Grammar Schools in Bexley

Registration for the Bexley Selection Test is only open for one month, in May. This means you have to register your child when they are in Year 5. You will then receive instructions telling you where your child will take the test, which is normally at their current primary school. If your child is not at a primary school in the Bexley area, they will usually take the exam at a test centre.

There are four schools in the Bexley area which use the test. These are Bexley Grammar School, Beths Grammar School, Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School, and Townley Grammar School. These schools have come together to offer one 11+ test, meaning that children who wish to apply to more than one of these schools just need to take one examination.

Whilst there are other secondary schools in Bexley, there are only four grammar schools: Bexley Grammar School, Beths Grammar School, Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School, and Townley Grammar School. It is important to note that these schools are heavily over-subscribed and only around 30% of those children who take the Bexley Test are assessed as grammar school standard and therefore go forward for a place.

The Bexley Test results come out in October. As they are marked by computer, the results are available very quickly. It is important to note that parents will receive not only individual scores for the three components (verbal reasoning and comprehension are given an overall combined score), but also an overall standardised score which is the score which determines if your child is of grammar school standard or not. It is also possible to request further information, such as the child’s ranked position in the test.

The Bexley Selection Test takes place in the September when your child is in Year 6. It takes place over one week, and the exact date will be notified to parents well in advance.

There is no specific pass mark for the Bexley Selection Test. Each school has a published admissions number, likely to remain at 180 for entry into Year 7. This means that there will be a cut off point for assessing a child as either of grammar school standard or not, depending on the number of children who take the test. Following this, admissions criteria will be applied. Around 30% of children who take the test are assessed as being of grammar school standard.

As the Bexley Selection test covers all areas: English, Maths, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning, it is likely that most children will find at least one area more challenging. It is important to prepare for taking the test by assessing which area requires the most work. Looking at school reports for English and Maths can help, but Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning are likely to be less familiar and will need careful preparation for most children.

It is likely that a score of 200 will suggest that the child is of average academic ability, so it is best to aim above this. All the four grammar schools in the Bexley area are over-subscribed, so aiming as high as possible is important. The overall score will determine whether a child is of grammar school standard or not, but it is important to note that this score is weighted 50% for verbal and comprehension and 25% each for non-verbal and maths.

Whilst there is no difference between the mark which will determine whether your child is assessed as of grammar school standard, there may be a difference in admissions criteria and some schools may be more over-subscribed than others. As all schools in the Bexley Selection Test group use the same test and have the same published admissions number, the score at which a child is offered a place is likely to vary between them

It will depend on the academic year, how many children apply and how well everyone performs in the test. Generally, the top 30% of children are assessed as of grammar school standard, and then schools will offer places based on strict admissions criteria to those children who are in that group. There may also be a waiting list available if families are prepared to wait for a decision until later in the year.

The Bexley Selection Test has two papers, each covering a wide variety of questions including comprehension, maths, verbal reasoning and reasoning. Each paper lasts around one hour as it includes time for the invigilator to give instructions and to allow children to do practice questions before they start the actual test. The questions take around 45 minutes to complete. Therefore it can be assumed that the whole testing process will last around 2 to 2 and a half hours.

The subjects assessed in the Bexley Selection Test are English (comprehension only), Verbal Reasoning, Mathematical Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. English and Maths are undoubtedly familiar to children from their lessons at school, whilst Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning may be less familiar. It is important to practice these subjects prior to taking the test so that confidence can be improved.

The Bexley Selection Test is written by GL Assessment. GL Assessment provide many tests at this level to schools around the country. As the papers are also marked by GL Assessment, there is little margin for error in marking. The scores are age-standardised and calculated, all by computer.

Because the question papers are mixed, with different subjects covered in each, it is difficult to predict the number of questions, as this will vary each year. However, it is reasonable to assume 30 to 45 seconds for reasoning questions and 1 minute for Maths and English questions. This likely means there will be around 60 to 70 questions in each test paper. It is more important to practice timings than to practice a specific number of questions.

Whilst it is not possible to apply for a remark (as the marking process is deemed to be almost 100% accurate), it is possible to apply for a Headteacher Review. Details can be found on the London Borough of Bexley’s website. Following National Secondary Schools Offer Day in March, it is also possible to appeal to a specific school if you feel your child should have been offered a place.

The Bexley Test has its origins in the 11 Plus grammar school tests which were introduced in 1944. Thereafter various consortia developed their own tests, whereby schools became groups which used the same test. The Bexley Test is designed to allow the local authority to identify the top 25% academically of children in the local area who will then be eligible to apply for one of the borough’s four grammar schools.

The Bexley Test is used to differentiate by academic ability. Children will sit two test papers, covering Maths, English, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning, and the top 25% of those children by order to result will then be able to apply for a grammar school.

Four grammar schools in the Bexley area use the Bexley Test as one part of their admissions criteria. These schools are: Bexley Grammar School, Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School, Townley Grammar School, and Beths Grammar School. It should be noted that all these schools have their own additional admissions criteria which run alongside the test.

Both the Kent Test and the Bexley Test are written and marked by GL Assessment. The differences lie in the mix of subjects. Whilst the Kent Test has one paper for Maths and English, and one for Reasoning, the Bexley Test has two papers with all four subjects mixed up. This means that there will be a similar number of questions for each test, but that children sitting the Bexley Test will be faced with a wider variety of questions within one paper.

Parents can support their child by ensuring that preparation is focused on the four subject areas covered by the test: Verbal and Non-Verbal reasoning, and English and Mathematics. Familiarisation materials are available on the GL Assessment website. Whilst there are no past papers available, it is possible to use other 11 Plus materials to help. Reading regularly, and staying in close communication with your child’s teacher will also help.