The Judd School 11+ guide

Atom Learning is partnered with The Judd School. You can read more about our partnership here.

Are you thinking about applying to The Judd School? Find out everything you need to know about the entry process and how to prepare for the 11+ exam. 

Key information for The Judd School

• School type: boys’ grammar school
• Location: Tonbridge, Kent
• Admissions contact: [email protected]
• Number of places in Year 7: 180
• 11+ exam: Kent Test
• Catchment area: yes

Important dates for 2027 entry

• Monday 1st June 2026: test registration opens
• Wednesday 1st July 2026: test registration closes
• Thursday 10th September 2026: test day for pupils in Kent Primary schools
• Saturday 12th & Sunday 13th September 2026: test day for pupils not in Kent Primary schools
• Thursday 15th October 2026: parents receive test results
• Saturday 31st October 2026: deadline to apply for secondary school places
• Monday 1st March 2027: secondary school national offers day

How to apply to The Judd School

The Judd School is selective. This means that your child will need to take the 11+ exam to be eligible for a place.

In Kent, the 11+ is known as the Kent Test. All grammar schools in Kent use this test to select children for Year 7 places. If you would like your child to be considered for a place at more than one grammar school in Kent, they will only need to take the test once.

You must register your child for the test. A link to register will be available on the participating schools’ websites during the registration window.

The Kent Test will take place on Thursday 10th September 2026 for pupils in Kent Primary schools and Saturday 12th & Sunday 13th September 2026 for pupils not in Kent Primary schools. You’ll be emailed details about the test location, time, and what your child needs to bring before the exam. 

Your child’s results will be emailed to you in mid-October. If they meet the qualifying standard for The Judd School, you can apply for a place by naming the school on your common application form. This must be submitted to your local authority by Saturday 31st October 2026.

Important note: passing the test doesn’t guarantee that your child will be allocated a place at your preferred school. Grammar schools are often oversubscribed with children who meet the qualifying standard. After the 31st October deadline, schools use admissions criteria to allocate places.

We’ve outlined the process for The Judd School below.

What will my child be tested on?

The Kent Test is made up of two multiple-choice papers and a short writing task. It’s designed to assess your child’s skills in English, maths and reasoning and to help grammar schools identify potential.

Each paper lasts around an hour, and your child will mark their answers on a separate answer sheet (this gets marked electronically).

Here’s what to expect:

Paper 1: English and maths

This paper is split into one 30-minute section that tests English, and another 30-minute section which assesses maths.

Each section includes a short 5-minute practice activity. This part isn’t marked; it just helps your child get familiar with the questions.

What’s in the English section?

The English section is mainly made up of a reading comprehension task. There are also questions that check your child’s grammar, punctuation and vocabulary. These might include:

• Choosing the best word to complete a sentence
• Spotting spelling or grammar mistakes
• Finding synonyms or antonyms

What’s in the maths section?

Your child will be tested on what they’ve learned in school in maths up to the start of Year 6. They should feel confident with:

• Times tables
• The four operations (adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing)
• Fractions, decimals and percentages
• Ratio
• Area, perimeter and measurements

Some of the questions might feel more challenging than usual. This is so your child can show how they use their knowledge to solve new types of problems.

Paper 2: Reasoning

This paper focuses on verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and spatial reasoning.

These topics aren’t usually taught in school. They’re included in the test to measure your child’s potential, not just what they’ve learned so far.

Verbal reasoning

This checks how well your child can solve problems using words, letters and numbers. For example, they might be asked to spot patterns in sequences or choose words with similar meanings.

• Time: 30 minutes
• Includes a 10-minute practice and a 20-minute test

Non-verbal & spatial reasoning

These sections use shapes, diagrams and patterns. Your child will need to spot similarities and differences, complete sequences, and mentally rotate shapes.

• Time: 30 minutes in total
• Broken into short, timed sections (each lasting around 4–5 minutes)

Each section starts with a short, guided practice session.

Creative writing task

All children also complete a short creative writing exercise. This isn’t marked as part of the main test, but it might be used if your child’s results are reviewed by a headteacher panel or at appeal stage.

The creative writing task lasts around 40 minutes, including 10 minutes for planning and 30 minutes for writing.

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How are places allocated at The Judd School?

In mid-October, you’ll receive your child’s test results. These will confirm whether your child has met the required standard for admission.

If your child’s results meet the required standard, you must name The Judd School as a preferred school on your common application form to be considered. This must be submitted to your home local authority by the 31st October.

Places are allocated in a particular order. This is known as ‘Oversubscription Criteria’ and is specific to each grammar school you apply to. Details are available in your target school’s admissions policy.

Does The Judd School have a catchment area?

The Judd School does have a catchment area. As part of its admissions policy, The Judd School prioritises children who live in its 'inner area'. The inner area is defined as these postcodes:

TN1, TN2, TN3, TN4, TN8, TN9, TN10, TN11, TN12, TN13, TN14, TN15; ME18, ME19; TN16 1** and TN16 2** (not TN16 3** or TN16 9**); DA4 0** (not DA4 9**). Plus the civil parish of Halstead (where this is not included above).

23 places will be allocated to students resident in the Outer Area, which is defined as being outside the Inner Area (above) and within England.

If a tie-break is needed (e.g. there is one place left and two children have the same score), the child living closest to the school will be prioritised for a place.

If you don’t live close to the school, it’s important to think about how your child will get there every day. How long will the journey take? What transport options are available? Will they be travelling independently or with support?

A longer or more complex journey can affect your child’s daily routine, including how much time they have for homework, rest, and after-school activities.

It’s a good idea to think about how manageable the school run will be and whether it will work for your family day to day.

How can I help my child prepare for the test?

The Kent Test can feel like a big milestone, but preparation doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Here’s how you can help your child prepare for test day.

Stay on track with a clear plan

One of the hardest parts of 11+ preparation is knowing what to focus on, when, and how to make steady progress without it taking over family life.

A clear, structured plan helps your child feel less overwhelmed and more in control. It ensures they build skills in the right order, cover everything they need, and avoid last-minute cramming.

Atom’s exam plan makes this easier. Enter your child’s target schools and exam dates, and we’ll create a personalised weekly plan tailored to the topics they’ll be tested on. It shows them what to work on and when, adapts as they improve, and helps them build progress in a calm, manageable way — little and often.

That means less guesswork for you, less stress for them, and a clearer path all the way to exam day.

Build smart exam technique

As your child’s knowledge grows, practice tests can help them feel more comfortable with the real exam format.

Atom’s 11+ practice papers are exact replicas of real 11+ exams. They’re also unlimited – you can download the same paper again and again, and your child will get new questions each time. This helps them practise without repeating the same content.

We’ve made marking easy for you, too. Simply photograph your child’s answer sheets and upload them to Atom. The papers are marked instantly, showing your child’s standardised age score (SAS), where they’re doing well, and what they should focus on next. You’ll also learn how they compare to other children applying to the same school.

Encourage regular reading

Strong reading skills play a big role in 11+ preparation.

Encourage your child to read every day, even for just 10–15 minutes. The key is variety. Mix fiction and non-fiction, different genres, and a range of authors. This helps them become more confident in understanding tone, purpose, and meaning across different texts.

Over time, regular reading will:

• broaden their vocabulary
• improve comprehension and inference
• build confidence in tackling unseen texts

And just as importantly, it can help them enjoy reading — not just see it as exam preparation.

Looking for inspiration? Atom’s recommended reading lists have suggestions spanning fiction and non-fiction for Years 3–6.

Celebrate progress, not just scores

When you’re supporting your child through 11+ preparation, what really matters is knowing they’re moving in the right direction — not just how they scored on a single test.

Atom’s progress tracking gives you a clear, simple picture of how your child is doing in each topic and the direction they’re moving in. You can see where they’re on track, where they might need more practice, and spot progress as it happens.

That makes it easier to give meaningful encouragement, keep motivation steady, and focus on what matters most: consistent improvement, not just one-off results.