Transition to Secondary School
Applying for a Secondary School
Choosing the right school for your child
When the time comes to apply for a secondary school place for your child, you can choose up to four schools, and it is important to consider which schools are best suited for your child. We are lucky enough in the Ashford/Maidstone area that we have a great many good schools around, and they all have different strengths.
Local secondary schools (listed in no particular order) that Egerton children move to at the end of year 6 are:
Homewood School & Sixth Form Centre
Maidstone Grammar School for Girls
Grammar Schools
If you are thinking about applying for a grammar school, then your child will only be considered if they have been assessed as suitable. The Ashford and Maidstone grammar schools listed above use the Kent Test as their assessment.
What Can You Do to Help?
- Be realistic - different schools suit different children.
- Visit the secondary schools with your child. Secondary schools advertise their open days/mornings/afternoons on their websites.
- Involve your child in the decision-making process.
- Try to avoid placing pressure on your child - too many feel that they have 'failed' if they do not meet the threshold.
- Remember that we are here to help.
The Kent Test (11+)
The Kent Test (also known as the 11+)
Your child does not need to take the Kent Test unless you (and your child) are interested in naming a grammar school as a preference. The school holds parental consultations with parents in early March to discuss suitability prior to registration.
- The tests are multiple-choice with a separate answer sheet. They are marked by an automated marking machine.
- The first test will be an English and Maths paper and will take 1 hour. Each section will involve a 5 minute practice exercise followed by a 25 minute test. The English section will involve a comprehension exercise as well as some additional questions drawn from a set designed to test literacy skills.
- The second test will be a reasoning paper. It will take about 1 hour, including the practice sections and questions. It will contain a verbal reasoning section and a non-verbal reasoning section of roughly the same length. The non-verbal reasoning will be split into short sections, administered and timed individually.
- There will also be a writing exercise which will not be marked but may be used by a local headteacher panel as part of the headteacher assessment stage of the process. 40 minutes will be allowed for the writing task, including 10 minutes planning time.
Examples of the types of questions can be found in the familiarisation booklet on the Kent website. Additional familiarisation materials can also be downloaded from the GL Assessment website here.
The school will support children through the process but cannot coach any children for the test.
Registration for the Kent Test is in the summer of Year 5.
On Kent Test Results day, you will receive an email or a letter saying that your child has been assessed as suitable for a grammar school placement (G) or a high school placement (H). The school is only allowed to discuss results the following day.
If your child was not tested or was not assessed as suitable for a Kent grammar school, you can still apply for a Kent grammar school, but your application will be turned down. You will then have the right to appeal to explain why you think grammar school is a suitable option for your child and this ‘Parental Appeal’ normally takes place in May.
Key Dates for Secondary Transition (September 2025)
| Monday 3rd June 2024 | Online Registration for Kent Test opens |
| Monday 1st July 2024 | Closing Date for Kent Test applications |
| Monday 2nd September 2024 | School applications open |
| Thursday 12th September 2024 | Kent Test Date |
| Thursday 17th October 2024 | Assessment decision sent to parents |
| Thursday 31st October 2024 | Closing date for secondary school applications |
| Monday 3rd March 2024 | National Offer Day (4pm) |
| Monday17th March 2024 | Places must be accepted/refused |
| Monday 31st March 2024 | Deadline for appeals to be submitted. |
If you wish to receive a paper registration form, please contact the Secondary Admissions Team on 03000 41 21 21 or email kent.admissions@kent.gov.uk
You can also print off a copy of the form www.kent.gov.uk/secondaryadmissions to complete and return.
CAT Tests
Children in Year 5 sit CAT tests each year. We use the results from these as an indication of how well a child may do in the Kent Tests. As soon as we have the results for your child, we will send these home with an explanatory letter and will offer one evening after school when you may book an appointment to discuss these with your child’s class teacher. We will not be offering everyone an appointment, as some parents will have already made their decision about the Kent Test or do not want their child to sit the test.