At a Glance
Assessment: GL 11 Plus (Kent test)
Fees Type: Free
Boarding: Day school
Admissions: Boys Only
Places per year: 150
Introduction
Borden Grammar School is a selective grammar school for boys aged 11-18 in Sittingbourne, Kent which was originally opened in 1878. The Headmaster Mr. Ashley Tomlin strives to uphold the school motto ‘Nitere Porro’ meaning ‘to strive forward’ by adherence to their three core aims ‘To Support, To Inspire, To Achieve’.
The school boasts strong performance in English and Maths GCSE’s with 68% of pupils in 2019 achieving grades 5 or above in both exams (equivalent to a high C or low B grade under the previous GCSE mark system) compared to the national average of 43% and Kent council average of 46%. The most recent data from 2021 for individual exams shows that grade 5 or above was achieved in Maths, English Language and English Literature by 80%, 96% and 91% of students respectively. Borden Grammar also operates a sixth form which takes students from the lower form in addition to opening remaining places irrespective of gender. Strong form continues here and in 2021 the percentage of students achieving grades A* to B for Maths was 71% and for English Language & Literature 56%.
Successfully making an application and knowing how to prepare for grammar school selective testing can be a daunting and confusing prospect. As with all school under Kent County Council your child will be required to sit the GL 11 Plus Kent Test but you can additionally opt for the GL 11 Plus Borden Assessment Procedure. Understanding if this is the right choice for you and how best to prepare for these test is what 11 Plus Hero was made to help you do! We host a variety of important information about individual Grammar Schools, application deadlines and practise exam papers to help familiarise your child with the Admissions process so that they can take a confident step forwards.
Borden Grammar School Key Information
We regularly update on Borden Grammar School’s key information, contacts and school statistics directly from the school itself and governmental sources.
School Address
Full Address:
Borden Grammar SchoolAvenue of Remembrance
Sittingbourne
Kent
ME10 4DB
Contact Information
Parking in the school
- Parking can be found on the school premises and a number of car parks within a 10 minute walk.
Additional parking off site
- Central Avenue Short Stay Car Park, 5 Central Ave, Sittingbourne, ME10 4BX. Mon-Sun, 24 hours
- Albany Road Car Park, Albany Road, Swale, ME10 1EB: Open Mon-Sun. 08:00 – 18:00
Additional parking off site
- Central Avenue Short Stay Car Park, 5 Central Ave, Sittingbourne, ME10 4BX. Mon-Sun, 24 hours
- Albany Road Car Park, Albany Road, Swale, ME10 1EB: Open Mon-Sun. 08:00 – 18:00
Key Information for Borden Grammar School
PAN* for Year 7 intake (2023)
Total Student Capacity Years 7 to 13 (2022)
Total Students Years 7 to 13 (2022)
Percentage Capacity (2022)
Latest Ofsted Rating (2021)
Selection Test
Borden’s Key Dates and Application Information
Keeping track of the numerous dates and deadlines for admission to Borden Grammar School can be a laborious task but 11 Plus Hero is here to help guide you through.
Applications for Secondary School intake 2023
Open evening
Open Morning
Registration for Kent test (compulsory) and Borden test (Optional)
Registration of special access requirements for children with SEND by the SENCO from their current school
Kent Test - Exam date for children attending school in Kent
Kent Test - Exam date for children attending school outside of Kent
Borden Test - Exam date
Kent and Borden Test Results Date
Common Application form (CAF) Deadline
Application Documents for Borden Grammar School
The following links provide the school-specific information on what you need to know when applying to Borden Grammar school. You can also find a link to the local authority application page.
Borden Grammar Exam Format
Borden Grammar School selects students using both the GL 11 Plus Kent Test common and compulsory to Grammar schools under the Kent County Council authority and its own personal test, The GL 11 Plus Borden Assessment Procedure. Success in either test is sufficient for admission to Borden Grammar effectively giving your child a second chance at admission should they be unsuccessful in the Kent Test. Given that both tests use the same exam board, preparations for GL 11 Plus style exams will put your child in good stead for success and 11 Plus Hero is here to help!
The GL 11 Plus Kent Test: Overview
We here provide and overview of the three components which make up the GL 11 Plus Kent Test which is required for admission to Grammar Schools in Kent. For a detailed breakdown on the test parameters please see out Article ‘Selective Tests in Kent – The Kent Test’
Paper One
A multiple choice English and Maths paper written by GL 11 Plus
Paper Two
A multiple choice Verbal Reasoning and Non-verbal reasoning paper written by GL 11 Plus
Additional Element
A creative writing exercise written by the school
The Kent Test - GL 11 Plus Assessment Criteria
| English | Maths | Verbal Reasoning | Non-Verbal Reasoning | Additional |
|---|---|---|---|---|
The Borden Test: Produced by the GL 11 Plus exam Board
The GL 11 Plus Borden Test is divided into three multiple choice papers and a creative writing test which is assessed by the school. Relatively little specific information is available from Borden Grammar School about the format and content of the Borden Assessment Procedure however they state that as it is provided by the same exam board and contains much the same type of materials as the GL 11 Plus Kent Test children will already be sitting there is no need for any additional or specialised preparations.
Paper One
Divided into three sections assessing: Verbal ability, numerical/ mathematical reasoning and non-verbal reasoning
Computer-based, multiple choice test which will be marked by computer
Paper Two
An English paper assessing development of Reading and Writing skills
This will be marked by the school and is not a multiple choice test.
The Borden Test - GL 11 Plus Assessment Criteria
| English | Maths | Verbal Reasoning | Non-Verbal Reasoning | Additional |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Pass Mark
The GL 11 Plus Kent Test: Pass Criteria
Children will receive grades for papers one and two of the Kent Test and an overall aggregate score. These results are statistically standardised to compare any one child’s score to the average score of their school year. As such there is no ‘passing grade’ as these boundaries change but the school estimates the top 25% of students in the country will receive a passing grade. For more information please see out Article ‘Selective Tests in Kent – The Kent Test’.
Pass Criteria: The BordenTest by GL 11 Plus
Unfortunately Borden Grammar School do not publish the passing grade boundaries for their own selection test so we are unable to help in this regard.
Pass Mark
The GL 11 Plus Kent Test: Pass Criteria
Children will receive grades for papers one and two of the Kent Test and an overall aggregate score. These results are statistically standardised to compare any one child’s score to the average score of their school year. As such there is no ‘passing grade’ as these boundaries change but the school estimates the top 25% of students in the country will receive a passing grade. For more information please see out Article ‘Selective Tests in Kent – The Kent Test’.
Pass Criteria: The BordenTest by GL 11 Plus
Unfortunately Borden Grammar School do not publish the passing grade boundaries for their own selection test so we are unable to help in this regard.
Catchment Area
Priority is given to applicants who have passed either the Kent or Borden tests and occupy permanent residence closest to the school. As such the catchment area changes from year to year and may shrink if there are a high number of applicants living in close proximity or grow if not.
Generally however Borden Grammar School operates a three tier priority catchment area.
- Priority is given to children with permanent residence in the postcodes ME9, ME10, ME11 and ME12
- Secondly to those in postcodes ME8 and ME13
- Thirdly to children from any other area
In the event of oversubscription for any of the above areas, Borden uses the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG) address point data to calculate the distance between a child’s permanent home address and the school, awarding priority to children residing closest.
Additional Eligibility
Free School Meal Recipients: A small number of admission places (15%) are reserved for children who have been in receipt of free school meals at any time during KS2 (years 3-6) and who reside in the postcodes ME9, ME10, ME11 and ME12. For prospective students to qualify, parents must complete a Supplementary Information Form upon application.
Borden Grammar School FAQs
- The pass mark is different every year as raw test scores are statistically standardised against the average students score to rank prospective students.
- For more details see section ‘Pass Mark and catchment area’
- Borden Grammar School selects students based on the Kent test common to schools under Kent County Council and its own optional assessment, the Borden test. Both are provided by the GL 11 Plus exam board. These assessments test a child’s competency in English, Maths, Verbal and Non-verbal reasoning using multiple choice paper which is externally marked via computer.. Both tests also feature a writing task assessed by the school.
- For more details see ‘Section: Borden Grammar Exam Format’
- The Borden Assessment Procedure, specific to Borden Grammar School, essentially affords your child a second chance at admission if they are unsuccessful in the Kent Test which is compulsory to take for admission to any school under the Kent County Council Authority. Often schools employ their own specific testing to select for qualities the wish to champion at their establishment. Both feature exam papers from the GL 11 Plus exam boards so no additional preparation will be required to prepare for the Kent versus Borden tests.
- Kent County Council hosts familiarisation material to allow children to get used to the format of their exams which will be useful for both the Kent and Borden tests.
- https://www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/schools/school-places/kent-test#tab-3
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