The Skinners’ School is a selective, state secondary school, based in Tunbridge Wells in Kent. Granted academy status in 2010, Skinners’ admits boys from Year 7 to Year 11, with a co-educational Sixth Form.
Consistently ranking within the top 5 grammar schools in Kent, Skinners’ has a strong reputation for academic achievement. In the most recent year, 74% of pupils’ A Level results were from A* to B, and over 80% of students gained a place at their first choice university destination, which included top institutions such as Oxbridge, Exeter and Warwick. Many students also applied for degree apprenticeships, ending up at companies including Amazon, EDF and Coca-Cola.
Skinners’ is also well-known for its wide range of co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. Regarding sports, facilities are substantial - on the main school site, there is an indoor sports hall, as well as a separate playing-field site known as Southfields, which contains rugby pitches and cricket squares. There are a large number of clubs and societies on offer at the school, ranging from chess club to politics club, as well as a 120-seater theatre, used for drama productions and music recitals.
Entry Points
Like many secondary grammar schools, Skinners’ has two main entry points for admission: Year 7 and Year 12. The school occasionally accepts in-year applicants when spaces become available, though this is unusual.
There is an intake of 160 places at Year 7, though it is fairly oversubscribed; historically, there have been around 5 applicants per place. At Year 12, up to 50 places are offered to students coming in externally, and around 95% of Year 11 students stay on.
Admissions Process for 11+ Entry to The Skinners' School
Skinners’ School admits students based on their performance in the Kent Test. Parents must register boys for this in the summer of Year 5, and the test itself is held in the beginning of Year 6. They must then fill out a Common Application Form and submit it to their local authority; in this form, parents are asked to list their top choices of schools. Offers are generally made in the first week of March.
Regarding the Kent Test, Skinners’ sets a qualifying score of 40 points higher than the Kent Test threshold score - students must achieve this score in order to be considered for a place. 140 places are reserved for students from the ‘West Kent Area’, and 20 places for students in an ‘Outer Area’.
On the 140 spaces for students from the ‘West Kent Area’ each year, after awarding places to looked-after children and up to 16 children who receive Pupil Premium, the school applies this oversubscription criteria:
- Siblings of current pupils or sons of staff members
- Applicants living closest to the school
At this point, up to 16 places will be offered to students living in the ‘West Kent Area’ who would not otherwise be awarded a place, in rank order of the Kent Test.
On the 20 spaces for students from an ‘Outer Area’, the same oversubscription criteria is applied.
Example Questions in the Kent Test
The Kent Test is an 11+ entrance exam for Kent-based grammar schools. It is provided by GL Assessment, and consists of two multiple-choice papers, both lasting around 60 minutes. The first paper tests students’ English and Mathematics skills, whereas the second paper tests verbal and non-verbal reasoning skills; the scores are standardised based on age, so children born later in the academic year are not unfairly disadvantaged.
Additionally, there is a writing exercise, which lasts 40 minutes. It is not counted in the standard multiple-choice scoring process, but serves as a supplementary assessment; if a child’s test results are around the pass threshold, a local ‘headteacher panel’ may review it to help decide whether the student is suitable for grammar-school admissions.
Although specimen papers are not provided, GL Assessment offers free familiarisation materials on their website.
English: Comprehension Example
“A few mornings later, we set off from Honeyhock, carrying a collection of lanterns, ropes and weathered maps, determined to find the old smugglers’ tunnel. The forest path was tight, and the undergrowth yanked at our clothes in an attempt to hold us back. After what felt like hours, we reached the cliffside marked with a crimson-red cross. With a piece of charcoal, I traced the outline of a crack in the stone, and, fuelled by renewed hope, we started chipping away at the rock. Three long days of consistent labour left us with only a small dent in the cliff — barely large enough for a squirrel to fit through.
Q: ‘fuelled by renewed hope’ What does this suggest about the group’s attitude?
A: They were exercised but unsure whether the tunnel was even real.
B: They felt full of energy and optimistic on making progress.
C: They were certain the work was nearly finished.
D: They were increasingly frustrated with the difficulty of the task.
E: They had decided to call it a day.
Q: ‘consistent labour’ (line 22) What does this phrase suggest about the work they were doing?
A: They rushed through the work as fast as possible/
B: Their progress was weather-dependent.
C: They worked quickly but became easily tired.
D: Their tools had worn out, making work slow.
E: They worked at a steady pace without giving up.
English: Spelling Example
Q: Which of these is the correct spelling?
A: Ocassionally
B: Occasionally
C: Occassionally
D: Ocasionally
E: Ocasionaly
Mathematics: Percentages Example
Q: 65% of the year group go on the school trip. If there are 300 people in the year group, how many are on the trip?
A: 200
B: 180
C: 165
D: 195
E: 205
Q: Convert 8% to a decimal.
A: 0.8
B: 0.80
C: 0.008
D: 0.08
E: 8.0
Verbal Reasoning: Letter Rearrangement Example
Move a letter from the word on the left to the words on the right to make 2 new words.
Q: stand sick
Q: player fight
Verbal Reasoning: Missing 3 letter word Example
Fill in the missing three letter word in each of these sentences.
Q: Lions are known to be SAV animals.
Q: The chef sprinkled some COUT on the cake.
Q: While the rest of the class was SDING, the headteacher was sitting at his desk.
Non-Verbal Reasoning Example
These questions are generally centred on shape-based problem-solving. Students may be asked to spot the odd shape in a pattern, choose which shape comes next in a sequence, or determine the net that matches a particular 3D solid.
Writing Task Example
There are no past paper questions available on the Kent council website, though questions have previously asked candidates to write a descriptive piece, a narrative piece, or a discursive piece of writing. 10 minutes are allocated for planning, and another 30 minutes for writing.
16+ (Sixth Form) Admission Requirements
All external Sixth Form students must make an application in Year 11. Once received, Skinners’ asks for a reference and predicted GCSE grades from the applicant’s current school. Conditional offers are made, based on those grades, and applicants can then confirm their place if the required grades have been achieved.
Skinners’ sets minimum grades that students must obtain at GCSE in order to be offered a place - this includes internal applicants:
- At least 50 points across a student’s ‘best 8’ GCSEs
- At least grade 7 in these subjects (if wishing to study this at A level): Mathematics, Physics, French, Chemistry and German.
- At least grade 4 in Mathematics and English GCSE
In the event of over-subscription for places at Sixth Form, external candidates with the strongest academic records at GCSE will be admitted, as long as their subject option choices at A Level can be offered.
In-year Admissions
To apply for an in-year place at Skinners’, you must complete their in-year application form. At this point, students are invited to sit the CAT4 tests and must obtain a minimum score of 120, but can only take this test once a year. Eligible applicants are then ranked according to the oversubscription criteria, and then placed on a waiting list. When a vacancy appears in a particular year group, the student at the top of the waiting list is offered the place.
Appeals
If a child is not allocated a place, parents are able to appeal against a decision, under the School Standards and Framework Act 1998.
Preparation Tips for the Entrance Test for Skinners’ School
Preparation is crucial for students hoping to gain a place at Skinners’ School. Students should possess a strong understanding of the KS2 curriculum in both English, mathematics, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning, as well as experience with multiple-choice and written tests under timed conditions. Keystone have provided specialist tutors for these exams for over a decade, who are experienced and can guide candidates through the entire process.
For more details on how Keystone can help with preparation for the Skinners’ School entrance exam, feel free to call the office for a chat with one of our client managers, or contact us via our request a tutor form.