At a Glance
Assessment: GL 11 Plus (Kent test)
Fees Type: Free
Boarding: Day school
Admissions: Boys Only
Places per year: 210
Introduction
The Norton Knatchbull School is a selective academy in Ashford, Kent for children aged 11 to 18 accepting boys into the main school, with girls joining in the sixth form. The school holds specialisms in Science and Modern Foreign Languages. The curriculum is centred around their own curated programme – The Knatchbull Baccalaureate (KnatchBacc) which seeks to encourage growth and development of the boys under four pillars: Academic, Extra-curricular, Community, Excel and extend. Extracurricular activities are encouraged to develop ideals of commitment, teamwork, resilience and competition through regular inter-house competitions. House systems also help foster the sense of community as they are central in the organisation of fundraising and volunteering opportunities and provide students with leadership experience in the roles of house captains, prefects and other such roles. At the last Ofsted inspection the school was rated as Good overall and inspectors commented that ‘Pupils are confident, keen to learn and ambitious for their futures. They behave very well both in lessons and around school. As a result, pupils make good, and often better, progress across a range of subjects.’
The Norton Knatchbull School has the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) at the heart of its core curriculum. This is a programme which students are considered qualified for if they sit GCSEs in English, Maths, Sciences, a language and a humanities subject in History or Geography. Of the boys 99% enter for the EBacc and they receive an EBacc average point score of 6.15 versus the national average of 4.07. In Maths and English this equates to 89% of boys achieving grades 5 or above versus the national average of 43%.
If you and your son are thinking about an application to The Norton Knatchbull School we at 11 Plus Hero and here to help! We host all important information about the school, about dates in the application process and about the selective entrance assessment – The Kent Test. With our help you can put your best foot forward as we guide you through the process and provide familiarisation materials and practise papers so there are no surprises on the day and you can secure admission to the school you want!
The Norton Knatchbull School’s Key Information
11 Plus Hero regularly updates the most important school information and contact details to keep you in the know.
School Address
Full Address:
The Norton Knatchbull SchoolHythe Road
Ashford
Kent
TN24 0QJ
Contact Information
Parking in the school
- Parking is not available on the school grounds however there are a number of nearby facilities within a 20 minutes walk.
Additional parking off site
- Henwood Car Park, 17 Henwood, Ashford, TN24 8YF. Mon to Sun, 24h.
- Flour Mills Car Park, East Hill, Ashford, TN24 8PA. Mon to Sun, 24h.
Additional parking off site
- Henwood Car Park, 17 Henwood, Ashford, TN24 8YF. Mon to Sun, 24h.
- Flour Mills Car Park, East Hill, Ashford, TN24 8PA. Mon to Sun, 24h.
Key Information for The Norton Knatchbull 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 (2017)
Selection Test
The Norton Knatchbull School’s Key Dates and Application Information
To help you keep track of all the important deadlines and dates to make an application for Grammar school admittance with The Norton Knatchbull School, we at 11 Plus Hero have created this chronological timeline.
Applications for Secondary School intake 2023
Open evening
Registration for Kent test
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
Kent Test Results Date
Common Application form (CAF) Deadline
Application Documents for The Norton Knatchbull School
Below we provide you with the most important sources for the information displayed on these pages which only includes primary sources from the school and government. Not hearsay and rumours.
The Norton Knatchbull School Exam Format
Grammar Schools in Kent all employ the Kent Test, produced by the GL 11 Plus exam board, to assess children’s eligibility for admission and suitability for the rigour of a grammar school education. This test contains questions intended to assess your son’s progress towards the key stage 2 curriculum in Maths and English and well as their skills in Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal reasoning.
The GL 11 Plus Kent Test: Overview
Below we provide an overview of the test. In order to give consistent and all-encompassing information and advice on the Kent Test. which is shared with 32 other schools, we have curated a centralised guide in one place which can be found here Selective Tests in Kent – The Kent Test.
Paper One
A multiple choice English and Maths paper written by GL 11 Plus and lasting 1 hour.
Paper Two
A multiple choice Verbal Reasoning and Non-verbal reasoning paper written by GL 11 Plus and lasting 1 hour.
Additional
A creative writing exercise written by the school and lasting 40 minutes.
The Kent Test - GL 11 Plus Assessment Criteria
| English | Maths | Verbal Reasoning | Non-Verbal Reasoning | Additional |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Pass Mark
The GL 11 Plus Kent Test: Pass Criteria
The threshold passing grade to be considered eligible for grammar school admission changes every year as it is based on the results of every child who sat the test that year. As such it is not possible to quote a passing grade ahead of time. Scores are calculated by combining the raw scores of Papers 1 and 2 before subjecting them to statistical standardisation including an adjustment based on the age of the child taking the test. This generates an aggregate score which is compared to the threshold passing mark that must be met. For further information and examples of previous years thresholds please see the dedicated article – ‘Selective Tests in Kent – The Kent Test’.
Pass Mark
The GL 11 Plus Kent Test: Pass Criteria
The threshold passing grade to be considered eligible for grammar school admission changes every year as it is based on the results of every child who sat the test that year. As such it is not possible to quote a passing grade ahead of time. Scores are calculated by combining the raw scores of Papers 1 and 2 before subjecting them to statistical standardisation including an adjustment based on the age of the child taking the test. This generates an aggregate score which is compared to the threshold passing mark that must be met. For further information and examples of previous years thresholds please see the dedicated article – ‘Selective Tests in Kent – The Kent Test’.
Catchment Area
The Norton Knatchbull School does not operate a catchment area in terms of postcodes or local parish districts. All children must have taken and passed the Kent Test to be eligible for admission. Beyond this children will be admitted to the school in the order of those who occupy a permanent residence with the nearest proximity to a fixed point at The Norton Knatchbull School as defined by the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG) address point data. As such the geographical range at which students are admitted changes on a yearly basis.
Additional Eligibility
Certain children may be eligible for priority of admission if they have certain health or social reasons that would make admission to The Norton Knatchbull School especially beneficial to their wellbeing. It is nonetheless still a necessity that the child have passed the Kent Test.
- Boys with a statement of special educational need or an education health care plan which specifically mentions The Norton Knatchbull School will be admitted
- Those children who either are currently or at one time were under the care of the local authority will be admitted with priority
- Boys will be admitted to the main school if they have a sibling already in attendance, including a brother in the main school or sixth form, or a sister in sixth form.
- Boys with a medical or otherwise special access reason (especially those covered by the Equality Act 2010) which would mean they especially benefit from admission to The Norton Knatchbull School. This must be supported by a written letter from a suitably qualified medical or otherwise practitioner.
The Norton Knatchbull School FAQs
- The Kent Test does not have a constant pass mark. The threshold to pass the test is decided upon every year, partly by looking at the results received that year. As such it cant be quoted ahead of tim. It is however generally accepted that the top 25% of students nationally would reach this threshold. For more information and examples of previous years thresholds please see the Pass Mark section.
- The Norton Knatchbull School carries out the Kent Test, produced by the GL 11 Plus exam board as its selective entrance test. This test encompases two multiple choice paper-based exams with questions on the Key stage 2 curriculum in Maths and English alongside questions assessing Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. For more details see The Norton Knatchbull School Exam Format section.
- Kent County Council hosts familiarisation material to allow children to get used to the format of their exams which will be useful for the Kent Test. This can be found in the Application Documents section.
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