A selective boys grammar school in Sittingbourne, Kent, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 928 pupils on roll.
Borden Grammar School
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At a glance
Borden Grammar School is a selective boys' grammar school on the Avenue of Remembrance in Sittingbourne, with a co-educational sixth form and about 928 pupils on roll. Its motto, Nitere porro, is translated by the school as to strive forward, and the phrase captures the public tone of the school well: small, personal, local and academically purposeful rather than grandstanding.
The school describes its mission as developing minds, creating futures and striving forward together. In practice, that means a selective academic environment with a strong pastoral frame: the values and ethos page talks about courage, creativity, resilience, respect and kindness, while careers education and personal development are presented as part of the curriculum rather than something saved for sixth form.
The sixth form is a useful part of Borden's identity. The school offers A-level courses directly and extends the range through partnership with Highsted Grammar and Fulston Manor, giving access to more than 30 courses. Sixth formers have a dedicated learning area, ICT facilities and a work room, and the school expects them to contribute through prefectship, mentoring and role-modelling. That gives Borden a more collaborative post-16 feel than its modest size might suggest.
Admission to Year 7 is for 150 places. Borden sits within the Kent grammar-school context but also runs the Borden Assessment Procedure, provided by Quest Assessments, as an additional school route. The 2027 policy gives priority first to looked-after and previously looked-after children, then reserves up to 15 percent of places for eligible free-school-meal applicants in ME9 to ME12, before applying family association, health or access need and traditional-area distance criteria. Published measures show Ofsted Good, +0.26 Progress 8, 91.9% grade 5+ in English and maths and 12.8% AAB or better at A level.
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.
January 2025 school census
Whole-school roll of 928 pupils; 914 had a recorded ethnic group.
| Recorded group | Share | Category | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| White British | 70.4% | White | 653 |
| African | 11.4% | Black | 106 |
| Any other White background | 4.8% | White | 45 |
| Any other mixed background | 2.7% | Mixed | 25 |
| Unclassified | 1.5% | Unclassified | 14 |
| White and Asian | 1.5% | Mixed | 14 |
| Bangladeshi | 1.4% | Asian | 13 |
| Any other Asian background | 1.3% | Asian | 12 |
| Indian | 1.3% | Asian | 12 |
| White and Black African | 1.3% | Mixed | 12 |
| Chinese | 0.8% | Asian | 7 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 0.4% | Mixed | 4 |
| Any other Black background | 0.3% | Black | 3 |
| Any other ethnic group | 0.3% | Other | 3 |
| Irish | 0.2% | White | 2 |
| Pakistani | 0.2% | Asian | 2 |
| Caribbean | 0.1% | Black | 1 |
Traditional school areas apply after the earlier statutory, pupil-premium, family and health criteria. Qualified boys are then considered first in ME9 to ME12, then ME8 and ME13, then elsewhere, with straight-line distance used to break ties.
Looked after and previously looked after children
Priority first goes to looked after children, previously looked after children, and children previously in state care outside England who now meet the published care-order conditions.
Eligible free school meal applicants in ME9 to ME12
Up to 15 percent of Year 7 places are reserved for children eligible for free school meals in ME9, ME10, ME11 or ME12 who submit the required supplementary form by 31 October 2026.
Current family association
Qualified applicants with the published family association criteria are then considered.
Health and special access
Priority then goes to applicants whose medical, social or access needs meet the policy test.
Traditional school areas
Remaining places go to qualified applicants living first in ME9, ME10, ME11 and ME12, then ME8 and ME13, then any other area, with straight-line distance used to break ties.
Borden's 11+ assessment is provided by Quest Assessments, and the school treats the Borden Assessment Procedure as an optional additional route alongside the Kent PESE process.
Shared exam route
Borden Grammar School uses the shared Kent Test route. Use these common practice resources for the route, then check the full consortium guide for the complete set and current test guidance.
View all Kent Test practice papersPaper 1
Verbal reasoning, Maths, Non-verbal reasoning, English
Borden Assessment Procedure
Assessment covering verbal ability, numerical or mathematical reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and English.
English, Maths, Verbal reasoning and Non-verbal reasoning are included in the published format.
Science is not listed in the current published format.
English
Maths
Verbal reasoning
Assessment covering verbal ability, numerical or mathematical reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and English.
Non-verbal reasoning
Assessment covering verbal ability, numerical or mathematical reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and English.
Science
Borden assessment registration opens
1 June 2026
PastBorden assessment registration closes
1 July 2026
Exceptional late registration deadline
8 July 2026
Special arrangements request deadline
21 July 2026
Requests must be supported by the child's current school headteacher.
Borden assessment day
12 September 2026
Results posted
15 October 2026
Common Application Form and SIF deadline
31 October 2026
Accept or refuse offered school place
15 March 2027
Kent reallocation round
27 April 2027
Waiting list closes
31 December 2027
Check the Kent Test and Borden routes
Read the admissions page and policy before registering; the Borden Assessment Procedure is optional and applicants must also register for and take the Kent Test.
Open admissions pageRegister for the Borden Assessment Procedure
Registration runs from 1 June to 1 July 2026. Include confirmation of Kent Test registration with the Borden form; exceptional late registration is accepted only to 8 July 2026.
Open registration formSit the assessment on 12 September 2026
The Borden Assessment Procedure uses four standardised paper-based tests covering verbal ability, numerical or mathematical reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and English.
View test detailsSubmit the CAF and any SIF by 31 October 2026
List Borden on the local authority application by 31 October 2026. Send the supplementary form by the same date if relying on the free-school-meal criterion.
Open SIFAdmissions policy
Admission Policy September 2027
2027 entry
Admissions policy
Admission Policy September 2025
2025 entry
Key dates
Admissions and Borden Test Application
2027 entry
Supplementary form
Borden Assessment Procedure registration form 2027
2027 entry
Supplementary form
Supplementary Information Form 2027
2027 entry
Latest 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 | 64.3 | 74.2 | 49.4 |
| 2022/23 | 62.7 | 71.8 | 47.0 |
| 2023/24 | 63.1 | 72.1 | 46.7 |
| 2024/25 | 63.2 | 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 | C+ average (34.4 points) | 44.0 points | 37.5 points |
| 2022/23 | C+ average (33.6 points) | 40.5 points | 33.7 points |
| 2023/24 | C+ average (33.6 points) | 41.3 points | 34.5 points |
| 2024/25 | C+ average (34.1 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 | 100% | 99.1% | 94.1% |
| 2022/23 | 99% | 98.9% | 93.9% |
| 2023/24 | 99% | 99.0% | 93.3% |
| 2024/25 | 98% | 98.7% | 91.8% |
Latest year breakdown
| In education | 94% |
|---|---|
| In apprenticeships | 2% |
| In employment | 1% |
Latest inspection: 24 November 2021
Local rivals appear first, followed by nearby alternatives where the journey and admissions route are still comparable.
Same Kent area and similar boys' selective route
Same Kent area and similar boys' selective route
Same Kent area and similar boys' selective route
Same Kent area and similar boys' selective route
Closest comparable alternatives with a similar academic profile, so parents can weigh local fit and results together.
Nearby option with similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Nearby option with similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Nearby option with similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
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Explore the best boys grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking parents can filter by county and Ofsted before comparing schools by route and journey.
Best Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking that can be filtered by county, school type, and Ofsted before moving into local admissions detail.
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
Borden Grammar School currently uses GL Assessment, Individual.
1. Check the Kent Test and Borden routes: Read the admissions page and policy before registering; the Borden Assessment Procedure is optional and applicants must also register for and take the Kent Test. 2. Register for the Borden Assessment Procedure: Registration runs from 1 June to 1 July 2026. Include confirmation of Kent Test registration with the Borden form; exceptional late registration is accepted only to 8 July 2026. 3. Sit the assessment on 12 September 2026: The Borden Assessment Procedure uses four standardised paper-based tests covering verbal ability, numerical or mathematical reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and English. 4. Submit the CAF and any SIF by 31 October 2026: List Borden on the local authority application by 31 October 2026. Send the supplementary form by the same date if relying on the free-school-meal criterion.
Borden assessment registration opens: 1 June 2026. Borden assessment registration closes: 1 July 2026. Exceptional late registration deadline: 8 July 2026. Special arrangements request deadline: 21 July 2026. Borden assessment day: 12 September 2026. Results posted: 15 October 2026. Common Application Form and SIF deadline: 31 October 2026. Accept or refuse offered school place: 15 March 2027. Kent reallocation round: 27 April 2027. Waiting list closes: 31 December 2027
Borden Grammar School is currently rated Good following the latest published inspection dated 24 November 2021.