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Kent Test headteacher assessment: a parent's guide
Kent's headteacher assessment is a school referral process, not a parent-run resit. KCC's 2026-entry booklet describes referrals before parents receive results. Use that as background and ask your primary school for the current cycle's arrangements.
Source: KCC: secondary admissions booklet, 2026 entry (accessed 2026-09-23)
What the published process considers
Source: KCC: secondary admissions booklet, 2026 entry (accessed 2026-09-23)
The booklet describes a panel of primary and secondary headteachers considering test results, recent schoolwork, the writing exercise and school comments. It considers work across subjects, rather than only the subject below the threshold.
This source covers 2026 entry. We have not verified a 2027 referral timetable and do not publish one here. Ask the school about current deadlines before relying on any older guidance.
Useful questions for the primary school
- Which current KCC instructions are you following for this entry year?
- How will you review whether a referral is appropriate?
- Is there relevant information about the test day that you need from us?
- How will we learn whether a referral was made and what the final assessment says?
Keep the conversation factual and kind. Share relevant information without asking your child to produce a polished replacement for ordinary schoolwork. The aim of this checklist is to help you understand the process, not to manufacture evidence.
Separate observation from assumption
Worked example Read a short record
Original teaching example. A fictional school note says: 'Leila checked the instructions, crossed out her first ending and wrote a new final paragraph.' Which statement is supported? A She finished first. B She changed the ending. C She received full marks. D She used a dictionary. E She wrote the longest piece.
- Locate the action recorded: she wrote a new final paragraph.
- Reject statements about marks, speed or length: none is in the note.
Why this works: B. The note records a change to the ending.
Why the tempting route fails: C assumes a mark from the fact that Leila revised her work. This invented reading item is not evidence for any real child's assessment.
Keep assessment and admission separate
Source: KCC: applying for a grammar school place (accessed 2026-09-23)
An admission appeal follows refusal of a school place. KCC explains that families can appeal to an independent panel if a place is not offered.
Do not assume a school referral will change the result or secure a particular school. Keep preparing your school application while you seek clarification.
Sources and scope
Sources
KCC: secondary admissions booklet, 2026 entry. Page 30 explains headteacher assessment. Historical process reference, not a 2027 timetable. Accessed 2026-09-23. Read the official sourcehttps://www.kent.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/195646/Secondary-admissions-book.pdf
KCC: applying for a grammar school place. School applications, oversubscription and appeals. Accessed 2026-09-23. Read the official sourcehttps://www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/schools/school-places/kent-test/apply-for-a-kent-grammar-school-place
Source access date: 2026-09-23; live pages rechecked 2026-09-24. Official pages can change. Our teaching examples and suggested routines are independently written, not official test items or predictions of admission.