For those parents who are considering entering their child for the Kent Test (also known as 11+ and PESE), we have provided you with an overview of the process so that you are aware of the various requirements placed upon all involved.

Registration

Parents will be able to register for the Kent Test online via www.kent.gov.uk/ola. If you register online and provide a valid e-mail address, you will receive your child’s assessment decision via e-mail on the published date. Please be aware that postal results can be delayed.

The test is taken at the beginning of September when your child enters Year 6.

The Kent Test is currently made up of a paper which covers Maths and English, one on Reasoning (verbal, non-verbal and spatial) and a Writing task.

Kent County Council have shared the proposed dates for the Kent Test on their website. Information from the web page is written below or you can follow the link: https://www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/schools/school-places/kent-test

A Kent Test familiarisation paper is also available on the Kent website;

https://www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/schools/school-places/kent-test#tab-3.

On the same page of KCC’s website you will find a link to free resources;

https://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/products/11plus-series-11-plus-practice-papers/11plus-familiarisation-materials/ this takes you to the GL Assessment website, which the publishers have made available for the benefit of families who cannot purchase commercially-available materials.

Results

When results are sent out to parents, they will simply confirm whether the child has passed the Kent tests or not. Further details will be supplied to the primary school, who will confirm the exact scores in a letter to parents.

Parental Appeals

Those who consider appealing, please be aware that you cannot appeal until you are allocated a school. If you wish to contact the school to arrange a meeting with the Headteacher to discuss your child’s scores and possible appeal, please find out the marks first.

The pass mark may vary from year to year.

Headteacher Assessment

Primary school headteachers are provided with the results at the beginning of October. They have the right to apply for a 'Headteacher Assessment' (often called Headteacher Appeal) for children who have not reached the pass standard. This is carried out on a confidential basis without parents being informed. A panel of headteachers consider a selection of work submitted by the primary school, the Writing Task undertaken as part of the Kent Test and a report containing evidence from the headteacher.

If the child is successful in the headteacher assessment, then the decision is regarded as a pass on an equal footing with those who gained automatic selection through test results. This means that the child is found selective and this decision is recognised at all Kent grammar schools.

Taking the Kent Test after the due date:

There are only two reasons for being able to take the Kent Tests after the agreed date:

1. Your child is ill for one or both tests and this is confirmed by a Doctor’s letter;
2. You move into Kent after 1 July and submit your SCAF (Secondary Common Application Form) by the advertised date in December.

If either of these reasons apply, you will have to wait until April and submit an application to individual schools through the in-year Admissions process who will arrange testing. Contact KCC admissions to confirm process.

Schools will offer some or all of their places to the highest scoring applicants. You need to read the oversubscription criteria for each school to determine the rules for each one.

Depending on the school, the pass mark may only be determined by the scores of those applying and will become public when decisions are announced.

Appeals

Appeals will be considered on an individual basis and should be discussed with your Headteacher. OCMAT's criteria for appealing for a Secondary School place will be considered on an individual basis. Please be aware that not all appeals may be able to be supported by the school and will be discussed with you at the initial meeting. As a general guide, children with scores below 100 in any of the tests, unless there are specific reasons for a low score (medical etc), are unlikely to be supported at parental appeal.

Cognitive Ability Tests (CAT scores)

At Selling CE Primary School, pupils in Year 5 take part in cognitive ability tests (CAT). The tests assess their ability in Maths, verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and spatial reasoning. They form part of our formal assessment process alongside other summative and formative assessments in the Summer Term.

Although the CAT tests are sometimes used as a guide to see if the Kent test is an option, parents are encouraged to make a holistic decision on whether to put children in for the Kent tests.

Once the CAT tests are complete and the results are calculated, parents receive their child's results alongside the marks required to be assessed as suitable for grammar school.

If your child has recently taken the CAT tests and you would like to talk to your child’s class teacher about their CAT scores and/or the Kent Test, please make an appointment at your earliest convenience.

We hope this gives you some insight into the Kent Test Process.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Mr Paez, who will be happy to help.

KCC - Kent Test Information