Sevenoaks school search
Sevenoaks School is co-educational, offers day and full boarding places, and requires every sixth-former to take the IB Diploma. Walthamstow Hall is a girls' day school whose sixth form offers A levels. That curriculum and boarding distinction should drive the shortlist.
Sevenoaks has two independent senior schools with very different propositions. Sevenoaks School is co-educational and offers day or full boarding places. Walthamstow Hall is a girls’ day school.
The most important difference appears in the sixth form. Every Sevenoaks School sixth-former takes the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma. Walthamstow Hall offers A levels. A pupil who strongly prefers one qualification can therefore narrow the decision before comparing grounds, clubs or results.
Sevenoaks School takes day pupils from age 11. Boarding begins at 13 and is full boarding rather than flexi boarding. Boarders are expected in residence from Monday to Friday and on some Sundays. Saturday morning lessons and afternoon sport apply to day and boarding pupils.
The IB Diploma requires six subjects plus Theory of Knowledge, an Extended Essay and Creativity, Activity, Service. It can suit an academically broad pupil who wants an internationally familiar qualification. It is a poor fit for someone who wants to concentrate on three A levels or keep that fallback available.
For 2026–27, fees per term including VAT are £12,514 for Lower and Middle School day pupils and £12,734 for continuing sixth-form day pupils. A new day pupil entering the sixth form pays £14,461 per term. Boarding is £20,472 per term in Middle School, £20,639 for a continuing sixth-former and £22,383 for a new sixth-form boarder. Lunch, textbooks and exercise books for timetabled subjects are included. Activities outside the timetable and a visa-administration fee can cost extra.
The current 2027 Year 7 application deadline is 21 September 2026, followed by pre-testing and an assessment day on 5 January 2027. Year 9 has two much earlier routes: Early Decision is three years ahead, while Later Decision closes on 1 November of Year 7. For 2027 sixth-form entry, the published application deadline was 1 September 2026, with assessment on 17 October. Contact Admissions before applying late; do not assume the online form means the normal round remains open.
Means-tested assistance is available only for day candidates who meet the school’s criteria, not for boarding candidates.
Walthamstow Hall is on Holly Bush Lane. The junior school begins in Year 3 and the senior school in Year 7. There is no boarding.
This is the more natural fit for a daughter who wants a girls’ school, needs a day routine in or around Sevenoaks, and expects to specialise through A levels. At sixth-form entry, the school advises at least seven GCSEs at grades 9–6, including English and Mathematics, with grade 7 recommended in intended A-level subjects.
The 2026–27 senior tuition figure is £10,365 per term from September 2026. Lunch is separate at £406 per term. Families using breakfast, late study, minibus routes, music or other paid activities should add those lines before comparing the total with Sevenoaks School.
For Year 7 entry in September 2027, applications close on 2 October 2026. Interviews run from September to November. Girls normally sit the ISEB Common Pre-Tests at their current school; the school offers a sitting on 11 November 2026 for candidates who cannot do so. Offers are due in mid-December.
A Year 7 offer can be deferred to Year 9 for pupils remaining at a prep school. Direct Year 9 applications for September 2027 also close on 2 October 2026. The school’s dates page still carries a stale reference to “Spring Term 2026” in that section, so ask the registrar for the actual 2027 examination date.
Choose Sevenoaks School when the IB is a positive choice and co-education or boarding matters. Choose Walthamstow Hall when a girls’ day school and A levels are the better match.
Then check the less obvious constraints:
The United Kingdom guide gives wider admissions context. Boarding, day and the in-between helps test whether residential school is genuinely necessary.
The Sevenoaks city hub links both detailed school profiles.
Friendly orientation, not formal admissions advice. Always confirm dates with the school.
Sevenoaks is a selective day and full-boarding school for ages 11–18. Pupils take GCSEs or IGCSEs before an all-IB Sixth Form. Entry routes, costs and boarding commitments need separate scrutiny.
SevenoaksWalthamstow Hall is a selective girls' day school in Sevenoaks for Years 3 to 13. Its senior pupils take GCSEs or IGCSEs followed by A levels, not the IB. Applications for 2027 Year 7 and Year 9 entry close on 2 October 2026.
LondonAlleyn’s is a selective co-educational day school for ages 4–18. This guide explains the different junior-school routes, the 11+ and 16+ processes, and the costs that sit outside tuition.
BristolBristol Grammar School is a selective, co-educational independent day school from Reception through Sixth Form. Its subject range makes it worth considering for a child who wants academic choice while living at home. Senior and Sixth Form fees are £7,422 per term from autumn 2026. Admissions pages still describe the previous entry round, so families applying for 2027 need a new timetable.
Start with the qualification your child would actually receive. Then check its subjects, language demands, and recognition in the countries where they may study next.
7 minStart with your child and the family's likely plans. Define the non-negotiables, verify the school's claims, compare three realistic options and visit with specific questions.
7 minTuition is only one line of the budget. Separate charges from advance payments, record what each figure includes, and ask the school to confirm your calculation in writing.
7 minA useful visit should help you picture your child’s school day and resolve the questions that matter to your family. Ask for concrete examples, then separate what you observed from what you were told.