About Hasmonean High School
Hasmonean High School is a state academy serving the Orthodox Jewish community of north-west London, educating around 1,000 pupils aged 11–18. In keeping with Orthodox Jewish practice, boys and girls are taught separately: Hasmonean High School for Boys (Hendon, with a lower-school site in Belsize Park) and Hasmonean High School for Girls (Mill Hill), run together under the Hasmonean Multi-Academy Trust.
Founded in 1944 by Rabbi Dr Solomon Schonfeld, it is regularly ranked among the country’s top non-selective state schools and was rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted and Pikuach. It is state-funded, so there are no fees and no academic entrance exam — admission is faith-based, with priority to Orthodox Jewish families who meet the school’s religious criteria.
Year 7 Admissions Guide for Hasmonean High School
Hasmonean High School Admissions Criteria
Hasmonean is a non-selective state academy with a faith-based admissions policy, so there is no academic entrance exam. Year 7 places are coordinated through your home Local Authority, with priority given to Orthodox Jewish children who meet the school’s religious criteria, confirmed via a Supplementary Information Form and Rabbi Reference Form.
- ✓Step 1 — Visit: Look round at an Open Day or arranged tour to get a feel for the school. This is not part of any selection process.
- ✓Step 2 — Apply through your Local Authority: List the school on your child’s secondary Common Application Form (CAF) through your home Local Authority by the national deadline of 31 October in Year 6. You do not register or pay a fee directly to the school.
- ✓Step 3 — Complete the religious forms: To be considered under the faith criteria, complete and return the school’s Supplementary Information Form (SIF) and Rabbi Reference Form by the school’s deadline.
- ✓Step 4 — Offers: Your Local Authority sends offers on National Offer Day (1 March of Year 6). Places are allocated against the published oversubscription criteria below.
- ✓Step 5 — Accept your place: Accept the offer through your Local Authority by the date given. There is no acceptance deposit — it is a state-funded school.
As a state-funded school there are no tuition fees. Support such as free school meals and pupil premium funding is available to eligible families — contact the school for details.
How Places Are Allocated at Hasmonean High School
- Looked-after and previously looked-after children (with Jewish children prioritised within this group), and any child with an EHCP naming the school.
- Orthodox Jewish children who meet the school’s religious-observance criteria, confirmed by a Rabbi Reference Form.
- Within that group, priority is given to children with a sibling at the school.
- Remaining places are offered by distance from the school.
- See the school’s published admissions policy for the full criteria and definitions.
Admissions & Catchment for Hasmonean High School
Hasmonean is a faith-based state academy, so there is no catchment area or entrance exam in the usual sense — places are allocated on religious criteria rather than where a family lives, though distance can apply as a tie-breaker within those criteria.
Confirm the current religious criteria, forms and deadlines in the school’s admissions policy and your Local Authority’s booklet before applying.
Academic Performance at Hasmonean High School (GCSE & A-Level Results)
Hasmonean is consistently ranked among the country’s top non-selective state schools, and was rated ‘Outstanding’ in both its Ofsted and Pikuach inspections.
- GCSE: a strong record across a broad curriculum, achieved alongside a substantial Jewish studies programme.
- A-Level: strong results in both the boys’ and girls’ sixth forms.
- Progression: many leavers continue to yeshivas or seminaries before progressing to leading universities.
Exam results change annually, so always confirm the latest published figures on the school’s website.
Pastoral Care, Sport & Extracurricular Life
Founded in 1944 by Rabbi Dr Solomon Schonfeld, Hasmonean High School is a state academy for the Orthodox Jewish community of north-west London (ages 11–18), guided by the ideal of Torah im Derech Eretz — success in the wider world without compromising Torah values. Boys and girls are taught on separate single-sex sites under the Hasmonean Multi-Academy Trust, with strong pastoral care rooted in a close religious community.
Alongside a full academic and Jewish studies curriculum, the school offers a broad co-curricular programme of sport, music, chesed (charitable) projects and trips, including to Israel. For the full list, see the school’s own website.
Frequently Asked Questions about Hasmonean High School
How do I apply to Hasmonean High School for Year 7?
Apply through your home Local Authority’s coordinated admissions (naming the school on the Common Application Form by 31 October). To be considered under the religious criteria, you also complete the school’s Supplementary Information Form and Rabbi Reference Form.
Is there an entrance exam at Hasmonean High School?
No. It is a non-selective state school with no academic entrance test — places are allocated on faith-based criteria, not by an 11+ exam.
How are places allocated if the school is oversubscribed?
After looked-after children, priority goes to Orthodox Jewish children who meet the school’s defined religious-observance criteria (confirmed via a rabbinic reference), with factors such as siblings and distance applied within the criteria.
Is Hasmonean co-educational?
No. In line with Orthodox Jewish practice, boys and girls are educated separately on different sites — a boys’ school in Hendon (with a Belsize Park lower-school site) and a girls’ school in Mill Hill — under one trust.
Does Hasmonean High School have a Sixth Form?
Yes — both the boys’ and girls’ schools run to age 18, combining a full A-Level curriculum with Jewish studies; many leavers study in yeshivas or seminaries before university.
Are there fees at Hasmonean High School?
No. It is a state-funded school, so there are no tuition fees.
Independent Practice Papers for Hasmonean High School
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