Chislehurst & Sidcup Grammar School 11 plus: 2024 entry guide

School guide

Feb 21, 2023, 12:47 PM

Chislehurst & Sidcup Grammar School 11 plus entry guide

Are you considering Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School for your child? 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.

About Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School

Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School is a mixed (girls and boys) school with academy status in the south-east London Borough of Bexley. Consistently rated Good by Ofsted, the school aims to help 'the learners of today become the leaders of tomorrow'. Over the last ten years, the school has spent over £10 million to add purpose-built facilities for art, music, technology and the performing arts, a modern lecture theatre and a new computer suite.

Address: Hurst Road, Sidcup, DA15 9AG
Local authority: London Borough of Bexley
School type: mixed grammar
Headteacher: Nigel Walker
Number of pupils: 1,479
National rank (Sunday Times Parent Power): 82
A level results: 80.8% A*–B
GCSE results: 69.7% 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

Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School term dates

The 2023–2024 term dates at Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School are:

Autumn term: 4th September – 21st December 2023
Half term: 20th–27th October 2023
Spring term: 8th January – 28th March 2024
Half term: 12th–16th February 2024
Summer term: 15th April – 19th July 2024
Half term: 27th–31st May 2024

How to apply to Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School

Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School shares an entrance test with the three other schools in the London Borough of Bexley (Beths Grammar, Bexley 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 Chislehurst and Sidcup 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 Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School 11 plus exam?

The 11 plus exam for Chislehurst and Sidcup 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:

Bexley 11 plus exam guide

What is the pass mark for Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School?

There is no specified pass mark for Chislehurst and Sidcup 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.

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.

Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School oversubscription 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.
Children who have achieved the highest 180 scores in the Selection Test.
Children who have a sibling at the school.
Children who have a parent employed by the school for two or more years.
Children who live closest to the school, regardless of their test score. Distance is measured as a straight line distance between the child's home address to the school's entrance in Hurst Road. Selection Test scores are used as a tie-breaker when the distance is identical.

Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School catchment area

There is no catchment area for Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School. The highest-scoring 180 children are offered a place at the school regardless of how far they live from it. The places offered on distance (criteria 5 above) vary each year depending on the number of available places and where the applicants live.

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.

Test your knowledge

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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 Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School today. Use the full features of Atom Nucleus free for 5 days – cancel anytime.

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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.

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