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The Bromley 11+

Bromley’s two grammar schools each set their own test. St Olave’s, for boys, has a one-hour first stage, then English and maths for the top 450; Newstead Wood, for girls, sets verbal and non-verbal reasoning papers in one round.

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At a glance

The test
Each school's own test: St Olave's Selective Eligibility Test (SET) and Stage 2 Entrance Test; Newstead Wood's selection test
Set by
The schools' own test (St Olave's sets its own two-stage test; Newstead Wood's scores are standardised by an independent external company it does not name)
Subjects
English, maths, verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning
Answers
Some multiple choice, some written, depending on the paper
Who sits it
St Olave's: 1,595 applications for 2027 entry, and around 1,600 a year for the 2025 and 2026 seasons. Newstead Wood: 1,510 registrations to sit the test, which the school dates 'for entry in September 2025'. (School websites.)

The papers

St Olave's (boys): Stage 1 SET lasts one hour, multiple choice questions in English, Logic (verbal and non-verbal reasoning) and maths, answers in HB pencil on an answer sheet; Stage 2 is an English paper and a maths paper, each one hour, written answers. Newstead Wood (girls): two papers, verbal reasoning then non-verbal reasoning, multiple choice on a separate answer sheet; no other subjects and one round only. All tests are sat at the school.

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Dates, results and scores

When is the 11+ in Bromley?

The 2027 test: St Olave's: Stage 1 Friday 17 September 2027, Stage 2 Friday 12 November 2027. Newstead Wood: not yet published. The 2026 test: St Olave's: Stage 1 (SET) Friday 18 September 2026; Stage 2 Friday 13 November 2026 for those invited. Newstead Wood: Friday 25 and Saturday 26 September 2026 per its 2027/28 policy and Bromley's guide (its FAQ says 24/25 September 2026); a catch-up date around the first full week of October for girls who were ill and told the school in advance.

How do you register for the 11+ in Bromley?

For the 2027 test (2028 entry): St Olave's: Monday 7 June 2027 (9am) to midday Monday 28 June 2027. Newstead Wood: not yet published (the school says summer term, date to be confirmed). For the 2026 test (2027 entry): St Olave's: Supplementary Information Form from Monday 8 June 2026 (9am) to midday Monday 29 June 2026. Newstead Wood: Supplementary Information Form from Friday 1 May 2026 (8.30am) to Tuesday 30 June 2026 (the FAQ gives 10pm in one place and midnight in another). No late registrations at either school.

When do 11+ results come out in Bromley?

For the 2026 test: St Olave's: SET outcome mid-October 2026, before half term and before the 31 October application deadline; the final rank order goes only to the local authority and families learn on National Offer Day, Monday 1 March 2027. Newstead Wood: emailed between Friday 16 and Thursday 22 October 2026, giving the age-standardised score, the required standard and five years of cut-off scores.

What score qualifies in Bromley?

St Olave's: the top 450 boys in the SET are invited to Stage 2 and only they can be offered a place; Stage 2 scores are standardised and added to the SET marks to rank candidates, and places go in rank order (looked after children first, up to 10 places for Pupil Premium boys). No catchment or sibling priority. Newstead Wood: the required standard is an age-adjusted total score of 210 unless that would not fill the 168 places, in which case the school sets it; places go by rank, with looked after girls and Pupil Premium girls within 9 miles first, then other girls within 9 miles. The cut-off on National Offer Day 2026 was 225.

Not confirmed yet

  • Newstead Wood's test provider is not named on its site (it links to GL Assessment and CEM familiarisation material; tutoring sites say GL Assessment).
  • Newstead Wood's 2026 test dates conflict: Friday 25 and Saturday 26 September 2026 in its 2027/28 policy and Bromley's guide, 24/25 September 2026 in its FAQ.
  • St Olave's does not publish the SET score of the 450th boy or a final cut-off.
  • Newstead Wood's registration window and test date for September 2028 entry are not yet published.

Check these on the official page: bromley.gov.uk/downloads/file/3972/secondary-education-in-bromley-2027-2028

Good to know

Late testing and moving to the area

No late registrations. St Olave's: a boy too ill to sit (school told by 9am on the day, with a doctor's note or similar) may be offered another date; a boy who misses the test is ranked after those who sat it, and the school may run a further test if places remain. Newstead Wood: an ill girl whose family tells the school before her test and sends GP or hospital evidence by Wednesday 30 September 2026 sits a later date. Both schools test waiting-list applicants when an in-year place comes up.

Who runs admissions

Each school is its own admission authority (St Olave's is a voluntary aided school, Newstead Wood a United Learning academy); the London Borough of Bromley coordinates applications but has no part in testing.

Grammar schools in Bromley

Schools with a page of their own have their places, qualifying scores and priority areas, from their admissions policies.

SchoolTownTakes
Newstead Wood SchoolOrpingtonGirls, mixed sixth form
St Olave's Grammar SchoolOrpingtonBoys, mixed sixth form

More on the 11+

Sources

Every fact here comes from the official pages below. Dates and scores change from year to year, so check them there before you rely on them.

Checked 2 November 2026.

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