School Updated 26 April 2026

Kent / Kent 11+

Dover Grammar School for Boys

Astor Avenue, Dover, CT17 0DQ

A selective boys grammar school in Dover, Kent, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 899 pupils on roll.

Boys Foundation school Ages 11-18 Sixth form GL Assessment

At a glance

Key facts

GCSE rank
UK Rank #134
Admissions
Boys only
Assessment
GL Assessment
Places in Year 7
150
Competition
2.5 applicants per place
Catchment
Catchment detail is still being reviewed
Ofsted
Good

Overview

A selective boys grammar school in Dover, Kent, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 899 pupils on roll. Based in Dover, Kent, the school serves boys aged 11-18 and includes sixth-form study as part of the offer. Current published roll and admissions data point to around 899 pupils on roll and 150 Year 7 places.

Admissions are central to understanding whether this school is the right fit and realistic shortlist option. The current route includes GL Assessment, with 150 places available in Year 7 and demand that currently looks moderate 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.

Academically, the published picture is strong and easier to judge than reputation alone. The latest published Ofsted judgement is Good. Recent official performance measures show Progress 8 at 0.54 and Attainment 8 at 59.1. 79.5% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths in the latest stored GCSE figures. In the sixth form, 5.6% 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.

Published school information highlights facilities such as Library. The wider offer currently includes Combined Cadet Force, Sport. 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. That mix of selective entry, published outcomes, and school life is what will matter most to families deciding whether Dover Grammar School for Boys belongs on a serious shortlist.

Key points

Assessment route
GL Assessment
Places and demand
150 places in Year 7 and 2.5 applicants per place
Catchment
Catchment detail is still being reviewed
Results
97.4% grade 5+ in English and maths and 65.4 Attainment 8
Sixth form
Sixth form available with 5.6% AAB or better and 63% in higher education.

GCSE benchmark

Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Kent and England.

School Local authority England
GCSE benchmark comparison Latest GCSE benchmark measures for Dover Grammar School for Boys, Kent, and England. 0 50 100 Att. 8 5+ E&M EBacc APS EBacc %
Attainment 8
65.4
Grade 5+ English and maths
97.4%
EBacc APS
5.94
EBacc entry
71.9%

Attainment 8 trend

Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Kent and England.

School Local authority England
Attainment 8 trend line Attainment 8 over time for Dover Grammar School for Boys, Kent, and England. 70 60 50 40 21/22 22/23 23/24 24/25

Destinations

Latest 2024/25 Year 11 destination mix compared with Kent and England.

Education Apprenticeships Employment Other / unknown
Destinations stacked bar comparison Year 11 destinations for Dover Grammar School for Boys, Kent, and England across education, apprenticeships, employment, and other or unknown destinations. 0 50 100 School Local auth. England

School details

School type
Foundation school
Admissions
Boys only
Age range
11-18
Headteacher
Mr Philip Horstrup
Pupil roll
899 pupils
Sixth form
Yes
FSM
20.9%
EAL
7.5%
EHCP
0.7%

Facilities

Library

Extracurriculars

Combined Cadet Force Sport

Location and contact

Address

Address
Astor Avenue, Dover, Kent
Postcode
CT17 0DQ
Area
Kent
Exam area
Kent 11+

School leadership

Headteacher
Mr Philip Horstrup

School contact

School email
office@dgsb.co.uk

Admissions contact

Admissions team
Admissions and Administration Officer
Admissions contact
Mrs Tessa Cook
Admissions email
admissions@dgsb.co.uk
Admissions phone
01304206117

Admissions

Year 7 places
150 places (2025 entry)
Applications listed
373 applications (2025 entry)
First preferences
198 first preferences (2025 entry)
Applicants per place
2.5 applicants per place
Catchment picture
Catchment detail is still being reviewed

There are 150 Year 7 places for 2027 entry. Boys can qualify through the Kent Test or the Dover Boys Test, and pupil-premium applicants must complete the supplementary information form if applying under that criterion.

Oversubscription and eligibility

Oversubscription detail is still being reviewed, so use the official admissions policy before relying on a summary.

Exam and test format

The GL Assessment 11+ entrance test format

Entry is through either the Kent Test or the Dover Boys Test, so families should follow the relevant test route for the application year.

Assessment route
GL Assessment

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 guide

Application

Key dates

  1. Registration closes

    31 October 2025

How to apply

  1. 1

    Read the admissions page and policy

    Check the school's admissions page and the current admissions policy before applying.

    Open admissions
  2. 2

    Choose the test route

    Applicants can qualify through the Kent Test or the school's Dover Boys Test when the published registration window opens.

    Check test routes
  3. 3

    Sit the assessment

    Take the Kent Test or the Dover Boys Test through the route confirmed on the school's admissions page.

    View test information
  4. 4

    Submit the secondary application

    Name Dover Grammar School for Boys on the Secondary Common Application Form through your home local authority.

    Open Kent secondary applications

Results

Attainment snapshot

Progress 8
+0.54 Progress 8
Attainment 8
65.4 Attainment 8
GCSE results
97.4% grade 4+ in English and maths
Grade 5+ English and maths
97.4% grade 5+ in English and maths
EBacc average point score
5.94 EBacc APS
A-level results
5.6% AAB or better
A-level average points
28.23 points per entry

Where students go next

Higher education progression
63% in higher education
Apprenticeships
0% in apprenticeships
Employment
23% in sustained employment

Latest official destinations data currently covers 2022/23 study leavers.

Subject performance

Maths
93% grade 5+ in EBacc maths
English
98.2% grade 5+ in EBacc English
Sciences
85% grade 5+ in EBacc sciences
Languages
61.2% grade 5+ in EBacc languages

Performance trends

Recent trend

Overall GCSE performance

This follows the school's published overall GCSE score across the subjects pupils take. Higher is better.

Dover Grammar School for Boys Grammar schools England
Overall GCSE performance across 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25 for Dover Grammar School for Boys, grammar schools, and England. 80 70 60 50 40 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
Year This school Grammar schools England
2021/22 57.6 74.2 49.4
2022/23 60.2 71.8 47.0
2023/24 59.1 72.1 46.7
2024/25 65.4 72.3 46.8

Recent trend

Average A-level result

This follows the published average A-level result for the school's sixth form. Higher is better.

Dover Grammar School for Boys Grammar schools England
Average A-level result across 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25 for Dover Grammar School for Boys, grammar schools, and England. 50 pts 42.5 pts 35 pts 27.5 pts 20 pts 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
Year This school Grammar schools England
2021/22 B average (38.9 points) 44.0 points 37.5 points
2022/23 C average (31.3 points) 40.5 points 33.7 points
2023/24 C average (30.3 points) 41.3 points 34.5 points
2024/25 C- average (28.2 points) 41.8 points 35.0 points

Recent trend

Where pupils go after Year 11

This follows the share of pupils moving into a sustained destination after Year 11, such as education, apprenticeships, or employment.

Dover Grammar School for Boys Grammar schools England
Where pupils go after Year 11 across 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25 for Dover Grammar School for Boys, grammar schools, and England. 100% 75% 50% 25% 0% 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
Year This school Grammar schools England
2021/22 97% 99.1% 94.1%
2022/23 98% 98.9% 93.9%
2023/24 94% 99.0% 93.3%
2024/25 98% 97.8% 91.4%

Latest year breakdown

In education 95%
In apprenticeships 1%
In employment 2%

Inspection

Good

Latest inspection: 16 October 2019

Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Outstanding
Personal development
Outstanding
Leadership and management
Good
Sixth form provision
Good

Similar schools and comparisons

Nearby schools families also consider

Local rivals first, then nearby alternatives that still fit the same shortlist-building context.

Nearby schools with similar results

Closest comparable alternatives with a similar academic profile, so parents can weigh local fit and results together.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What assessment types does Dover Grammar School for Boys use?

Dover Grammar School for Boys currently uses GL Assessment.

How do I apply to Dover Grammar School for Boys?

1. Read the admissions page and policy: Check the school's admissions page and the current admissions policy before applying. 2. Choose the test route: Applicants can qualify through the Kent Test or the school's Dover Boys Test when the published registration window opens. 3. Sit the assessment: Take the Kent Test or the Dover Boys Test through the route confirmed on the school's admissions page. 4. Submit the secondary application: Name Dover Grammar School for Boys on the Secondary Common Application Form through your home local authority.

When are the key dates for Dover Grammar School for Boys?

Registration closes: 31 October 2025

What does the latest Ofsted picture look like for Dover Grammar School for Boys?

Dover Grammar School for Boys is currently rated Good following the latest published inspection dated 16 October 2019.