England · Grammar school
The Norton Knatchbull School
Ashford · Boys only · ages 11 to 18
Official record: Get Information About Schools (URN 138019)
Overview
- Address
- Hythe Road, Ashford, Kent, TN24 0QJ
- Status
- Open
- Admits
- Boys only
- Age range
- 11 to 18
- Number of pupils
- 1,348
- Capacity
- 1,316
- Eligible for free school meals
- 8.5%
- Sixth form
- Yes
- School type
- Academy converter
- Religious character
- None
- Trust
- Not yet available
- Local authority
- Kent
Source: Get Information About Schools, last checked 31 October 2026 · Source: Desk research (cited public sources) (get-information-schools.service.gov.uk), last checked 31 October 2026
Admissions and the 11+
- Admissions policy
- Selective (grammar school)
- Selection in this area
- Fully selective area30% of Year 7 places offered in Kent for September 2026 were at selective schools (DfE applications and offers). We class an area as fully selective at 25% or more. Confirm with the local authority's admissions guide.
- Entrance test
- Kent Test
- Qualifying score
- aggregate 332 with no section below 108 (Kent Test threshold for September 2026 entry) (2026 entry)
- Catchment area
- For September 2027 entry, The Norton Knatchbull School has no catchment area. All children who pass the Kent Test can apply. After children in care, and the other priority groups listed in the policy (pupil premium boys, brothers, and medical or social need), places go to the children who live nearest the school (straight-line distance).
- Children from outside the catchment
- 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.
Applications and offers for Year 7
For September 2026 entry, 417 applicants named this school (225 as their first choice) for 192 places. 9 of 186 offers went to children living outside Kent.
| Intake | Places offered | Applicants | First choice | First choices per place | Offers to children outside Kent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 2026 | 192 | 417 | 225 | 1.2 | 9 |
| Sept 2025 | 173 | 376 | 203 | 1.2 | 6 |
| Sept 2024 | 198 | 407 | 229 | 1.2 | 13 |
| Sept 2023 | 190 | 412 | 222 | 1.2 | 6 |
| Sept 2022 | 184 | 347 | 197 | 1.1 | 10 |
Show all 13 years
| Intake | Places offered | Applicants | First choice | First choices per place | Offers to children outside Kent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 2021 | 179 | 480 | 263 | 1.5 | 9 |
| Sept 2020 | 185 | 414 | 229 | 1.2 | 3 |
| Sept 2019 | 170 | 337 | 197 | 1.2 | 3 |
| Sept 2018 | 153 | 354 | 184 | 1.2 | 2 |
| Sept 2017 | 157 | 306 | 172 | 1.1 | 3 |
| Sept 2016 | 180 | 418 | 220 | 1.2 | 2 |
| Sept 2015 | 121 | 329 | 165 | 1.4 | 3 |
| Sept 2014 | 145 | 320 | 173 | 1.2 | 2 |
"Applicants" counts every family that listed the school as any preference, so it is higher than the number competing for each place. "Outside Kent" means a home in another local authority; it is not the school's catchment area. For grammar schools, offers also depend on the entrance test result.
Source: Secondary and primary school applications and offers (Department for Education), last checked 31 October 2026
Source: Get Information About Schools, last checked 31 October 2026 · Source: Admissions research (cited public sources) (skinners-school.co.uk, nks.kent.sch.uk), last checked 1 November 2026
Key dates for September 2027 entry
- Test registration (Kent Test)
- 1 June 2026 to 1 July 2026
- Test date
- 10 September 2026, 12 September 2026, 13 September 202610 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.
- Results sent to families
- 15 October 2026
- Apply to your council (September 2027 entry)
- By 31 October 2026This date has passed: late applications go to your council and are usually considered after on-time ones.
- National offer day
- 1 March 2027Offers are sent on 1 March, or the next working day.
- Open days
- Not yet available
- School opened (current registration)
- 1 April 2012
Unverified: test dates come from desk research (medium confidence). Confirm them with the council or test organiser. Sources: kelsi.org.uk, lenham.kent.sch.uk, cognito.org, leadingtuition.co.uk.
Statutory dates: School Admissions Code (Department for Education).
Guide to the Kent Test and its schools · How applying works
Source: Test dates research (cited public sources) (kelsi.org.uk), last checked 1 November 2026 · Source: Get Information About Schools, last checked 31 October 2026
Ofsted inspection
Inspected on 13 December 2023: overall Good. Read the report ↗
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Sixth form provision
- Good
Inspection history (6)
Source: Ofsted inspection reports, last checked 31 October 2026
Exam results
GCSE results 2025/26 (provisional)
| Measure | This school | Selective schools in England | All state schools in England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8Average grade across 8 GCSE-level subjects, doubled for English and maths (maximum 90). | 64.2 | 72.1 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 82.7% | 93.7% | 46.3% |
| Grade 7 or above in English and maths | 35.1% | 57.7% | 14.2% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 96.6% | 98.3% | 64.8% |
| Progress 8Not published for most schools in recent years, because primary school tests were cancelled in 2020 and 2021. | – | – | – |
Attainment 8 over time: 64.2 (2023/24) → 67.3 (2024/25) → 64.2 (2025/26).
208 pupils took GCSEs. Results reflect a selective intake: compare grammar schools with each other rather than with all schools.
Source: Key stage 4 performance (GCSE results) (Department for Education), last checked 31 October 2026
How to get there
- Postcode
- TN24 0QJ
- Map location
- 51.14664, 0.89058
- Open in OpenStreetMap
- Directions and surroundings ↗
- Telephone
- 01233620045
Source: Get Information About Schools, last checked 31 October 2026
Official links and documents
- School website
- www.nks.kent.sch.uk
- Official register record
- Get Information About Schools (URN 138019) ↗
- Admissions policy document
- Not yet available
- Further reading
- Wikipedia ↗
Source: Get Information About Schools, last checked 31 October 2026