Updated for 2026 admissions cycle
The grammar schools in the South East encompass England's broadest selective terrain, stretching from Buckinghamshire and Kent to Slough, Reading, and Medway. The region is unified less by one admissions culture than by the coexistence of several very different local systems within a comparatively small compass.
Top schools
Previewing the top 5 grammar schools in South East by GCSE results. The area pages below separate local clusters so routes, admissions rules, and travel patterns are easier to check.
High competition / Individual
High competition / FSCE
Very High competition / GL Assessment
Very High competition / GL Assessment
High competition / GL Assessment
Area pages
Each page covers one smaller local area.
These area pages split South East into smaller local groups. That makes it easier to compare schools that are actually part of the same local list.
See all exam areas13 grammar school profiles in Buckinghamshire, covering 8 local clusters in total. The linked Buckinghamshire guide covers shared test dates, downloads, and route detail.
2 grammar school profiles in Amersham, Buckinghamshire. The linked Buckinghamshire guide covers shared test dates, downloads, and route detail.
3 grammar school profiles in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. The linked Buckinghamshire guide covers shared test dates, downloads, and route detail.
3 grammar school profiles in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. The linked Buckinghamshire guide covers shared test dates, downloads, and route detail.
32 grammar school profiles in Kent. The linked Kent Test guide covers shared test dates, downloads, and route detail.
6 grammar school profiles in Kent. The linked Medway Test guide covers shared test dates, downloads, and route detail.
2 grammar school profiles in Berkshire, with the local admissions route and journey in view.
4 grammar school profiles in Berkshire. The linked Slough guide covers shared test dates, downloads, and route detail.
Area map
School ranking
This table ranks schools by GCSE results. Before saving a school, open the relevant area page and check the 11+ route, admissions rule, and journey, because those details can vary a lot between areas such as Kent, Buckinghamshire, and Medway.
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Kendrick School, London Road
Overall GCSE score:92.6
Assessment: Individual
Competition: 6.1 candidates per place
Reading School, Erleigh Road
Overall GCSE score:90.4
Assessment: FSCE
Competition: 7.2 candidates per place
Dartford Grammar School, West Hill
Overall GCSE score:83.6
Assessment: GL Assessment
Upton Court Grammar School, Lascelles Road
Overall GCSE score:82.5
Assessment: GL Assessment
Dr Challoner's High School, Cokes Lane, Little Chalfont
Overall GCSE score:81.0
Assessment: GL Assessment
Judd School, Brook Street
Overall GCSE score:78.2
Assessment: GL Assessment
Langley Grammar School, Reddington Drive
Overall GCSE score:76.9
Assessment: GL Assessment
Tonbridge Grammar School, Deakin Leas
Overall GCSE score:76.9
Assessment: GL Assessment
St Bernard's Catholic Grammar School, 1 Langley Road
Overall GCSE score:76.4
Assessment: GL Assessment
Beaconsfield High School, Wattleton Road
Overall GCSE score:73.0
Assessment: GL Assessment
Herschel Grammar School, Northampton Avenue
Overall GCSE score:73.0
Assessment: GL Assessment
Dartford Grammar School for Girls, Shepherds Lane
Overall GCSE score:70.6
Assessment: CEM
Aylesbury Grammar School, Walton Road
Overall GCSE score:69.8
Assessment: GL Assessment
Chesham Grammar School, White Hill
Overall GCSE score:69.5
Assessment: GL Assessment
Wycombe High School, Marlow Road
Overall GCSE score:69.2
Assessment: GL Assessment
Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe, Amersham Road
Overall GCSE score:68.5
Assessment: GL Assessment
Aylesbury High School, Walton Road
Overall GCSE score:68.2
Assessment: GL Assessment
Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School, Southfield Road
Overall GCSE score:67.6
Assessment: GL Assessment
Dr Challoner's Grammar School, Chesham Road
Overall GCSE score:66.7
Assessment: GL Assessment
Royal Latin School, Chandos Road
Overall GCSE score:66.7
Assessment: GL Assessment
Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School, Oxford Road
Overall GCSE score:65.8
Assessment: GL Assessment
John Hampden Grammar School, Marlow Hill
Overall GCSE score:64.8
Assessment: GL Assessment
Sir William Borlase's Grammar School, West Street
Overall GCSE score:64.2
Assessment: GL Assessment
Highworth Grammar School, Maidstone Road
Overall GCSE score:61.9
Assessment: GL Assessment
Invicta Grammar School, Huntsman Lane
Overall GCSE score:61.7
Assessment: GL Assessment
Weald of Kent Grammar School, Tudeley Lane
Overall GCSE score:59.2
Assessment: GL Assessment
Burnham Grammar School, Hogfair Lane, Burnham
Overall GCSE score:59.1
Assessment: GL Assessment
Skinners' School, St John's Road
Overall GCSE score:58.4
Assessment: GL Assessment
Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School, Maidstone Road
Overall GCSE score:56.9
Assessment: GL Assessment
Maidstone Grammar School, Barton Road
Overall GCSE score:56.5
Assessment: GL Assessment
Oakwood Park Grammar School, Oakwood Park
Overall GCSE score:55.6
Assessment: GL Assessment
Rochester Grammar School, Maidstone Road
Overall GCSE score:55.2
Assessment: GL Assessment
Norton Knatchbull School, Hythe Road
Overall GCSE score:52.0
Assessment: GL Assessment
Maidstone Grammar School for Girls, Buckland Road
Overall GCSE score:51.6
Assessment: GL Assessment
Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School, Old Dover Road
Overall GCSE score:50.5
Assessment: GL Assessment
Wilmington Grammar School for Girls, Parsons Lane, Wilmington
Overall GCSE score:50.4
Assessment: GL Assessment
Barton Court Grammar School, Longport
Overall GCSE score:49.4
Assessment: GL Assessment
Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys, Langton Lane, Nackington Road
Overall GCSE score:49.2
Assessment: GL Assessment
Cranbrook School, Waterloo Road
Overall GCSE score:48.7
Assessment: GL Assessment
Fort Pitt Grammar School, Fort Pitt Hill
Overall GCSE score:48.3
Assessment: GL Assessment
Gravesend Grammar School, Church Walk
Overall GCSE score:47.8
Assessment: GL Assessment
Dover Grammar School for Boys, Astor Avenue
Overall GCSE score:47.5
Assessment: GL Assessment
Dane Court Grammar School, Broadstairs Road
Overall GCSE score:45.7
Assessment: GL Assessment
Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Abbey Place
Overall GCSE score:45.4
Assessment: GL Assessment
Wilmington Grammar School for Boys, Common Lane, Wilmington
Overall GCSE score:43.8
Assessment: GL Assessment
Mayfield Grammar School, Gravesend, Pelham Road
Overall GCSE score:43.5
Assessment: GL Assessment
Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys, St John's Road
Overall GCSE score:42.6
Assessment: GL Assessment
Chatham & Clarendon Grammar School, Chatham Street
Overall GCSE score:41.5
Assessment: GL Assessment
Sir Roger Manwood's School, Manwood Road
Overall GCSE score:41.0
Assessment: GL Assessment
Holcombe Grammar School, Holcombe, Maidstone Road
Overall GCSE score:39.3
Assessment: GL Assessment
Rainham Mark Grammar School, Pump Lane, Rainham
Overall GCSE score:39.1
Assessment: GL Assessment
Borden Grammar School, Avenue of Remembrance
Overall GCSE score:38.1
Assessment: GL Assessment, Individual
Harvey Grammar School, Cheriton Road
Overall GCSE score:37.2
Assessment: Individual
Chatham Grammar, Rainham Road
Overall GCSE score:35.6
Assessment: GL Assessment
Highsted Grammar School, Highsted Road
Overall GCSE score:35.0
Assessment: GL Assessment, Individual
Dover Grammar School for Girls, Frith Road
Overall GCSE score:30.6
Assessment: GL Assessment, Individual
Folkestone School for Girls, Coolinge Lane
Overall GCSE score:20.6
Assessment: GL Assessment
Next checks
Open focused comparisons and guides for the routes, admissions rules, and journeys that matter in South East.
Comparisons
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
Nearby region overviews show how the ranking-first picture changes outside one local cluster.
19 grammar school profiles in Greater London, covering 7 local clusters in total, with local area hubs for route, admissions and journey detail.
8 grammar school profiles in Essex, covering Essex and Southend-on-Sea, with local area hubs for route, admissions and journey detail.
34 grammar school profiles in 5 counties across Midlands, covering 7 local clusters in total, with local area hubs for route, admissions and journey detail.
20 grammar school profiles in 4 counties across South West, covering 6 local clusters in total, with local area hubs for route, admissions and journey detail.
South East overview
57 grammar schools are spread across 8 local areas, with the biggest groups in Kent, Buckinghamshire, Medway, and 5 more.
What stands out
South East contains smaller grammar-school areas rather than one admissions market. The largest groups sit around Kent, Buckinghamshire, Medway, Slough, and 4 more.
School mix and route
The area includes boys' schools, girls' schools, and co-ed options. South East does not sit on one single test route. Across the wider area you see a mix of GL Assessment, CEM, FSCE. 7 local areas also have a named shared test guide.
Where they are
South East is best understood as a set of smaller local areas, each with its own school mix and admissions shape.
Largest local group
Kent is the biggest local cluster in this wider area, with 32 schools.
Test routes
South East does not sit on one single test route. Across the wider area you see a mix of GL Assessment, CEM, FSCE.
School mix
The area includes boys' schools, girls' schools, and co-ed options.
Shared test guides
7 local areas in South East also have a named shared test guide.
The Kent Test route sets the local test pattern.
The Buckinghamshire route sets the local test pattern.
The Medway Test route sets the local test pattern.
The Slough route sets the local test pattern.
The Buckinghamshire route sets the local test pattern.
The Buckinghamshire route sets the local test pattern.
The Buckinghamshire route sets the local test pattern.
2 schools in a more self-contained local grammar area.
FAQ
South East grammar schools are mainly concentrated in Buckinghamshire, Amersham, Aylesbury, High Wycombe, Kent, and 3 more, rather than one single city-wide or county-wide group.
The area includes boys' schools, girls' schools, and co-ed options.
South East does not sit on one single test route. Across the wider area you see a mix of GL Assessment, CEM, FSCE.
They can feel quite different. Some local areas have a named shared test guide, while others are smaller self-contained clusters with their own school mix and local admissions detail.