Kent / Kent 11+
Shepherds Lane, Dartford, DA1 2NT
Dartford Grammar School for Girls
1
A selective girls grammar school in Dartford, Kent, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,248 pupils on roll.
At a glance
At a glance
A selective girls grammar school in Dartford, Kent, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,248 pupils on roll. Dartford Grammar School for Girls serves girls aged 11-18 and keeps a full sixth form on site. Current published roll and admissions data point to around 1,248 pupils on roll and 180 Year 7 places.
From a family point of view, admissions are likely to be one of the most important parts of the picture. The current route includes CEM, with 180 places available in Year 7 and demand that currently looks high by grammar-school standards. 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.
The academic side of the school is backed by enough published data to give families a useful starting point. The latest published Ofsted judgement is Outstanding. Recent official performance measures show Progress 8 at 0.82 and Attainment 8 at 75.3. 99.4% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths in the latest stored GCSE figures. In the sixth form, 19.9% of entries were awarded AAB or better at A level. Destinations data also suggest strong progression after sixth form, with 78% moving into higher education.
Published school information highlights facilities such as Library. The wider offer currently includes Duke of Edinburgh. 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. Taken together, those features make Dartford Grammar School for Girls the kind of school that rewards careful research into travel, admissions detail, and day-to-day fit, not just headline outcomes.
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.
DGGS offers 180 Year 7 places for 2027 entry through the Kent PESE route. The school reserves 100 places for priority-area residents, with pupil premium and looked after priorities applied ahead of that local category.
There are 100 priority-area places for girls living in the Borough of Dartford or the named parishes: Ash-cum-Ridley, Hartley, Crockenhill, Hextable, Eynsford, Horton Kirby and South Darenth, Farningham, Swanley, Fawkham, and West Kingsdown. Within each oversubscription criterion, girls are ranked by aggregate Kent Test score, with distance used only to break tied scores.
Looked after and previously looked after children
Girls who satisfy the selection requirements and are looked after or previously looked after are first in priority.
Pupil premium applicants
Girls eligible for pupil premium are next in priority if the supplementary information form and evidence are returned by 1 November 2026.
Priority-area residents
100 places are reserved for girls living in the Borough of Dartford or the named parishes listed in the policy.
All remaining eligible girls
The remaining places are available to girls regardless of address. Within each criterion, applicants are ranked by aggregate Kent Test score, then distance if scores are tied.
Year 7 entry is through Kent PESE. No separate school-specific paper breakdown is published; girls are ranked within each admissions criterion by aggregate Kent Test score.
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 guideKent Test registration window
During June 2026
Pupil premium supplementary form available
From September 2026
Pupil premium supplementary form deadline
1 November 2026
Local authority allocations
March 2027
Waiting list closes
31 December 2027
Register for the Kent PESE tests
Parents of girls in Year 5 must register online with Kent Local Authority, or request a paper form, during June 2026.
Open Year 7 admissionsSit the Kent Test
Girls who reach the required Kent PESE standard are eligible to be considered for a place.
Review admissions policySubmit your secondary application
Name Dartford Grammar School for Girls on the local authority secondary application form.
Check the admissions routeReturn the supplementary information form if you are applying under pupil premium
Download the supplementary form from the school website from September 2026 and return it with proof of eligibility by 1 November 2026.
Check pupil premium instructionsLatest 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 | 78.3 | 74.2 | 49.4 |
| 2022/23 | 75.2 | 71.8 | 47.0 |
| 2023/24 | 75.3 | 72.1 | 46.7 |
| 2024/25 | 75.5 | 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 (42.7 points) | 44.0 points | 37.5 points |
| 2022/23 | B average (39.0 points) | 40.5 points | 33.7 points |
| 2023/24 | B average (41 points) | 41.3 points | 34.5 points |
| 2024/25 | B average (39.8 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 | 100% | 98.9% | 93.9% |
| 2023/24 | 99% | 99.0% | 93.3% |
| 2024/25 | 99% | 97.8% | 91.4% |
Latest year breakdown
| In education | 98% |
|---|---|
| In apprenticeships | 1% |
| In employment | 1% |
Latest inspection: 20 October 2021
Local rivals first, then nearby alternatives that still fit the same shortlist-building context.
Same Kent area with a comparable local commute
Same Kent area with a comparable local commute
Same Kent area with a comparable local commute
Same Kent area with a comparable local commute
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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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.
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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 Girls' Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best girls grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking parents can filter by county and Ofsted before comparing realistic shortlist options.
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
Dartford Grammar School for Girls currently uses CEM.
1. Register for the Kent PESE tests: Parents of girls in Year 5 must register online with Kent Local Authority, or request a paper form, during June 2026. 2. Sit the Kent Test: Girls who reach the required Kent PESE standard are eligible to be considered for a place. 3. Submit your secondary application: Name Dartford Grammar School for Girls on the local authority secondary application form. 4. Return the supplementary information form if you are applying under pupil premium: Download the supplementary form from the school website from September 2026 and return it with proof of eligibility by 1 November 2026.
Kent Test registration window: During June 2026. Pupil premium supplementary form available: From September 2026. Pupil premium supplementary form deadline: 1 November 2026. Local authority allocations: March 2027. Waiting list closes: 31 December 2027
Dartford Grammar School for Girls is currently rated Outstanding following the latest published inspection dated 20 October 2021.