Secondary
Selection Tests
The Bexley selection tests for children who are due to transfer to secondary school in September 2010, that is children born between 01/09/98 and 31/08/99, will be held on Tuesday 22 and Wednesday 23 September 2009.
There will be two tests, in Mathematics (22 September) and Verbal Reasoning (23 September).
If your child attends an independent school or a primary school outside Bexley, you must register for the tests by telephoning the School Admissions Team on 020 8303 7777 option 6 or by e-mailing customer.services@bexley.gov.uk to request a registration form. You can do this from 5 May 2009 onwards, and completed forms must be returned by 17 July 2009. Registration forms received after this date will not be accepted.
Children attending Bexley primary schools, apart from the Catholic primary schools and the Business Academy Bexley Primary Section, will automatically be included in the testing process.
If your child attends a Bexley Catholic primary school or the primary section of the Academy and you wish your child to take the tests, you will need to let the Head Teacher of the school know in writing by 26 June 2009 so that the information can be forwarded to the Council before 17 July 2009. Arrangements will then be made for your child to sit the tests either in the school or at a test centre.
Please read this leaflet for more details about the tests -  The Bexley Selection Tests (584KB, PDF file)
The Bexley selection tests for children transferring to secondary school in September 2009 were held in September 2008.
If you have just moved to Bexley and your child has missed the selection tests, you should contact the School Admissions Team on 020 8303 7777 Option 6 or admissions.els@bexley.gov.uk to discuss the possibility of late testing.
Both of Bexley’s tests are multiple choice tests, with answers marked on a separate sheet. Verbal Reasoning tests a child’s understanding and skill in handling logical ideas expressed in writing. Mathematics tests a child’s level of attainment, and the questions will be based on the National Curriculum.
There will be 50 Mathematics questions and 75 Verbal Reasoning questions. The time allowed for each test is 50 minutes. The tests are provided by the National Foundation for Educational Research.
Specimen questions have been prepared for schools and parents to work through with children, and there are practice questions at the start of each test to enable all children to understand what is required. Children should be able to tackle the tests using the knowledge and skills they have learnt during normal school lessons. The specimen questions will not be changed each year.
You can download and print the questions here, but if you would prefer a paper copy, please e-mail your name and address to selectiontests@bexley.gov.uk . Please read the introduction and notes carefully before your child attempts the questions.
If a pupil is achieving the selective standard in an all-ability school, testing is possible towards the end of Year 7, 8 or 9. Parents requesting testing will need to provide a school report that shows the National Curriculum levels at which their child is working, to the School Admissions Team in May or early June of the year when they are requesting testing. Testing will only be agreed where the school report indicates that the pupil’s level of achievement in the National Curriculum is at the level expected of selective pupils.
A child who is deemed selective as a result of these tests is not guaranteed a place at a selective school, as places only become available if other pupils leave. Parents would be invited to express a preference for the school they wish their child to attend. The criteria set out in the ‘Admission to Secondary Schools in Bexley’ booklet will be used to decide which pupils will be offered places in the event of a school being over-subscribed.
The information on this page relates only to the Bexley selection tests. If you need information about tests for entry to schools outside Bexley, you should contact that Local Authority or school for details.
You can e-mail selectiontests@bexley.gov.uk with questions not answered on this page. |
