UK Rank #20
Dartford Grammar School
Dartford Grammar School, West Hill
Ofsted: OutstandingBoys onlyCompetition: High
Overall GCSE score:83.6
Assessment: GL Assessment
Applicants per place: 8.0 applicants per place
Exam area
Kent 11+ 32 schools Shared test area
Updated for 2026 admissions cycle
Best Grammar Schools in Kent
The grammar schools in Kent make up the largest and most varied selective landscape in England. Kent's scale is both its strength and its complication: West Kent, mid-county, Medway-edge, and coastal schools belong to the same county story, but they do not produce one uniform experience.
girls', boys', and co-ed options GL Assessment, CEM, Individual Kent
Top schools
Top grammar schools in Kent
Previewing the top 5 grammar schools in Kent by GCSE results. The full ranking below adds competition level, shared test route detail, and local admissions context.
Rank
School
GCSE score
- Rank #1
Dartford Grammar School
High competition / GL Assessment
GCSE score 83.683.6 - Rank #2
The Judd School
Moderate competition / GL Assessment
GCSE score 78.278.2 - Rank #3
Tonbridge Grammar School
Moderate competition / GL Assessment
GCSE score 76.976.9 - Rank #4
Dartford Grammar School for Girls
High competition / CEM
GCSE score 70.670.6 - Rank #5
Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School
Moderate competition / GL Assessment
GCSE score 67.667.6
Area map
Map of grammar schools in Kent
School ranking
Full grammar school ranking in Kent
Schools below are ordered by GCSE results. Competition level, Ofsted, and shared test route detail are shown as comparison signals rather than used as the main ordering.
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UK Rank #32
The Judd School
Judd School, Brook Street
Ofsted: OutstandingBoys onlyCompetition: Moderate
Overall GCSE score:78.2
Assessment: GL Assessment
Applicants per place: 4.3 applicants per place
UK Rank #36
Tonbridge Grammar School
Tonbridge Grammar School, Deakin Leas
Ofsted: OutstandingGirls onlyCompetition: Moderate
Overall GCSE score:76.9
Assessment: GL Assessment
Applicants per place: 4.6 applicants per place
UK Rank #56
Dartford Grammar School for Girls
Dartford Grammar School for Girls, Shepherds Lane
Ofsted: OutstandingGirls onlyCompetition: High
Overall GCSE score:70.6
Assessment: CEM
Applicants per place: 7.0 applicants per place
UK Rank #76
Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School
Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School, Southfield Road
Ofsted: OutstandingGirls onlyCompetition: Moderate
Overall GCSE score:67.6
Assessment: GL Assessment
Applicants per place: 4.9 applicants per place
UK Rank #95
Highworth Grammar School
Highworth Grammar School, Maidstone Road
Ofsted: OutstandingGirls onlyCompetition: Lower
Overall GCSE score:61.9
Assessment: GL Assessment
Applicants per place: 2.0 applicants per place
UK Rank #96
Invicta Grammar School
Invicta Grammar School, Huntsman Lane
Ofsted: OutstandingGirls onlyCompetition: Lower
Overall GCSE score:61.7
Assessment: GL Assessment
Applicants per place: 2.8 applicants per place
UK Rank #102
Weald of Kent Grammar School
Weald of Kent Grammar School, Tudeley Lane
Ofsted: Requires improvementGirls onlyCompetition: Moderate
Overall GCSE score:59.2
Assessment: GL Assessment
Applicants per place: 3.0 applicants per place
UK Rank #105
The Skinners' School
Skinners' School, St John's Road
Ofsted: GoodBoys onlyCompetition: Moderate
Overall GCSE score:58.4
Assessment: GL Assessment
Applicants per place: 5.0 applicants per place
UK Rank #110
Maidstone Grammar School
Maidstone Grammar School, Barton Road
Ofsted: GoodBoys onlyCompetition: Lower
Overall GCSE score:56.5
Assessment: GL Assessment
Applicants per place: 2.9 applicants per place
UK Rank #112
Oakwood Park Grammar School
Oakwood Park Grammar School, Oakwood Park
Ofsted: GoodBoys onlyCompetition: Moderate
Overall GCSE score:55.6
Assessment: GL Assessment
Applicants per place: 3.5 applicants per place
UK Rank #120
The Norton Knatchbull School
Norton Knatchbull School, Hythe Road
Ofsted: GoodBoys onlyCompetition: Lower
Overall GCSE score:52.0
Assessment: GL Assessment
Applicants per place: 1.8 applicants per place
UK Rank #121
Maidstone Grammar School for Girls
Maidstone Grammar School for Girls, Buckland Road
Ofsted: OutstandingGirls onlyCompetition: Moderate
Overall GCSE score:51.6
Assessment: GL Assessment
Applicants per place: 3.1 applicants per place
UK Rank #124
Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School
Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School, Old Dover Road
Ofsted: GoodGirls onlyCompetition: Lower
Overall GCSE score:50.5
Assessment: GL Assessment
Applicants per place: 2.4 applicants per place
UK Rank #125
Wilmington Grammar School for Girls
Wilmington Grammar School for Girls, Parsons Lane, Wilmington
Ofsted: GoodGirls onlyCompetition: Moderate
Overall GCSE score:50.4
Assessment: GL Assessment
Applicants per place: 5.2 applicants per place
UK Rank #127
Barton Court Grammar School
Barton Court Grammar School, Longport
Ofsted: GoodMixedCompetition: Moderate
Overall GCSE score:49.4
Assessment: GL Assessment
Applicants per place: 5.1 applicants per place
UK Rank #128
Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys
Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys, Langton Lane, Nackington Road
Ofsted: OutstandingBoys onlyCompetition: Moderate
Overall GCSE score:49.2
Assessment: GL Assessment
Applicants per place: 3.1 applicants per place
UK Rank #130
Cranbrook School
Cranbrook School, Waterloo Road
Ofsted: GoodMixedCompetition: Moderate
Overall GCSE score:48.7
Assessment: GL Assessment
Applicants per place: 3.0 applicants per place
UK Rank #133
Gravesend Grammar School
Gravesend Grammar School, Church Walk
Ofsted: OutstandingBoys onlyCompetition: Moderate
Overall GCSE score:47.8
Assessment: GL Assessment
Applicants per place: 3.2 applicants per place
UK Rank #134
Dover Grammar School for Boys
Dover Grammar School for Boys, Astor Avenue
Ofsted: GoodBoys onlyCompetition: Lower
Overall GCSE score:47.5
Assessment: GL Assessment
Applicants per place: 2.5 applicants per place
UK Rank #136
Dane Court Grammar School
Dane Court Grammar School, Broadstairs Road
Ofsted: GoodMixedCompetition: Moderate
Overall GCSE score:45.7
Assessment: GL Assessment
Applicants per place: 3.2 applicants per place
UK Rank #137
Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School
Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Abbey Place
Ofsted: GoodMixedCompetition: Moderate
Overall GCSE score:45.4
Assessment: GL Assessment
Applicants per place: 3.5 applicants per place
UK Rank #139
Wilmington Grammar School for Boys
Wilmington Grammar School for Boys, Common Lane, Wilmington
Ofsted: GoodBoys onlyCompetition: Moderate
Overall GCSE score:43.8
Assessment: GL Assessment
Applicants per place: 5.5 applicants per place
UK Rank #140
Mayfield Grammar School, Gravesend
Mayfield Grammar School, Gravesend, Pelham Road
Ofsted: OutstandingGirls onlyCompetition: Lower
Overall GCSE score:43.5
Assessment: GL Assessment
Applicants per place: 2.9 applicants per place
UK Rank #141
Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys
Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys, St John's Road
Ofsted: GoodBoys onlyCompetition: Moderate
Overall GCSE score:42.6
Assessment: GL Assessment
Applicants per place: 3.5 applicants per place
UK Rank #142
Chatham & Clarendon Grammar School
Chatham & Clarendon Grammar School, Chatham Street
Ofsted: GoodMixedCompetition: Lower
Overall GCSE score:41.5
Assessment: GL Assessment
Applicants per place: 2.5 applicants per place
UK Rank #143
Sir Roger Manwood's School
Sir Roger Manwood's School, Manwood Road
Ofsted: GoodMixedCompetition: Lower
Overall GCSE score:41.0
Assessment: GL Assessment
Applicants per place: 2.6 applicants per place
UK Rank #149
Borden Grammar School
Borden Grammar School, Avenue of Remembrance
Ofsted: GoodBoys onlyCompetition: Lower
Overall GCSE score:38.1
Assessment: GL Assessment, Individual
Applicants per place: 2.2 applicants per place
UK Rank #151
The Harvey Grammar School
Harvey Grammar School, Cheriton Road
Ofsted: OutstandingBoys onlyCompetition: Lower
Overall GCSE score:37.2
Assessment: Individual
Applicants per place: 2.2 applicants per place
UK Rank #154
Highsted Grammar School
Highsted Grammar School, Highsted Road
Ofsted: GoodGirls onlyCompetition: Lower
Overall GCSE score:35.0
Assessment: GL Assessment, Individual
Applicants per place: 2.2 applicants per place
UK Rank #156
Dover Grammar School for Girls
Dover Grammar School for Girls, Frith Road
Ofsted: OutstandingGirls onlyCompetition: Lower
Overall GCSE score:30.6
Assessment: GL Assessment, Individual
Applicants per place: 2.6 applicants per place
UK Rank #161
The Folkestone School for Girls
Folkestone School for Girls, Coolinge Lane
Ofsted: GoodGirls onlyCompetition: Lower
Overall GCSE score:20.6
Assessment: GL Assessment
Applicants per place: 2.0 applicants per place
Shared test guide
These schools share one test
The Kent Test guide explains the test, dates, and papers these schools share. It is the quickest way to see the shared exam details in one place.
7 key dates 18 downloads GL Assessment, CEM, Individual
Shortlist tools
Compare schools and guides for Kent
Use these quick links to compare likely shortlists and jump straight to the guides that matter in Kent.
Comparisons
Compare nearby schools
Guides
Open area guides
Grammar School Admissions Explained
A calm parent guide to registration, testing, preferences, and offer-day decisions when building a grammar school shortlist.
Grammar School Offer Day and Waiting Lists
A calm parent guide to offer day, waiting lists, and what to do when your shortlist does not land exactly as hoped.
Grammar School Travel and Commute Guide
How to judge daily travel reality before a grammar school makes it onto a serious shortlist.
Explore other areas
Compare nearby grammar-school areas
Use these nearby pages to widen the comparison without losing the local context that shapes a realistic shortlist.
Regional overview Shared route Shared route Shared route
Best Grammar Schools in South East
Browse 57 grammar school profiles in 3 counties across South East, covering 5 local clusters in total, then use the area hubs to move into the local routes that actually belong in the same shortlist.
Best Grammar Schools in Medway
Browse 6 grammar school profiles in Kent, then use the linked Medway Test guide for shared test dates, downloads, and route detail.
Best Grammar Schools in Southend-on-Sea
Browse 4 grammar school profiles in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, then use the linked Essex (CSSE) guide for shared test dates, downloads, and route detail.
Best Grammar Schools in Bexley
Browse 4 grammar school profiles in Greater London, then use the linked Bexley guide for shared test dates, downloads, and route detail.
Kent overview
Kent grammar schools at a glance
32 grammar schools are mainly spread across Dartford, Maidstone, Tunbridge Wells, and 8 more, giving Kent a more varied selective picture than one single town cluster.
Schools 32 schools
Main places Dartford, Maidstone, Tunbridge Wells, and 8 more
School mix Mixed
Tests Mostly GL
What stands out
Kent has 32 grammar schools in this ranking, making it one of the biggest and broadest selective areas in the country.
What parents notice
The county includes boys', girls', and co-educational schools, with major local groupings across north-west Kent, west Kent, mid Kent, Canterbury, and the east coast.
Preview from 11 Plus Writing Coach
Creative writing is tested in the current 11+ assessment at 12 schools on this route.
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Where they are
Where Kent grammar schools are concentrated
Dartford, Maidstone, Tunbridge Wells, and 8 more give Kent its main grammar-school shape.
Shared route
Much of the area is still tied together by the Kent Test route, but the tests themselves are not identical across every school.
School mix
The area includes boys' schools, girls' schools, and co-ed options.
Admissions
Distance and catchment rules matter at many of these schools. Competition varies noticeably across the area.
Dartford
Dartford has 4 grammar schools, including Dartford Grammar School, Dartford Grammar School for Girls, and 2 more schools. Families here see both boys' and girls' schools.
Maidstone
Maidstone has 4 grammar schools, including Invicta Grammar School, Maidstone Grammar School, and 2 more schools. Families here see both boys' and girls' schools.
Tunbridge Wells
Tunbridge Wells has 4 grammar schools, including Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School, The Skinners' School, and 2 more schools. Families here see boys', girls', and co-ed options.
Canterbury
Canterbury has 3 grammar schools, including Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School, Barton Court Grammar School, and Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys. Families here see boys', girls', and co-ed options.
Dover
Dover has 3 grammar schools, including Dover Grammar School for Boys, Sir Roger Manwood's School, and Dover Grammar School for Girls. Families here see boys', girls', and co-ed options.
Swale
Swale has 3 grammar schools, including Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Borden Grammar School, and Highsted Grammar School. Families here see boys', girls', and co-ed options.
Elsewhere in Kent
Other grammar-school clusters also sit around Tonbridge and Malling, Ashford, Folkestone and Hythe, and 2 more.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Why does Kent feel bigger than most grammar-school areas?
Kent has 32 grammar schools in this ranking and stretches across a very large county, so parents are often comparing several local clusters rather than one compact school group.
Where are Kent grammar schools mainly concentrated?
Kent grammar schools are spread across several belts including Dartford, Wilmington, and Gravesend in the north-west; Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells in the west; Maidstone and Ashford in mid Kent; and Canterbury, Dover, Folkestone, Faversham, Sandwich, and Thanet in the east.
Does Kent offer different school types?
Yes. Kent includes boys' schools, girls' schools, and co-educational grammar schools, giving families one of the broadest selective mixes in England.
Do most Kent grammar schools follow the Kent Test route?
Much of the county is tied together by the Kent Test, which is one reason parents often start with a county-wide view before narrowing into local town clusters.