Sevenoaks Admissions: A Comprehensive Guide
What is Sevenoaks and Navigating the Competitive Sevenoaks Admissions Process:
Founded in 1432, Sevenoaks is one of the oldest independent schools in the UK set in 100 acre grounds in Kent. It offers both day options and boarding places (from thirteen). The school is known for its rigorous academic standards and is a leading IB school, promoting an international mindset and a lifelong curiosity for learning designed to best prepare students for places at competitive top universities, with most students going on to attend university in the US and Canada, at Oxbridge or other top Russel Groups. In 2023, 86% of students scored 9-7 at GCSE and the average IB diploma score was 39. Alongside academics, Sevenoaks School also has a strong pastoral and extracurricular emphasis with its state-of-the-art facilities and strong sporting reputation.
If it sounds like a dream, you’re certainly not alone in thinking it. Sevenoaks is highly academically selective, receiving around 1,500 applications for the 240 places available at all entry points every academic year. Navigating the admissions process and preparing for entrance exams can be daunting. We’ve put together this comprehensive guide to Sevenoaks School Admissions to help you understand the process and to offer tips and advice on how best to secure one of those competitive spots for your child.
Navigating the Sevenoaks Admissions Process
The requirements for Sevenoaks admission vary according to the age your child is planning on entering. Sevenoaks offers entrance at three points: 11+, 13+ and 16+. Across all age groups, however, there is a strong emphasis on academic rigour and outstanding performance. This is what all the entrance exams are testing for, though it is also important for your child to demonstrate a well-rounded profile through co-curricular activities.
11+ Sevenoaks Admissions:
Key Dates for Year 7 Sevenoaks Entry:
September: Registration for September the following year
Early November: send grammar 11+ results
January: Assessment day where students sit:
English Paper
Maths Paper
40 minute group discussion activity
February: results released
Sevenoaks accepts 80 pupils for 11+ entry each year
March: Deadline to accept place
£2000 deposit due
Tips for the 11+ Sevenoaks Entrance Exam
The Sevenoaks entrance exam for Maths is no calculator and marked out of 60. Students are given one hour to complete the exam and it also includes some stretch and challenge questions which are designed to identify those who to award an academic scholarship to (there are no separate year 7 scholarship tests).
U2 Tuition Quick Tip: Students should remember to show their workings as even if they don’t reach the right answer, they may be awarded marks for taking the right steps.
The 11+ Sevenoaks entrance exam for English is composed of Section A and Section B. Section A contains an extract from a piece of fiction followed by a reading comprehension which tests students’ understanding of the text and literary analysis skills, e.g. “What impression do you have of the character of Buck? Include words or phrases from the extract to support your answer.”
U2 Tuition Quick Tips: a) Students should read the questions carefully and pay particular attention to line references to make sure they are engaging with the right section of the text in their answer. b) Students should aim to structure their points of literary analysis using the PEE format (Point-Evidence-Explanation).
Section B, worth 15 marks, tests the student’s creative writing skills. Candidates are normally given a choice of two questions, often one gives them the option of continuing the story they’ve just read and the other gives a more descriptive prompt: e.g. Describe a place at midnight. Think about how your setting can be used to create atmosphere.
Take a look at out 11+ Creative Writing Guide for more advice on how to inspire your child’s creativity.
U2 Tuition Quick Tip: To excel in this section of the Sevenoaks entrance exam, students should pay attention to the terms of the question: is it asking applicants to write the beginning of a story or describe a character? These questions will require different kinds of writing, the first for example requires students to think about creating suspense and drawing the reader in, whereas the second is much more focused on descriptive language.
And make sure to leave time at the end to go back and check spelling, punctuation and grammar (which 3 marks are dedicated to)!
Sevenoaks past papers for 11+ are available here. You can also find a reading list for Year 7 here. Students should go through these to practise both the Maths and English exams. We strongly recommend getting targeted prep with a specialist Sevenoaks tutor to best prepare candidates for all elements of the application process. You may also find our comprehensive guide to 11+ exam preparation helpful.
Are You Looking for Support with your Sevenoaks Application?
We have an incredible team of Sevenoaks admissions tutors (many of whom are alumni) who are experts in the Sevenoaks application process and here to take the weight off your shoulders.
Our Sevenoaks tutors can help with all areas of the application process and provide support for 11+, 13+ and 16+ Sevenoaks admissions.
Providing 1:1 exam and interview preparation support, honing exam technique and building students’ confidence, our tutors, often having gone to Sevenoaks themselves, have a great track record of securing their students a competitive place at Sevenoaks.
13+ Sevenoaks Admissions
Key dates for Year 9 Sevenoaks entry:
When entering in year 9, students may apply for both day and boarding places. Of the 100 students admitted, around 60 are boarders.
October: Registration deadline for entry in two years time (e.g. 2024 registration for 2026 entry)
Registration fee (£350 for boarding application, £200 for day)
January: Reports requested from schools
Mid April: Assessment day (while in Y7)
English
Maths
Verbal Reasoning test
40 minute group discussion activity
Late May: results sent out
The following May: Academic Scholarship Examinations and Co-Curricular Scholarship Assessments
Tips for the 13+ Sevenoaks Entrance Exam:
Applicants will sit a one hour Maths exam in which no equipment is allowed. They should focus on practising mental maths questions and clearly showing their workings .
The 13+ Sevenoaks Assessment for English takes one hour and is 40 marks. It is split into Section A and Section B. In Section A, students are given an extract, generally from a piece of fiction and given comprehension and analysis questions to respond to, e.g. “What do you learn in the first paragraph? [5 marks]”
U2 Tuition Quick Tip: Students should pay attention to how many marks are on offer for each question as these vary yearly and are a good indicator of the time students should take and level of detail to include in each response. Students should always follow the P.E.E. (Point, Evidence, Explanation) structure to clearly present their ideas.
In Section B, students will be asked to write a creative piece. The emphasis is on quality, not quantity so they should take their time to plan and structure their ideas. Make sure they’re reading lots of ambitious works to help build their vocabulary and develop ideas of what good writing looks like.
U2 Tuition Quick Tip: Sevenoaks has a reading list available online here filled with recommended reading for year 9 students. This is a great place to look for students to find inspiration and read at the right level.
You can find Sevenoaks past papers here. While they do not release any verbal reasoning past papers, practising with any 13+ practice paper will be good preparation. We also strongly recommend working with a specialist Sevenoaks admissions tutor who can guide students through these papers and create supplementary resources to give them more opportunities to practice a realistic version of the Sevenoaks entrance exams. Tutors can provide more insight into the content of the Sevenoaks entrance exams and offer a tailored preparation plan. If you think your child would benefit from working with an experienced Sevenoaks admissions tutor, book your free initial consultation here.
16+ Sevenoaks Admissions
Key Dates for Sevenoaks Sixth Form Entry:
August: registration deadline for September a year later
Students applying for 16+ entry should be expecting to receive all 8s/9s in their GCSEs
September: confirmation of application and candidate’s personal statement due
October: assessment day at Sevenoaks
English
Maths
Sciences
Thinking Skills
40 minute group discussion
Mid October: international assessments sat
Late October-early November: Scholarship applications requested
1 December: Results
85 new students are admitted, mostly boarders
Tips for the 16+ Sevenoaks Entrance Exam
The Maths paper is multiple choice. Students may choose to sit an optional additional maths paper if they intend to take HL Maths at IB.
English can be taken at HL or SL according to student’s preference for the level they will study it at IB.
U2 Tuition Quick Tip: A Sevenoaks Sixth form suggested reading list can be found here. These books will make great prep for the English entrance exam.
For Sciences, applicants answer questions on two sciences of their choice. The paper emphasises understanding the scientific method and being able to respond to and draw insight from scientific data.
Thinking Skills paper covers humanities and linguistics. Candidates answer on one of the following: History, Geography, Philosophy, Economics, Psychology, Languages (assessed through a linguistics task), Theatre or History of Art. It is designed to test applicant’s reasoning skills and essay writing. In the Thinking Skills paper, questions tend to be open, allowing students to use their own knowledge to demonstrate their points. There is no expectation to have covered specific humanities topics and therefore students do not need to spend time teaching themselves new content to prepare. Their ability to think and form a well-constructed and illustrated argument is being tested more than the subject content. A strong Sevenoaks admission tutor can help students with the essay technique required to excel in this question.
According to the candidate’s IB subject choices, the results of the Sciences and Thinking Skills papers will be weighted differently.
Once the confirmation form has been submitted, students will receive one set of Sevenoaks past papers so they can familiarise themselves with the exam format, as well as some guidance on topics the papers are likely to cover. A U2 Tutor can create tailored supplementary content for students so they can gain more experience and practise with exam-style questions and ace their exam technique.
Sevenoaks Scholarships and Bursaries
Sevenoaks offers a range of scholarships, including for academic excellence, art, music, sport and drama. Scholars receive guidance and enrichment opportunities and are expected to be key leaders and contributors in their field. Sevenoaks academic scholarships are offered at all entry points and are decided after entry exams. For 11+ entry, there is no separate scholarship test in year 7, whereas candidates for 13+ and sixth form entry may be invited to take a separate exam.
For co-curricular scholarships, art, drama and sport scholarships are available at 13+ entry to internal candidates and to external candidates at 16+ entry. Sevenoaks music scholarships are available at all entry points.
However, Sevenoaks scholarships are no longer financial basis. Instead, it offers means-tested bursaries to outstanding students in need of additional financial support, providing them with full scholarships. These are only offered to day, not boarding pupils.
Sevenoaks Entrance Exam Tutoring: How a Tutor can help students excel in Sevenoaks Admissions
Tutoring for Sevenoaks admissions can help give students a significant advantage in the highly competitive application process. A tutor experienced with Sevenoaks entrance exams can offer targeted preparation and guidance, ensuring pupils excel in all areas. Tutors can help students revise for the 11+, 13+ and 16+ Sevenoaks entrance exams by offering guidance about exam content and helping them hone exam technique. With personalised feedback and tailored study plans, an experienced Sevenoaks tutor can help students handle the complicated admissions process from start to finish.
For the 11+ entry point, tutors can offer extensive feedback on English and Maths Sevenoaks past papers, building foundational skills and strengthening areas of weakness.
For 13+ Sevenoaks admissions, tutors offer preparation for English, Maths and Verbal Reasoning, ensuring students are ready to tackle the different challenges of the exam. For Sixth Form Sevenoaks entry, tutors provide more subject-tailored preparation to guide students through the Maths, English, Thinking Skills and Science assessments. With lots of insight into exam criteria, Sevenoaks admissions tutors are well-placed to teach students the techniques and approaches to make them stand out as candidates. U2 tutors have a wealth of their own resources and we can create supplementary resources to support individuals. They can also help with 16+ personal statement writing to help students effectively showcase their academic achievements and co-curricular interests.
Tutors can also build students’ confidence with interview preparation, helping them prepare for likely questions and building their confidence and ability to communicate their ideas. By working with a tutor who knows and understands all aspects of the Sevenoaks admissions process, students can significantly enhance their chances of securing a place at the school.