Highsted Grammar School 11 Plus: Exam & Preparation Guide
Highsted Grammar School uses the Kent Test as an entrance route for selective Year 7 entry and Learning Street also identifies an optional Highsted Test. The Kent Test covers English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning and Spatial Reasoning, while the optional Highsted Test includes computer-based reasoning and numeracy alongside an English assessment. This guide explains the Highsted Grammar School 11 Plus routes, what they mean for preparation, and how Learning Street’s GL courses and Kent mock exams can support your child.
Highsted Grammar School 11 Plus at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| School | Highsted Grammar School |
| Area | Kent |
| Main entrance route | Kent Test / Kent 11 Plus |
| Kent Test provider | GL Assessment |
| Kent Test Paper 1 | Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning and Spatial Reasoning |
| Kent Test Paper 2 | English and Maths |
| Additional Kent element | Separate writing exercise |
| Optional Highsted Test | Computer-based Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning and numeracy, plus an English assessment covering reading and writing |
Information and Mock Exam review: The information on this page and Learning Street’s Highsted Grammar School mock exams are reviewed against the latest reliable information available about the Highsted Grammar School entrance test.
Learning Street’s Kent mock exams prepare children for the Kent Test route. They should not be treated as exact replicas of the separate optional Highsted Test.
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Exam Format | Mock Exams | Pass Marks | Preparation | Courses
Highsted Grammar School 11 Plus Exam Format
Learning Street identifies two possible assessment routes for Highsted Grammar School: the Kent Test and an optional Highsted Test.
The Kent Test contains two scored multiple-choice papers.
Paper 1 – Reasoning covers Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning and Spatial Reasoning.
Paper 2 – English and Maths contains separate timed English and Maths sections. Learning Street’s current Kent Test information reflects five minutes of practice followed by 25 minutes of assessed questions for English, followed by the same structure for Maths.
The Kent Test also contains a separate 40-minute writing exercise, including 10 minutes of planning time. This writing exercise is not included in Learning Street’s current Kent Mock Packs.
Learning Street’s Highsted Grammar School information also identifies an optional Highsted Test. This involves a computer-based assessment covering Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning and numeracy, together with an English assessment of reading and writing.
What Does the Highsted Grammar School Exam Format Mean for Preparation?
The first priority is to understand which assessment route your child is preparing for because the Kent Test and optional Highsted Test are not identical.
For the Kent Test, children need balanced preparation across English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning and Spatial Reasoning.
The optional Highsted Test overlaps with several of those skills because Learning Street identifies Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, numeracy and English reading and writing within that assessment.
This means strong underlying literacy, numeracy and reasoning skills are valuable across both routes, but practice materials should still reflect the format being prepared for.
For the Kent Test specifically, children should also become comfortable with multiple-choice answer sheets, timed sections and moving efficiently between different question types.
Preparation should progress from core skills → vocabulary and numeracy development → accuracy → flexible application → revision → timed work → realistic mock exams.
Highsted Grammar School 11 Plus Mock Exams and Practice Papers
Learning Street researches the known Kent Test format, paper length and timings when producing its Kent mocks. We also provide realistic answer sheets, invigilation instructions and guidance on when time should be called so parents can reproduce the practical demands of the test at home as closely as possible.
Pack 1 | Pack 2 | Pack 3 | Pack 4
Save 20% – Buy all four for £48.
Kent 11 Plus Mock Exam Bundle – Packs 1–4
Highsted Grammar School 11 Plus Pass Marks and Standardised Scores
Learning Street’s current Highsted Grammar School preparation information does not provide one fixed raw practice-paper percentage that should be treated as a permanent Highsted Grammar School 11 Plus pass mark.
A percentage achieved on a Learning Street Kent mock should therefore be used primarily to assess preparation and progress rather than treated as equivalent to an official entrance-test result.
This is especially important for Highsted because Learning Street identifies more than one assessment route. A score achieved on a Kent mock should not be treated as a direct prediction of performance in the separate optional Highsted Test.
Mock scores are most useful when they reveal whether marks are being lost through knowledge gaps, weak vocabulary, a particular Maths area, reasoning technique, accuracy, timing or answer-sheet errors.
Parents can then target these weaknesses before using another fresh mock to measure progress under timed conditions.
How to Prepare for the Highsted Grammar School 11 Plus
Effective Highsted Grammar School 11 Plus preparation should begin with strong underlying literacy, numeracy and reasoning skills before children rely heavily on complete test papers.
Learning Street’s GL courses develop Vocabulary, English, Verbal Reasoning, Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning through structured learning, revision and timed practice.
English Preparation
English preparation should develop reading comprehension, vocabulary, spelling, punctuation and grammar.
Children should become comfortable reading unfamiliar material accurately while still working efficiently. Structured comprehension work should complement regular reading so children learn to retrieve information, interpret precise wording and understand meaning in context.
English is relevant to the Kent Test and Learning Street also identifies reading and writing within the optional Highsted Test, making strong literacy foundations particularly useful for this school.
Maths and Numeracy Preparation
Maths preparation should begin with secure KS2 knowledge. Times tables, mental Maths and the four operations should become accurate and reliable before substantial time pressure is introduced.
Children should then progress towards mixed problems where they need to decide independently which mathematical method is required.
This develops flexible problem solving rather than dependence on questions being organised into familiar topics. Secure numeracy is also relevant to the optional Highsted Test described by Learning Street.
Verbal Reasoning Preparation
Verbal Reasoning combines language knowledge with logical thinking and is relevant to both assessment routes described by Learning Street.
Children should learn reliable approaches to word, letter, code and relationship questions rather than simply memorising solutions to familiar examples.
Vocabulary development is particularly important. Even where children understand the reasoning technique, unfamiliar words can make otherwise manageable questions much harder.
Non-Verbal and Spatial Reasoning Preparation
Non-Verbal Reasoning is also relevant to both routes, while Spatial Reasoning forms part of the Kent Test Reasoning paper.
Children should learn to analyse visual information systematically, checking features such as shape, number, position, direction, rotation, reflection and shading.
Developing a consistent method makes it easier to approach unfamiliar questions rather than depending on recognition of previously practised examples.
Writing Preparation
The Kent Test contains a separate writing exercise, while Learning Street’s description of the optional Highsted Test also includes an English assessment covering writing.
Children should therefore have experience planning and completing a coherent written response within a limited period.
Preparation should develop organisation, vocabulary, sentence control, spelling and punctuation alongside the ability to generate and structure ideas efficiently.
Learning Street’s Kent mock packs do not include the separate Kent writing exercise, so writing preparation should be completed separately.
Once the underlying skills are secure, Learning Street’s Kent mocks can be used to develop timing, concentration, stamina and familiarity with realistic multiple-choice answer sheets.
View the Kent 11 Plus Mock Exam Bundle – Packs 1–4
Which Highsted Grammar School 11 Plus Course Should You Choose?
Learning Street offers three main GL preparation routes for children preparing for the Highsted Grammar School 11 Plus: Complete, Enhance and Boost.
These programmes develop Vocabulary, English, Verbal Reasoning, Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning through structured learning, revision and timed testing.
The most suitable programme depends mainly on how much preparation time remains.
| Preparation time | Learning Street course | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 30–40+ weeks | Complete GL | Our most comprehensive preparation |
| 15–30 weeks | Enhance GL | A shorter structured programme |
| 6–15 weeks | Boost GL | Focused preparation when less time remains |
Complete GL — 30–40+ Weeks
Learning Street’s Complete GL 11 Plus Programme is the most comprehensive preparation route. It contains 40 structured parts covering Vocabulary, English, Verbal Reasoning, Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning.
The programme includes more than 60 timed papers and tests, full answers with detailed explanations and additional work focused on core skills such as vocabulary development and accuracy in English and Maths.
It is most suitable where there is enough time to develop skills progressively before moving towards substantial revision and increasingly timed work.
The Complete GL 11 Plus Programme
Focused Complete options are also available:
Complete – Vocabulary, English and Verbal Reasoning
Complete – Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning
Enhance GL — 15–30 Weeks
Learning Street’s Enhance GL programme provides a shorter 20-part preparation route while continuing to cover Vocabulary, English, Verbal Reasoning, Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning.
The programme includes more than 35 timed papers and tests alongside structured learning and detailed answers.
Enhance is most suitable where there is still enough time for substantial preparation but not enough time to complete all 40 parts of the Complete programme properly.
Focused Enhance options are also available:
Enhance – Vocabulary, English and Verbal Reasoning
Enhance – Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning
Boost GL — 6–15 Weeks
Learning Street’s Boost GL programme is the shortest full preparation route. It contains 10 intensive parts covering Vocabulary, English, Verbal Reasoning, Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning.
The programme contains more than 25 timed papers and tests, allowing families beginning preparation later to concentrate the main learning and testing into a shorter period.
Focused Boost options are also available:
Boost – Vocabulary, English and Verbal Reasoning
Boost – Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning
For additional writing preparation:
11 Plus Creative Writing Course
Starting Earlier?
If your child is still developing the literacy and numeracy foundations needed before dedicated Highsted Grammar School 11 Plus preparation begins, Learning Street’s primary-school course chooser can help you select an appropriate starting point.
Primary School – Course Chooser for Younger Children
Already Completed Substantial Preparation?
Learning Street’s 11 Plus Revision Course – GL is suitable for children who have already completed substantial 11 Plus preparation through books, tutoring or another programme but now want a structured period of revision.
It should not normally be completed after one of Learning Street’s Complete, Enhance or Boost programmes because some of the material overlaps.
Also Sitting Independent School Exams?
Children also sitting independent-school entrance tests may need additional preparation in areas or formats beyond the Highsted Grammar School entrance routes described above.
11 Plus Creative Writing Course
11 Plus Maths Stretch and Revision
Current Highsted Grammar School Admissions Information
Admissions arrangements and the available assessment routes can change. For general guidance on 11 Plus preparation and Learning Street courses, use the Learning Street FAQs below.
