Sevenoaks School 16+ entry admits around 85 pupils for September 2027. Registration closed on 1 September 2026 — earlier than every comparable sixth form Leading Tuition has checked for this cycle. Our specialist tutors explain the assessment and preparation process.
Book a Free ConsultationSevenoaks School admits around 85 external pupils a year through its 16+ Sixth Form entry route for a September 2027 start. Registration closed on 1 September 2026, the earliest 16+ deadline of any school Leading Tuition has verified this cycle. Candidates sit three timed papers on a single Assessment Day (17 October 2026) plus a 40-minute group discussion, and the school teaches the IB Diploma exclusively, with no A-level option.
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Book a Free Consultation Message us on WhatsAppUpdated for September 2027 entry - dates, fees and scholarship process
Sevenoaks School's own admissions pages confirm the 1 September 2026 registration deadline for September 2027 entry has passed; this page states it as a completed fact, alongside the school's newly-published 2026/27 fee schedule (£14,461 day / £22,383 boarding, entering at Sixth Form).
The registration fee (£450 boarding / £260 day) and deposit (£2,000 day / £5,000 boarding) match the school's own how-to-apply page, and the Westminster School comparison row shows its general registration deadline (30 September 2026), not its bursary-only deadline.
How Sevenoaks assesses 16+ academic scholarships follows the school's own scholarships pages (decided on the main entrance papers, not a separate exam), and the IB Diploma results cited reflect the school's most recently published cohort (Class of 2026).
Sevenoaks School's own 16+ entry page states that the school admits "approximately 85 students, most of them boarders, which increases the year group by more than a third." That is the intake ceiling — the number of external candidates the school is prepared to bring in alongside pupils who joined earlier at 11+ or 13+. The school does not publish how many of those 85 places convert into offers each year: its how-to-apply page states only that offers of places "are sent at the start of December," and the current cycle's own dated timetable confirms outcomes are emailed to candidates on 1 December 2026 — no separate offers-issued figure is published anywhere on the school's site.
Because most 16+ entrants join as boarders, Sevenoaks is unusual among London-adjacent day schools in treating 16+ as a genuine boarding-recruitment round rather than a small top-up to an already-day-dominated cohort. The current Sixth Form comprises "over 450 students from around the world," with "over 70 nationalities represented" — both figures published directly on the school's own site, not estimated by a third party.
| 2026-27 admissions cycle fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| External places available at 16+ | Approximately 85 per year, most boarding |
| Offers issued each cycle | — not published by the school |
| Application deadline (Sept 2027 entry) | 1 September 2026 |
| Confirmation form & personal statement due | 8 September 2026 |
| Assessment Day at Sevenoaks | 17 October 2026 |
| International assessment sessions | Mid-October 2026 |
| References requested | Late October – early November 2026 |
| Offers emailed to candidates | 1 December 2026 |
| Registration fee | £450 (boarding) / £260 (day), VAT inclusive |
| Deposit to secure a place | £2,000 (day) / £5,000 (boarding) |
| Sixth Form size | Over 450 students, 70+ nationalities |
| Curriculum | International Baccalaureate Diploma only — no A-levels |
Source: Sevenoaks School's own admissions and assessment-and-preparation pages, retrieved 25 September 2026.
Sevenoaks states plainly that "the deadline to register for entry into the Lower Sixth is 1 September, 12 months ahead of entry". For September 2027 entry, that fell on 1 September 2026. Leading Tuition has independently verified the 16+ registration deadlines published by four comparable schools for the same September 2027 entry point, set out below: Sevenoaks's date was the earliest of the group, three weeks earlier than the closest comparator (Wellington College, 21 September 2026) and more than five weeks earlier than the last (North London Collegiate School, 9 October 2026).
| School | 16+ registration deadline (Sept 2027 entry) |
|---|---|
| Sevenoaks School | 1 September 2026 |
| Wellington College | 21 September 2026 |
| Westminster School | 30 September 2026 |
| North London Collegiate School | 9 October 2026 |
| Eton College | 4 October 2026 |
Source: each school's own admissions pages (Sevenoaks School, Wellington College, Westminster School, North London Collegiate School, Eton College), retrieved 25 September 2026.
This comparison draws on the exact registration dates published on each school's own admissions pages, fetched directly rather than taken from a third-party summary. None of the five schools shares a single deadline: a family assuming Sevenoaks would follow the same September or October pattern as its peers would already have missed its window three weeks before Wellington College's 21 September 2026 deadline, and more than five weeks before North London Collegiate School's 9 October 2026 deadline.
Sevenoaks describes the written component precisely: candidates sit "English Literature 45 minutes, Maths Standard Level 45 minutes, and Science and Humanities 90 minutes (plus 5 minutes reading time)" on Assessment Day, with those intending to study Higher Level Maths sitting "an additional 45-minute paper." This is a noticeably different structure from Sevenoaks's own 13+ Common Entrance route, and from most other 16+ processes, in that maths and English are tested alongside a single combined science-and-humanities paper rather than as fully separate subject exams.
Every candidate — regardless of intended IB subjects — also completes "a 40-minute group discussion led by our teachers." For candidates unable to travel to Sevenoaks itself, the school runs the group discussion online, and international assessment sessions are also held during mid-October for the written papers. After Assessment Day, Sevenoaks requests a reference from the candidate's current school during late October and early November, before offers are emailed to successful candidates on 1 December 2026.
Sevenoaks does not publish a formal minimum grade threshold on its own admissions pages, unlike schools that state an explicit points or grade formula. Because the written assessment tests English, maths and a combined science-and-humanities paper rather than the specific IB Higher Level subjects a candidate proposes, strong, broad-based GCSE performance across the board is more directly relevant at Sevenoaks than exceptional strength in just two or three subjects.
Because no threshold is published, families cannot benchmark a specific grade profile against an official Sevenoaks figure ahead of applying. The safest approach is to prepare thoroughly across all of the assessed papers rather than relying on strength in a single subject, since the written assessment deliberately tests breadth across English, maths and a combined science-and-humanities paper rather than depth in one area.
Sitting Sevenoaks's 16+ Assessment Day?
Our specialist tutors work through the exact Science and Humanities, Maths and English Literature papers Sevenoaks sets, plus the group discussion, so your child walks in prepared for the real format rather than a generic entrance test.
Book a Free Consultation Message us on WhatsAppSevenoaks teaches the International Baccalaureate Diploma exclusively at Sixth Form, and has done so since 1978, when it became, in the school's own words, "the first British public school to teach the IB Diploma." There is no A-level route at Sevenoaks at any entry point, which makes 16+ entry a genuinely different proposition from a school offering both curricula — a candidate joining at 16+ commits fully to the IB's six-subject, three-Higher-Level structure alongside Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay and CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service), rather than choosing three or four standalone A-level subjects.
Results support the school's IB specialism: in its most recently published results, the Class of 2026 cohort of more than 250 IB students achieved an average score of 39.8 points, which the school states is "around 10 points above the world average," and 138 of that cohort — well over half — scored 40 points or more out of a possible 45. The school itself was founded in 1432 and now has 1,238 pupils across the whole school, with around 450 boarders drawn from over 75 nationalities and a fully co-educational, 50:50 boy-girl split — context that matters for families weighing Sevenoaks's boarding-heavy 16+ intake against a day-only alternative.
Academic scholarships at 16+ are decided on a candidate's performance in the main entrance assessments — unlike Sevenoaks's 13+ route, there is no separate scholarship exam at Sixth Form entry — and are announced alongside offers of a place, at the start of December. Co-curricular scholarships in art, drama and sport are open to external 16+ applicants, alongside music scholarships available at every entry point; music scholars receive free tuition in one instrument as part of the award. It is worth being precise about what a Sevenoaks scholarship now means financially: the school states that it "no longer offer[s] a financial element to our scholarships, as we embrace a principle of awarding financial assistance according to need" — a genuinely different position from schools where a scholarship still reduces the termly bill.
Financial support instead runs through means-tested bursaries. Sevenoaks's own assessment-and-preparation page states plainly that "financial assistance applications are only open to day students" (checked September 2026) — a meaningful constraint given that most 16+ entrants join as boarders. The school's dedicated bursary page adds one exception: boarders can only access financial assistance if referred by the Royal National Children's SpringBoard Foundation, or if their family receives a government Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA).
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| Most recently published fee (2026/27) | Amount (inc. VAT) |
|---|---|
| Day pupil entering at Sixth Form, per term | £14,461 |
| Boarding pupil entering at Sixth Form, per term | £22,383 |
| Registration fee | £450 (boarding) / £260 (day), VAT inclusive |
| Deposit to secure a confirmed place | £2,000 (day) / £5,000 (boarding) |
| Visa sponsorship fee (international applicants) | £500 + VAT |
Source: Sevenoaks School's fees overview page, retrieved 25 September 2026.
These are Sevenoaks's most recently published fees, for the 2026/27 academic year (up from the 2025/26 figures previously cited here). The school had not yet published 2027/28 fees — the year in which a September 2027 Sixth Form entrant will actually start — at the time of writing (checked September 2026); families should confirm the exact 2027/28 termly fee directly with the school closer to enrolment, since UK independent schools typically publish the following year's fee schedule only a few months ahead. Fees include lunch every school day, including Saturdays, plus core textbooks and exercise books for timetabled subjects; individual music, drama and sport tuition, along with equipment and stationery, are charged separately.
These are two entirely separate admissions routes into the same school, at different ages, with different tests and — most importantly — a different curriculum outcome, since every pupil ends up on the same IB pathway regardless of when they joined. Families who assume 16+ simply repeats the 13+ Common Entrance format, or that the same deadline pattern applies, are working from the wrong assumption.
If your son or daughter is preparing for Sevenoaks's 13+ entrance route into the Senior School, our Sevenoaks School 13+ preparation guide covers that process in full, including the Common Entrance and scholarship routes used at that entry point. This page is specifically for families whose child did not join at 11+ or 13+, or who are now considering a move to Sevenoaks for Sixth Form study — a later, IB-specific decision with its own deadline, papers and boarding considerations.
Weighing Sevenoaks Against Other 16+ Schools?
Our specialist tutors also prepare candidates for Wellington, Westminster, Eton and North London Collegiate's own 16+ routes, so a family applying to more than one school gets one tutor who already knows every format.
Book a Free Consultation Message us on WhatsAppBecause Sevenoaks's registration deadline fell three weeks to over a month before every comparable school Leading Tuition has checked for this cycle, effective preparation has to start earlier in the school year than families typically plan for — realistically, the spring term of Year 11 rather than the summer holiday before it. Our specialist tutors typically focus preparation across three strands matched to Sevenoaks's specific format.
The first strand is the three timed papers themselves: English Literature, Maths Standard Level, and the combined Science and Humanities paper, each of which rewards extended, structured written responses under real time pressure rather than the shorter GCSE-style answers most Year 11 students are used to. The second strand is the 40-minute group discussion, which every candidate completes regardless of subject choice and which — unlike a one-to-one interview — specifically assesses how a candidate listens, builds on others' points and contributes without dominating. The third strand, relevant to any candidate proposing Higher Level Maths, is the additional 45-minute paper, which needs targeted preparation distinct from the Standard Level paper every candidate sits.
For students weighing up their eventual university applications alongside 16+ entry, our university personal statement support and Oxbridge admissions preparation can run alongside 16+ entry preparation, since strong IB Diploma performance — Sevenoaks's Class of 2026 cohort averaged around 10 points above the world average — feeds directly into competitive university applications. Our dedicated IB tuition and Extended Essay support are also available once a student joins, since the subject-specific written papers at 16+ are effectively a preview of the analytical depth Sevenoaks expects across the IB Diploma.
Reviewed September 2026: dates, fees, registration fee, deposit, scholarship process and IB results checked against Sevenoaks School's own admissions, fees and exam-results pages, and against four comparator schools' own admissions pages.
Sevenoaks School's own admissions page states that the school admits "approximately 85 students, most of them boarders, which increases the year group by more than a third" at 16+ entry. The school does not publish a separate figure for how many of those places are actually offered each year; its how-to-apply page states only that offers of places "are sent at the start of December," and the current cycle's own timetable confirms outcomes are emailed to candidates on 1 December 2026. Families should treat the 85-place figure as the school's own stated intake ceiling, not a guaranteed number of offers.
For September 2027 entry, Sevenoaks's registration deadline was 1 September 2026. The school's own site describes the underlying rule as "the deadline to register for entry into the Lower Sixth is 1 September, 12 months ahead of entry". This was earlier than every other 16+ deadline Leading Tuition has independently verified for the same cycle: Wellington College's was 21 September 2026, Westminster School's is 30 September 2026, North London Collegiate School's is 9 October 2026, and Eton College's is 4 October 2026. Sevenoaks's confirmation form and personal statement were due a week later, on 8 September 2026.
Sevenoaks states candidates sit three timed papers on Assessment Day — "English Literature 45 minutes, Maths Standard Level 45 minutes, and Science and Humanities 90 minutes (plus 5 minutes reading time)" — with those pursuing Higher Level Maths sitting an additional 45-minute paper. Every candidate also takes part in "a 40-minute group discussion led by our teachers," held online for candidates not testing at the school itself. The 2026-27 cycle's Assessment Day is 17 October 2026, with international sessions run in mid-October for overseas candidates, followed by a reference request from the candidate's current school before offers are emailed on 1 December 2026.
Sevenoaks does not publish a formal minimum GCSE or IGCSE grade threshold for 16+ entry. Its written assessment tests English, maths and a combined science-and-humanities paper rather than a candidate's specific proposed IB Higher Level subjects, so broad, consistent performance across a candidate's GCSE subjects is more directly relevant than exceptional strength in just two or three of them. Families cannot benchmark against an official points or grade figure before applying, since Sevenoaks has not published one.
Sevenoaks teaches the International Baccalaureate Diploma exclusively at Sixth Form and has done so since 1978, when it became, in the school's own words, "the first British public school to teach the IB Diploma" — there is no A-level option at any entry point. The current Sixth Form has over 450 students from more than 70 nationalities. In its most recently published results (the Class of 2026), Sevenoaks reports an average score of 39.8 points, "around 10 points above the world average," with 138 of that cohort — well over half — scoring 40 points or more out of a possible 45.
Academic scholarships at 16+ are decided on a candidate's performance in the main entrance assessments, not a separate scholarship exam, and are announced with place offers at the start of December. Co-curricular scholarships in art, drama and sport are open to external 16+ applicants alongside music scholarships available at every entry point; music scholars receive free tuition in one instrument. Sevenoaks states it "no longer offer[s] a financial element" to any scholarship, directing support instead through means-tested bursaries — which its own pages state are open to day students only, with boarders eligible only via a SpringBoard Foundation referral or a government Continuity of Education Allowance.
Our specialist tutors prepare Year 11 candidates for Sevenoaks's specific three-paper Assessment Day — English Literature, Maths Standard Level, and the combined Science and Humanities paper — plus the 40-minute group discussion that every candidate completes regardless of subject choice. Because Sevenoaks's registration deadline fell three weeks to over a month before every comparable school Leading Tuition has checked, we recommend starting preparation in the spring term of Year 11 rather than the summer, so a candidate's proposed IB Higher Level subjects are already the sharpest part of their profile well before the 17 October Assessment Day. Book a free consultation to discuss a plan built around your child's chosen subjects and application timeline.
Our specialist tutors work with Year 11 students preparing for Sevenoaks's three-paper Assessment Day, group discussion and IB-focused interview, building a plan around Sevenoaks's registration timetable and your child's proposed Higher Level subjects. Rated 4.8/5 on Trustpilot by parents.
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