A selective girls grammar school in Dover, Kent, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 872 pupils on roll.
Dover Grammar School for Girls
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At a glance
Dover Grammar School for Girls is a selective 11-18 girls' grammar school in Dover, with about 872 pupils and a maintained-school link to Kent County Council rather than a multi-academy trust. Its history page gives the school a rooted local character: centenary work has drawn on former pupils, staff and local historians, including memories of Dover County School for Girls in the 1920s and of wartime evacuation from a town then living under intense pressure.
DGGS presents itself through character as much as selection. The official site foregrounds student leadership, a house system, charities, the Past Pupils and Staff Association and a Combined Cadet Force. The curriculum menu also points to subject information, curriculum overviews from Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 5, spiritual, moral, social and cultural education, extra-curricular activity and careers guidance.
The sixth form has its own curriculum, support and wellbeing pages, post-18 destinations information, financial support and supercurricular, leadership and emerging talent programmes. That gives the school a rounded 11-18 profile: a smaller grammar than many in Kent, but one with a clear sixth-form pathway and a distinctive Dover story behind it.
Year 7 entry has 140 places and can be reached through either the Kent Test or the Dover Test route; only one successful route is needed. The school publishes Dover Test information and asks Dover Test questions to go through its admissions contact, while secondary applications follow the Kent process. Published measures include Ofsted Outstanding, +0.17 Progress 8, 91% grade 5+ in English and maths and 15.6% 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 872 pupils; 865 had a recorded ethnic group.
| Recorded group | Share | Category | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| White British | 77.8% | White | 678 |
| Any other mixed background | 5.4% | Mixed | 47 |
| Any other White background | 4.8% | White | 42 |
| White and Asian | 2.4% | Mixed | 21 |
| Any other Asian background | 2.2% | Asian | 19 |
| Indian | 1.7% | Asian | 15 |
| African | 1.1% | Black | 10 |
| Any other ethnic group | 1% | Other | 9 |
| Bangladeshi | 0.9% | Asian | 8 |
| Unclassified | 0.8% | Unclassified | 7 |
| White and Black African | 0.8% | Mixed | 7 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 0.7% | Mixed | 6 |
| Caribbean | 0.2% | Black | 2 |
| Irish | 0.1% | White | 1 |
Year 7 PAN is 140 for September 2027. Eligibility can be gained through the Kent assessment procedure or the Dover Test before the oversubscription order is applied.
There is no fixed catchment boundary. After eligibility and priority categories, remaining places are ranked by straight-line distance from home to school, with closest applicants higher priority.
Looked after and previously looked after children
Eligible girls in local authority care, previously in care, or adopted after state care are first in priority.
Current family association
Girls with a brother or sister in the same school at the time of entry are considered next.
Health and special access reasons
Priority applies where professional evidence shows a significant medical, health, social, or access need connected to this school.
Pupil premium applicants
Eligible girls registered for free school meals at any point in the last six years are considered next if the supplementary form is returned by 31 October 2026.
Distance from home to school
Remaining eligible girls are ranked by straight-line distance from the permanent home address to the school using NLPG address points.
The Dover Assessment Test is run by Quest Assessments and has English and maths papers. Applicants can also qualify through the Kent Test, and only one successful route is needed.
Shared exam route
Dover Grammar School for Girls 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
English, Maths, Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning
Kent assessment route
Applicants can qualify through the Kent age 11 assessment route.
Paper 2
English, Maths
Dover Test route
Applicants can also qualify through the school Dover Test route; the test normally takes place on a Saturday in September.
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
Applicants can qualify through the Kent age 11 assessment route.
Non-verbal reasoning
Applicants can qualify through the Kent age 11 assessment route.
Science
Kent Test registration opens
Monday 1 June 2026
PastKent Test registration closes
Wednesday 1 July 2026
Secondary applications open
Tuesday 1 September 2026
Kent primary pupils test day
Thursday 10 September 2026
Out-of-county Kent Test weekend
Weekend of 12 and 13 September 2026
Kent Test results
Thursday 15 October 2026
Secondary application deadline
Monday 2 November 2026
National Offer Day
Monday 1 March 2027
Dover Test
A Saturday in September 2026
The exact school-test date should be checked when the 2026 test-cycle form opens.
Pupil-premium supplementary form deadline
Saturday 31 October 2026
Return the form if applying under the pupil-premium criterion.
Choose a selection route
Applicants can qualify through the Kent assessment procedure or the Dover Test.
Open admissionsRegister for the chosen test route
Use Kent County Council for the Kent Test, or the school online form for the Dover Test route.
Check test routeSubmit the secondary application
Name Dover Grammar School for Girls on the home local authority secondary application by the published deadline.
Read Kent arrangementsReturn the pupil-premium SIF if relevant
If applying under the pupil-premium criterion, return the supplementary information form by 31 October 2026.
Open school admissionsLatest 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 | 60.2 | 74.2 | 49.4 |
| 2022/23 | 59.7 | 71.8 | 47.0 |
| 2023/24 | 59.3 | 72.1 | 46.7 |
| 2024/25 | 59.9 | 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 (36.8 points) | 44.0 points | 37.5 points |
| 2022/23 | B- average (36.5 points) | 40.5 points | 33.7 points |
| 2023/24 | C+ average (34.6 points) | 41.3 points | 34.5 points |
| 2024/25 | B- average (35.0 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 | 98% | 99.1% | 94.1% |
| 2022/23 | 99% | 98.9% | 93.9% |
| 2023/24 | 98% | 99.0% | 93.3% |
| 2024/25 | 99% | 98.7% | 91.8% |
Latest year breakdown
| In education | 96% |
|---|---|
| In apprenticeships | 2% |
| In employment | 1% |
Latest inspection: 15 November 2013
Local rivals appear first, followed by nearby alternatives where the journey and admissions route are still comparable.
Same Kent area and similar girls' selective route
Same Kent area and similar girls' selective route
Same Kent area and similar girls' selective route
Same Kent area and similar girls' 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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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 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
Dover Grammar School for Girls currently uses GL Assessment, Individual.
1. Choose a selection route: Applicants can qualify through the Kent assessment procedure or the Dover Test. 2. Register for the chosen test route: Use Kent County Council for the Kent Test, or the school online form for the Dover Test route. 3. Submit the secondary application: Name Dover Grammar School for Girls on the home local authority secondary application by the published deadline. 4. Return the pupil-premium SIF if relevant: If applying under the pupil-premium criterion, return the supplementary information form by 31 October 2026.
Kent Test registration opens: Monday 1 June 2026. Kent Test registration closes: Wednesday 1 July 2026. Secondary applications open: Tuesday 1 September 2026. Kent primary pupils test day: Thursday 10 September 2026. Out-of-county Kent Test weekend: Weekend of 12 and 13 September 2026. Kent Test results: Thursday 15 October 2026. Secondary application deadline: Monday 2 November 2026. National Offer Day: Monday 1 March 2027. Dover Test: A Saturday in September 2026. Pupil-premium supplementary form deadline: Saturday 31 October 2026
Dover Grammar School for Girls is currently rated Outstanding following the latest published inspection dated 15 November 2013.