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Thousands of children from Bromley, Orpington, Sidcup and Bexley sit the Kent test each year but often their parents don\’t realise that they are at a disadvantage because of their distance from the schools. This means they not only need to pass but they need to do exceptionally well in order to gain a place.
Given that there are approximately 40 schools covered by the Kent 11+, it can be difficult – and not to mention time-consuming – to go through all of the admissions policies in order to ascertain whether your child might have a chance at attending that school.
We’ve been through dozens of grammar school admissions policies and have selected a few Kent grammar schools that reserve places for those living some distance from the school, thus making them suitable for those living in the Bromley and Bexley areas. These schools have also been chosen for having good transport links from Bromley, Orpington and Sidcup.
It should be noted that Newstead Wood School has not been included in this list as the school has its own entrance test and is therefore not covered by the Kent 11+ exam. For more information on Newstead Wood admissions, please click here.
Note: The following schools almost all give preference to “looked after” students and students with siblings already at the schools. For information on sibling preferences, please visit the school admissions websites directly.
Click on the school name to skip to the relevant section:
Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Girls
Tonbridge Grammar School for Girls
Dartford Grammar School for Girls
Wilmington Grammar School for Girls
Website: https://www.tgs.kent.sch.uk/year7-admissions/
Tonbridge Grammar School is a popular choice as it has been doing particularly well in national secondary school rankings in the last few years, often placing above Newstead Wood School.
Following a recent consultation, the school now has places for 180 girls a year and reserves 10 places for students eligible for Pupil Premium. The Pupil Premium spaces are reserved for those living close to the school (in the districts listed below).
Going forward, the school will now reserve 135 places for those living within specified parishes/towns, 35 Governor places (for those that score the highest) and 10 Pupil Premium Places.
Governor places are given solely on the basis of score and are not dependent on the applicant’s home address. Students living outside of the Tonbridge/Sevenoaks area can therefore qualify for places at the school if they score particularly highly in the Kent 11+ exam.
The 135 “in area” spaces are reserved for students living in Tonbridge and Malling Borough, Tunbridge Wells Borough and Sevenoaks District areas. Girls living in these areas will then be prioritised on the basis of their scores.
A PDF on the school\’s website provides details of historical cut-off scores for the last 5 years. In recent years, the cut-off score for in area places has been between 360 and 370 (out of 420). The cut-off score for out-of-area places is around 370 to 390. When there is a tie between applicants for the last place, distance from the school is used a tie-breaker.
DOWNLOAD THE \”ULTIMATE GUIDE TO THE 11+\”
Website: http://www.twggs.kent.sch.uk/pages/admissions.html
Tunbridge Wells Grammar School gives preference to girls from a long list of parishes and towns around the Tunbridge Wells area (details below). Beyond these areas, they give preference to students based on straight-line distance from the school.
List of prioritised parishes and towns:
Eligible girls living within the following parishes/towns; please see Appendix 1 for map – Bidborough, Brasted, Chevening, Chiddingstone, Cowden, Dunton Green, Edenbridge town, Hadlow, Halsted, Hever, Hildenborough, Ightham, Kemsing, Knockholt, Leigh, Otford, Pembury, Penshurst, Plaxtol, Riverhead, Seal, Sevenoaks town, Sevenoaks Weald, Shipbourne, Shoreham, Southborough, Speldhurst, Sundridge, Tonbridge town, Royal Tunbridge Wells town, Westerham.
Like Tonbridge Grammar School, the school reserves 14 Governor places for girls that scored particularly highly in the Kent 11+ exam. In the case of a tie, straight-line distance from the school is used as the deciding factor.
The school does not release information on the historical cut-off scores for Governor’s places, but it is probably safe to assume that, like Dartford Grammar for Boys and Tonbridge Grammar, scores will need to be in the region of 375 to 390 (out of 420).
Website: http://www.dartfordgrammargirls.kent.sch.uk/133/admissions
Like many of the other Kent 11+ schools, Dartford Grammar reserves 100 places for girls living in parishes closest to the school (list below).
Ash-cum-Ridley
Horton Kirby and South Darenth
Bean
Longfield and New Barn
Crockenhill
Southfleet
Darenth
Stone
Eynsford
Sutton at Hone and Hawley
Farningham
Swanley
Fawkham
Swanscombe and Greenhithe
Hartley
West Kingsdown
Hextable
Wilmington
The school also reserves spaces for girls with siblings at the school as well as Pupil Premium students. After places have been assigned to the aforementioned categories, the remaining places are offered to the highest scoring applicants, regardless of their home address.
There are 180 places available at the school in total, although historical information shows that around 15-25 places are given each year to those with siblings at the school. This therefore leaves approximately 60 places to be allocated to high scorers.
Again, this school does not release information on the historical cut-off scores for out-of-area applicants. They do, however, assign an unusually high number of places to those living out of area. Based on information provided by other schools, you should probably expect a score of 370-380 to be needed to gain an out-of-area place.
School Website: www.wealdofkent.kent.sch.uk/83…
At Weald of Kent, all places are assigned on the basis of distance from the school. Students living in the Bromley area are highly unlikely to gain places at Weald of Kent, however, the school’s map of their catchment area shows that those on the outskirts of Orpington can gain admission to the school.
Last year, the very lowest score offered in the first round of admissions was 371.
What the school says:
\”Weald of Kent accepts students from towns and areas in the order set out below.
\”Priority will be given to category A) followed by category B) then category C).
\”The distance from the child’s permanent home to the designated OS point of the Tonbridge site will be used in conjunction with the order of priority given below.
\”A. Tonbridge Town, the District of Sevenoaks, and the Parishes of Ightham, Kings Hill, Pembury, Platt and St Mary’s Platt, Plaxtol and Shipbourne.
\”(Please see appendix 4 for postcodes and/or boundary details.)
\”B. All TN Postcodes apart from TN1, TN2 and TN4 (with the exception of the Parish of Pembury)
\”C. All other areas including TN1, TN2 and TN4\”
School Website: http://www.gsgw.org.uk/176/admissions
Wilmington Grammar School for Girls reserves a limited number of places for top scorers in the Kent 11+ exam, however, the school places contradictory information around this in its Admissions Policy. The school states that the Published Admissions Number (PAN) is 150, meaning 150 girls are offered places at the school each year. The Admissions Policy then goes on to say that 10% of these places are allocated to top scorers, however, it states that 10% of this number is equal to 12 places, rather than 15.
It is safe to assume that either 12 or 15 places are offered each year to top scorers, although this would need to be clarified. Nevertheless, these places are offered to those that perform exceptionally well in the maths section of the Kent 11+ exam.
The remaining places at the school are offered to those within specified parishes around the school (list below). Girls are prioritised based on distance from the school (measured as straight-line distance) and not on the basis of their scores.
A list of prioritised parishes is listed below.
Dartford
Stone
Swanscome & Greenhithe
Wilmington
Darenth
Bean
Hextable
Sutton at Hone & Hawley
Wrotham
Southfleet
Swanley
Horton Kirby & South Darenth
Longfield & New Barn
Crockenhill
Farningham
Fawkham
Hartley
Eynesford
Ash Cum Ridley
Shoreham
West Kingsdown
Stanstead
Otford
Kemsing
Halstead
Dunton Green
Meopham
Istead Rise
At Kin Learning, we are accustomed to helping out-of-area students score highly enough to gain a place at super-selective Kent grammar schools. To start your child on the path to success, click below.
KENT 11+ TUITION
KENT 11+ MOCK TESTS
t: 07871 766937