Know exactly where your child stands for Barton Court Grammar School

Thousands of practice questions and up to 6 mock papers, all in the exact Barton Court Grammar School 11+ format, on one simple plan. It starts with a free diagnostic.

Barton Court Grammar School

School typeGrammar

AddressLongport, Canterbury, Kent, England, CT1 1PH

Barton Court Grammar School is a mixed grammar school in Canterbury. For 11+ entry, it uses the GL exam board and does not include an interview stage. While selectivity is unknown, candidates are advised to aim for 75%+ in practice tests.

If your child is the curious sort who likes to ask why as much as what, Barton Court Grammar School is rather well set up to make the most of that. It sits at Longport in the heart of Canterbury, within sight of the city's historic centre — a co-educational selective school for ages eleven to eighteen, and one of the Canterbury grammars. Its roots go back before the Second World War, when it began life as a technical school for girls, moving to its present site in 1945 and growing into a mixed grammar with a strong local name.

What sets the place apart is how seriously it takes thinking itself — not as a slogan, but as a genuine organising principle. Barton Court is an accredited Thinking School, re-accredited several times over, putting thinking skills at the centre of how pupils learn rather than drilling them to memorise. That intellectual seriousness sits alongside real cultural energy: music is busy and broad, and the art department has won Best School at the regional John Downton Awards several years running — the kind of specific detail that tends to mean something.

For a motivated, questioning child who wants academic stretch alongside genuine personal growth, Barton Court has a character that is distinctively its own.

Key facts

Gender

Mixed

Year 7 places

150

Annual fees

None

Website

Visit school website

Admissions

Open day

Oct

Registration opens

June

Registration closes

July

CAF deadline

Oct

Admissions contact

office@bartoncourt.org

Admissions phone

01227 464600

Registration form

https://www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/schools/school-places/kent-test

Sibling policy

Yes

What this school tests

Kent Test

English16 question types

PunctuationReading Comprehension - ComparisonReading Comprehension - EvaluationReading Comprehension - Grammar and punctuationReading Comprehension - Inference and DeductionReading Comprehension - Information RetrievalReading Comprehension - Language Techniques and ImageryReading Comprehension - Sentence-level ComprehensionReading Comprehension - SequencingReading Comprehension - Structure, Form, Voice and ToneReading Comprehension - SummarisingReading Comprehension - Text Classification and PurposeReading Comprehension - Types of Words and PhrasesReading Comprehension - Word Meaning / ChoiceSentence CompletionSpelling

Maths23 question types

AlgebraAngles and DegreesBIDMASCoordinate GridsEstimation and RoundingFactors and MultiplesFractions, Decimals and PercentagesMagic squaresMeasurementMoneyNumber and Place ValueNumber WallsOperationsPerimeter, Area and VolumePosition and DirectionProperties of ShapesRatio and ProportionReflection, Rotation and SymmetrySequencesSpecial NumbersSpeed, Distance and TimeStatisticsTime

Non-verbal Reasoning14 question types

Extended Figure SeriesFigure AnalogiesFigure MatricesFigure OperationsFigure SeriesGrid MatricesHorizontal CodesMost Like Three FiguresMost Like Two FiguresOdd Figure OutStar MatricesTriangle MatricesTriangle SeriesVertical Codes

Verbal Reasoning26 question types

AnagramsCompound WordsEmbedded WordsForm a WordInsert a LetterLetter AnalogiesLetter CalculationsLetter CodesLetter GridsLetter SequencesMove 1 / 2 LettersNumber AnalogiesNumber CalculationsNumber SequencesRelated WordsRhyming SynonymsShuffled SentencesSynonymsWord / Logic PuzzlesWord AnalogiesWord CompletionWord MatchWord OppositesWord PairsWord RelationshipsWords and Codes

Spatial Reasoning8 question types

2D RotationsBlock CountingCombining ShapesFold and PunchFolding CubesHidden ShapesMissing Face of CubeShape Completion

Catchment area

Barton Court Grammar School does not have a formal catchment area. However, in most cases, it prioritises prospective pupils who live closer to the school.

Previous exam results

GCSE results

In 2025 students achieved an average Attainment 8 score of 66.4 across their GCSEs. 84.9% gained a grade 5 or better in both English and Maths. 60.5% achieved the English Baccalaureate at grade 5 or above. Reference: https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/

A-level results

In 2025 students achieved a B- average grade per A-Level entry. 23.9% gained AAB or better including two facilitating subjects. Reference: https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/

Frequently asked questions

What exam board does Barton Court Grammar School use for the 11+?

Barton Court Grammar School uses the GL exam board for its 11+ entry.

What is the 11+ pass mark for Barton Court Grammar School?

Candidates should aim for 75%+ in practice tests for Barton Court Grammar School's 11+.

Does Barton Court Grammar School interview as part of the 11+?

No, Barton Court Grammar School does not include an interview stage for 11+ entry.

Is Barton Court Grammar School co-educational or single-sex?

Barton Court Grammar School is a mixed-gender school.

What is Barton Court Grammar School's website?

The official website for Barton Court Grammar School is https://www.bartoncourt.org/.

Does Barton Court Grammar School have a catchment area?

Barton Court Grammar School does not have a formal catchment area, but it prioritises pupils living closer to the school.

How do you get a place at Barton Court Grammar School?

Your child first needs to reach the required standard in the Kent Test (the Kent PESE) and be judged selective, then name Barton Court on the Kent application form. Meeting the standard does not guarantee a place. When there are more eligible children than places, priority goes in this order: looked-after and previously looked-after children, then children eligible for Pupil Premium, then those with a sibling already at the school, then health and special access cases, then nearness of home to school measured in a straight line.

What happens if my child is ill on 11+ test day at Barton Court Grammar School?

The Kent Test is run by Kent County Council, so the illness procedure is the county's, not the school's. If your child is unwell on the test day, you tell their primary school and Kent County Council, who can arrange a later sitting where a genuine reason is shown. If your child needs access arrangements such as extra time or a separate room, you raise this with the primary school's SENCo before you register, and the school applies on your behalf.

Location

Your child’s 11+ journey starts with a single diagnostic

4 subjects. 56 expert-authored questions. A complete picture of where they are, and a personalised plan to get them exam-ready.