Area guide · England
Kent Test: how it works and its 32 schools
Unverified: the dates and scores on this page come from desk research of council, school and test organiser pages (medium confidence), and each links to its source. Admissions rules change every year: confirm them with your council and the school before you rely on them.
Key dates for September 2027 entry
- Register for the test
- 1 June 2026 to 1 July 2026
- Test dates
- 10 September 2026, 12 September 2026, 13 September 2026
- Results sent to families
- 15 October 2026
- Apply to your council
- By 31 October 2026 (September 2027 entry). Passing the test is not an application: you must also name the school on your council's application form. This date has passed: late applications go to your council and are usually considered after on-time ones.
- National offer day
- 1 March 2027
10 Sep for children at Kent primaries; 12-13 Sep for children at non-Kent primaries. Late registration only in limited cases (email kent.admissions@kent.gov.uk); sources conflict. Dates come from school/tuition pages; official page kent.gov.uk/kenttest not seen. One guide mentions 12 Feb offer, unclear.
Sources: kelsi.org.uk, lenham.kent.sch.uk, cognito.org, leadingtuition.co.uk. Statutory dates: School Admissions Code.
Schools
| School | Gender | First choices per place | Qualifying score | Latest published offer data | Children from outside the catchment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barton Court Grammar School Canterbury | Mixed | 1.2 (2026) | aggregate 332 with no section below 108 (Kent Test threshold for September 2026 entry) | – | Yes For September 2027 entry there is no catchment, so where you live only matters through distance: when the school is oversubscribed, children who live further away are less likely to be offered a place. |
| Borden Grammar School Sittingbourne | Boys | 1.1 (2026) | aggregate 332 with no section below 108 (Kent Test threshold for September 2026 entry) | – | Sometimes For September 2027 entry, boys living outside the ME8 to ME13 postcode districts are considered after everyone inside them, nearest first, so they get a place only if places remain. |
| Chatham & Clarendon Grammar School Ramsgate | Mixed | 0.9 (2026) | aggregate 332 with no section below 108 (Kent Test threshold for September 2026 entry) | – | Sometimes For September 2027 entry, children living outside Thanet and the named Herne Bay and Whitstable areas come last, nearest first, and are offered places only if any remain. |
| Cranbrook School Cranbrook | Mixed | 1.6 (2026) | aggregate 332 with no section below 108 (Kent Test threshold for September 2026 entry) | Sept 2026 entry
| Sometimes For September 2027 day entry, children living outside the Priority Area come last and are offered day places only if any remain. Boarding places are handled under a separate policy. |
| Dane Court Grammar School Broadstairs | Mixed | 1.4 (2026) | aggregate 332 with no section below 108 (Kent Test threshold for September 2026 entry) | – | Yes For September 2027 entry there is no catchment, so where you live only matters through distance: when the school is oversubscribed, children who live further away are less likely to be offered a place. |
| Dartford Grammar School Dartford | Boys | 3.2 (2026) | aggregate 332 with no section below 108 (Kent Test threshold for September 2026 entry) | Sept 2026 entry
| – |
| Dartford Grammar School for Girls Dartford | Girls | 2.4 (2026) | aggregate 332 with no section below 108 (Kent Test threshold for September 2026 entry) | – | Yes For September 2027 entry, the remaining places go to eligible girls from any address, ranked by Kent Test score. |
| Dover Grammar School for Boys Dover | Boys | 1.2 (2026) | aggregate 332 with no section below 108 (Kent Test threshold for September 2026 entry) | – | – |
| Dover Grammar School for Girls Dover | Girls | 1.3 (2026) | aggregate 332 with no section below 108 (Kent Test threshold for September 2026 entry) | – | – |
| Gravesend Grammar School Gravesend | Boys | 1.2 (2026) | aggregate 332 with no section below 108 (Kent Test threshold for September 2026 entry) | – | Sometimes For September 2027 entry, boys living outside Gravesham and the named parishes come last and are offered places only if any remain. |
| Highsted Grammar School Sittingbourne | Girls | 1.3 (2026) | aggregate 332 with no section below 108 (Kent Test threshold for September 2026 entry) | – | Yes For September 2027 entry there is no catchment, so where you live only matters through distance: when the school is oversubscribed, children who live further away are less likely to be offered a place. |
| Highworth Grammar School Ashford | Girls | 1.2 (2026) | aggregate 332 with no section below 108 (Kent Test threshold for September 2026 entry) | – | Yes For September 2027 entry there is no catchment, so where you live only matters through distance: when the school is oversubscribed, children who live further away are less likely to be offered a place. |
| Invicta Grammar School Maidstone | Girls | 1.1 (2026) | aggregate 332 with no section below 108 (Kent Test threshold for September 2026 entry) | – | Yes For September 2027 entry there is no catchment, so where you live only matters through distance: when the school is oversubscribed, children who live further away are less likely to be offered a place. |
| Maidstone Grammar School Maidstone | Boys | 1.1 (2026) | aggregate 332 with no section below 108 (Kent Test threshold for September 2026 entry) | – | – |
| Maidstone Grammar School for Girls Maidstone | Girls | 1.0 (2026) | aggregate 332 with no section below 108 (Kent Test threshold for September 2026 entry) | – | Yes For September 2027 entry there is no catchment, so where you live only matters through distance: when the school is oversubscribed, children who live further away are less likely to be offered a place. |
| Mayfield Grammar School, Gravesend Gravesend | Girls | 1.1 (2026) | aggregate 332 with no section below 108 (Kent Test threshold for September 2026 entry) | – | – |
| Oakwood Park Grammar School Maidstone | Boys | 1.0 (2026) | aggregate 332 with no section below 108 (Kent Test threshold for September 2026 entry) | – | – |
| Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School Faversham | Mixed | 1.2 (2026) | aggregate 332 with no section below 108 (Kent Test threshold for September 2026 entry) | – | Yes For September 2027 entry there is no catchment, so where you live only matters through distance: when the school is oversubscribed, children who live further away are less likely to be offered a place. |
| Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School Canterbury | Girls | 1.2 (2026) | aggregate 332 with no section below 108 (Kent Test threshold for September 2026 entry) | – | – |
| Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys Canterbury | Boys | 1.3 (2026) | aggregate 332 with no section below 108 (Kent Test threshold for September 2026 entry) | – | Sometimes For September 2027 entry, boys living outside the 9-mile radius, and boys who passed the Kent Test with a lower score, come next (medical or social need, brothers, pupil premium, then nearest first) and get places only if any remain. |
| Sir Roger Manwood's School Sandwich | Mixed | 1.2 (2026) | aggregate 332 with no section below 108 (Kent Test threshold for September 2026 entry) | – | Yes For September 2027 entry there is no catchment, so where you live only matters through distance: when the school is oversubscribed, children who live further away are less likely to be offered a place. |
| The Folkestone School for Girls Folkestone | Girls | 1.3 (2026) | aggregate 332 with no section below 108 (Kent Test threshold for September 2026 entry) | – | Sometimes For September 2027 entry, girls living outside Folkestone and Hythe District come after all district applicants, nearest first, and are offered places only if any remain. |
| The Harvey Grammar School Folkestone | Boys | 1.3 (2026) | aggregate 332 with no section below 108 (Kent Test threshold for September 2026 entry) | – | Sometimes For September 2027 entry, boys living outside Folkestone and Hythe District come after all district applicants, nearest first, and are offered places only if any remain. |
| The Judd School Tonbridge | Boys | 2.2 (2026) | aggregate 332 with no section below 108 (Kent Test threshold for September 2026 entry) | Sept 2026 entry
| Yes 23 places for the Outer Area (all other postcodes); 'Applicants may be successful from any area', at a higher cut-off score. |
| The Norton Knatchbull School Ashford | Boys | 1.2 (2026) | aggregate 332 with no section below 108 (Kent Test threshold for September 2026 entry) | – | Yes For September 2027 entry there is no catchment, so where you live only matters through distance: when the school is oversubscribed, children who live further away are less likely to be offered a place. |
| The Skinners' School Tunbridge Wells | Boys | 1.4 (2026) | aggregate 332 with no section below 108 (Kent Test threshold for September 2026 entry) | Sept 2025 entry
| Sometimes Up to 20 places for the defined Outer Area, requiring a Kent PESE score at least 40 points above the KCC threshold, prioritised by distance. Applicants outside both areas not mentioned in sources seen. |
| Tonbridge Grammar School Tonbridge | Girls | 2.0 (2026) | aggregate 332 with no section below 108 (Kent Test threshold for September 2026 entry) | Sept 2026 entry
| Yes For September 2027 entry, 30 'Trustee' places go to girls living outside those three council areas, ranked by Kent Test score. Unfilled places in either list pass to the other. |
| Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School Tunbridge Wells | Girls | 1.3 (2026) | aggregate 332 with no section below 108 (Kent Test threshold for September 2026 entry) | Sept 2026 entry
| Sometimes Remaining places are Governor places allocated by score; distance places limited to named parishes / 4-mile proximity. |
| Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys Tunbridge Wells | Boys | 1.0 (2026) | aggregate 332 with no section below 108 (Kent Test threshold for September 2026 entry) | Sept 2026 entry
| Yes Applicants beyond the 3-mile radius/named parishes ranked after them by distance; average furthest distance offered over last three years 18.81 miles. |
| Weald of Kent Grammar School Tonbridge | Girls | 0.8 (2026) | aggregate 332 with no section below 108 (Kent Test threshold for September 2026 entry) | – | Sometimes For September 2026 entry, girls living in all other postcodes come last, nearest first, and are offered places only if any remain. |
| Wilmington Grammar School for Boys Wilmington | Boys | 1.0 (2026) | aggregate 332 with no section below 108 (Kent Test threshold for September 2026 entry) | Sept 2026 entry
| Sometimes Top-scoring ~10% selected on Kent Test regardless of area; remaining ranked by distance. |
| Wilmington Grammar School for Girls Wilmington | Girls | 1.1 (2026) | aggregate 332 with no section below 108 (Kent Test threshold for September 2026 entry) | – | – |
A qualifying score makes a child eligible; places then go by each school's oversubscription rules (often distance, catchment or score order), so the lowest score offered can be well above it. Offer data shows the last child offered a place in each group in that intake; it does not mean every child at that score or distance got a place. First choices per place: DfE applications and offers (official), latest intake. Qualifying scores, offer data and catchment rules: research, with sources and caveats on each school's page. "–" means not yet available.