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The 11 Plus in Bromley
St. Olave's Grammar School and Newstead Wood School
The authority of Bromley contains two grammar schools: St Olave's Grammar School (for boys) and Newstead Wood (for girls). Unlike in the 11+ exam in Bexley or Kent, for example, the Bromley grammar schools conduct separate tests, and these separate tests have different authors (SET vs GL).
The structure of the St Olave's Test
The St Olave's exam is called the Selective Eligibility Test (SET) and is written by the school itself. The test is conducted in two stages. The first stage tests the familiar combination of multiple-choice English, Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning, and Non-Verbal Reasoning (though may contain different question types than are typically seen in other exams). The first stage test lasts sixty minutes.
Boys who pass the first stage will be invited to sit the second stage. The second stage focuses exclusively on English (including a creative writing piece) and Maths, and, unlike the first stage which is exclusively multiple-choice, also requires standard format responses.
The Structure of the Newstead Wood Test
Like many schools across the country, including those in Bexley and Kent, Newstead Wood's exam provider is GL (Grenada Learning). However, unlike many schools, Newstead Wood does not have a Mathematics nor English paper. Rather, Newstead Wood's exam is divided into two papers, each approximately 50 minutes long; one paper is Verbal Reasoning, the other is Non-Verbal Reasoning.
"Super-selective Status" and "Catchment Areas"
Super-selective is an unofficial way of describing some selective schools. St Olave's and Newstead Wood are sometimes referred to as "super-selectives". In the case of St Olave's, which does not have a "catchment area", the school is perceived to place an emphasis on academic ability owing its not operating a catchment area. Likewise, Newstead Wood, which has a large admission radius of nine miles, is also seen to place an emphasis on academic ability.
This is because, for both schools, exam results have more "power" than in other schools that might first initially select on score but, once a score is reached, distance becomes a greater determinant in selection.
How 11 Plus Prep School Can Help with the Bromley Test
At 11 Plus Prep School, we are experts in preparing students for both St Olave's and Newstead Wood. We keep fully up to date with the school's respective exams, including new problem types that are not yet covered in major textbooks or by other tuition services. Tutoring can begin in either Year 4 or Year 5.