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Newstead Wood School

Nearly 2,000 applicants. 168 places. A GL reasoning test that rewards flexible thinking over content recall. Newstead Wood is one of South East London's most oversubscribed selective schools for girls.
Exam board
GL
Entry
Year 7
Founded
1954
Year 7 places
168
Newstead Wood School logo

Newstead Wood School

SMA Difficulty
Advanced
Location: Orpington, South East London
School type: Grammar
Admissions test: GL
Free 11+ Baseline Assessment
LOCATION & GETTING THERE

Where Newstead Wood School sits — and how to reach it

● Schools● Trains● Buses● School coaches
LOCATION
Newstead Wood School
Avebury Road, Orpington, Kent, BR6 9SA
Other selective schools nearby, closest first — useful if you are considering more than one.
St Olave's Grammar School
Orpington, London · 1.4 km away
View guide →
Bromley High School GDST
Bromley, London · 3.1 km away
View guide →
Chislehurst & Sidcup Grammar School
Sidcup, London · 6.8 km away
View guide →
Eltham College
Eltham, London · 7.8 km away
View guide →
Nearest railway and Underground stations, with the lines that serve them. Distances are straight-line from the school.
Orpington
0.3 km from the school — Southeastern: Charing Cross, Cannon Street and Victoria to Sevenoaks and Kent; Thameslink services
Petts Wood
1.8 km from the school — Southeastern: London to Orpington and Sevenoaks; Thameslink services
St Mary Cray
2.4 km from the school — Southeastern: London Victoria to the Medway towns and Kent
Orpington Bus Station (Stop D)
0.2 km from the school — routes B14, R1, R3, R4, R9
Orpington Bus Station (Stop E)
0.2 km from the school — routes 358, 684, R1, R4, R5, R8, R10
Orpington Bus Station (Stop F)
0.2 km from the school — routes 51
Orpington Station (Stop G)
0.3 km from the school — routes 51, 358, 684, B14, R1, R3, R4, R5, R8, R9, R10
Bus stops closest to the school, with the routes that serve them. Distances are straight-line from the school.
Orpington
0.3 km from the school — Southeastern: Charing Cross, Cannon Street and Victoria to Sevenoaks and Kent; Thameslink services
Petts Wood
1.8 km from the school — Southeastern: London to Orpington and Sevenoaks; Thameslink services
St Mary Cray
2.4 km from the school — Southeastern: London Victoria to the Medway towns and Kent
Orpington Bus Station (Stop D)
0.2 km from the school — routes B14, R1, R3, R4, R9
Orpington Bus Station (Stop E)
0.2 km from the school — routes 358, 684, R1, R4, R5, R8, R10
Orpington Bus Station (Stop F)
0.2 km from the school — routes 51
Orpington Station (Stop G)
0.3 km from the school — routes 51, 358, 684, B14, R1, R3, R4, R5, R8, R9, R10
Coach services run by the school itself, where they exist.
Orpington
0.3 km from the school — Southeastern: Charing Cross, Cannon Street and Victoria to Sevenoaks and Kent; Thameslink services
Petts Wood
1.8 km from the school — Southeastern: London to Orpington and Sevenoaks; Thameslink services
St Mary Cray
2.4 km from the school — Southeastern: London Victoria to the Medway towns and Kent
Orpington Bus Station (Stop D)
0.2 km from the school — routes B14, R1, R3, R4, R9
Orpington Bus Station (Stop E)
0.2 km from the school — routes 358, 684, R1, R4, R5, R8, R10
Orpington Bus Station (Stop F)
0.2 km from the school — routes 51
Orpington Station (Stop G)
0.3 km from the school — routes 51, 358, 684, B14, R1, R3, R4, R5, R8, R9, R10
Private coach services are run by local operators — confirm routes and seats directly each September.
ON THIS PAGE
OVERVIEW

How the test is structured

Newstead Wood School uses GL Assessment as its 11+ provider. The selection test comprises two papers: one focused on Verbal Reasoning and one on Non-Verbal Reasoning, both multiple-choice with answers entered on a separate answer sheet. Each paper lasts approximately 50–60 minutes; both are sat on the same day with a short break between them. Maths and English are not separately assessed—the GL reasoning papers test the underlying cognitive skills and pattern recognition that correlate with academic potential across subjects.

Registration is via the school’s Supplementary Information Form (SIF), typically open from May and closing on 30 June each year. Testing takes place in September; results are communicated in October. Girls must also submit the LA Common Application Form (CAF) to the London Borough of Bromley by 31 October. Approximately 168 girls are admitted into Year 7. A qualifying standard score of 210 (age-standardised combined score) is required; places are then allocated by distance within a 9-mile radius.

HISTORY & ETHOS

The school's story

Newstead Wood School opened in September 1954 as Orpington Grammar School for Girls, established in response to the rapid post-war growth of Orpington and Petts Wood. Administration passed from Kent County Council to the newly formed London Borough of Bromley in 1965, and the school was renamed Newstead Wood School for Girls in September 1968—taking its name from the ancient Newstead Wood that borders the site. The school has since dropped “for Girls” from its official name while remaining a selective girls’ grammar. With approximately 2,000 applicants competing for 168 places annually, it is one of the most oversubscribed grammars in South East London.Newstead Wood produces girls of exceptional academic breadth, and its GL Assessment format rewards those who can think flexibly and process information quickly—not merely those who have drilled subject content. Singapore mastery cultivates exactly this disposition: the CPA framework develops spatial and abstract reasoning from concrete foundations, and bar modelling trains girls to represent unfamiliar problems systematically before attempting to solve them. These are transferable thinking skills that serve the GL reasoning format as well as every subsequent academic challenge the school presents.

Why the maths is genuinely hard

Newstead Wood uses GL reasoning papers rather than a curriculum-based maths test—meaning raw mathematical knowledge matters less than spatial reasoning, pattern recognition and the ability to process unfamiliar question formats at speed. Girls who have only practised arithmetic are often caught out.

SMA DIFFICULTY VERDICT

Our honest take on the difficulty

The SMA Verdict

3.5

/5

Advanced

Newstead Wood sits in the GL Assessment tier, where the primary axis of difficulty is speed and reasoning breadth rather than deep curriculum content. In our rubric, GL tests are hardest on time pressure—girls have very little time per question and must maintain accuracy across two sustained reasoning papers. The 210-point qualifying threshold and the 9-mile priority radius mean that both score and location matter. Relative to Tiffin Girls, Newstead Wood is less demanding on mathematical depth but equally demanding on cognitive speed and reasoning fluency. Within the GL grammar tier for London girls, it is among the most competitive.

CATCHMENT & TOWNS

Where families come from

Orpington
Petts Wood
Chislehurst
Bromley
Beckenham
Sidcup
Bexley
Sevenoaks
West Wickham
Swanley
KEY DATES

The 11+ admissions calendar

May 2026SIF registration opens
June 2026SIF registration closes
September 2026GL Assessment selection test
October 2026Results communicated to families
FAQ

Parents' most common questions

Does Newstead Wood test maths directly?

No. The 11+ uses two GL Assessment reasoning papers—Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning—rather than separate Maths and English tests. Mathematical content knowledge is not directly assessed, but strong numerical and spatial reasoning clearly supports performance.

What is the qualifying score and how does selection work?

Girls must achieve a combined age-standardised score of 210 or above to qualify. Places are then allocated by priority: Pupil Premium applicants within 9 miles first, then other applicants within 9 miles in score order. Girls outside 9 miles are only considered once all eligible closer applicants have been placed.

We live in Bromley—are we within the priority area?

Most of Bromley borough falls within the 9-mile priority radius. Check your specific address against the school’s admissions policy, as the radius is measured from the school entrance on Avebury Road.

How is Newstead Wood different from the Sutton consortium schools?

Sutton schools use a bespoke two-stage SET process with curriculum-based maths and English papers. Newstead Wood uses GL Assessment reasoning papers in a single-stage test. The style of preparation is quite different: Sutton rewards written method clarity; Newstead rewards speed and pattern recognition.

How far in advance should we begin preparation?

For GL reasoning papers, we recommend beginning structured preparation at least 12–18 months before the September test. Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning are trainable skills—girls who practise consistently and build up speed tend to outperform those who cram in the weeks before the exam.
EXAM PAPERS

Past and sample papers

COMING SOON

We're gathering the sample and familiarisation papers Newstead Wood School publishes, so you can see the real thing before you prepare. If you'd like them sooner, just ask.

NEARBY SCHOOLS

Other selective schools in the area

St Olave's Grammar School
Orpington, London · 1.4 km
View guide →
Bromley High School GDST
Bromley, London · 3.1 km
View guide →
Chislehurst & Sidcup Grammar School
Sidcup, London · 6.8 km
View guide →
Eltham College
Eltham, London · 7.8 km
View guide →

Preparing for Newstead Wood School?

We teach the reasoning these papers actually reward — not test tricks. Small online groups, qualified teachers, and a Singapore Maths method built on genuine understanding.