Newstead Wood School

Newstead Wood School is a highly selective girls' state secondary school in Orpington, with a co-educational sixth form. The school presents itself around "creating opportunities for success" and describes education as more than classroom learning. Its academic record is intense - GCSE and A-level outcomes are among the strongest in the country - but the website also puts character, enrichment and wellbeing close to the centre of the offer.

The curriculum is planned as a seven-year journey. Year 7 pupils study a broad set of subjects including art, computer science, design and technology, drama, English, French, German, humanities, mathematics, music, PE, RPE, science, Spanish and a personal development curriculum; Latin is available as an opt-in, with Mandarin and Japanese opportunities later in Key Stage 3. GCSE choices are broad, including separate sciences and options such as environmental management, Japanese, Latin and Mandarin. In sixth form, most students begin with four A levels before usually moving to three, with EPQ, CREST Gold and elective courses available.

Newstead's wider life is a major selling point. The curriculum page describes an extensive co-curricular programme, peer and academic mentoring, a house system and an elective programme for KS4 and KS5. The sixth-form pages add Bronze, Silver and Gold Duke of Edinburgh, subject societies, a lecture programme, Oxbridge and medicine/veterinary/dentistry mentoring, Young Enterprise, work experience and weekly sport. Published 2025 destinations include seven students going to Oxford or Cambridge and 141 to Russell Group universities.

Year 7 admission has 168 places and uses Newstead's own selection test in verbal and non-verbal reasoning. For 2027 entry, registration runs from 1 May to 30 June 2026 and testing is scheduled over 25 and 26 September 2026. The current policy uses a required standard score of 210, then prioritises looked-after children, Pupil Premium or Service Premium applicants within nine miles, other qualified girls within nine miles, qualifying staff daughters and then qualified girls outside the nine-mile radius by score. The school publishes 2025 results of 88% GCSE grades at 7-9 and 50% A*-A at A level; GOV.UK shows Ofsted Outstanding and 100% grade 5+ in English and maths.