Banding
Jane Austen College is an all ability academy and in order to secure an all ability intake, all Year 6 children who name Jane Austen College in their list of preferences on their common application form are required to take a banding assessment which is prescribed by GL Assessment. This is not a ‘pass or fail’ test. This is to ensure that children across the full ability range are admitted.
The assessment is not a traditional entrance exam which children either pass or fail. It is done to ensure that our intake exactly matches the ability profile of the children applying. To achieve this, all applicants are invited to take a non-verbal reasoning assessment. Applicants will be split into nine bands based on their assessment results. We will admit the required number from each band based on the spread of ability of those applying. Within each band our admission criteria will be applied as set out in our determined admission arrangements.
If places become vacant in some bands, for example, because parents/carers accept offers of places at other schools, and no applicants in those bands remain without a place, they will be evenly filled by children falling into the next nearest bands (i.e. the bands on either side, or below or above, if the first child is from the band above then the next will be from the one below).
The assessment will be administered during November, in the year preceding entry.
Any applicants who choose not to sit the fair banding assessment will be ‘non-banded’ and will be ranked in order of priority (after all of the banded applicants), with the level of priority then determined with reference to the oversubscription criteria as set out in the admissions policy.
Parents and carers will be notified of the venue and time of their child’s assessment via email.
A sample assessment paper is available below. Please use this paper to familiarise your child with the type of assessment they will sit. They should not be worried if they cannot answer all the questions; they should just try to answer as many as they can.
Any applicants who have not taken the banding assessment will only be considered after children who have sat the banding assessment (unless they have an Education Health and Care (EHC) plan or are Looked After Children).
Banding assessment for September 2025 entry:
Where will I need to go to take the assessment?
If your year 6 child attends Charles Darwin Primary or Norwich Primary Academy, then they will complete their assessment in school on the following dates:
- Norwich Primary Academy: Tuesday 19th November at 2pm
- Charles Darwin Primary: Wednesday 20th November at 1.30pm
If your child does not attend these schools, then you will receive further communication via email about the assessment after 31st October. The assessment will be held at Jane Austen College.
When will the assessment take place?
The following dates/times are reserved for assessment days:
- Saturday 16th November 9am - 3pm
- Saturday 23rd November 9am - 3pm
- Saturday 30th November 9am - 3pm (this date will only become bookable should the other dates become full)
How long does the assessment take?
The assessment takes approximately 60 minutes. Please arrive 15 minutes before your confirmed assessment booking time.
How do I book the assessment?
If your child is from Norwich Primary Academy or Charles Darwin Primary, you do not need to book the assessment. Please see information letter below:
Assessment information for Norwich Primary Academy & Charles Darwin Primary applicantsFor all other applicants, you will need to book your child's assessment via the link below:
Assessment booking information for all other applicantsYou will receive an email from our admissions platform Applicaa confirming your assessment booking. If this email doesn’t appear in your inbox, please check your spam and junk folders.
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school through our email jacadmissions@janeaustencollege.co.uk or telephone number 01603 463800.
You can find out more about Fair Access Banding assessment by reading our FAQs here.
