Dane Court Grammar School 11 plus guide

About Dane Court Grammar School

Dane Court Grammar School is a selective state school and academy for boys and girls aged 11 to 18 in Broadstairs, Kent. The school seems to develop each student's academic potential and the integrity and confidence to become happy adults. A newly-completed £20 million rebuilding programme provides students with state-of-the-art facilities suited to 21st century learning.

Students at Dane Court Grammar School pursue a curriculum based on three key drivers: challenge for all, breadth, and internationalism. There is a wide range of traditional and contemporary subjects on offer, including film, food preparation and nutrition, global citizenship, sociology, health and social care, Japanese, and language acquisition. Sixth form students study the International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB), with the average points score the equivalent of three A* grades at A level.

• Address: Dane Court Grammar School, Broadstairs Road, Broadstairs, Kent, CT10 2RT

• Local authority: Kent County Council

• School type: mixed grammar

• Headteacher: Kate Greig

• Number of pupils: 1,250+

• National rank (Sunday Times Parent Power): 118

• IB results: 35 average diploma points

• GCSE results: 53.5% A*/A/9/8/7

Key info for Year 7 admissions

• Admissions contact: [email protected], 01843 864941

• Number of places in Year 7: 165

• Open events: TBC

• 11 plus registration opens: Thursday 1st June 2023

• 11 plus registration closes: Monday 3rd July 2023 at midnight

• 11 plus exam date: Thursday 7th September 2023

• 11 plus exam type: The Kent Test

• Common application form (CAF) deadline: 31st October 2023

• National school offer day: 1st March 2023

How to apply to Dane Court Grammar School

1. Register for the Kent Test

Dane Court Grammar School uses the Kent Test to select pupils for entry in Year 7. The Kent Test is an 11 plus exam taken by 32 grammar schools in the county.

Registration for the Kent Test will open on Thursday 1st June 2023 and close on Monday 3rd July 2023 at midnight. You will be able to complete your child's registration on the Kent County Council website. If you are also considering grammar schools in Medway, you will need to register separately because these schools do not use the Kent Test.

Children who are looked after or previously looked after, or eligible for the pupil premium, may be prioritised for places under the school's admission criteria. If your child falls into one of these categories, you should complete a supplementary information form (SIF) to indicate this. You can download the supplementary information form from the school website.

2. Apply for a school place

You will receive your child's results in the Kent Test after 4pm on Wednesday 18th October 2023. If your child has achieved the pass mark in the exam, they will be eligible for a grammar school place. You can then name Dane Court Grammar School as one of your preferred schools on your common application form.

Before listing Dane Court Grammar School as a preference on your form, check its admissions policy and make sure your child is eligible. Passing the Kent Test will not be a guarantee of a place as more children reach the qualifying standard each year than there are places available.

The application form must be submitted to your home local council by 31st October 2023. The form must be completed for your home local authority – i.e. if you live in Kent you will need to complete the form on the Kent County Council website. If you live in a different local authority, make sure to apply through the relevant website for that council.

What is the pass mark for the Kent Test?

Your child will receive four scores on the Kent Test. The results from the English, maths and reasoning sections will all be age-standardised to produce three separate scores, in addition to one overall (aggregate) score.

Children typically need a total score of 332 or more out of the total 423, with no single score lower than 108, to be eligible for a place at a grammar school in Kent.

However, achieving a particular score doesn't guarantee a place at a grammar school, as schools are usually oversubscribed with qualified candidates. We always recommend researching the admission policies for your target schools, looking at their oversubscription criteria and their catchment area. We've included the admission criteria for Dane Court Grammar School below.

Dane Court Grammar School admission criteria

Dane Court Grammar School has an agreed admission number of 165 pupils for entry in Year 7. All children who have an education, health and care plan (EHCP) which names the school will be admitted before any other places are allocated. The number of remaining places will then be reduced accordingly.

If the school receives more applications than the number of places it has available, places will be given to children in the following order until all 165 places have been filled:

1. Children in local authority care or previously in local authority care ('looked after children' and 'previously looked after children')

2. Children who have a medical, health or special access reason for attending Dane Court Grammar School

3. Children in receipt of pupil premium, as indicated on the SIF and supported with proof of eligibility

4. Children who have a sibling currently attending Dane Court Grammar School

5. On the basis of how close the child lives to the school, with those living nearer the school given priority

There is no designated catchment area for Dane Court Grammar School.

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