Kent / Kent 11+
Longport, Canterbury, CT1 1PH
Barton Court Grammar School
1
A selective co-educational grammar school in Canterbury, Kent, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,005 pupils on roll.
At a glance
At a glance
A selective co-educational grammar school in Canterbury, Kent, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,005 pupils on roll. Families looking at Canterbury, Kent will usually see Barton Court Grammar School as a selective option for boys and girls aged 11-18, with sixth form continuing the academic journey on the same site. Current published roll and admissions data point to around 1,005 pupils on roll and 150 Year 7 places.
For parents thinking about the 11+, the admissions picture is one of the clearest differentiators here. The current route includes GL Assessment, with 150 places available in Year 7 and roughly 13.5 applicants per place in the latest stored admissions picture. Catchment or distance rules still matter at allocation stage, so this is the kind of school where families need to read the admissions policy carefully rather than rely on headline scores alone.
On current official measures, the school offers a clear academic profile for parents to weigh up. The latest published Ofsted judgement is Good. Recent official performance measures show Progress 8 at 0.38 and Attainment 8 at 66. 83.7% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths in the latest stored GCSE figures. In the sixth form, 23.9% of entries were awarded AAB or better at A level. Destinations data also suggest strong progression after sixth form, with 63% moving into higher education.
The wider offer currently includes Orchestra, Choir. For many parents, the presence of a sixth form is part of the attraction, because it gives able pupils the option to stay in a familiar academic setting through to A level. Barton Court Grammar School is likely to appeal most to families who want strong academic expectations but also need the practical details, culture, and selective route to line up sensibly.
Creative writing is tested in this school's current 11+ assessment.
A weak creative writing piece can leave a child short of qualification. 11 Plus Writing Coach helps families build steadier practice and clearer feedback.
From our 11 Plus Writing Coach site
Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Kent and England.
Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Kent and England.
Latest 2024/25 Year 11 destination mix compared with Kent and England.
Year 7 entry requires a selective Kent Test result and Barton Court named on the Kent secondary application. The published score threshold was 332 overall for September 2026 entry, with at least 108 in each paper, after which Barton Court applies its oversubscription criteria and straight-line distance tie-break.
There is no published Year 7 catchment boundary. After looked-after, Pupil Premium, sibling and medical/social priority, remaining applicants are ranked by straight-line distance from home to school.
Looked-after and previously looked-after children
This includes children who left state care through adoption, child arrangements orders, special guardianship orders, or recognised state care outside England.
Children eligible for Pupil Premium
Applicants under this criterion must complete the supplementary information form so the school can verify eligibility during the calendar year before entry.
Current family association
Priority goes to children with a brother or sister attending the school when the child starts, including natural, adopted, step, half and foster siblings living together.
Health and special access reasons
Medical, health, social and special access claims must show a demonstrable and significant need to attend Barton Court and be supported by professional evidence.
Nearness of home to school
Remaining places are ranked by straight-line distance using the National Land and Property Gazetteer address points.
The Kent Test has two multiple-choice papers plus a writing exercise. The writing task is not marked automatically but may be used at headteacher assessment stage.
This school uses the shared Kent Test consortium route. The consortium page brings together the common test format, key dates and official papers used across that route.
Open Kent Test guidePaper 1
English, Maths
Kent Test paper 1
English and maths paper lasting 1 hour in total, with a 5 minute practice exercise followed by a 25 minute test for each section.
Paper 2
VR, NVR
Kent Test paper 2
Reasoning paper lasting about 1 hour including the practice sections, with verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning sections of roughly the same length.
Paper 3
Creative Writing
Kent Test writing exercise
Writing task with 40 minutes allowed, including 10 minutes of planning time. It is not marked automatically but may be used by a local headteacher panel.
English, Maths, Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning and Creative writing are included in the published format.
Science is not listed in the current published format.
English
Maths
Verbal reasoning
Reasoning paper lasting about 1 hour including the practice sections, with verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning sections of roughly the same length.
Non-verbal reasoning
Reasoning paper lasting about 1 hour including the practice sections, with verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning sections of roughly the same length.
Creative writing
Included within the published English paper.
Science
September 2026 Kent Test dates published
May 2026
Latest confirmed Kent Test registration opened
Monday 2 June 2025
Latest confirmed Kent Test registration closed
Tuesday 1 July 2025
Latest confirmed Kent Test date for Kent primary pupils
Thursday 11 September 2025
Latest confirmed Kent Test date for pupils outside Kent primaries
Weekend of 13 and 14 September 2025
Latest confirmed Kent Test results day
Thursday 16 October 2025
Latest confirmed National Offer Day
Monday 2 March 2026
Read the 2027 admissions policy
Use the policy to check the oversubscription rules, waiting-list arrangements and any supplementary evidence the school may need.
Open 2027 policyTrack the Kent Test timetable
The September 2026 Kent Test timetable will be published in May 2026. The latest complete published cycle opened on 2 June 2025 and closed on 1 July 2025.
Track Kent Test datesPrepare for the Kent Test
Kent's latest published cycle used a one-hour English and maths paper, a one-hour reasoning paper, and a 40-minute writing task. The most recent confirmed tests were on 11 September 2025 for Kent primary pupils and 13 to 14 September 2025 for other pupils.
Review Kent Test formatName Barton Court on your secondary application
Once your child is assessed suitable, Barton Court can only consider the application if you name the school on the secondary application. The latest confirmed National Offer Day was 2 March 2026.
Apply for a Kent grammar placeSend the supplementary form if you need the Pupil Premium criterion
Pupil Premium applications need the supplementary information form so the school can verify eligibility.
Review the policy appendixLatest official destinations data currently covers 2022/23 study leavers.
Recent trend
This follows the school's published overall GCSE score across the subjects pupils take. Higher is better.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 67.3 | 74.2 | 49.4 |
| 2022/23 | 63.5 | 71.8 | 47.0 |
| 2023/24 | 66 | 72.1 | 46.7 |
| 2024/25 | 66.4 | 72.3 | 46.8 |
Recent trend
This follows the published average A-level result for the school's sixth form. Higher is better.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | B+ average (43.1 points) | 44.0 points | 37.5 points |
| 2022/23 | C+ average (35.0 points) | 40.5 points | 33.7 points |
| 2023/24 | B- average (37.3 points) | 41.3 points | 34.5 points |
| 2024/25 | B- average (37.5 points) | 41.8 points | 35.0 points |
Recent trend
This follows the share of pupils moving into a sustained destination after Year 11, such as education, apprenticeships, or employment.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 99% | 99.1% | 94.1% |
| 2022/23 | 99% | 98.9% | 93.9% |
| 2023/24 | 97% | 99.0% | 93.3% |
| 2024/25 | 99% | 97.8% | 91.4% |
Latest year breakdown
| In education | 97% |
|---|---|
| In apprenticeships | 1% |
| In employment | 1% |
Latest inspection: 12 February 2020
Local rivals first, then nearby alternatives that still fit the same shortlist-building context.
Same Kent area and similar co-ed selective route
Same Kent area and similar co-ed selective route
Same Kent area and similar co-ed selective route
Same Kent area and similar co-ed selective route
Closest comparable alternatives with a similar academic profile, so parents can weigh local fit and results together.
Nearby option with a similar GCSE profile
Nearby option with similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Best Grammar Schools in Kent
Compare the best grammar schools in Kent for the 2026 admissions cycle using published GCSE results, Ofsted, admissions routes, and practical local context. Much of Kent sits within the Kent Test route, so shared testing still matters alongside each school's own admissions rules.
Best Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking parents can filter by county, school type, and Ofsted. Useful for broad searches like top UK grammar schools, grammar school rankings, and 11+ school shortlists.
Best Grammar Schools by A-level Results
Explore the best grammar schools by A-level results in the UK, ranked by the published share of students achieving AAB or better at A level.
Best Grammar Schools in Kent
Compare the best grammar schools in Kent for the 2026 admissions cycle using published GCSE results, Ofsted, admissions routes, and practical local context. Much of Kent sits within the Kent Test route, so shared testing still matters alongside each school's own admissions rules.
Best Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking parents can filter by county, school type, and Ofsted. Useful for broad searches like top UK grammar schools, grammar school rankings, and 11+ school shortlists.
Best Grammar Schools by A-level Results
Explore the best grammar schools by A-level results in the UK, ranked by the published share of students achieving AAB or better at A level.
Related guides are still being added.
FAQ
Barton Court Grammar School currently uses GL Assessment.
1. Read the 2027 admissions policy: Use the policy to check the oversubscription rules, waiting-list arrangements and any supplementary evidence the school may need. 2. Track the Kent Test timetable: The September 2026 Kent Test timetable will be published in May 2026. The latest complete published cycle opened on 2 June 2025 and closed on 1 July 2025. 3. Prepare for the Kent Test: Kent's latest published cycle used a one-hour English and maths paper, a one-hour reasoning paper, and a 40-minute writing task. The most recent confirmed tests were on 11 September 2025 for Kent primary pupils and 13 to 14 September 2025 for other pupils. 4. Name Barton Court on your secondary application: Once your child is assessed suitable, Barton Court can only consider the application if you name the school on the secondary application. The latest confirmed National Offer Day was 2 March 2026. 5. Send the supplementary form if you need the Pupil Premium criterion: Pupil Premium applications need the supplementary information form so the school can verify eligibility.
September 2026 Kent Test dates published: May 2026. Latest confirmed Kent Test registration opened: Monday 2 June 2025. Latest confirmed Kent Test registration closed: Tuesday 1 July 2025. Latest confirmed Kent Test date for Kent primary pupils: Thursday 11 September 2025. Latest confirmed Kent Test date for pupils outside Kent primaries: Weekend of 13 and 14 September 2025. Latest confirmed Kent Test results day: Thursday 16 October 2025. Latest confirmed National Offer Day: Monday 2 March 2026
Barton Court Grammar School is currently rated Good following the latest published inspection dated 12 February 2020.