For parents and guardians: Please verify all school data — cut-off scores, applicant numbers and competition ratios — against official sources (school websites, local authority admissions data) before making any decisions. The figures on this page are researched but not guaranteed and change each admissions cycle.
Complete 2025/26 11+ Guide to Grammar Schools in Bromley (South East London)
Bromley (South East London) is home to 2 fully selective grammar schools and 0 partially selective schools. This guide covers every school — admissions criteria, competition data, cut-off scores, GCSE results, and specific prep advice — so you can make an informed decision.
How the Bromley (South East London) 11+ works
St Olave's: Two-stage process. Stage 1 — 1-hour school-set multiple-choice SET (English comprehension, Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning). Top 450 scorers invited to Stage 2 — two 1-hour school-set written papers (English reading/writing + Mathematics). Newstead Wood: Single-day GL Assessment test comprising two multiple-choice papers — Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning (~50–60 min each). Scores age-standardised to produce a combined total; qualifying mark is 210.
These two schools run entirely independent admissions processes with no shared consortium. St Olave's has no fixed pass mark — the top 450 SET scorers proceed to Stage 2, and final offers are determined by combined rank order. Newstead Wood uses a published qualifying threshold of 210; girls meeting this standard are then ranked and prioritised by distance (within a 9-mile radius). Neither school is served by Bromley's fully coordinated secondary scheme — both require a school SIF in addition to the LA Common Application Form.
Key dates
Who can apply?
St Olave's: Open to boys from any borough or region — no catchment area whatsoever. Entry is based solely on performance in the two-stage entrance test.
Newstead Wood: Open to girls from any area, but places within the 9-mile radius are prioritised ahead of out-of-catchment applicants ranked by score.
Both schools: Candidates must have their 11th birthday between 1 September of the preceding year and 31 August of the entry year.
Both schools: Pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) naming the school are admitted under a separate SEN process and are not subject to the standard selection criteria.
Both schools: A Supplementary Information Form (SIF) must be submitted to the school by its published deadline in addition to the LA Common Application Form. Failure to submit both forms will result in an incomplete application.
Admissions process
A 1-hour school-set multiple-choice test sat in September of Year 6. The SET covers four sections: English comprehension, Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning (termed "Logic" by the school). Candidates record answers on a separate answer sheet in HB pencil. The top 450 scorers nationally are invited to Stage 2; all other candidates are ineligible for an offer. There is no fixed pass mark — the threshold is wherever the 450th scorer sits.
Held in mid-November, after the LA CAF deadline. Consists of two 1-hour school-set written papers taken on the same day with a 15-minute break. The English paper assesses reading comprehension (multiple-choice) and extended creative/persuasive writing. The Mathematics paper covers KS2 topics including algebra, number, shape, and data handling at a challenging level; it is not multiple-choice. Stage 1 and Stage 2 scores are standardised and combined into a single rank order. The first 124 candidates in rank order are offered places (Pupil Premium applicants receive reserved priority within this allocation).
A single-day test in September of Year 6, comprising two multiple-choice papers delivered by GL Assessment: Verbal Reasoning (~50–60 min) and Non-Verbal Reasoning (~50–60 min). Scores are age-standardised and combined into a total. Candidates must score at least 210 (the qualifying standard) to be eligible; meeting this threshold does not guarantee a place. If more candidates qualify than places exist, the school applies priority criteria: (1) LAC/PLAC who qualify; (2) Pupil Premium applicants within 9 miles; (3) all other qualifying applicants within 9 miles, ranked by score; (4) qualifying applicants beyond 9 miles, ranked by score. In practice, places have never been offered beyond the 9-mile radius due to demand.
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Disclaimer: Data from official school websites (saintolaves.net, newsteadwood.co.uk), school admissions policy PDFs (Newstead Wood 2025–26 and 2026–27), Ofsted inspection reports (ofsted.gov.uk — St Olave's November 2024, Newstead Wood February 2022), DfE Compare School Performance (compare.education.gov.uk), and Sunday Times Parent Power 2025 and 2026. Compiled March–April 2026. Verify all dates, PAN, and qualifying marks at the respective school websites before acting: saintolaves.net/32/admissions-year-7 and newsteadwood.co.uk/admissions. Always verify figures on the school or local authority website before making decisions — data changes each admissions cycle. Last updated: 2026-04-04. We aim to refresh this guide every year after new DfE data is published (typically June/July).