Newstead Wood School 11 plus is one of the most talked about girls’ grammar routes in Orpington, in the London Borough of Bromley, especially for families who want an academic environment with a calm, purposeful feel. The school sits close to Orpington Station, so the day to day commute and after school rhythm often matter just as much as the entrance test itself.
Most families feel steadier once two things are clear. First, Newstead Wood School admissions is a two part admin process, with a school form for the test and your local authority application for the actual offer. Second, the test focuses on reasoning rather than English and maths papers, so preparation can be narrow, consistent, and manageable.
A useful early step is to map your grammar school application UK timeline on one page so nothing creeps up when Year 6 gets busy. This simple guide keeps it practical: grammar school application UK timeline.
| Key detail | Information |
| School type | Girls grammar school, academy, ages 11 to 18 |
| Location | Orpington, London Borough of Bromley |
| Year 7 places | 168 |
| Test focus | Verbal reasoning and non verbal reasoning |
| Catchment | Up to 9 miles by straight line distance |
| Offers | Via local authority coordinated admissions |
| Location |
For the clearest published rules, the school’s Admissions Policy 2026 to 27 sets out who can sit the test, the eligibility score, and how places are offered.
The easiest way to think about Newstead Wood School admissions is as a sequence of small tasks that build on each other, supported by one calm folder for paperwork and confirmations.
Newstead uses a supplementary information form for test registration. For September 2026 entry, the published window runs from 1 May 2025 to 30 June 2025. Treat this as the first major deadline, even though offers are made later through the local authority.
Registering for the test does not replace the council application. Your secondary application is still made through your home local authority. In London, this sits within the coordinated system, which is why one online account often covers several borough choices. This step by step guide is useful if you want to see how the system works in practice: apply for a Year 7 place using eAdmissions.
The Newstead Wood entrance exam consists of two reasoning papers. One assesses verbal reasoning and the other assesses non verbal reasoning. Both papers are multiple choice, computer marked, and age standardised. The admissions rules also publish an eligibility threshold, so meeting that score is essential.
Children must first meet the standardised eligibility score. Once eligibility is confirmed, places are offered using the oversubscription criteria. A simple way to remember it is: eligibility first, then distance and criteria decide offers within the eligible group.
Once offers are released by the local authority, waiting lists can move at different speeds. Newstead’s admissions arrangements explain how waiting lists are ordered and how ties are broken. Keeping copies of submission confirmations and address evidence is surprisingly useful later.
| Milestone | Date |
| Test registration window | 1 May 2025 to 30 June 2025 |
| Selection test | 26 September 2025 and 27 September 2025 |
| Results shared to parents | 17 October 2025 to 23 October 2025 |
| Local authority application deadline | 31 October 2025 |
| National offer day | 2 March 2026 |
For Bromley families, it helps to cross check your plan against the borough’s published guidance: Secondary education in Bromley 2026 to 27.
Newstead Wood’s admissions rules set a distance area of up to 9 miles, measured as a straight line from your home address to the school. Distance is a measurement rather than a travel time, so the same journey can feel very different for different families.
The address used must be the genuine main home address and should match council records. A calm approach is to assume address evidence will be checked and to keep details consistent across test registration and the council application.
It is normal to feel disappointed on offer day. Appeals work best when treated as a structured process rather than an emotional argument.
A clear starting point is the government’s plain English guidance on what panels can consider: appeal a school place decision.
Many families accept the offered school place to keep September secure, while also joining waiting lists and preparing an appeal only when there is a clear, evidence based reason.
Because the entrance assessment is reasoning based, preparation focuses less on learning new content and more on familiarity, speed, accuracy, and calm decision making.
Official style practice materials can help question formats feel familiar. These free resources are a sensible place to start: GL Assessment practice resources.
Preparation works best when it feels like training rather than judgement. For Newstead, the focus is verbal reasoning vocabulary and technique, non verbal reasoning pattern confidence, and calm multiple choice habits.
This simple structure helps many families stay consistent: Year 5 revision plan.
As a clear starting point, you can book a free 11 plus diagnostic session with Find Your Tutor FYT focused on Newstead Wood School. It benchmarks your child’s current level and provides a personalised preparation roadmap for the months ahead.
Join Hundreds of Families Who Secured Newstead Wood School Places with Find Your Tutor.
The published test dates are 26 September 2025 and 27 September 2025. Build preparation so your child peaks in late summer rather than burning out in spring. Keep the final week light, with short warm ups and early nights.
The test papers assess verbal reasoning and non verbal reasoning. That means vocabulary, codes, patterns, and visual logic matter most. Preparation should focus on question types, timing, and calm accuracy.
Yes, test registration uses a supplementary information form. It is separate from your local authority application. Put both deadlines in your calendar early so nothing is missed.
Yes, children can sit the test, but offers are normally limited by the distance rule. Families outside the distance area often treat the test as practice for other schools as well. Always check the published oversubscription rules carefully before building hope around an unlikely outcome.
The published Year 7 intake is 168 places. That number matters because it frames how competitive the eligible group can feel. Focus on controllables like steady practice and calm routines.
The admissions rules set an eligibility standardised score threshold. Meeting the threshold is the first step before oversubscription rules apply. Preparation should aim for secure accuracy rather than occasional brilliance.
Yes, the school is a girls grammar for Years 7 to 11. The sixth form is also part of the school, so the overall environment stays focused and academic. Families with sons usually compare different selective routes nearby.
It is measured as a straight line from the home address to the school. Travel time does not matter in the measurement. Keep address evidence organised in case it is requested later.
The published rules explain how ties are broken when distances match. This is one reason small distance differences can matter in dense London areas. Try not to over focus on tiny margins you cannot control.
Results are published as being shared between 17 October 2025 and 23 October 2025. It helps to plan a calm family evening for the email window so the moment feels supported. Keep language neutral so your child does not feel their future sits on one message.
Yes, you need to include the school on your local authority application for an offer to be possible. Sitting the test alone is not enough. Make sure your final school preference order reflects your real choices.
Start with method and familiarity, not speed. Learn a few question types and repeat them until your child feels confident. Add timing only once accuracy is steady.
Keep sessions short and visual, like a puzzle habit. Children often improve fastest when they see repeated pattern families. Praise effort and method rather than score.
No, but structured support can help some children. The right choice is the one that keeps confidence steady and progress visible. A simple home routine works well for many families when it is consistent.
Contact the admissions team or your local authority quickly and ask what options remain. Late steps are not always possible, but early communication is better than silence. Build a simple checklist now to avoid last minute stress.
