A selective girls grammar school in Ashford, Kent, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,543 pupils on roll.
Highworth Grammar School
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At a glance
Highworth Grammar School is a selective girls' grammar school in Ashford, with a sixth form and around 1,543 pupils. Its motto, Ad Caelestia Sequere - Reach for the Stars - is translated into the school's REACH ethos: reflective, eager for lifelong learning, aiming high, considerate and confident, and happy in a caring community.
The curriculum is broad and balanced, with visible attention to enrichment, creativity, modern languages, cultural knowledge and personal development. Highworth's subject pages are unusually clear about the kind of learner it wants to develop: confident, curious, independent and able to connect school knowledge with the wider world. The sixth form builds on that, asking students to develop independent approaches to learning while remaining closely supported.
Co-curricular life is a real part of the school offer rather than a bolt-on. Sport, Duke of Edinburgh, music, drama, student leadership, international programmes and the named learning communities give pupils several ways to belong and take responsibility. Published outcomes show Outstanding Ofsted, +0.65 Progress 8 and 99.5% grade 5+ in English and maths.
Year 7 entry is through the Kent Test, with 210 places. Girls need a Kent grammar assessment before Highworth can consider them, and the admissions rules then include looked-after priority, pupil-premium/free-school-meal priority, sibling priority and distance. The test itself has English and mathematics, reasoning and a writing exercise, with the writing used to support assessment rather than as part of the computer-marked score.
Creative writing is tested in this school's current 11+ assessment.
A weak creative writing piece can leave a child short of qualification. 11 Plus Writing Coach helps families build steadier practice and clearer feedback.
From our 11 Plus Writing Coach site
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 1,543 pupils; 1,522 had a recorded ethnic group.
| Recorded group | Share | Category | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| White British | 57.2% | White | 883 |
| Any other Asian background | 9.4% | Asian | 145 |
| Indian | 6% | Asian | 92 |
| Any other White background | 5.6% | White | 86 |
| African | 5.1% | Black | 78 |
| Any other mixed background | 4% | Mixed | 62 |
| White and Asian | 3.2% | Mixed | 50 |
| Unclassified | 1.4% | Unclassified | 21 |
| Chinese | 1.2% | Asian | 19 |
| Any other Black background | 1.2% | Black | 18 |
| White and Black African | 1.2% | Mixed | 18 |
| Any other ethnic group | 1.1% | Other | 17 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 1.1% | Mixed | 17 |
| Pakistani | 0.9% | Asian | 14 |
| Bangladeshi | 0.6% | Asian | 10 |
| Irish | 0.5% | White | 8 |
| Caribbean | 0.3% | Black | 5 |
Year 7 entry is through Kent PESE. The 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.
Looked after and previously looked after children
Children in local authority care, previously looked after children, and children previously in state care outside England.
Children in receipt of pupil premium
Parents must return the supplementary pupil premium form and also name the school on the SCAF.
Current family association
A sibling attending the school when the child starts.
Health and special access reasons
Supported medical, health, social or special access reasons with a demonstrable and significant need to attend Highworth.
Nearness of children's homes to school
Distance is measured in a straight line using the National Land and Property Gazetteer address point data.
The Kent Test has an English and mathematics paper, a reasoning paper and a writing exercise. The writing task is not part of the computer-marked score but can support headteacher assessment.
Shared exam route
Highworth 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
English, Maths
Kent Test English and mathematics paper
Multiple-choice English and mathematics sections.
Paper 2
Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning
Kent Test reasoning paper
Multiple-choice verbal and non-verbal reasoning sections.
Paper 3
Writing task
Kent Test writing exercise
Writing exercise not marked for the Kent Test score but available for headteacher assessment.
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
Multiple-choice verbal and non-verbal reasoning sections.
Non-verbal reasoning
Multiple-choice verbal and non-verbal reasoning sections.
Science
Kent Test registration opens
1 June 2026
PastKent Test registration closes
1 July 2026
Kent Test for Kent primary pupils
10 September 2026
Kent Test for pupils outside Kent primary schools
Weekend of 12 September 2026
Kent Test assessment decision email
15 October 2026, After 4pm
Secondary application deadline
2 November 2026
Secondary school offer day
1 March 2027
Offer acceptance deadline
15 March 2027
Appeal request deadline
13 April 2027
First reallocation round
27 April 2027
Read the Year 7 PESE guidance
Check Highworth's PESE guidance and published admissions information before starting the Kent application process.
Open PESE guidanceRegister for the Kent Test
For 2027 entry, register for the Kent Test during the official window from 1 June to 1 July 2026.
Check Kent datesSubmit your secondary application
Name Highworth on the Secondary Common Application Form by the 2 November 2026 Kent deadline.
View application deadlineSend the pupil premium form if relevant
Only use the supplementary form if applying under Highworth's pupil premium priority.
Open PESE guidanceWatch for offer day
Kent releases secondary school offers on 1 March 2027.
View offer dateLatest 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 | 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
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 (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
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 | 98% | 98.9% | 93.9% |
| 2023/24 | 99% | 99.0% | 93.3% |
| 2024/25 | 100% | 98.7% | 91.8% |
Latest year breakdown
| In education | 99% |
|---|---|
| In apprenticeships | 0% |
Latest inspection: 14 June 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
Best Grammar Schools in Kent
Compare 32 Kent grammar schools for 2026: GCSE ranking table, Ofsted, Kent Test route, admissions rules, competition, and school profiles.
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Best Grammar Schools in the UK
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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 32 Kent grammar schools for 2026: GCSE ranking table, Ofsted, Kent Test route, admissions rules, competition, and school profiles.
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
Highworth Grammar School currently uses GL Assessment.
1. Read the Year 7 PESE guidance: Check Highworth's PESE guidance and published admissions information before starting the Kent application process. 2. Register for the Kent Test: For 2027 entry, register for the Kent Test during the official window from 1 June to 1 July 2026. 3. Submit your secondary application: Name Highworth on the Secondary Common Application Form by the 2 November 2026 Kent deadline. 4. Send the pupil premium form if relevant: Only use the supplementary form if applying under Highworth's pupil premium priority. 5. Watch for offer day: Kent releases secondary school offers on 1 March 2027.
Kent Test registration opens: 1 June 2026. Kent Test registration closes: 1 July 2026. Kent Test for Kent primary pupils: 10 September 2026. Kent Test for pupils outside Kent primary schools: Weekend of 12 September 2026. Kent Test assessment decision email: 15 October 2026, After 4pm. Secondary application deadline: 2 November 2026. Secondary school offer day: 1 March 2027. Offer acceptance deadline: 15 March 2027. Appeal request deadline: 13 April 2027. First reallocation round: 27 April 2027
Highworth Grammar School is currently rated Outstanding following the latest published inspection dated 14 June 2013.