Kent is the largest remaining grammar school area in the country, with 35 wholly selective grammar schools and four partially selective schools.

The Dover Grammar schools have their own test (the Dover Test) and The Folkestone School also has it’s own test (the Shepway test). Tests are in Verbal Reasoning and Non-verbal Reasoning and tests in KS2 National Curriculum Maths and English. These schools also accept applicants who pass the Kent test. It is not necessary to pass both. The Folkestone School for Girls tends to be under-subscribed and a large proportion of their intake are from appeals.

Parents in Kent face a considerable challenge when completing their CAF (Common Application Form). The Admissions Criteria for schools differ for almost every school in the County and must be studied extremely carefully by prospective parents.

Some schools known as the “super-selectives” allocate places by score, but there may be geographic limits imposed as well. Other schools use distance or parish boundaries as the main criterion for admission. Schools that do not use score to allocate places may have rules about siblings taking priority. (It is illegal under the school Admissions Code to use score to allocate places and give priority to siblings.)

In previous years, the Kent and Medway test results were transferable. Candidates only had to sit one test even if they were applying to schools in the two counties. The tests now are kept separate.

Mayfield Grammar School admits girls through the Mayfield procedure where girls have been unsuccessful in the Kent testing procedure. If parents wish their daughter to take the Mayfield tests in addition to the Kent test they will need to obtain a registration form directly from the school.
The assessment tests will compromise of:

  • a computer based test which will assess verbal ability, numerical reasoning and non-verbal reasoning; and
  • an English paper to assess reading and writing skills (not computer based and not multiple choice).

Full details of the admissions criteria for all Kent schools can be found on the Kent County Council website.

 

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