School Updated 26 April 2026

Kent / Kent 11+

Highworth Grammar School

Maidstone Road, Ashford, TN24 8UD

A selective girls grammar school in Ashford, Kent, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,543 pupils on roll.

Girls Academy converter Ages 11-18 Sixth form GL Assessment

At a glance

Key facts

GCSE rank
UK Rank #95
Admissions
Girls only
Assessment
GL Assessment
Places in Year 7
210
Competition
2.0 applicants per place
Catchment
There is no fixed catchment area. Distance from school is the fifth admissions criterion, so addresses farther from the school rank lower when that criterion is reached.
Ofsted
Outstanding

Overview

A selective girls grammar school in Ashford, Kent, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,543 pupils on roll. Based in Ashford, Kent, the school serves girls aged 11-18 and includes sixth-form study as part of the offer. Current published roll and admissions data point to around 1,543 pupils on roll and 210 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 210 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.

Academically, the published picture is strong and easier to judge than reputation alone. The latest published Ofsted judgement is Outstanding. Recent official performance measures show Progress 8 at 0.65 and Attainment 8 at 68.8. 89.4% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths in the latest stored GCSE figures. In the sixth form, 18.1% of entries were awarded AAB or better at A level. Destinations data also suggest strong progression after sixth form, with 71% moving into higher education.

The wider offer currently includes 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 Highworth Grammar School belongs on a serious shortlist.

Key points

Assessment route
GL Assessment
Places and demand
210 places in Year 7 and 2.0 applicants per place
Catchment
There is no fixed catchment area. Distance from school is the fifth admissions criterion, so addresses farther from the school rank lower when that criterion is reached.
Results
99.5% grade 5+ in English and maths and 70.8 Attainment 8
Sixth form
Sixth form available with 18.1% AAB or better and 71% 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 Highworth Grammar School, Kent, and England. 0 50 100 Att. 8 5+ E&M EBacc APS EBacc %
Attainment 8
70.8
Grade 5+ English and maths
99.5%
EBacc APS
6.70
EBacc entry
95.8%

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 Highworth Grammar School, Kent, and England. 80 66.7 53.3 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 Highworth Grammar School, Kent, and England across education, apprenticeships, employment, and other or unknown destinations. 0 50 100 School Local auth. England

School details

School type
Academy converter
Admissions
Girls only
Age range
11-18
Headteacher
Mr Duncan Beer
Pupil roll
1,543 pupils
Sixth form
Yes
Trust
Highworth Grammar School Trust
FSM
7.9%
EAL
29.5%
EHCP
0.3%

Extracurriculars

Sport

Location and contact

Address

Address
Maidstone Road, Ashford, Kent
Postcode
TN24 8UD
Area
Kent
Exam area
Kent 11+

School leadership

Headteacher
Mr Duncan Beer

School contact

School phone
01233624910

Admissions contact

Admissions team
Admissions
Admissions contact
Mrs J Kemp
Admissions phone
01233624910

Admissions

Year 7 places
210 places (2025 entry)
Applications listed
422 applications (2025 entry)
First preferences
253 first preferences (2025 entry)
Applicants per place
2.0 applicants per place
Catchment picture
There is no fixed catchment area. Distance from school is the fifth admissions criterion, so addresses farther from the school rank lower when that criterion is reached.
Pass mark note
Girls need a Kent Test grammar assessment for Year 7 entry. A grammar assessment does not guarantee an offer when applications exceed available places.

Year 7 entry is through Kent PESE. The 2026/27 published admission number is 210 and only girls with a Kent grammar assessment are considered.

There is no fixed catchment area. Distance from school is the fifth admissions criterion, so addresses farther from the school rank lower when that criterion is reached.

Oversubscription and eligibility

  1. 1

    Looked after and previously looked after children

    Children in local authority care, previously looked after children, and children previously in state care outside England.

  2. 2

    Children in receipt of pupil premium

    Parents must return the supplementary pupil premium form and also name the school on the SCAF.

  3. 3

    Current family association

    A sibling attending the school when the child starts.

  4. 4

    Health and special access reasons

    Supported medical, health, social or special access reasons with a demonstrable and significant need to attend Highworth.

  5. 5

    Nearness of children's homes to school

    Distance is measured in a straight line using the National Land and Property Gazetteer address point data.

Exam and test format

The GL Assessment 11+ entrance test format

Year 7 entry is through the Kent Test and the coordinated Kent Procedure for Entry to Secondary Education.

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. Kent Test registration window

    June 2025

  2. Secondary application deadline

    31 October 2025

  3. Offer day

    2 March 2026

  4. Late applications considered after

    24 April 2026

How to apply

  1. 1

    Read the Year 7 admissions guidance

    Check the school's PESE guidance and the 2026 admissions policy before applying.

    Open PESE guidance
  2. 2

    Apply through your home local authority

    Submit your Secondary Common Application Form through your home local authority by Friday 31 October 2025. School places are allocated by the local authority, not by the school.

    Apply for Year 7
  3. 3

    Send the pupil premium supplementary form if needed

    Complete the supplementary form if you are applying under the pupil premium criterion and return it to the school by 31 October 2025.

    Open supplementary form
  4. 4

    Watch for offer day

    Kent County Council issues Year 7 offers on Monday 2 March 2026.

    View key dates

Results

Attainment snapshot

Progress 8
+0.65 Progress 8
Attainment 8
70.8 Attainment 8
GCSE results
99.5% grade 4+ in English and maths
Grade 5+ English and maths
99.5% grade 5+ in English and maths
EBacc average point score
6.70 EBacc APS
A-level results
18.1% AAB or better
A-level average points
39.97 points per entry

Where students go next

Higher education progression
71% in higher education
Apprenticeships
3% in apprenticeships
Employment
19% in sustained employment

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

Subject performance

Maths
97.7% grade 5+ in EBacc maths
English
96.7% grade 5+ in EBacc English
Sciences
97.7% grade 5+ in EBacc sciences
Languages
80.4% 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.

Highworth Grammar School Grammar schools England
Overall GCSE performance across 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25 for Highworth Grammar School, 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 73.8 74.2 49.4
2022/23 69.7 71.8 47.0
2023/24 68.8 72.1 46.7
2024/25 70.8 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.

Highworth Grammar School Grammar schools England
Average A-level result across 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25 for Highworth Grammar School, grammar schools, and England. 50 pts 45 pts 40 pts 35 pts 30 pts 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
Year This school Grammar schools England
2021/22 B+ average (43.7 points) 44.0 points 37.5 points
2022/23 B average (40.4 points) 40.5 points 33.7 points
2023/24 B average (38.5 points) 41.3 points 34.5 points
2024/25 B average (40.0 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.

Highworth Grammar School Grammar schools England
Where pupils go after Year 11 across 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25 for Highworth Grammar School, 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 99% 99.1% 94.1%
2022/23 98% 98.9% 93.9%
2023/24 99% 99.0% 93.3%
2024/25 99% 97.8% 91.4%

Latest year breakdown

In education 99%
In apprenticeships 0%

Inspection

Outstanding

Latest inspection: 14 June 2013

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

Similar schools and comparisons

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

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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 Highworth Grammar School use?

Highworth Grammar School currently uses GL Assessment.

How do I apply to Highworth Grammar School?

1. Read the Year 7 admissions guidance: Check the school's PESE guidance and the 2026 admissions policy before applying. 2. Apply through your home local authority: Submit your Secondary Common Application Form through your home local authority by Friday 31 October 2025. School places are allocated by the local authority, not by the school. 3. Send the pupil premium supplementary form if needed: Complete the supplementary form if you are applying under the pupil premium criterion and return it to the school by 31 October 2025. 4. Watch for offer day: Kent County Council issues Year 7 offers on Monday 2 March 2026.

When are the key dates for Highworth Grammar School?

Kent Test registration window: June 2025. Secondary application deadline: 31 October 2025. Offer day: 2 March 2026. Late applications considered after: 24 April 2026

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

Highworth Grammar School is currently rated Outstanding following the latest published inspection dated 14 June 2013.