St Olave's 11 Plus Registration 2026: Key Dates and How to Apply

What is St Olave's Grammar School?

St Olave's Grammar School, in Orpington, is a state boys' grammar school that has been going strong since 1571. It is one of the top performing schools in the country and one of the most competitive grammar schools to get into. Boys from all over London, Kent and beyond apply each year.

Here are the headline numbers for the 2026 entry round. They show why preparation matters.

• 124 Year 7 places available

• 1,682 Applications for 2026 entry

• No Catchment area

Two things make St Olave's a little different from other grammar schools. First, it runs its own two-stage test, not the standard Kent or Bexley test. Second, it has no catchment area at all, so where you live does not affect your chances. Places are offered based on how well your son does in the tests and the order you put schools on your application form.

One important point: St Olave's runs its own test. Sitting the Kent Test or the Bexley Test does not count for St Olave's. If your son wants a place at St Olave's, he must register with the school directly and sit their SET and Stage 2 exam.

St Olave's 11 plus registration 2026: all the key dates

This round is for boys in Year 5 right now, who hope to start secondary school in September 2027. Put these dates somewhere you will see them every day.

The registration window is only three weeks. That is much shorter than most grammar schools. If you miss midday on 29 June 2026, your son cannot sit the test. Set a reminder for the morning of 8 June and complete the SIF in the first few days. Get it done early.

Dates can sometimes change, so always check the official St Olave's website nearer the time to confirm everything is still correct.

Who can register for the 2026 St Olave's test?

Your son can register for the 2026 St Olave's test if he is in Year 5 now and was born between 1 September 2015 and 31 August 2016. If everything goes well, he would sit the SET in September 2026 and start Year 7 at St Olave's in September 2027.

Here is a quick checklist to see if applying is the right move:

• Your son is currently in Year 5 and in the right age group.

• You are happy with a boys' grammar school in Orpington, Kent.

• Your son is working at or above the expected level for his age.

• He is comfortable with timed tests, or willing to practise them.

• You can travel to Orpington for testing in September and (if he qualifies) November.
  

Not sure if your son is ready? A great way to find out is to book one of our 11 plus mock exams. He will sit a paper under real test conditions and you will get a clear report showing exactly where he stands and what to work on next.

How to register for St Olave's, step by step

St Olave's registration is done online, through the school's own website. The form is called the Supplementary Information Form (SIF), sometimes also called the Year 7 Application Form. It is free and takes around 15 to 20 minutes. Here is exactly how it works.

• Visit the St Olave's website on 8 June 2026
  Go to saintolaves.net from 9am on Monday 8 June. Find the Year 7 Application Form. Always use the official school website so your details stay safe.

• Fill in your son's details
  Enter his full name, date of birth, home address, current primary school and your contact details. Take your time, double-check spellings, and use an email address you check every day. This is where results and updates will be sent.

• Add any extra information
  If your son has any special educational needs, medical conditions or access needs, mention them in the form. If your family is eligible for Pupil Premium, you will be asked to confirm and upload supporting documents from his current primary school.

• Submit before midday on 29 June 2026
  Send the form before midday on Monday 29 June 2026. You should receive a confirmation email shortly after. If you do not, check your junk folder and contact the school's admissions team to be safe.

Save your confirmation and mark the test date
Save or print the confirmation email and put Friday 18 September 2026 in your diary. That is the SET, the first stage of the test. Your son is now officially registered.

Top tip: Register in the very first week, ideally on 8 or 9 June. Things can come up and three weeks goes faster than you think. Doing it early means it is one less thing on your mind through June.

Understanding the two-stage test

St Olave's uses a two-stage entrance exam. This is one of the most important things to understand before you register. Both stages happen at the school itself in Orpington. Here is how they work.

Stage 1

• Selective Eligibility Test (SET)

• Date: Friday 18 September 2026

• Length: One hour

• Format: Around 60 multiple-choice questions split across four sections.

• Subjects: English comprehension, Maths, Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning.

• Every boy who applies sits the SET. Boys who reach the qualifying standard move on to Stage 2.
  
  Stage 2

• Stage 2 Entrance Test

• Date: Friday 13 November 2026

• Length: Longer, in-depth papers

• Format: Written, more challenging questions to identify the very top performers.

• Subjects: English and Maths in greater depth.

• Only boys who pass Stage 1 sit Stage 2. Final places are decided on Stage 2 performance combined with parental preference.

Stage 1 is the filter. It is short, fast and entirely multiple-choice, so good exam technique matters as much as knowledge. Stage 2 is the deeper test. It looks for the boys who can think clearly and write well, not just tick the right boxes. Preparation for both stages should look different, which is something our tutors plan carefully.

What your son really needs to pass: Speed and accuracy for the SET, and deeper reasoning and writing for Stage 2. Our 11 plus tuition programmes for St Olave's are built around both, so your son is ready for the full journey, not just the first exam.

Why the Common Application Form matters so much

Here is something that catches a lot of families off guard. The Stage 2 test happens on 13 November 2026, but the Common Application Form (CAF) for secondary schools must be submitted to your local authority by 31 October 2026. That means Stage 2 takes place after the CAF deadline.

What does this mean for you? It means you have to name St Olave's on your CAF before you know your son's Stage 2 result. If you wait for the Stage 2 result before listing the school, it will be too late.

What to do: If you want your son to have any chance of a place at St Olave's, you must list the school on your local authority's CAF by 31 October 2026, even though Stage 2 is still to come. If he does not pass Stage 2, the school place simply goes to your next preference. There is no downside to listing it.

This is why so many families also list a back-up grammar school on the CAF. The Kent Test and the Bexley Test produce results in October, before the CAF deadline, so you know those outcomes in time. St Olave's is different, and worth planning for carefully.

Important things to know before you register

A few simple facts can save you a lot of stress later. Here is what every St Olave's parent should understand before registration day.

• St Olave's is for boys only. The neighbouring Newstead Wood School in Orpington is the girls' grammar option, with its own separate registration process and dates.

• There is no catchment area. Where you live makes no difference. Boys travel in from across London, Kent and the South East.

• The test is highly competitive. With around 1,682 boys applying for 124 places for 2026 entry, that is roughly 13 boys for every place. Strong preparation matters.

• You still need to fill in your local authority's CAF. The St Olave's SIF is a separate form, not a replacement for the CAF. You need both.

• There is no sibling priority. Having an older brother at the school does not give your son an advantage.

Late applications are not accepted. The 29 June midday deadline is firm. Register early.

Need clarity on where your son stands? Our specialist 11 plus tutors know the St Olave's SET inside out. They can run a quick assessment, tell you honestly how ready your son is, and build a plan that gets him to where he needs to be by September.

How we help your son get ready for St Olave's

Registering is the easy bit. The real work is making sure your son walks into both the SET and Stage 2 feeling calm, sharp and confident. We have helped families earn grammar school places for over 30 years. Here is how we do it for St Olave's.

1. One-to-one tuition for both stages

Stage 1 and Stage 2 need different skills, and we teach both

The SET is fast, multiple-choice and unforgiving on time. Stage 2 is slower, deeper and demands clear writing. Many tutors only prepare for one or the other. We prepare for both.

Our 11 plus tuition programmes are mapped to the exact St Olave's format. Your son builds the speed and accuracy he needs for Stage 1, then the deeper reasoning and writing he needs for Stage 2. No wasted time, no surprises on test day.

2. Specialist tutors who know the SET

The right expert for one of the toughest tests in the country

St Olave's is famously competitive, and the SET has its own quirks. Boys lose marks in the same places every year, and a tutor who really knows the exam can spot those traps before they catch your son out.

Our 11 plus tutors are specialists in the St Olave's format. They know what each section is really testing, the timing pressure boys often underestimate, and the techniques that turn near-misses into clear passes.

3. Free practice papers for daily habits

Short, regular practice beats last-minute cramming every time

The boys who do best at St Olave's almost always practise a little every day, rather than cramming at the end. Twenty to thirty minutes a day builds the speed and confidence that the SET demands.

Our free 11 plus practice papers give your son the daily reps he needs between lessons. Use them little and often, and watch his timing get faster week by week without it ever feeling like too much.

4. An intensive summer course before the SET

The summer holiday is your golden chance

The SET falls on 18 September 2026, just weeks after the summer holidays end. That makes the summer the single most important window for a final push. It is the last big stretch of focused time before the real thing.

Our 11 plus intensive summer course revises every topic, sharpens exam technique and runs timed practice in St Olave's format. Boys finish the summer feeling ready, not rusty. If you only do one big thing before the SET, make it this.

5. Mock exams that feel like the real day

Beat the nerves before they ever start

For many boys, the hardest part of the SET is not the questions themselves. It is the unfamiliar room, the silent clock and the pressure. The best way to handle that pressure is to practise it first.
Our 11 plus mock exams copy the real St Olave's SET conditions, right down to the timing and the format. Your son gets used to the feel of test day in a safe setting, and you get a detailed report on which areas to focus on next. By 18 September, the room feels familiar instead of frightening.

When should you start preparing?

St Olave's is competitive enough that earlier is better. There is no need to rush or panic, but a steady, calm build-up across Year 5 makes a huge difference. Here is a simple timeline that works for most families aiming at St Olave's.

• Year 4: Build strong foundations in English and maths. Introduce reasoning gently. No pressure at all.

• Year 5 (autumn to spring): Begin regular 11 plus tuition covering all four subjects, with a focus on SET-style speed work.

• Spring 2026: Add timed practice and book a first mock exam to see exactly where your son stands.

• June 2026: Register for the St Olave's SIF as soon as it opens on 8 June. Tick it off in the first week.

• Summer 2026: Join our 11 plus intensive summer course for a focused final push before the SET.

• 18 September 2026: SET day. Your son walks in calm and prepared.
  
  

October to November 2026: If he passes Stage 1, switch focus to deeper writing and reasoning for Stage 2 on 13 November.

Starting later is still fine. Plenty of families begin in the spring of Year 5 and still do brilliantly. When time is shorter, the secret is to focus only on the areas that move the needle most. That is exactly what our tutors are trained to do.

Final thoughts

St Olave's registration is one of the shortest and strictest in the country, but the form itself is simple. The moment registration opens at 9am on 8 June 2026, get it done. That single morning of admin opens the door to one of the very best boys' grammar schools in the UK.

After that, preparation is everything. Steady practice, the right expert support, and a calm, confident boy on test day are what turn a registration into a real grammar school place.

At Pass 11 Plus Grammar, we have been helping boys earn places at St Olave's and other top grammar schools for over 30 years. From one-to-one tuition and specialist SET tutors to free practice papers, realistic mock exams and our intensive summer course, we give your son everything he needs to walk into the SET and Stage 2 ready to do his best. Whatever stage you are at, we are here to help.