Secondary Destinations

Our high expectations for every child, coupled with small classes has led to a high success rate for children applying to grammar schools and selective independent schools.

Destinations

As a one form entry school, which is non-selective at the point of entry, results vary from year to year but every year significant percentages of pupils gain places at Bexley and Kent grammar schools. In recent years a number of our children have been placed in the Top 180 pupils in the Bexley Selection Tests, a very significant achievement indeed.

A smaller but equally significant percentage of pupils move on to selective independent destinations. Equally, there are some parents who opt for local non-selective state schools and we are proud that parents tell us how well their children are doing at these schools benefiting from the grounding they have had at West Lodge.

"Leavers are consistently offered places at selective senior schools and awarded a range of scholarships"

"The majority of leavers gain entry to their first choice of senior school."

ISI Inspection Report 2025

Whilst we are rightly proud of pupils' examination success, a great deal of emphasis is placed upon individual pupil progress. This close monitoring enables us to identify the children’s needs and next steps on an individual basis to ensure that each and every child fulfils their potential.

Destinations 2024

Class of 2024

Read their stories here

SeniorSchoolOffers

Preparation for entrance tests

Children are very well prepared for entrance tests with a curriculum and teaching prioritising the best possible preparation, starting with the teaching of verbal and non-verbal reasoning as discrete subjects in Year 1. However, equal priority is given to a broad and balanced curriculum which is engaging and exciting.

You have not allowed cookies and this content may contain cookies.

If you would like to view this content please

Pupils explain more about the support they receive when preparing for 11+ examinations.

A West Lodge family describes how their child was supported in the run up to the 11+ tests:

There is no doubt that the build up to the tests feels intense, however we and our child have always felt fully supported throughout the process.

The Coaching Club is brilliant, the children feel that they are in a very mutually supportive team environment with their friends and ‘they can do this together’.

The 11+ preparation week at the end of the summer holiday was also incredibly useful for further building confidence and honing exam technique as well as providing the opportunity for pupils to receive targeted support in the areas they needed it most.

The journey to this point starts much lower down the school and although the children don’t realise it they are building the bank of verbal and non-verbal reasoning, comprehension and mathematical skills to help them be successful.

Teachers intuitively know where any gaps lay and modify their teaching accordingly.

At parents’ evenings we were given very tailored advice as to what home learning would benefit our child during preparation for the tests.

It’s a journey that every single member of staff is vested in.

WEST LODGE FAMILY

Support with secondary school selection

The formal process of choosing an appropriate senior school begins in Year 5 with a one-to-one secondary transfer meeting with the Head Teacher where the options and suitability of different schools are discussed along with the support the children need. The Head Teacher and staff are always happy to meet with parents to discuss choice of senior school and provide support. We visit senior schools and over the years have built very good relationships with their Heads and senior staff.

Each family attends a transition meeting. The West Lodge staff know our child very well and were able to marry this knowledge with their wealth of knowledge about all the senior school options available to provide a fully informed, and most importantly independent, opinion about which senior schools would be best for our child.

WEST LODGE FAMILY