It is unlikely that children will be ready to perform at their best in a test which takes place at the normal time in September
— Department of Education
The Government is strongly urging grammar schools to postpone 11 plus exams until as late as November to allow for children to catch up with missed learning amidst the COVID-19 disruption.
The Department of Education has proposed grammar schools to delay the 11-plus exams to late October or November to allow more time for pupils back in the classroom.
Local authorities with grammar schools in their proximity should offer all parents applying for a secondary school place at least one additional preference if possible to help address the likewise issue.
It would have been good if this guidance had been available sooner, to give more notice to schools and parents, but we recognise that we live in exceptional times
—Mark Fenton, Grammar School Heads Association.
We gathered the information from different county councils and compiled for you to consider.
Always check with your local council as the information may change periodically.
Kent - 11 Plus Test
Kent County Council will move the 11 plus exam to October 15th, and the results will not be available until late November, which means that parents will have to make a bold decision without any knowledge of the test result.
As a result, KCC will increase the number of schools that can be chosen on the secondary school application form from four to six, allowing parents to choose up to two grammar schools without decreasing the number of non-selective schools on their application.
Kent's choice framework utilises a 'Head Teacher Assessment Panel' to choose a unique number of students for grammar school.
The Kent 11 plus pass mark is set to choose 21% of Kent kids, with another 6% suggested by headteachers.
Generally, the Headteacher panel examines school work to make their judgements, however with work completed outside of the school environment, and online this process seems prejudiced.
Six Kent grammar schools in deprived areas offer their tests due to less insufficient local children achieve the pass mark or higher.
In these towns, most children sit two assessments, even though one test could be used. As a result, it seems particularly harsh, this year, to expect children to sit two mind gruelling tests, and nor does this meet DfE guidance that admission authorities should work together to ensure 'complexities for parents are minimised' and, 'ensure that children can be assessed once for eligibility for several schools.'
Buckinghamshire - 11 Plus Test
The Bucks Grammar Schools have moved the 11 plus test date for most pupils to between the 2nd-5th November, in compliance with the DfE guidance. However, again parents will make school choices without any knowledge the outcome of the 11-plus examination.
Lincolnshire - 11 Plus Test
Caistor grammar school has shifted its 11 plus exam dates to October 3rd and 10th.
However, unlike many other schools, 11 plus test results will be sent to parents on October 21st, shortly before school applications are submitted on October 31st.
The 12 grammar schools that are part of the Lincolnshire Consortium of Grammar Schools do not seem to have adjusted dates following the publishing of DfE guidance, with schools still promoting test dates between the 19th and 26th September.
Trafford - 11 Plus Test
The Trafford Grammar Schools' CEM Consortium Entrance Test has been moved to October 19th 2020.
Slough - 11 Plus Test
Slough Consortium of Grammar Schools has set a new 11 plus test date on Monday, October 12th 2020 following the DfE guidance.
Southend-on Sea (Essex Test) - 11 Plus Test
It is likely the Essex test will now take place on November 7th and 9th, the CSSE consortium is using two dates to reduce the number of pupils sitting the test at any one time.
Sutton - 11 Plus Test
The Selective Eligibility Test, due to be held on Tuesday, September 15th 2020, has been cancelled.
An announcement states 'This will allow candidates time to settle back into their normal school routines and for schools to plan the tests in light of imminently expected Government guidance.'
The grammar schools go on to say, "We will not be able to confirm a new date for the SET until the GCSE and A level examination boards publish their timetable for the Autumn Series as we will need to avoid any clash between the two."
"Our current intention is for the Selective Eligibility Test (and second stage tests for those schools who have these) to take place in November, and we will confirm this at the beginning of the autumn term."
Sutton parents will need to initiate school choices before the test result is known, although they will be able to make changes to their school options up until December 10th.
Wirral - 11 Plus Test
A statement says from the council says, "In line with Department for Education guidance on coronavirus, the selective assessments for non-Catholic grammar schools are expected to be moved from September 2020 to October 2020."
This requires variations to the published admission arrangements – a decision on this is pending, and we will update this website as soon as possible.
Once the arrangements have been finalised, parents of registered candidates will receive an email with their child's test date, venue and the arrangements for the assessments. There will now be unavoidable delays to progressing school admission appeals this year.
Wirral's catholic grammar schools run their 11-plus tests, and will presumably also delay till October.
Bexley - 11 Plus Test
The London Borough of Bexley has confirmed that it is postponing its selective test dates from the 15 and 16 September to the week commencing November 2nd.
Medway - 11 Plus Test
The 11 plus exam dates have been moved by around one month. The new test dates are October 10th-18th, with most Medway primary schools offering the test on October 13th-14th.
The Medway results will be sent to parents on November 2nd, with reviews of the grammar school decisions taking place up to November 24th, and parents final school place decisions needed by November 30th.
The letter to year five parents says, "The format of the test papers will be the same as originally planned; however, the test day will be slightly different. For instance, schools and test centres will be following the social distancing guidelines, and we will continue to follow government advice."
Medway council appears to be the only authority to move the school application deadline by a month, while everywhere else still has school applications set for October 31st.
Poole - 11 Plus Test
It appears the 11 plus exams for Bournemouth and Poole grammar schools will change from Saturday, September 26th 2020 to Saturday, October 17th 2020.
Torbay - 11 Plus Test
An update from Grammar Schools in Torbay says, "We are also looking to spread the testing over two sittings to reduce the numbers on-site at any one time, given the present Covid-19 pandemic. Subject to DfE confirmation, we are therefore provisionally planning to hold the 11 Plus test on Saturday, October 17th, with the day divided into two testing sessions with each child attending just one of the sessions."
Gloucestershire - 11 Plus Test
The seven grammar schools in Gloucestershire had been due to run an 11 plus test on September 12th; amidst the COVID-19 interruption, the plan now is for the test to be taken by children on October 17th.