St Olave's and St Saviour's Grammar School
Orpington, Greater London · Boys · 11-18 (mixed sixth form since 1998)
Reviewed against the school’s own admissions policy · September 2026
St Olave's and St Saviour's Grammar School, Orpington — a highly selective boys' grammar school with a mixed sixth form. Its own two-stage test and no catchment area.
Key facts
| Gender intake | Boys |
| Age range | 11-18 (mixed sixth form since 1998) |
| Admissions test | Own two-stage entrance test |
| Year 7 places (PAN) | 128 |
| Official website | www.saintolaves.net/ |
The entrance test
Every applicant sits the first stage; each step below narrows to the last.
Sit Stage 1
One hour, multiple-choice — logic (VR/NVR), maths, English
Top 450 scores go through
Stage 2 — written English (with creative writing) & maths
Ranked on both → 124 (+ up to 4 choristers) offered
A one-hour multiple-choice Stage 1 test (logic — verbal and non-verbal reasoning — maths and English) ranks all applicants; the top 450 are invited to a Stage 2 of written English (including creative writing) and maths, which decides the final rank. The Published Admission Number is 124 standard places, plus up to 4 additional places for the Wakeham Choristership scheme (unfilled chorister places become standard places, so a full cohort is around 128). Oversubscription order: EHCP-named boys, then looked-after children, then up to 10 Pupil Premium places, then the rest by rank score.
How places are decided
Priority order when the school is oversubscribed. The small categories are settled first.
- 1An EHCP naming the school
- 2Looked-after & previously looked-after boys
- 3Pupil Premium (up to 10)
- 4Everyone else — by aggregate scoremost places
Catchment & priority area
No catchment area
No catchment area — boys are drawn from around 90 different primary schools each year, reflecting how wide a net the school casts rather than a defined local zone.
Key dates
The shape repeats every year; the exact dates don't — confirm the current cycle with the school.
Spring – summer
Register with the school
September
Stage 1 sat
Autumn term
Stage 2 (top 450)
1 March
National offer day
Always verify against the school’s own current admissions policy — criteria, catchment boundaries and places-available can all change between admissions cycles, and St Olave's and St Saviour's Grammar School’s own website is the authoritative source, not this page.
Unlike Kent, London has no single test — every school or small consortium sets its own — see the format, timeline and registration process. For the wider picture of grammar schools across England, see UK Grammar Schools: List, Competition & Results.
Common questions about St Olave's and St Saviour's Grammar School
Does St Olave's Grammar School have a catchment area?
No. Entry is on test performance alone — boys join from around 90 different primary schools each year.
How many places does St Olave's Grammar School have?
124 standard Year 7 places, plus up to 4 additional places for the Wakeham Choristership scheme; unfilled chorister places become standard places, so a full cohort is around 128.
What is the St Olave's entrance test?
A one-hour multiple-choice Stage 1 (logic — verbal and non-verbal reasoning — maths and English). The top 450 are invited to Stage 2, written English (with creative writing) and maths, which sets the final rank.
How are places decided at St Olave's Grammar School?
In order: an EHCP naming the school, looked-after children, up to 10 Pupil Premium places, then the rest by rank score.
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