Prepare for a NO PASS- high schools, reviews & appeals

Before you take the 11 plus

Anything can happen on the day, no child is guaranteed to pass and so it is crucial that families prepare for a no- pass outcome.

Non- grammar secondary schools in Kent and Medway hold open days throughout the year and some schools hold their own in-house tests. In Medway, these are called Fair Banding Tests which aim to assess which stream to place your child in. This can effectively mean that your child may still get into a “grammar level” stream, within a high school.

Make sure you check the dates of your local high-school’s open days and test days so that you don’t miss out. You must fill in a form by a certain deadline in order to gain a place! There are many other high schools across Kent, who may offer their own streaming process- so please do your research to find the most suitable school near you.

Medway High Schools:

Strood Academy Mixed (Fair banding)

Brompton Academy Mixed (Fair banding)

Victory Academy Mixed (Fair banding)

You got your results and it was a no pass. What can you do now?

Once you have made a considered choice about which High School or academy you wish to choose, you may want to make a case for an academic review by the council or an appeal to your chosen school. Which of these routes to take will depend on: how many marks your child missed the pass mark by, and whether there were any serious mitigating circumstances (such as a medical condition).

You may want to read our condensed notes on how to make a review and appeal.

You will still need to put the grammar school as your first choice whilst making the appeal, but please seriously consider which non-grammar school you want, just in case the appeal is not granted.