Contents
Thinking about applying to Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School? Find out everything you need to know about admissions and how to prepare your child for success in the 11 plus.
Key information about Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School
Address: Hurst Rd, Sidcup DA15 9AG
Number of pupils: 1400+
Admissions contact: [email protected]
Number of places in Year 7: 192
11+ exam: Bexley Selection Test
Catchment area: no
Dates for your diary
11+ registration opens: Wednesday 1st May 2024
11+ registration closes: Friday 31st May 2024
11+ exam date: Monday 9th to Thursday 12th September 2024
11+ results released: mid-October 2024
Secondary school application deadline: 31st October 2024
School allocations: 3rd March 2025
About Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School
Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School is a mixed (girls and boys) school. It is located in the south-east London Borough of Bexley. The school has been rated Good by Ofsted, and it 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. These include art, music, technology, and the performing arts, a modern lecture theatre, and a new computer suite.
How to apply to Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School
Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School is a selective school. This means that your child will need to take the 11 plus exam to be eligible for a place.
The deadline to register for the 11 plus exam at Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School is 31st May 2024. The exam will take place between Monday 9th and Thursday 12th September 2024 and you’ll receive your child’s results in mid-October 2024. You can then use these results to decide whether to apply for a place at Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School.
To apply, you’ll need to name the school as one of your preferred schools on the secondary school common application form. This will be available on your home council website from early September and must be submitted by 31st October.
Remember – passing the 11 plus doesn’t guarantee that your child will be allocated a place at your preferred school. Many grammar schools are often oversubscribed with qualified children. Schools and their admissions authorities work through admissions criteria to prioritise children for places. We’ve included the admissions criteria for Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School below.
What subjects are on the entrance exam?
Children applying to Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School take the Bexley Selection Test. This consists of two one-hour papers which assess English comprehension, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. All of the questions are multiple-choice.
Guide to the Bexley Selection Test
Find out everything you need to know in our complete guide to the Bexley Selection Test. Plus, get access to free 11 plus resources to help your child feel confident for their exam!
How does place allocation work at Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School?
There is no specified pass mark for the Bexley Selection Test. Each of the four grammar schools has 180 places available in Year 7. The 180 children with the highest scores applying to each grammar school will be eligible for a place at that school.
The Bexley Selection Test is competitive. Around 30% of children who take the test achieve a mark high enough to be considered for a grammar school place in the borough.
If the number of children who have met the qualifying standard for entry to the school exceeds the number of places available, Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School applies oversubscription criteria. Children are prioritised for places in the following 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. The distance is measured from the child's home to the middle gate entrance of Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School in a straight line. Selection Test scores are used as a tie-breaker when the distance is identical.
There is no catchment area at Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School. However, places are prioritised for children who live closer to the school.
Atom’s top tips for 11 plus preparation
The 11 plus is designed to select the most academically able children in the country. Here are our top tips to help you and your child feel confident for exam day!
Bitesize learning
It’s important to build a good knowledge base before the 11 plus. Using a ‘little and often’ approach when learning is key – our brains encode new information more effectively when dealing with smaller ‘chunks’ of information. For children aged 10–11, child psychologists recommend regular study sessions of 20–30 minutes.
Atom Home makes learning a more enjoyable process for your child. They'll explore exciting worlds full of interactive questions, earning coins to spend in the Atom shop. Atom adapts to your child, showing them questions at just the right level of difficulty to keep them motivated.
Read widely
11 plus exams test your child’s ability to analyse and interpret written information. Regular reading is a great way to help your child build these skills.
Encourage them to read books from different genres and by a diverse range of authors. Increasing the variety of your child’s reading will help them understand different styles, tones and purposes. Meanwhile, reading a little every day will help widen their vocabulary, sharpen their analytical thinking, and enhance their imagination.
Refine exam technique
When your child feels confident with the topics they’ve learnt in Year 5, they’ll be ready to put their knowledge to the test.
Practice tests can help your child develop problem-solving skills and build confidence working under test conditions. They’re also a great way to consolidate learning and highlight knowledge gaps for further improvement.
With Atom Home, you'll unlock online mock tests and printable practice papers. Enjoy automatic marking and progress tracking with the online tests, and help your child get familiar with the real exam experience with printable practice papers.
Celebrate progress
Setting regular, achievable goals and celebrating your child’s progress – no matter how big or small – will help keep their motivation high.
Make sure to encourage a growth mindset. This means celebrating effort, as well as achievement! When your child makes mistakes or struggles to understand a particular topic, help them understand that they’ll improve through practice. Regular praise will help your child improve their resilience when tackling new and challenging topics.
Tailored preparation for the Bexley Selection Test
Wish you could give your child a roadmap to success in the Bexley Selection Test? You can. Atom Home has everything you need to get prepared, in one package.
You don't need a tutor to get into your top-choice grammar school. You just need Atom. We’ll create a tailored plan for your child and support them along their fun revision journey.
Online and printable 11 plus practice papers
90,000+ adaptive questions
500+ hours of on-demand video lessons
Automatic marking and instant progress data
Navigate the Bexley Selection Test with confidence.
Start your free trial today. Our local admissions specialists will get to work on your child’s plan. Relax, Bexley Selection Test prep is sorted.
Contents