FAQ
How many places are there in Year 7?
The PAN (published admission number) is 124 plus up to 4 places for students via our Wakeham Choristership scheme. If we do not fill all 4 chorister places, we would offer the remaining places out via the local authority in order to reach a final cohort of 128 students.
How many applicants are there?
Applicant numbers have risen steadily each year with an average of around 1500 applicants for the 2023 and 2024 application seasons.
Does St. Olave’s have a catchment area?
No.
Does St. Olave’s have a sibling policy?
No.
Does St. Olave’s have any affiliation with feeder schools?
No. Entry to the school is based solely on performance in our entrance tests and in a typical Year 7 cohort we would expect students to have come from around 90 different primary schools.
How do I apply?
You must fill out the online application form (also referred to as a Supplementary Information Form – SIF), available via the website during the advertised application period (usually mid-June to early July of the applicant’s Year 5 with specific dates being advertised well in advance). Applications will not be possible outside of this window.
What is the format of the entrance tests?
Please see Entrance Test Information for details. Here you will also be able to download sample questions for both tests. We do not provide past papers.
What happens if my son is unwell on the day of the test?
If your son is affected by illness or other circumstances to such an extent that you feel his results will be affected, you should not let him sit the test as no allowance can be made for under-performance. You must inform the School no later than 9am on the day of the test and subject to receiving documentary evidence supporting the reason for non-attendance an alternative day may be offered.
Can I park at the School on Test days?
There is no parking anywhere near to the School’s site on test days. Candidates arriving for our entrance tests should enter the School site via the Park Avenue pedestrian gate only. There is no access to the School from Goddington Lane. Anyone driving to the test is urged to park well away from the School and make use of public car parks in Orpington. Please be aware that parking restrictions will be in place in the surrounding areas and we ask you to be considerate and mindful of not causing obstructions or blocking residents' access to their driveways. In addition, please note that there will be traffic enforcement officers patrolling and the London Borough of Bromley impose temporary no waiting restrictions in both roads to maintain emergency access during test days.
Candidates are strongly advised to use public transport wherever possible. Orpington Station is around 15 minutes’ walk away and there are a number of local bus routes. Please plan your journey in advance and allow sufficient travelling time taking into account that there may be delays due to the sheer volume of people attempting to arrive at the same time.
If you have a disabled badge or other extenuating reason for needing access to the School’s car park, please contact the School regarding this well in advance.
My son has Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and / or medical needs. When do I inform the School?
Details of any SEND or medical needs (or other circumstances which may require positive action during the entrance tests) must be submitted with your online SIF. Please see application procedure for further details.
My son is in receipt of Pupil Premium, how do I apply?
When completing the online SIF you will be asked this question and if you answer “yes” then you will need to upload supporting documentation to verify that your son is in receipt of pupil premium (or has been at any stage during the 6 years prior to the application deadline). Your son’s current primary school should be able to provide you with the correct documentation verifying his status.
St. Olave’s Stage 2 test is after the common application form (CAF) deadline with the Local Authority (LA). How do I know if I should name St. Olave’s as one of my preferences?
Following our Stage 1 test (SET) in September, the top 450 performing boys will be invited to proceed to our Stage 2 test. Parents/carers will be informed of this before the CAF deadline (we aim to have results out by mid-October). All 450 boys will have met the minimum standard required for entry to St. Olave’s and as a result all will be eligible for the offer of a place subject to the final rank order (following performance in our Stage 2 test) and parental preferences on the CAF. Any boy who does not proceed to the Stage 2 test will not be eligible for an offer.
The final rank order will be shared solely with the LA and parents/carers will find out on National Offer Day whether or not their son has a place at the school.
My son did not pass the SET, can I name St. Olave’s as a preference on my CAF?
Only those who sit both the SET and Stage 2 tests will be considered for entry. If your son is not invited to proceed to the Stage 2 test, then he will not be eligible for an offer. You should therefore not name St. Olave’s on your CAF as this would be a waste of one of your school preferences.
My son was not offered a place on National Offer Day. How do I make sure he is on the waiting list?
If you have placed St. Olave’s as a higher preference to the school your son is allocated on National Offer Day then he will automatically be on the waiting list and will be for all schools placed as a higher preference. He will not be on the waiting list for any school listed lower in the preference order than the one allocated and you will need to contact your LA about this if you wish to amend your choices following National Offer Day.
Will you tell me my son’s position number on the waiting list?
The waiting list is held and managed by the London Borough of Bromley. As we are not party to parental preferences, we will not know the exact position on the waiting list, but we will be able to give you an indication of how many boys are still above your child in the remaining rank order. It is possible that not all of these boys will be on the waiting list, however, as they may have received an offer from a higher preference school elsewhere.
When will you offer more places following National Offer Day?
Following National Offer Day, the LAs usually give parents/carers around 2 weeks to respond. Once this deadline has passed, the coordinated admissions process commences again and a second round of offers usually takes place during April (your LA may provide a date). Once the second round of offers has taken place, subsequent offers will happen on a case-by-case basis until all of our places are filled. There is no set deadline for this and the waiting list remains open until the LA closes it at the end of December of the admission year.
How do I appeal against the Governors decision not to offer my son a place?
All parents/carers have the right to appeal to an independent appeal panel should their son not be offered a place on National Offer Day. Please see the Appeals page for further details.
My son did not sit the entrance tests, how can I apply for him to join St. Olave’s?
You may apply to the Bromley in year admissions team from the January of your son’s Year 7 (once they have closed the waiting list). Should a vacancy occur from January onwards, we would contact Bromley for the details of all those on the appropriate list and invite them in for an entrance exam at that stage. Further details can be found here: In Year Applications
I have another question which is not answered here.
Please contact admissions@saintolaves.net with your query.
