Kent Test 2026

Good luck…hope your son gets into Skinner’s. My sons went there and absolutely thrived,both very different characters but I cannot speak highly enough about the school! I was at Freeway today getting my car fixed and just sitting there looking at Skinners opposite just made me smile.

Money talks just like anywhere else, and grammar schools can't cancel that out. But it isn't just about money, it is more about resources and having parents involved. If a low income family is really determined to go the grammar route, they can start years early and use all the free stuff online to practice, which helps make up for not having tutors and prep schools. The sad part is that low income families are usually the ones where parents just don't have the extra energy to help with learning.

Anyone else having trouble with the SCAF on the Kent website? It wont load past the first details page :(

Kids who live in eg Orpington, Bexley, Sutton etc are also being displaced from their more local grammars by competition so they apply to eg Kent as well. It would be far better if there were one test and similar criteria and so kids could all choose their more local schools. There are equally kids who will travel from Tonbridge/TW/Sevenoaks to eg Orpington for “higher league table” schools.

This is so sad.

I am a tutor in the area and there was a huge interest this year for grammar places.

• independent schools are no longer an option for several parents now, so they tutor heavily for grammar.

• The exam was easier this year

It does seem bonkers Kent don't charge anything for the test from people who don't live in Kent. Weren't we meant to be going bankrupt and in dire straits (Reform apparently having to sell of our culture such as works of art and buildings etc).

Again I really do wish they kept better records of who takes the papers from which area, as schools must also want to know how many pupils from London, who were likely just sitting it as a free tuition session, they can knock off the student roll and let local families know the new/real grade boundaries. Maybe they should do a system more like UCAS where they have to put 1st/2nd/3rd choice or "other"?

Thank you. I haven’t spoken to the school yet as was leaning towards St Greg’s or Boys Grammar until yesterday. Going to look round it on Monday so perhaps I will find someone to ask. Thanks for the info on amount of people with that score

Have you spoken to the school? A friend whose son got the same mark was told that there was a good chance with that mark and similar proximity. Skinners has narrower geographical catchment than Judd, and it looks like there are 85 boys in TW who passed with over 385, so it really depends on how many of them put it as first choice, and how many siblings there are who will get first priority.

I absolutely agree.

Well we had good news for my DS yesterday. Strong pass with 381. He really wants skinners, which this year, is asking for 385. We are about 1 mile away from the school so definitely in catchment and DS is also pupil premium. I’ve seen something on the skinners website about doing a SIF for PP as they have 16 places held back for PP and give them out in order of scores. I feel only being 4 marks away will hopefully put him in with a good chance. Then I feel guilty because his PP status is only due to me not working when my husband and first separated and our children are not “under-privileged” in the true sense. I’ve heard of several boys in DS class that got in the 370’s are still putting skinners as first choice so I do wonder if there’s any movement in the skinners cut off score

Of course the VAT has had an impact - people desperate to avoid school fees and it's impacting other children in the process.

Where did you get these figures? Thank you!

I agree with you. The girl in a PP from a low income background and failed by one mark with no tutoring is likely much more capable than those from prep schools who were also tutored and who scored 20/30 marks over her. That should be the point of the grammar system but money talks as usual in this country. Gutting for kids like that.

It looks like a lot of kids got the higher scores, not in the same proportions as last year even taking into account the uplift. I suspect the cut off marks for the super selectives will be extremely high and not just 13 over what they were last year as there are more kids with the higher marks than last year. And skinners boundaries likely to be closer to school too for those with at least 40 over. Seems like they went a bit far the other way with making it easier after a lot of grumbles about the English being so difficult last year.

DS2 is in Year 8 now at a London grammar. However, he did do the Kent test as an OOC candidate and scored very highly. For those of us who are on the London Bridge line and close to the station there simply are a lot of schools they can easily access! Sutton schools, QE, St Olave’s, Judd, Skinners etc
I think you will find that a lot of the boys who would pass eg QE/Wilson’s would also get a very high score in the Kent or would get top 180 in the Bexley test. The tests all test the same kind of thing and some kids are just really clever. DS literally has two genius level boys in his form. As in, they win the national maths Olympiads type thing and are this that and the other national. It is definitely not everyone in his school, far from it, but a fair few highly gifted kids.

This is definitely a thing in London - parents know that this is a 'free' test that gives good practice under exam conditions for other 11 plus exams or prep school tests. It wouldn't surprise me if people do this from much further afield. We sat the test as OOC with the intention of moving (we did) and were sent an email asking about whether we were really considering schools in Kent.

I suspect that the VAT on school fees probably also means that a lot of people are now laser focused on grammar school entries and it's just going to make things a bit more difficult for those bright kids from less well off families. The kids from prep school do start off with a significant advantage, particularly in science and languages, but this tends to even itself out by year 9.

IMO there should be an uplift for kids from less advantaged backgrounds and grammars should have a slightly different entry points system for those coming from prep schools which teach NVR and VR and have 15 kids in the class.

If you’re over Longfield, Hartley or NAG way you have a fair shot I think as a few girls each year get in from this area and that’s about the 4 mile distance.

@Characterbuilding I think if a headteacher appeal took place and was successful then your results email would include that they were successful at appeal. I don’t think that is included if they appeal and wasn’t successful though. It seems mad they wouldn’t appeal for her. It doesn’t sound like they did if the HT is refusing to say. I’m sorry you have this to deal with.

My advice: if your DC fails it but should have passed, try not to worry’. DC1 failed, went to a comprehensive, got mostly 9s at GCSE, 4 x A star at A-Level and a 1st at a top flight uni. And did not even come close to passing the 11+ despite classes at school to prepare.

oh and they were very happy at the comprehensive and it was the nearest school (10 minute journey).

This is awful. I’d assume from them refusing to tell you that the answer is they didn’t appeal. I’m shocked they didn’t if DC was well over threshold and only one mark down in one subject. It’s not a private school is it? Prep schools that go to 13 are often pretty unenthusiastic about HT appeals as it’s only contributing to another pupil loss at 11.

That’s rubbish why can’t the headteacher just tell you? Your daughter sounds like a remarkable young lady btw- I’m sure she’ll do well in life regardless ❤️. Best of luck to her!

Does anyone have any data on Mayfield grammar school for girls? Went to the open evening yesterday and quite liked it. We would be OOC (4 miles away) so interested in knowing what was the lowest OOC scored accepted in previous years. DD scored 385.

Definitely apply for a place and appeal. I really feel for you both 💔