150 Year 7 places, Kent Test threshold 332, Borden Assessment Procedure option — everything parents need to know
Book a Free ConsultationBorden Grammar School is a selective boys' grammar school located in Sittingbourne, Kent, founded in 1878 and currently one of the oldest continuously operating grammar schools in the county. It admits 150 boys into Year 7 each year, with entry based on the Kent Test (PESE) — the standardised assessment used by the Kent grammar school consortium, administered by GL Assessment. What makes Borden distinctive among Kent grammar schools is the optional Borden Assessment Procedure (BAP): a secondary route for boys who do not achieve a selective result on the Kent Test but may still be well-suited to grammar school education. This guide covers both routes to entry, the Kent Test format and scoring, the BAP in detail, Borden's priority postcode areas, admissions criteria, and how to structure preparation properly for 2026.
Borden Grammar School sits on Sittingbourne Road in the heart of Sittingbourne, in the ME10 postcode area. Founded in 1878, the school has nearly 150 years of history as a selective boys' grammar school in Mid Kent. It educates approximately 900 to 1,000 boys across Years 7 to 13, with a mixed sixth form. The school draws its intake primarily from Sittingbourne, Sheerness, the Isle of Sheppey, and surrounding villages across the ME9, ME10, ME11, and ME12 postcode areas.
Borden Grammar operates within the Kent grammar school consortium, meaning it participates in the shared Kent Test (PESE) admissions process coordinated by Kent County Council. Like all Kent grammar schools, Borden is a state-funded selective school — there are no fees for Year 7 to Year 11. The sixth form is also free for qualifying students. Borden's academic record is strong, with consistent performance at GCSE and A-level and a culture of high expectations across all year groups.
One aspect that distinguishes Borden from most other Kent grammar schools is its additional Borden Assessment Procedure. This reflects the school's stated commitment to identifying boys who are genuinely suited to grammar school education even when circumstances — nerves on the day, illness, or simply a poor performance on one specific sitting — mean the Kent Test result does not fully reflect their ability. Families in the Sittingbourne and Mid Kent area should understand both routes before deciding on their preparation strategy.
The Kent Test, formally known as the Primary Education Selection Exercise (PESE), is the standardised assessment used across Kent's selective grammar schools. It is administered by GL Assessment and taken by Year 6 boys (and girls, for girls' grammar schools) in September of the year before secondary school entry. For 2027 Year 7 entry, boys sit the Kent Test in September 2026.
The Kent Test comprises two multiple-choice papers and a creative writing task. The first paper (approximately 60 minutes) covers English and mathematics, with both sections taking around 30 minutes each. The English section tests reading comprehension, vocabulary, and written language skills. The maths section covers Key Stage 2 content including number, fractions, ratio, geometry, measurement, and data interpretation — with an emphasis on problem-solving and multi-step questions rather than simple recall. The second paper (approximately 60 minutes) covers verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning, both in GL Assessment's standard multiple-choice format. Finally, the 40-minute writing task asks boys to produce a piece of creative writing, which is assessed holistically alongside the two papers.
Scores across the three components are combined and standardised for age. To be deemed selective and eligible for grammar school consideration, a boy must achieve a minimum total score of 332 with no individual section score below 109. Age standardisation means boys born in summer months are not structurally disadvantaged relative to September-born peers — the scoring adjusts for the age at which the test is taken.
Registration for the Kent Test is handled through Kent County Council's online registration portal. Boys at Kent-maintained primary schools are registered automatically; parents who do not wish their son to sit must actively withdraw before the deadline. Boys at independent schools or schools outside Kent must register manually. The registration window for the 2026 sitting (for 2027 Year 7 entry) opens on 1 June 2026 and closes on 1 July 2026.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Year 7 places | 150 |
| School type | Boys' selective state grammar school |
| Primary test | Kent Test (PESE), GL Assessment |
| Test format | 2 papers × 60 min (English/Maths + Reasoning) + 40-min writing task |
| Kent Test threshold | 332 total, no individual section below 109 |
| Kent Test date (Kent pupils) | Thursday 10 September 2026 |
| Kent Test date (non-Kent pupils) | Saturday–Sunday 12–13 September 2026 |
| Kent Test registration | 1 June – 1 July 2026 (online, KCC portal) |
| BAP (optional) | Quest Assessments, 4 papers; test 12 September 2026 |
| BAP registration | 1 June – 1 July 2026 |
| Results | Mid-October 2026 |
| Application deadline (SCAF) | 31 October 2026 |
| Priority postcodes (tier 1) | ME9, ME10, ME11, ME12 |
| Priority postcodes (tier 2) | ME8, ME13 |
The Borden Assessment Procedure (BAP) is an optional additional assessment that is unique to Borden Grammar School among the Kent grammar consortium. It provides a second route to selection for boys who sit the Kent Test but do not achieve the standard required to be deemed selective. Not all boys need to register for the BAP — it is specifically for those who want an additional opportunity if the Kent Test result falls short.
The BAP is produced and administered by Quest Assessments and consists of four standardised papers: verbal ability, mathematical reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, and English. These cover broadly similar academic ground to the Kent Test but use a different assessment format and question set. Registration for the BAP follows the same window as the Kent Test — 1 June to 1 July 2026 — and the assessment itself takes place on Saturday 12 September 2026, two days after the Kent Test. Results are released in mid-October alongside Kent Test results.
The BAP is best suited to boys who are genuinely grammar-school capable but whose Kent Test score does not fully reflect their ability — for example, a boy who is a strong academic performer in school but who was unwell on the day of the Kent Test, or who struggled with test nerves in the formal exam environment. It is not a lower-bar alternative to the Kent Test: boys who achieve a selective result via the BAP are still competing for the same 150 Year 7 places under the same oversubscription criteria. A selective result via the BAP carries the same weight as a selective result via the Kent Test in the admissions process.
Families whose sons are genuinely borderline should prepare for both the Kent Test format (GL Assessment) and the BAP format (Quest Assessments). The question types and paper formats differ between the two systems, and preparation targeted only at GL Assessment materials may not fully prepare a boy for the Quest Assessments approach. Our advice: prepare primarily for the Kent Test, since that is the primary route, and use targeted BAP-specific practice materials in the final four to six weeks before the September tests.
Borden Grammar School is consistently oversubscribed. Each year, considerably more boys achieve the selective standard on the Kent Test or BAP than there are Year 7 places available. This means achieving the threshold of 332 on the Kent Test is necessary but not sufficient — it makes a boy eligible to apply, but does not guarantee an offer. The school then applies its oversubscription criteria to allocate the available 150 places.
Competition is particularly concentrated in the ME9–ME12 postcode area, which encompasses Sittingbourne, Sheerness, and the Isle of Sheppey. Boys from these postcodes receive the highest priority once the initial higher-priority criteria (looked-after children, Pupil Premium pupils within the priority area, and siblings of current pupils) have been applied. This means that in years when the school fills entirely within the tier-one postcode area, boys from outside ME9–ME12 may not receive an offer even with a score well above the threshold.
For families considering Borden from adjacent areas such as ME7 (Gillingham), ME14 (Maidstone town), or ME15 (Maidstone south), it is worth checking recent admissions data to understand how far down the waiting list the school has reached in previous years. The Kent County Council admissions team publishes data on the furthest distance offered in previous rounds, which gives a practical indication of whether out-of-priority-area applicants have a realistic chance.
One important insight from families who have been through this process: a score significantly above the threshold — say, 345 or higher — does not change a boy's priority group in the admissions criteria. Priority is determined first by whether a boy is selective, then by the hierarchical criteria (care status, Pupil Premium, siblings, staff connection, postcode priority, distance). Scoring very highly on the Kent Test does not bypass the postcode criteria. For this reason, families living outside the ME9–ME12 area should consider whether other Kent grammar schools with different catchment criteria might be more accessible for their son.
Preparing your son for Borden Grammar School?
Our specialist 11+ tutors cover both the Kent Test (GL Assessment) and the Borden Assessment Procedure (Quest Assessments), so your son is prepared for both routes. Rated 4.8/5 on Trustpilot. Book a free consultation or message us on WhatsApp.
Borden Grammar School does not use a traditional geographic catchment area drawn on a map. Instead, it uses a postcode-based priority system that divides applicants into tiers based on where they live. This is worth understanding carefully, because postcode boundaries do not always align with what families assume about their local area.
Tier 1 postcodes — ME9, ME10, ME11, ME12: These cover Sittingbourne, Sheerness, the Isle of Sheppey, and the surrounding rural areas of Mid Kent. Boys with a home address in these postcodes receive the highest geographic priority in the oversubscription criteria. This tier includes the areas most directly served by Borden Grammar School.
Tier 2 postcodes — ME8, ME13: ME8 covers parts of the Rainham and Medway area, and ME13 covers Faversham and surrounding villages. Boys from these postcodes receive secondary geographic priority — ahead of boys from all other postcodes, but behind tier 1 families (all else being equal).
The full order of oversubscription criteria, applied once the selective threshold has been met, is: (1) looked-after and previously looked-after children; (2) children eligible for Pupil Premium who live in the tier 1 postcode area; (3) siblings of current Borden Grammar pupils who live in the tier 1 postcode area; (4) boys with exceptional medical or social need supported by written evidence; (5) all boys living in the tier 1 postcode area, by distance to school; (6) siblings of current pupils living in tier 2 postcodes; (7) all boys living in tier 2 postcodes, by distance; (8) all other selective boys, by distance to school. Boys in the final category can and do receive offers in most years, but only after the higher-priority groups have been allocated.
Families who are uncertain whether their home address falls within ME9, ME10, ME11, or ME12 should check using Royal Mail's online postcode lookup. Postcode boundaries are not always intuitive — a family living on a specific street may be in ME10 rather than ME14, or vice versa. Always check directly rather than assuming based on the nearest town name.
The most successful boys entering Borden Grammar School — and Kent grammar schools generally — follow a structured preparation programme that begins in Year 4 or early Year 5. This guide gives parents a framework for each stage of preparation.
Year 4 (age 8–9): Building foundations. The priority at this stage is establishing the core knowledge and skills that the Kent Test assesses: fluent reading with good vocabulary, sound knowledge of the Key Stage 2 maths curriculum, and first exposure to verbal and non-verbal reasoning question types. Boys who have never seen a verbal reasoning question before are not behind — these formats are completely learnable — but introducing them gradually from Year 4 means they become familiar and routine rather than intimidating in Year 5 and 6. Encourage daily reading of both fiction and non-fiction, and keep maths skills sharp with regular practice. At this stage, work should be calm and low-pressure.
Year 5 (age 9–10): Structured practice begins. From the start of Year 5, introduce timed practice with proper GL Assessment-style materials. Work through each verbal reasoning question type systematically: word codes, analogies, letter sequences, sentence completion, word pairs, and the others. Introduce non-verbal reasoning formats one at a time: similarities, series, matrices, coded figures, and rotations. Keep maths practice at a slightly accelerated pace relative to the classroom — Kent Test maths is demanding in its problem-solving emphasis, and boys who have only done straightforward textbook exercises often find multi-step problems disproportionately difficult. By mid-Year 5, boys should be working through full practice papers under timed conditions.
Year 6 (age 10–11): Refinement and mock tests. From the start of Year 6, the emphasis shifts to full paper practice under exam conditions, identifying and addressing remaining weak areas, and building the mental stamina to perform consistently across a two-hour assessment. Mock tests — ideally in a formal setting rather than at the kitchen table — help boys develop the focus and pacing skills needed on test day. For boys also preparing for the BAP, targeted practice with Quest Assessments-style materials should be introduced from June of Year 6. By August, your son should be performing consistently on practice papers and feeling confident rather than anxious about the September tests.
One practical note that many families overlook: boys at Kent state primary schools are registered automatically for the Kent Test. Parents who have opted their son into the registration but who have not done any preparation should not assume their son will still sit — a poorly prepared boy who finds the test deeply challenging and scores well below 332 may find the experience disheartening. There is no obligation to sit the test just because registration is automatic, and families who decide the grammar school route is not appropriate can withdraw before the deadline.
After working with many boys preparing for Kent grammar schools, our tutors have identified consistent patterns among those who score comfortably above the threshold versus those who struggle to reach it. The differences are rarely about raw intelligence — they are about preparation quality and the specific skills that have been developed.
They have been shown every verbal reasoning question type before the test. GL Assessment uses a consistent repertoire of around 15–20 verbal reasoning formats. Boys who have been taught each type explicitly — explained the underlying logic, worked through examples, and practised until the format is routine — score reliably across the verbal reasoning section. Boys who have only "done some practice papers" without understanding why answers are correct often hit the same types of questions they find difficult every time, because the underlying format has not been learned.
They have read consistently for at least a year before the test. The English comprehension section of the Kent Test rewards reading stamina and vocabulary depth that cannot be manufactured in a few weeks of exam preparation. Boys who read widely — novels, non-fiction, newspapers, longer articles — develop the ability to process unfamiliar text quickly, infer meaning from context, and understand the nuances of language that comprehension questions target. This is the single preparation factor most strongly associated with high scores on the English component.
Their maths practice has been timed. The maths section of the Kent Test requires both accuracy and speed. Boys who have practised maths exclusively through untimed homework and classwork are often shocked by how quickly time passes during the test. Boys who have drilled timed maths sets from Year 5 onwards — working through problem sets with a clock — develop the fluency with number facts and the habit of checking work efficiently that produces reliable scores under pressure.
Their families have managed test preparation calmly. Boys who perform best on test day are those who have been prepared without excessive parental anxiety being transferred onto them. The Kent Test is a significant assessment, but it is taken by ten-year-olds alongside every other eligible child in the county. A boy who feels supported, well-prepared, and matter-of-fact about the test almost always performs better than one who has been made to feel that his future depends entirely on this one sitting.
They know what to do if they find a question hard. A trained strategy — mark, move on, return at the end if time permits — prevents boys from spending three minutes on one question while running out of time for the rest of the paper. This exam-technique skill is learnable and makes a meaningful difference to scores, particularly for boys who are borderline on the threshold.
Borden Grammar School is one of 32 state grammar schools in Kent, making Kent one of the most selective county education systems in England. The Kent grammar system is distinctive in that a single test (the Kent Test) produces a selective result used across all schools simultaneously. This means families can list multiple grammar schools on their Secondary Common Application Form (SCAF) and a boy's selective result qualifies him for any school he lists.
The Kent grammar schools nearest to Borden Grammar are Tonbridge Grammar School and the Weald of Kent Grammar School, which serve the Tonbridge and Sevenoaks areas, but these are in West Kent and would require significant travel from Sittingbourne. More practical nearby alternatives for ME postcode families include Chatham Grammar School (in Medway — note this uses the separate Medway Test), and Rochester Grammar School. Families in the ME9–ME12 area who are preparing for grammar school entry should look at each school's individual admissions criteria carefully, since geographic priority areas vary significantly from school to school.
For a broader overview of how the Kent grammar system works, the timeline and format of the Kent Test, and advice on choosing between Kent grammar schools, see our complete guide to grammar school preparation for 2026. For advice on the GL Assessment question formats your son will face, see our GL Assessment 11+ guide. For guidance on structuring preparation from Year 4, see our practical guide to passing the 11+.
Borden Grammar School uses two routes for Year 7 selection. The primary route is the Kent Test (PESE), a standardised assessment administered by GL Assessment and used across the Kent grammar school consortium. The Kent Test consists of two 60-minute multiple-choice papers covering English, maths and reasoning, plus a 40-minute creative writing task. Boys must achieve a total score of 332 or more, with no individual section score below 109, to be deemed selective. The second route is the optional Borden Assessment Procedure, a school-specific test produced by Quest Assessments, which gives boys who do not pass the Kent Test a second opportunity to demonstrate their suitability for grammar school. Not all Kent grammar schools offer this second-route option, making Borden's approach distinctive.
The Borden Assessment Procedure (BAP) is an optional additional assessment offered by Borden Grammar School for boys who do not achieve a selective result on the Kent Test. It is administered by Quest Assessments and consists of four standardised papers covering verbal ability, mathematical reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, and English. Registration for the BAP runs from 1 June to 1 July 2026, with the assessment taking place on Saturday 12 September 2026. Results are released in mid-October alongside Kent Test results. The BAP is best suited to boys who are genuinely grammar-school capable but may have underperformed on the Kent Test due to nerves, illness on the day, or other circumstances. Boys who achieve a selective result via the BAP are still competing for the same limited pool of Year 7 places under the same oversubscription criteria.
To be considered selective via the Kent Test for Borden Grammar School, a boy must achieve a minimum total score of 332 across all three sections, with no individual section score falling below 109. This is the qualifying threshold, not a guarantee of a place. When Borden Grammar is oversubscribed — which is typical in most years — places are allocated according to the school's oversubscription criteria, beginning with looked-after children and working through family connection, proximity, and then distance from the school. Boys living in the ME9, ME10, ME11, and ME12 postcode areas receive priority over those from further afield. Achieving the threshold comfortably above 332 strengthens a boy's application and demonstrates clear academic capability rather than borderline attainment.
Borden Grammar School uses postcode-based priority rather than a formal geographic catchment area. The highest priority area comprises postcodes ME9, ME10, ME11, and ME12, which cover Sittingbourne, Sheerness, and the surrounding Mid Kent area. The second-tier priority area includes postcodes ME8 and ME13, covering parts of the Medway area and Faversham. Boys from outside these postcodes can still apply and may receive a place if they meet the selective threshold and spaces remain after priority applicants have been offered, but families from distant postcodes should be aware that the school typically fills within its priority zones. Always check the most recent admissions policy on the Borden Grammar School or Kent County Council website before making school preferences.
Most boys who succeed in Kent grammar school entry — including Borden Grammar — begin structured preparation in Year 4 or early Year 5, around 12 to 18 months before the September test. This timeframe allows preparation to be thorough and progressive rather than rushed. The first phase focuses on introducing all verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, and GL Assessment maths question types systematically. The second phase, typically from spring of Year 5, shifts to timed practice under realistic test conditions. The third phase, from June of Year 6 onwards, focuses on mock tests, stamina building, and fine-tuning weak areas. Boys who begin in the final few weeks before the test are cramming, and cramming rarely moves a child from below the selective threshold to above it. Early, consistent preparation is the single most reliable predictor of success.
Leading Tuition provides specialist 11+ preparation for Borden Grammar School and all Kent grammar schools. Our tutors understand the Kent Test format in detail — including the verbal reasoning, maths, non-verbal reasoning, and writing components — and we tailor preparation to each boy's specific strengths and gaps. For boys using the Borden Assessment Procedure route, we also prepare for the Quest Assessments format, which requires targeted preparation distinct from the standard GL Assessment materials. We work with boys from Year 4 upwards, and our programmes are designed to build both the knowledge base and the exam technique needed to perform under timed conditions. We are rated 4.8/5 on Trustpilot by parents whose children have successfully entered grammar schools. To discuss your son's preparation, book a free consultation or message us on WhatsApp.
Leading Tuition prepares boys for Borden Grammar School via both the Kent Test and Borden Assessment Procedure. Our tutors understand both GL Assessment and Quest Assessments formats. Rated 4.8/5 on Trustpilot.
Book a Free Consultation Message on WhatsApp