Sevenoaks School admissions: a parent's guide
Founded in 1432, Sevenoaks School is one of the oldest schools in Britain – and today one of the world's leading International Baccalaureate schools.
Sevenoaks is a co-educational day and boarding school for around 1,200 pupils aged 11 to 18, set on a 100-acre campus next to Knole Park in Kent, about 30 minutes from central London. It is the second-oldest non-denominational school in the UK (only Oswestry, founded in 1407, is older) and one of the country's most academically distinctive: in 2006 it became the first major British school to switch entirely from A levels to the IB Diploma in the Sixth Form, and it has consistently ranked among the top five IB schools in the UK and top fifteen in the world ever since.
This guide explains how admission to Sevenoaks actually works in 2026, what the school is looking for at each entry point and how to give your child the best possible chance of a successful application. If you'd like to understand more about how we support families through senior school admissions, you can explore our school search and placement service at any point.
What's new: the Solefield merger
The most significant recent development at Sevenoaks is its 2025 merger with Solefield School, a co-educational prep school in the local area. The two schools now offer a single educational pathway for pupils aged three to 18, sharing expertise across teaching, pastoral care and facilities while keeping their respective uniforms and leadership teams.
For families considering Sevenoaks at 11+ or 13+, this means an earlier-entry route now exists for those who want it. The senior school admissions process itself is unchanged.
The admissions process
Sevenoaks admits pupils at three points: 11+ (Year 7), 13+ (Year 9) and 16+ (Sixth Form). Each has a distinct assessment process, and confusion between them is the most common source of avoidable mistakes parents make.
Here's how each entry point works in practice, drawn directly from Sevenoaks' own admissions guidance.
11+ Entry (Year 7)
The 11+ is the school's main entry point for day pupils. There are no boarding places in the Lower School, so all Year 7 entrants are day students. Approximately 80 children are admitted each year.
Initial visit – Most families begin with an Open Morning or other visit to get a feel for the school.
Registration (deadline 15 September, one year ahead of entry) – Complete the online application form and pay the registration fee.
Pre-test (October/November of Year 6) – Children sit the ISEB Common Pre-Test at their own school. Where a child's current school doesn't offer the ISEB, they may submit a Kent Test or alternative grammar school test instead.
School reference – Sevenoaks requests a reference from the child's current school as part of its holistic review.
Assessment day at Sevenoaks (early January) – Shortlisted candidates attend an assessment day with written exams in Maths and English (past papers are available on the school's website) and a group discussion activity.
Offers – Place offers and reserve list offers are made by email, with acceptance confirmed via the Form of Acceptance and a deposit payment.
If you're navigating the ISEB Pre-Test for the first time, our guide to 11+ assessments walks through exactly what's tested and how to prepare without over-tutoring.
13+ Entry (Year 9)
Year 9 admits around 100 students, of whom roughly 60 are boarders. There are two routes, and they sit at very different points in a child's prep school career.
Early Decision is for pupils who plan to stay at their current school for Years 7 and 8. Registration closes 15 September three years ahead of entry (the start of Year 6). Applicants take the ISEB Common Pre-Test in the autumn of Year 6 and attend the same January assessment day as the 11+ candidates.
Later Decision opens up a substantial number of places for pupils registering by 1 November of Year 7, with the ISEB Pre-Test taken in the autumn or winter of Year 7 and second-stage assessments in March or April. This route gives families more time to decide and is the natural fit for pupils still settling into their current school.
Either way, admission is by competitive examination in English and Maths only, a group discussion activity and a reference from the candidate's current school. The school does not assess Science or Humanities at 13+, despite what some external guides suggest. Full details are on Sevenoaks' 13+ assessment page.
16+ Entry (Sixth Form)
The Sixth Form is large and international, with over 450 students and more than 70 nationalities represented in the school. Around 85 new pupils join at 16+, most of them boarders, which expands the year group by more than a third.
Registration closes 1 August, 13 months ahead of entry
Written exams in Maths, English, Thinking Skills and Science
An additional 45-minute paper for applicants wanting to take Higher Level Maths
A group discussion activity led by Sevenoaks teachers
A reference from the candidate's current school
International candidates can complete the discussion and any interviews online. For the most up-to-date 16+ procedure, refer to Sevenoaks' 16+ entry page.
What Sevenoaks is actually looking for
Sevenoaks is academically demanding, but it is not solely an academic school. The school's Director of Admissions, Lorna Dolan, has put it more plainly than most schools manage:
"Ultimately, we are looking for students who are bright and eager to be involved in the wider, co-curricular life of the school, and – most importantly – who are kind."
That word "kind" matters. The 2025 IB cohort averaged 39.4 points, around 10 above the world average, with 11 students achieving the maximum 45 points. But the admissions team is genuinely looking for character alongside intellect. The process reflects this at every stage:
The group discussion looks at how a child handles disagreement, listens to peers and brings others in – not who shouts loudest.
The school reference is weighed alongside the Pre-Test and the written exams.
The parental confirmation form asks about a child's wider interests beyond the classroom.
This is exactly the territory our Character Journey and 3-session interview package are designed to support: helping children find their voice, develop intellectual confidence and walk into the room as themselves.
Sevenoaks School fees 2026/27
The financial commitment is significant. All fees below include VAT (added at the standard rate of 20% from 1 January 2025) and cover lunches every school day including Saturdays:
Day students (per term, inc. VAT):
Lower and Middle School: £12,514
Sixth Form: £12,734
Day students entering at Sixth Form: £14,461
Boarding students (per term, inc. VAT):
Middle School: £20,472
Sixth Form: £20,639
Boarding students entering at Sixth Form: £22,383
In addition, families should budget for:
Deposit: £2,000 for day pupils, £5,000 for boarders (payable on acceptance)
Visa administration fee: £500 + VAT for pupils requiring visa sponsorship
Extras: uniform, additional music or sport tuition, school trips and co-curricular activities
The school also offers a Fees in Advance Scheme through which the overall cost can be reduced by making a lump-sum advance payment. Fees for later years of entry are confirmed by the school each spring – always check Sevenoaks' official fees page for the most up-to-date figures.
Scholarships and bursaries
Sevenoaks offers scholarships at 13+ to recognise exceptional talent in academia, music, sports, drama and art. Academic Scholarship assessments are held in late March of Year 8; Co-Curricular Scholarship assessments in late April or early May of Year 8.
Importantly – and this is a common point of confusion – Sevenoaks' scholarships are honorary: they carry no reduction in fees. They confer the scholarship title and access to additional enrichment, but families needing financial support should look at the bursary scheme instead. Full details are on Sevenoaks' scholarships page.
For families needing genuine financial support, bursaries are means-tested and tailored to each family's circumstances. Two important constraints to note: bursaries are open to day students only, and boarding bursaries are not available at Sevenoaks.
Key dates and the school calendar
The Sevenoaks admissions calendar runs early, so families thinking about the school should be aware of the deadlines well in advance:
11+: register by 15 September one year ahead of entry; pre-test in October/November of Year 6; assessment day in early January
13+ Early Decision: register by 15 September three years ahead of entry (start of Year 6); ISEB Pre-Test in autumn of Year 6; assessment day in January
13+ Later Decision: register by 1 November of Year 7; ISEB Pre-Test in autumn/winter of Year 7; second-stage assessments in March/April of Year 7
16+: register by 1 August, 13 months ahead of entry; assessments in October
If you miss a deadline, the school will hold details on a waiting list for late testing if a place becomes available. Email the Registrar with the most recent school report and a brief note on the child's interests.
How competitive is it?
Genuinely competitive. Sevenoaks is consistently ranked among the top five IB schools in the UK and top fifteen in the world, and attracts a large international applicant pool. The pre-test stage filters the field, and the second-stage assessment day at 11+ and 13+ adds a further layer of competition. At 16+, applicants compete not just against UK candidates but international ones with strong academic records.
That said, competitive doesn't mean impossible. The school admits a meaningful number of pupils at each entry point, and the admissions team is genuinely interested in the whole child, not just a test score. Strong preparation – both academic and the kind of conversational confidence that group discussions reward – makes a real difference.
Notable alumni
Sevenoaks alumni – known as Old Sennockians – span the arts, sciences, public life and royalty. Distinguished Old Sennockians include Sir Timothy Laurence (vice admiral and husband of HRH Princess Anne), designer Thomas Heatherwick, filmmaker Paul Greengrass, Shakespeare scholar Sir Jonathan Bate, comedian and author Charlie Higson, Ted Lasso creator Brett Goldstein, documentary filmmaker Adam Curtis, the late Knopf editor Sonny Mehta, former President of the UN General Assembly Peter Thomson, Costa Coffee CEO Jill McDonald, Maisy Mouse illustrator Lucy Cousins, 2005 Turner Prize winner Simon Starling, clarinettist Emma Johnson, broadcaster Helen Zaltzman and author Plum Sykes.
Preparing your child the Oppidan way
Sevenoaks' process rewards genuine confidence and character – not coaching. Children who arrive at the assessment day already comfortable in their own opinions, used to engaging adults in conversation and able to talk thoughtfully about what they love, tend to do well.
That is precisely what Oppidan mentoring is built for. Our 1:1 mentoring pairs your child with an inspirational role model – a near-peer who can help them prepare for the ISEB Pre-Test, build interview and group discussion confidence through real conversation and develop the kind of intellectual independence Sevenoaks is looking for. We've supported families through admissions to Sevenoaks and every other major UK senior school since 2016.
If you'd like to talk through your child's path to Sevenoaks, our team is always happy to help. Get in touch to arrange an initial call.
Frequently asked questions
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For 11+ entry, register by 15 September one year ahead of entry. For 13+ Early Decision, register by 15 September three years ahead of entry (start of Year 6). For 13+ Later Decision, register by 1 November of Year 7. For 16+, register by 1 August, 13 months ahead of entry. Registration is via the online application form on the Sevenoaks website.
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Sevenoaks bases its 13+ offer on three elements: the ISEB Common Pre-Test (sat at the child's current school), competitive written examinations in English and Maths sat at Sevenoaks, and a group discussion activity. A reference from the candidate's current school is also weighed in the decision. There are no Science or Humanities exams at 13+.
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The ISEB Common Pre-Test is an online, adaptive assessment used by most leading UK senior schools as part of their selection process. It covers English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning, and is sat at the child's own school. A single sitting can be shared across multiple school applications.
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For 2026/27, day fees range from £12,514 to £14,461 per term depending on year group, and boarding fees from £20,472 to £22,383 per term. All figures include VAT. Additional one-off costs include a £2,000 deposit for day pupils (£5,000 for boarders) and, for international families, a £500 + VAT visa administration fee.
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It is both. The Lower School (Years 7 and 8) is day-only, but from Year 9 onwards pupils can be day or boarding. By Sixth Form, most international entrants board, and the school has a strong boarding ethos with eight boarding houses across the campus.
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No. Sevenoaks teaches the International Baccalaureate Diploma exclusively in the Sixth Form. Pupils who want to take A levels need to look at a different school for Sixth Form. The IB requires six subjects across all major disciplines plus the core (Theory of Knowledge, Extended Essay and CAS), so it is broader than A levels but also more demanding in terms of workload.
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No. Sevenoaks' scholarships at 13+ are honorary – they confer the scholarship title and access to enrichment, but carry no reduction in fees. Families needing financial support should look at the bursary scheme, which is means-tested but open to day students only.
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Early Decision is for families who know in Year 6 that Sevenoaks is the goal and whose child will stay at their current school until Year 9. Later Decision is for families who want to wait until Year 7 to commit. A substantial number of Year 9 places are held open specifically for Later Decision candidates, so neither route is better – they suit different family circumstances.
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Highly competitive. Sevenoaks consistently ranks among the top five IB schools in the UK and top fifteen in the world, and attracts a large international applicant pool. Successful candidates combine strong academic preparation with the conversational confidence and kindness the admissions team explicitly looks for.
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Yes. Sevenoaks is one of the most international independent schools in the UK, with over 70 nationalities represented. Overseas applicants follow the same process, with interviews and group discussions conducted online if needed. The school has a dedicated international applicants page and provides a visa administration service.
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Oppidan supports families through every stage of the Sevenoaks process – from ISEB Pre-Test preparation and school-choice strategy, to mock group discussions, character mentoring and ongoing 1:1 academic support. Our 3-session interview package is built specifically for selective senior school interviews and group discussions like Sevenoaks'. Speak to the team to discuss your child.