Junior School entrance assessments

We know that parents and children may feel anxious about sitting our entrance assessment so we asked Head of Junior School, Margaret Ainsworth, to explain how we make the assessment day as stress-free – and even fun for the children – as possible.

She said: “We want everyone to perform well and show us what they can do so it’s important to us that the children are relaxed enough to enjoy the day.

“Children sit the assessments in a calm and quiet room with a teacher who supports them through the online assessments and ensures that the children understand what is expected at each stage.

“After the assessment, they spend the day in one of our classes, which is always lots of fun.”

Katy Morris-Yousaf is Deputy Head Academic at the Junior School and she encourages parents to talk to their child about what to expect on the day.

She said: “Being prepared is important. Children will be more relaxed if they know what to expect and, for parents, knowing what is going to happen on the day will help them feel less anxious too.

“This parent FAQ document contains useful information about the online section of the assessment and also links to some familiarisation questions so that children can get used to the format of the test.

“The assessment day always follows roughly the same schedule – see below – and I recommend that parents talk through this with their child before they come in.”

• Your child will be welcomed by Mrs Morris-Yousaf and will meet any other children who are sitting the assessment on the same day
• The online assessment is in four sections: Maths, English, non-verbal reasoning and verbal reasoning. The assessment takes a total of 70 minutes but children will have a break after each section
• Children then complete a short written task which assesses their ability to write broadly accurate sentences including basic punctuation
• After the assessments, your child will join one of our classes and be assigned a buddy – often a child with similar interests – for the rest of the day
• Lunch is provided at school and your child will eat in the dining room with the class. They will also have the opportunity to play outside or attend a lunchtime club with their buddy

Mrs Ainsworth concludes: “We have two main aims on the assessment day; that the children are relaxed enough to do their best and that they enjoy their time with us.

“The assessment day can also be a good time for parents to have a look around the school and see us in action on a normal day so do let us know if that is something you would be interested in.”

If you have any questions about the assessment process, or about the Junior School in general, please do not hesitate to contact our Admissions Manager, Erica Sears, on 01244 689553 or by email at admissions@kingschester.co.uk