includes a tour with the Head Teacher or the Head of Admissions. In the autumn term of the year before entry, offer letters are sent to parents of pupils who have registered for a place.

Our Reception staff work quickly from the start of the first term to establish and build on the ability of each pupil and plan the next steps for them. Throughout their first year in Reception we use the Tapestry Education Platform which builds a strong connection between Stormont and families.

Girls do not need to sit an entrance exam to join in Reception. Once the offer of a place has been accepted by the parents and a deposit has been paid, the girls arrive in Reception in the Autumn Term and we work with them on our EYFS programme.

Should you wish to join Stormont at any point other than Reception we would arrange for your daughter to join us for a taster day. During this she would take part in informal assessments in English and Maths for us to be aware of her learning levels and for you to know that this is the right school for her. We would contact her current school for a reference and ask you for a copy of her most recent school report.

Once a place has been confirmed, we start to welcome you into the Stormont family! From Easter we offer a ‘Stay and Play’ session, leading into a ‘New Reception Parents’ dinner and another class visit in the Summer term. We then have a ‘Settling in Session’ in September before the rest of the school come back from their summer holidays.

Families are also invited to join us for whole school events including Yuletide, Celebration of the Arts and family open mornings.

We welcome children from all faiths and none to Stormont.

Reading is a must have skill that is encouraged from day one. We encourage parents to be involved at home as much as possible and to involve the extended family in a love of reading. Our library is extensive and allows your daughter to be independent in her choice of books to read for pleasure with encouragement from staff.

Homework timetables are set at the beginning of the year for all years and are age appropriate. We encourage the girls to be independent learners, to think for themselves and be organised.

We have a range of visiting music teachers who visit the school to provide individual music and singing lessons, which are co-ordinated by the Head of Music. We do the full orchestral range of instruments, singing and guitar. Girls can learn an instrument from the summer of Year 1 and many take exams to get their grades. There are rock choirs, ensembles and Stormont Singers for the girls to join and take part in concerts held throughout the year.

At Stormont we promote sports for all whilst supporting and promoting competition. We have a wide range of sports on offer for the girls to try. Our PE teachers have lots of experience in teaching all types of skills. It is not just about playing a sport but being collaborative, being skillful, being enthusiastic, assessing the game and enjoying sport. PE is built into the timetable and girls are encouraged to take part with enthusiasm.

We recognise that some girls have a strong talent in sport and we help identify these to ensure they are put on the right pathway to develop their skills. We regularly enter competitions across many sports, including netball, football and gymnastics. We offer a sporting co-curricular programme to allow the girls to develop their skills and agility, and to embrace playing sport for enjoyment.

Conversations start from Year 4 with parents about the schools they are considering. The Head Teacher delivers a talk to parents about the secondary school transfer process and how we prepare the girls. The Head Teacher also meets with parents individually to offer advice on future schools. As we assess and track each pupil from Reception, we are able to offer an informed view from the data we have as well as knowing the personality of each pupil. At this stage parents are advised to talk to subject specialists as soon as possible about potential scholarships such as sport, music, art or academia.

The girls have explicit verbal and non-verbal reasoning lessons from the Summer Term in Year 4 through to Year 6 as well as mock exams and interview preparation.

Stormont girls whose academic performance meets St Albans High School for Girls (STAHS) Senior’s entry criteria are offered places without needing to sit the Year 7 entrance assessment. This means that girls who will thrive in the academically ambitious environment of STAHS Senior will be able to join without taking entrance assessments and interviews. More information can be found here.

Stormont prepares all girls for the next steps in their educational journey regardless of whether they are continuing to stay in the independent school system or moving to the maintained system. A full list of previous destinations of our Year 6 girls and any awarded scholarships can be found here.