Are you considering Beths Grammar School in Bexley for your son? We've collated all the information you need to know about 2024 entry to Year 7. Keep reading to learn about key dates, the admissions process, and how to excel in the Bexley Selection Test 11 plus exam.
Contents
About Beths Grammar School
Beths Grammar School is a selective boys' academy in the south-east London Borough of Bexley. It strives to offer an 'exciting, purposeful, vibrant and thriving community that challenges and supports students in fulfilling their academic potential'.
With a specialism in modern languages, the school offers Mandarin Chinese lessons as well as French, German and Spanish. Purpose-built labs allow students access to state-of-the-art facilities for electronics, graphics, product design and coding. Beths Grammar was rated Good in its 2022 Ofsted inspection.
Address: Hartford Road, Bexley, DA5 1NE
Local authority: London Borough of Bexley
School type: boys' grammar
Headteacher: Richard Blyghton
Number of pupils: 1,363
National rank (Sunday Times Parent Power): 152
A level results: 70% A*–B
GCSE results: 70% 9/8/7
Key info for Year 7 admissions
Admissions contact: [email protected]
Number of places in Year 7: 192
11 plus registration opens: 15th May 2023
11 plus registration closes: 30th June 2023
Exam date: between 9th–14th September 2023 (exact date TBC)
Exam type: Bexley Selection Test
Common application form (CAF) deadline: 31st October 2023
National school offer day: 1st March 2024
Beths Grammar School term dates
The 2023–2024 term dates at Beths Grammar School are:
Autumn term: 1st September – 22nd December 2023
Half term: 21st October – 5th November 2023
Spring term: 8th January – 28th March 2024
Half term: 10th–18th February 2024
Summer term: 15th April – 24th July 2024
Half term: 25th May – 2nd June 2024
How to apply to Beths Grammar School
Beths Grammar School shares an entrance test with the three other schools in the London Borough of Bexley (Bexley Grammar, Chislehurst & Sidcup Grammar, and Townley Grammar). This means that your child only needs to take one exam – known as the Bexley Selection Test – to apply for these schools.
1. Register for the 11 plus
Before registering, speak to your child’s teacher to see if the 11 plus and grammar school is right for them.
While your child is in Year 5, register them to take the Bexley Selection Test on the council website. Registration opens in early May each year and closes at the end of June.
If you are considering schools outside Bexley, such as grammar schools in Kent, remember to register for their 11 plus exams too.
2. Apply for school places
Once your child has taken the exam, you will get their results in early October. You can use the results to decide which schools to include on your local authority application form.
Before listing Beths Grammar School as a preference on your form, check its admissions policy and make sure your child is eligible. As well as your child's exam score, how close you live to a school is an important factor in whether your child is likely to be offered a place.
The application form must be submitted to your home local council by 31st October 2023.
What's on the Beths Grammar School 11 plus exam?
The 11 plus exam for Beths Grammar School (the Bexley Selection Test) takes place between 9th–14th September 2023.
It consists of two papers, which include questions in four subject areas:
English comprehension
Maths
Verbal reasoning
Non-verbal reasoning
In April 2023, Bexley Council announced they're changing their 11 plus provider from CEM to GL Assessment.
Learn more and get free preparation resources in our full guide to the Bexley Selection Test:
What is the pass mark for Beths Grammar School?
There is no specified pass mark for Beths Grammar School. After your child takes the exam, their scores are age-standardised and combined to give them a total score across both papers. These total scores are ranked in order and the 180 highest-scoring children are eligible to be considered for a place.
As a result, the cut-off score varies from year to year and is only decided after the tests have been marked. Historically, the lowest mark at which a student has been offered a place at Beths Grammar School is 214.
Achieving a particular score doesn't guarantee a place at the school, as it is likely to be oversubscribed with qualified candidates. We always recommend researching the admission policies for your target schools, looking at their oversubscription criteria and their catchment area.
According to Bexley Council:
Only about 30% of children get a high enough mark to be able to apply to grammar school. Last year, 6,656 pupils registered to sit the test, and 2,047 were deemed selected. Getting into this group doesn’t guarantee a grammar school place, but it means grammar schools will look at your child’s application first.
Beths Grammar School admissions criteria
The planned admission number (PAN) for the school is 192. When there are more eligible applicants than there are places available, places are allocated in this order:
Looked-After or previously Looked-After Children.
Boys who have achieved the highest 180 scores in the Selection Test.
Boys who have a sibling at the school.
Boys who have a parent employed by the school on a permanent contract.
Up to 12 places for boys who get free school meals, in order of how close they live to the school.
Boys who live closest to the school, measured as a straight line distance between the child's home address to Beths Grammar School's east entrance on Hartford Road. Selection Test scores are used as a tie-breaker when the distance is identical.
Boys who have passed a grammar school test in Kent or another authority that borders Bexley.
Beths Grammar School catchment area
There is no catchment area for Beths Grammar School. The highest-scoring 180 boys are offered a place at the school regardless of how far they live from it.
Under criteria 6 (above), in recent years, the furthest address from the school at which a child was offered a place was:
2022: 6.07 miles
2021: 10.9 miles
2020: 7.8 miles
How to help your child prepare for the 11 plus
Here are our top tips on how to best prepare your child for the Bexley 11 plus.
Cover all the content
The 11 plus assesses a large breadth and depth of learning objectives across the Key Stage 2 national curriculum and beyond.
We recommend that your child starts revising content at least one year before the test. Setting aside study periods using a 'little and often' approach will give them time to build the skills and knowledge they need. When preparing, avoid falling into the trap of over-focusing on either the topics your child enjoys or the topics they find hardest.
Atom Nucleus is an 11 plus online course that tailors your child's personalised learning journey to cover all elements of the Bexley Selection Test at the right pace for them.
No surprises
Your child will encounter lots of unfamiliar types of questions in the 11 plus exam. Building exam technique with 11 plus test papers will help your child to feel fully confident with the styles of questions they'll encounter in the exam, reducing the potential for stress on the day.
Celebrate their progress
Setting regular goals and celebrating achievements will help keep motivation high. Atom Nucleus offers data-driven insights into your child’s progress towards mastering the 11 plus curriculum, making it easy to see where they need to focus next.
Personalised 11 plus prep for your child
Wondering how to make sure your child covers the depth and breadth of the entire 11 plus curriculum, stays on track with their progress, and gets help when they're stuck? Online learning is a particularly efficient, cost-effective (and fun) way to do this!
Atom Nucleus is the award-winning online 11 plus practice platform that gives your child everything they need to prepare for grammar school exams.
Children work independently through over 90,000 interactive practice questions in English, maths and reasoning. Teacher-created helpsheets and videos help them discover new concepts and consolidate their learning.
Atom's algorithm keeps children on their ideal learning path, tailored to their unique learning style and pace to keep them challenged and motivated.
Bexley 11 plus practice papers
Atom Nucleus gives children access to online practice papers. Our online tests are designed to mirror the format and style of the real Bexley Selection Test, so your child will go into the exam knowing exactly what to expect.
And what's more, everything is automatically marked for you.
Try Atom Nucleus free for 5 days
Begin your child's journey to Beths Grammar School today. Use the full features of Atom Nucleus free for 5 days – cancel anytime.
Personalised support for you
We understand how important this next step is for them, and for you. Please don't hesitate to get in touch with any questions you may have about the 11 plus or Bexley grammar schools.
Insider admissions info
Exam prep email list
Sign up for tips and resources direct to your inbox.
11+ WhatsApp group
Join for admissions advice and updates.
Parent webinars
Specialist advice on exam preparation and admissions.
Atom
Learning
Atom Learning Ltd. is registered and incorporated in England and Wales. Company Registration Number: 10867907 VAT number: 316903508 Copyright Atom Learning Ltd. All rights reserved.