Entrance exams
11+ and entrance exams
Entrance exams need preparation, but they don’t need to take over a child’s life. We prepare children individually for the 11+ and independent school entrance exams, combining knowledge and skills with exam technique, timed practice and confidence.
what we prepare
11+ and independent school entrance exams
We prepare children individually for the 11+ and for independent school entrance exams, covering English, maths, and verbal and non-verbal reasoning where the schools require them. Preparation is shaped to the child and to the requirements of their chosen schools, combining knowledge and skills with exam technique, timed practice and confidence.
Our aim is purposeful preparation without unnecessary pressure.
from Forest Row
Selective schools from East Sussex
East Sussex has no grammar schools, so families in and around Forest Row who want a selective school usually look at two routes. The first is independent schools, which set their own entrance assessments. The second is grammar schools over the border in Kent, which select through the Kent Test.
Kent County Council opens Kent Test registration to children living anywhere in England. Parents register in the summer term of Year 5 (registration closed on 1 July in 2026), and children who don’t attend a Kent primary school sit the test on a weekend that September. Passing doesn’t guarantee a place: each grammar school has its own admission rules, and Kent says the schools most likely to offer places to children from outside Kent give priority to the highest scores. Dates and rules are on Kent County Council’s Kent Test pages.
in Essex
Grammar schools in Essex
Emerson Tuition began in Essex. Many Essex grammar schools, including King Edward VI Grammar School in Chelmsford and the grammar schools in Colchester and Southend, select through the 11+ run by the Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE). Children sit two tests, one in English and one in maths. Registration opens in the May of Year 5 (for 2028 entry, it opens in May 2027). Dates and the member schools are on the CSSE website.
Some schools set their own test instead: Chelmsford County High School for Girls holds its own entrance test, explained on the school’s website. Our Essex branch prepares children in Havering and Chelmsford for these tests and for independent school entry, and we help families understand what their chosen schools expect.
practice
Practice that is purposeful
Entrance exam preparation sometimes needs more structured independent practice than our other tuition: timed exercises, vocabulary work, mental maths or sections of practice papers between sessions. It is always weighed against the child’s learning style, existing workload and capacity. The aim isn’t to fill every spare moment with preparation.
Questions parents ask
Are there grammar schools in East Sussex?
No. East Sussex has no grammar schools. Families in the county who want a selective school usually look at independent schools’ own entrance assessments, or at grammar schools in Kent, which select through the Kent Test.
Can a child from Forest Row sit the Kent Test?
Yes. Kent County Council opens registration to children living anywhere in England. Parents register in the summer term of Year 5, and children from outside Kent sit the test on a weekend in September. A pass doesn’t guarantee a place, so check each grammar school’s admissions policy and the current dates with Kent County Council.
How does the 11+ work in Essex?
Many Essex grammar schools select through the 11+ run by the Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex (CSSE): two tests, one in English and one in maths. Registration opens in the May of Year 5. Some schools, such as Chelmsford County High School for Girls, set their own test, so check each school’s admissions policy and the current dates with the CSSE or the school.
Do you prepare children for independent school entrance exams?
Yes. Preparation is shaped to the requirements of the schools you are considering, including English, maths and reasoning where they are tested.
see also
Other tuition
- PrimaryStrong foundations, and how children feel about learning.
- Secondary, GCSE and A-levelMaking what students already know count in the exam.
- Neurodiversity and SENDStarting with the individual, not the label.
- Home educationAcademic expertise alongside your family’s own approach.
- High achieversRoom to go further, with precision and depth.
next step
Talk to us about your child
Tell us a little about your child and what would help. We will talk it through with you and, if tuition is right, find the tutor who suits them.
Make an enquiry or call Grace on 07716 131813 (East Sussex) or Samantha on 07886 812675 (Essex)