11 Plus Kent Test Conference

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The Kent Test and admissions to grammar schools in the county are to be discussed at a conference at County Hall, Maidstone, on 21st October, between 5 p.m. and 7.30 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased here: www.nationaltutoringconference.org.uk

Full address details: County Hall, Maidstone, ME14 1XQ

The Conference will focus on five themes:

  1. The New Kent Test, sat earlier this month for the second time. The results of this year’s test will be sent out the week before the Conference

  2. Alternatives to the Test, with five Kent grammar schools now setting their own tests as an additional way of qualifying

  3. How primary schools approach the Kent Test and the controversial issue of coaching

  4. Appeals to grammar schools

  5. The range in expectations of standards for admission to Kent grammar schools

There are four main speakers, all independent experts in their own field:

PETER READ a well-known Independent Education Adviser, who works with parents on school admissions and appeals, and runs my own website at www.kentadvice.co.uk. This offers some 600 pages of information, advice, comment and news on Kent and Medway school issues, including detailed analysis of the New Kent Test and many grammar school matters. I also appear regularly on local radio and television, with occasional forays into the national media and write for Kent on Sunday, regarding local school matters.

MATTHEW BARTLETT is the headteacher of Dover Grammar School for Girls, a heavily oversubscribed school that has had three consecutive OFSTED Outstanding assessments. The school has run the Dover Test successfully for many years offering admission by either this route or the Kent Test. Successfully, because the school is consistently amongst the highest performers at GCSE and A Level in the county, although far from the more prosperous areas of West Kent.

EMMA HICKLING is the Executive Headteacher of Kingswood, Ulcombe CofE, and Leeds & Broomfield CofE Primary Schools Collaboration in Maidstone. She has wide experience of advising parents about grammar school applications.

MARYLYN ATKINS is an Education Consultant and Independent Appeal Administrator for many schools who also advises on school appeals. She overseas grammar school appeals for seven schools and offers a wide range of experience. She is a retired long-standing grammar school headteacher.

The Conference is planned to encourage an open discussion of issues around the key themes, with the expectation that there will be opportunities to ask for individual advice from Peter and Marylyn in particular, on school admissions and appeals.

The whole event is supported by the award winning Kent on Sunday, which will be reporting on proceedings afterwards.

Proceeds will be donated to the youth mental health charity Charlie Waller Memorial Trust.