What are the admission requirements for Newstead Wood School?

To be considered for Newstead Wood School, a girl must sit the school's own selection test in verbal and non-verbal reasoning and reach the required standard of 210 marks for 2027 entry. Reaching 210 does not guarantee a place, since the school has only 168 places and is heavily oversubscribed. If there are more qualifying girls than places, priority goes first to looked after children, then to Pupil Premium girls living within nine miles of the school, and then to all other qualifying girls ranked strictly by score, with those living within nine miles considered ahead of girls living further away. 

Newstead Wood is one of only two selective state schools in Bromley, and it is heavily oversubscribed every single year. Here is a clear, simple guide to the Newstead Wood School admission requirements for 2027 entry.

What is Newstead Wood School looking for in its admission requirements?

Newstead Wood School is a girls' selective school belonging to the United Learning Trust, on the outskirts of the London Borough of Bromley. Admission is based entirely on academic ability, shown through performance in the school's own selection test, alongside the school's published selection criteria for deciding who is offered a place when demand outstrips supply, which it does every single year.

Girls can sit the test if their date of birth falls between 1st September 2015 and 31st August 2016, for entry in September 2027. Girls can only sit the selection test once, so there is no opportunity to resit or try the following term again.

Step 1: The selection test

To register, parents must complete the online Supplementary Information Form, or SIF, through the school's own website. For 2027 entry, this must be completed and uploaded with supporting evidence between 1st May 2026 and midnight on 30th June 2026, and late registrations cannot be accepted under any circumstances.

The selection test itself is held on 25th and 26th September 2026, with exact timings sent out during the first full week of September. It consists of papers in verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning, provided by GL Assessment. Scores are age adjusted, so a younger girl in the year group is not disadvantaged compared with a girl born earlier in the same academic year.

Step 2: Reaching the required standard

The required standard for 2027 entry is 210 marks. Only girls who reach this figure can be considered for a place at all. However, the school's own policy makes an important point clear: if 210 marks is not high enough to fill all 168 places once the selection criteria have been applied, the school will raise the required standard so that it is sufficient to meet the admission number.

Results are emailed to parents between 16th and 22nd October 2026, ahead of the Local Authority application deadline. Newstead Wood also includes historical cut-off information for the last five years alongside each girl's own score, which genuinely helps families judge their chances realistically before finalising their preference form.

Step 3: The selection criteria explained

When more girls reach the required standard than there are places, which happens every year, Newstead Wood allocates its 168 places strictly in the following order.

1. Looked after and previously looked after children

Girls who are, or have been, in local authority care, and who reach the required standard, are offered places first, supported by professional evidence.

2. Pupil Premium or Service Premium girls within nine miles

Girls living within a nine mile radius of the school who receive Pupil Premium or Service Premium, and who reach the required standard, come next.

3. Remaining girls within nine miles, ranked by score

All other qualifying girls living within nine miles, together with daughters of staff members employed at the school for two years or more, are ranked strictly by their total score.

4. Girls outside nine miles, ranked by score

Any remaining places go to qualifying girls living outside the nine mile radius, ranked by score. The school states plainly that, due to heavy oversubscription, no places have ever actually been offered under this final category.

This order matters enormously for families living further away, since it explains why distance from the school can end up deciding the outcome even for girls with a strong score.

The Newstead Wood School nine mile radius explained

Newstead Wood does not use a fixed catchment area in the way some grammar schools do. Instead, it measures distance in a straight line from the unique national grid reference of a girl's home address to the main entrance of the school, using the Local Authority's computerised measuring system.

Girls within this nine mile radius are prioritised ahead of girls living further away once the looked after children and Pupil Premium places have been allocated. Given that the school states no places have ever gone to girls outside this radius, living within nine miles is, in practice, an important part of a realistic application.

Newstead Wood School past cut-off scores 

The required standard of 210 is a minimum, not a reflection of how competitive the school actually is. Recent published data puts the true cut-off score, the mark actually needed to secure a place, meaningfully higher.

The school has also historically received around eight applications for every single place, which gives a genuine sense of just how competitive Year 7 entry is, even for girls who comfortably clear the required standard.

Newstead Wood School waiting lists and appeals

1. Waiting lists are automatic

Any girl who reached the required standard but was not offered a place is automatically added to a ranked waiting list, maintained from 4th March 2027 until 31st December 2027.

2. Places can still become available

If the Year 7 admission number falls below 168 at any point during this period, an offer is made to the next girl on the waiting list.

3. Appeals are available from National Offer Day

Parents whose daughters are unsuccessful can appeal to the Admission Appeals Panel, with the appeal form made available through the school's website from National Offer Day, 1st March 2027.

How to prepare your child for Newstead Wood School entry

Since the Year 7 entry test covers verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning only, focused practice in these two areas gives a genuine, honest advantage.

• Practise verbal and non-verbal reasoning steadily over time, rather than cramming close to the test date

• Get comfortable with age standardised, multiple-choice style testing under timed conditions

• Remember that non-verbal reasoning can act as a tie breaker, so this subject deserves genuine, equal attention

• Use the school's own historical cut-off information once results arrive to judge realistic options honestly

Our free 11+ practice papers are a gentle way to see where your daughter currently stands, and our 11+ past papers give real exposure to GL Assessment style verbal and non-verbal reasoning questions.

How Pass 11 Plus Grammar helps students for Newstead Wood School Admissions

With a required standard, a true cut-off score, and a nine mile radius all playing a part, many families find real value in steady, well structured preparation rather than last minute cramming.

1. Build a proper, structured plan

Our 11 plus tuition programmes focus closely on verbal and non-verbal reasoning, matching exactly what Newstead Wood's selection test demands.

2. Get experienced, specialist guidance

Our 11 plus tutors in Birmingham support families preparing for GL Assessment style tests nationwide, including families applying to schools such as Newstead Wood.

3. Build up to realistic exam conditions

Our 11 plus mocks recreate genuine timing and pressure, so test day feels familiar rather than overwhelming.

Our 11 plus intensive summer course offers focused, structured practice during the school holidays, ideal for a calm and concentrated push.

Final Thoughts

The admission requirements for Newstead Wood School come down to a clear sequence once you look past the numbers. Reach the required standard, understand exactly where your daughter's score sits against recent cut-offs, and be honest with yourself about how the nine mile radius and selection order might affect a specific application. Because the school is so heavily oversubscribed, a strong score genuinely matters, but so does understanding the full picture rather than focusing on the pass mark alone.

Every family's circumstances are a little different, and there is real comfort in knowing exactly where you stand at each stage of this process, rather than guessing. Wherever your daughter is in her preparation, steady, honest groundwork in verbal and non-verbal reasoning remains the single most useful thing a family can control.