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 St. Olave’s 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 St. Olave’s 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 Boys
School Website: http://www.skinners-school.co.uk/prospective-students/eleven-plus-admissions/
Skinners School does not have a catchment area and allocates all 150 places on the basis of students’ scores. In previous years, boys have ultimately needed a score of around 360 in order to gain a place at the school.
In the first round of offers, students needed a score of approximately 380, however, this reduced over time as the school began to go through their waiting list of applicants.
What the School Says:
Offers are being made to 150 applicants for September 2016 Year 7 entry.
This year’s average PESE score of boys offered in the first round is 380.
The lowest score offered in the first round is 364.
Last time, first round offers were made to applicants who scored 364 and above i.e. the highest scoring 150 boys. Ultimately, this threshold dropped to 359.
This year, offers are being made to 150 applicants, who will be divided into five forms of 30 pupils.
Places are made depending on score.
DOWNLOAD THE \”ULTIMATE GUIDE TO THE 11+\”
School Website: http://frog.judd.kent.sch.uk/index.phtml?d=303753
Judd School allocates 135 places based on proximity to the school and 20 places to high scorers in the 11+, regardless of location. The school does not provide information on the scores of these 20 applicants, however, it is probably best to assume these scores will be at least as high as Dartford Grammar’s out-of-area pass mark of 375.
What the School Says:
The Inner Area
135 places will be allocated to students resident in the Inner Area, which is defined by the following postcodes:
TN1, TN2, TN3, TN4;
TN8, TN9, TN10, TN11, TN12, TN13, TN14, TN15; ME18, ME19;
TN16 1** and TN16 2** (not TN16 3** or TN16 9**); DA4 0** (not DA4 9**).
Plus the civil parish of Halstead (where this is not included above).
The Outer Area
20 places will be allocated to students resident in the Outer Area which is defined as being outside the Inner Area (above) and within the mainland of the United Kingdom.
Website: http://www.dartfordgrammarschool.org.uk/KeyInformation/Y7-Admissions/
Dartford Grammar (Boys) reserve 90 places for boys whose “primary residence lies within the Dartford Electoral Wards”. The 2016 score cut-off for these boys was 351 marks (out of 420).
The other 90 places are available to all applicants regardless of address. Boys in this category are taken on the basis of their scores. The 2016 cut-off for boys in this category was a score of 375 (out of 420) in the Kent 11+.
School Website: http://www.wgsb.org.uk/admissions
The school reserves 15 places per year for top 11+ performers and allocates all other places based on location.
What the School Says:
Priority will be given to:
1. Those students who have shown an exceptional performance in the tests (the top 10% of the combined scores for the Maths, English & Reasoning (15 students in total). Where a tie breaker occurs, the School will use distance as set out in Category 4 and 5 as its deciding factor.
2. Those who live within a 1.5 mile radius of the school as measured by the Ordnance Survey or on the following parishes:
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
3. By straight line distance as measured by the Ordnance Survey. Where a tie breaker occurs, the School will use distance as its deciding factor.
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\”
Website: http://www.twgsb.org.uk/191/admissions
Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys admits students based on their location (once they have passed the 11+). In 2016, the school’s catchment area extended to a 7.03 mile radius from the school.
Click here to read a blogpost with instructions on measuring the straight-line distance from your house to the school.
As the majority of our students are out of area for the grammar schools above, we are accustomed to preparing students to excel in the Kent 11+. Almost all of our Kent students have achieved scores of over 380 in the last few years, therefore making them eligible for admission to the Kent grammar school of their choice.
To find out more about how we can help your child to get into your first choice school, just click below.
KENT 11+ TUITION
KENT 11+ MOCK TESTS
t: 07871 766937