Kent 11 Plus for Children with SEND: Access Arrangements and What Support is Available

The Kent Test for children with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) raises important and practical questions that many families are not fully aware of until the registration process is already underway. Children with identified special educational needs, disabilities, or specific learning difficulties may be entitled to access arrangements that level the playing field during the test — adjustments that ensure the test measures the child's academic reasoning ability rather than their disability.

What Access Arrangements Are

Access arrangements are specific adjustments to the standard test conditions designed to ensure that children with identified needs can demonstrate their true ability without being disadvantaged by their disability or learning difficulty. They are not designed to give an unfair advantage — they are designed to remove an unfair disadvantage. The principle is that access arrangements should reflect what the child normally receives in their school assessments, not additional support provided specifically and exclusively for the 11 plus test.

Available Adjustments

Kent County Council may agree access arrangements for the Kent Test where there is evidence of an identified need. Arrangements that have been available in recent years — none of them automatic — include additional time, a reader, a scribe (limited scope on a multiple-choice test), rest breaks, a separate quiet room, enlarged print, and coloured overlays. Extra time is often 25% when it is awarded in school assessments; that figure is not a guaranteed Kent Test award. Confirm current options with KCC.

Evidence Requirements

Access arrangements are not granted based on a parent's request alone — they require evidence of an identified need. The required evidence typically includes one or more of: a report from a qualified Educational Psychologist; a diagnosis from a specialist medical professional for conditions such as ADHD or autism spectrum condition; a current Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP); and evidence from the child's school confirming that equivalent access arrangements are routinely provided in the school's own assessments.

The fundamental principle is that access arrangements must reflect what the child normally receives. A child who has never previously been given extra time in any school assessment is very unlikely to qualify for extra time in the 11 plus.

Applying for Access Arrangements

Applications for access arrangements must be submitted at the time of registration for the test — they cannot be added after the registration window closes. The application requires the relevant evidence documentation to be submitted simultaneously with the registration. Families who anticipate needing access arrangements should therefore ensure they have the necessary evidence in hand before the registration window opens in April. If an Educational Psychologist assessment is needed, it should be commissioned well in advance — EP assessments can take several months to arrange and complete.

EHCP and Grammar School Admissions

Children with an Education, Health and Care Plan follow a different admissions route. How an EHCP interacts with Kent Test scores and a named grammar school is a matter for the local authority and that school. Confirm with both. We do not describe score waivers or guaranteed places here.

Key Takeaways