Should your child sit the Kent or Bexley test?

We all want the best for our children, and given the choice, all children should have access to the best schools and wouldn’t need to sit the Kent or Bexley test to give them access to such a school. All schools should provide the same standard of education, and they should all be free – but in the real world, it’s a different story.

If you’re thinking of sending your child to selective school (a state school that has selection tests to pick the most able children), then you obviously have high hopes for your child. But can your child live up to those aspirations on the day of the Kent or Bexley test?

How to make the right decision

This is a personal choice that you have to make with (or on behalf of) your child. If you know that your child is very articulate, is a whizz at maths and is performing high above the national average, then why not?

If you are new to this whole grammar test and Kent or Bexley test conversation, then you could speak to your child’s teacher. If you live in Bromley, Bexley, Kent or other boroughs that have access to grammar schools, then you should be able to receive guidance on all this from your child’s teacher.

If your child is in year 4, you can raise the question during parents evening to see what the initial reaction is. If your child’s teacher doesn’t share your confidence try to find out why. If there are no alarming gaps in your child’s knowledge, ask for some extra homework and support to bridge those gaps.

Failing that, you can get an independent assessment from an experience 11-plus tutor.

Preparing for the 11-plus is quite an undertaking – even for the most able children. There will be papers to work through, and lots of additional learning to do outside of the usual primary school curriculum, so do your research before you make an informed decision.