Judd School 11 Plus Guide
It might be difficult to find your way around the 11 Plus the first time as a parent. How do you aid your kid in getting ready for the Judd School 11 Plus Exam? What kind of exam structure is it? What stores sell test papers? We’ve provided parents with a “Judd School 11 Plus Tips” in this article that seeks to address all of your concerns.
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The Judd School, Kent
The Judd School is a grammar school for boys in Kent. It is an average size secondary school with a mixed Sixth Form. The school is known for its academic excellence: in 2013 The Daily Telegraph ranked The Judd School as the second best school in Kent whilst The Sunday Times ranked it as the 12th best state secondary school in the country. This page has everything you need to know about The Judd School and can help you get started with the admissions process. You can also find helpful information about the 11 plus exam, such as exam practice resources, information about exam boards and key dates in the calendar.
School details:
Address: The Judd School, Brook Street, Tonbridge, TN9 2PN
County: Kent
Type of school: Boys grammar school, co-educational at Sixth Form
Age range: 11-18
Ofsted rating: Outstanding
Number of pupils: 1095
Admissions to Year 7: 180 (plus 4 places for students with Autistic Spectrum Disorder)
Open evening (2024 entry): The tours have already taken place in July; you can find more information here.
11+ exam date (2023 entry): 29th September 2023
Exam board: GL (Kent Test)
Admissions phone number: 01732 770880
Admissions email address: admissions@judd.kent.sch.uk
A Brief Overview of The Judd School and its Performance
The Judd School was originally established in 1888 and has had a Sixth Form since 1903. The school became a grammar school in 1944 and parents therefore do not pay fees, although they are encouraged to donate to The Judd School Development Fund, which raises money for future construction projects. In terms of student make up, approximately 9% of pupils speak English as a second language, 2% are on free school meals and 2% have some support for special educational needs.
The school’s results are consistently excellent: you can see a full breakdown of GCSE and A-Level results for the last 3 years here and they make for impressive reading. In 2019, more than half of all GCSE entries were graded 8 or 9 (old style A*) and over 90% of students achieved the equivalent of 5 or more A grades. 56 students in Maths also achieved a 9 with a further 41 a grade 8. At A-Level, in 2019 more than a quarter of all A level results were graded A*, with 85% of grades awarded A* – B for the third successive year. Top performing subjects, where over 50% of grades were A*s, were English Literature, Further Mathematics and Latin. In addition, 15 students achieved straight A*s and last year 23 Year 13 students received Oxbridge offers, bringing their total Oxbridge offers over the last 5 years to 126, with a record high of 37 in 2017. The vast majority of students go onto higher education; last year the school supported 250 UCAS applications, their highest ever.
In 2022, in GCSEs it’s their tenth straight year with more than half of all results at grade 8 or 9, equivalent to the old A*.
In A levels, more than a quarter (28%) of all grades awarded at A* almost half of all students (46.5%) achieving 3 A grades or better, with 40% of students having all their grades at A*/A. 26 students achieving all A* grades. More than two thirds (69%) are successfully placed at their firm choice University.
Judd School 11 Plus Admissions Process: 2024 Entry
If you plan on sending your child to The Judd School in September 2024 then it is important to take note of these key dates below. You can also find their official Judd School 11 Plus Admissions Policy and further information on their website.
Preparing for The Judd School’s 11 Plus Exam
Kent is the largest grammar school area in the UK, with over 35 grammar schools to choose from. The Kent Test is used by almost all of these schools (you can see a list of these schools here). However, despite the choice of schools, the process is still very competitive – between 14,000 and 17,000 students take the Kent Test every year, far exceeding the number of places.
For the Kent Test, students sit two papers. The first is an hour-long Reasoning paper, divided into verbal reasoning (questions involving words and symbols); non-verbal reasoning (questions involving shapes and patterns); and spatial reasoning (questions involving manipulating space and shape).
The second is an hour long English and Maths paper, with 30 minutes for each section. English questions tend to test students’ vocabulary; spelling, punctuation and grammar; and comprehension skills. The Maths questions are mostly based around the National Curriculum, but a small number of questions are designed to see how students can apply known Maths skills to unfamiliar problems. You can find more information here.
You can find a familiarisation booklet, with example questions, here, as well as a past familiarisation booklet here. Both papers are multiple choice and it’s important that your child knows how to answer correctly as all papers will be marked by a computer. You can also find a guide to approaching Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning here; revising these should be a priority as your child will be less familiar with reasoning questions because they are not taught at school.
Judd School 11 Plus Sample Test Papers and Resources
As the Kent Test is based on the GL exam board there are past papers available online, but it’s important to remember that it does vary slightly from year to year in order to make it harder for students to prepare.
English
11+ English Multiple Choice Book 1 | Answer 1
11+ English GL Familiarisation Paper | Answers
Maths
11+ Maths Multiple Choice Book 1 | Answer Sheet 1
11+ Maths Multiple Choice Book 2 | Answer Sheet 2
11+ Maths GL Familiarisation Paper | Answers
Verbal Reasoning
11+ Verbal Reasoning Multiple Choice Book 1 | Answer Sheet 1
11+ Verbal Reasoning Multiple Choice Book 2 | Answer Sheet 2
Non-Verbal Reasoning
11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning Multiple Choice Book 1 | Answer Sheet 1
11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning Multiple Choice Book 2 | Answer Sheet 2
Additional Information about The Judd School
According to Ofsted, “students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted exceptionally well across the school. This actively encourages students’ pastoral and academic achievements, and ensures that students are well prepared for life in modern Britain.” The school has an excellent reputation for its sport (in particular rugby, cross-country, athletics and cricket) and they have recently added facilities at Vizards, six rugby pitches, two cricket squares and a 3G rugby pitch. Younger students can also play tennis and basketball. The school also offers extensive opportunities for extra-curricular opportunities, including clubs such as Medical Society, Christian Union and Programming Club, as well as music ensembles, choirs and orchestras, and a number of annual drama productions. There are also lots of trips on offer, including exchanges in France, Germany and India, rugby tours to South Africa and New Zealand, a ski trip to Canada and Cross Country competitions in Lanzarote and Paris. The school has also taken part in the World Challenge Expedition in Borneo and a cricket tour in Barbados. You can find out more about the everyday life of the school from their prospectus and their Virtual Open Evening.
The Judd School FAQs
What is The Judd School’s Ofsted rating?
The Judd School’s Ofsted rating is ‘Outstanding’. You can find all the previous reports and ratings here.
Does The Judd School have a catchment area?
Yes. 157 places are allocated to students in the Inner Area; you can find out which postcodes are included in the catchment area in their Admissions Policy. 23 places will be allocated to students from the Outer Area which is defined simply as outside of the Inner Area but within the United Kingdom.
What is the pass mark for the Kent Test?
This varies slightly year on year – last year it was 332, with an additional requirement that students had to score at least 108 in each of the three sections – English, Maths, and Reasoning.
What happens if The Judd School is oversubscribed?
In the event that more students pass the entrance exams than there are places, then priority will be given to looked after children or previously looked after children, then to children with the highest test scores, and where scores are the same, priority will be given to the child who lives closest to the school. Up to 5 places are also available for students with Pupil Premium / Free School Meals. You can find more information in their Admissions Policy.
How many students usually pass the Kent Test?
Again, this will vary year on year, but normally around 20-21% of the cohort taking the test pass.
Does The Judd School have a uniform?
Yes – you can find all the details about the uniform, as well as the contact details of the suppliers, here.
How many other grammar schools are there in the area?
There are 32 grammar schools in Kent (excluding Medway) – you can see a full list here.
Is there a waiting list?
Yes, there is a waiting list that is maintained for the entirety of the first academic year. You can find out more information about this here.
You can also access further 11 plus exam resources below:
A Guide to Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning Tests
Best Private Schools in the UK: Top 100 in 2022
11+ Maths Exam: Helping Your Child to Prepare and Pass in 2023
Meet the 11+ Online Tutors Delivering Results
When Should you Start to Prepare Your Child for the 11 Plus Exam