School Updated 26 April 2026

Lincolnshire / Lincolnshire 11+

Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School

Sandon Road, Grantham, NG31 9AU

A selective girls grammar school in Grantham, Lincolnshire, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,202 pupils on roll.

Girls Academy converter Ages 11-18 Sixth form GL Assessment

At a glance

Key facts

GCSE rank
UK Rank #115
Admissions
Girls only
Assessment
GL Assessment
Places in Year 7
180
Competition
1.5 applicants per place
Catchment
There is no catchment boundary. Qualified girls are considered under the oversubscription criteria, with straight-line distance used for the final category and tie-breaks.
Ofsted
Outstanding

Overview

A selective girls grammar school in Grantham, Lincolnshire, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,202 pupils on roll. Based in Grantham, Lincolnshire, 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 1,202 pupils on roll and 174 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 174 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 Outstanding. Recent official performance measures show Progress 8 at 1.04 and Attainment 8 at 69.5. 84.1% 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 75% moving into higher education.

Published school information highlights facilities such as Library. The wider offer currently includes Drama. 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 Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School belongs on a serious shortlist.

Key points

Assessment route
GL Assessment across a 2-stage process, covering VR and NVR.
Places and demand
180 places in Year 7 and 1.5 applicants per place
Catchment
There is no catchment boundary. Qualified girls are considered under the oversubscription criteria, with straight-line distance used for the final category and tie-breaks. Last distance offered: 17.67 miles.
Results
97.8% grade 5+ in English and maths and 68.8 Attainment 8
Sixth form
Sixth form available with 19.9% AAB or better and 75% in higher education.

GCSE benchmark

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

School Local authority England
GCSE benchmark comparison Latest GCSE benchmark measures for Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School, Lincolnshire, and England. 0 50 100 Att. 8 5+ E&M EBacc APS EBacc %
Attainment 8
68.8
Grade 5+ English and maths
97.8%
EBacc APS
6.04
EBacc entry
52.2%

Attainment 8 trend

Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Lincolnshire and England.

School Local authority England
Attainment 8 trend line Attainment 8 over time for Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School, Lincolnshire, 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 Lincolnshire and England.

Education Apprenticeships Employment Other / unknown
Destinations stacked bar comparison Year 11 destinations for Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School, Lincolnshire, 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 James Fuller
Pupil roll
1,202 pupils
Sixth form
Yes
Trust
Kesteven And Grantham Girls' School Academy Trust
FSM
7.5%
EAL
14.6%
EHCP
0.3%

Facilities

Library

Extracurriculars

Drama

Location and contact

Address

Address
Sandon Road, Grantham, Lincolnshire
Postcode
NG31 9AU
Area
Lincolnshire
Exam area
Lincolnshire 11+

School leadership

Headteacher
Mr James Fuller

School contact

School email
mailto@kggs.org
School phone
01476563017

Admissions contact

Admissions team
Admissions and Administration Officer
Admissions email
admissions@kggs.org
Admissions phone
01476563017

Admissions

Year 7 places
180 places (2027 entry)
Applications listed
259 applications (2025 entry)
First preferences
211 first preferences (2025 entry)
Applicants per place
1.5 applicants per place
Catchment picture
There is no catchment boundary. Qualified girls are considered under the oversubscription criteria, with straight-line distance used for the final category and tie-breaks.
Residence requirement
Yes, home address evidence is part of the published admissions checks
Last distance offered
17.67 miles (2025 entry)
Pass mark note
Girls who reach the standardised score of 220 have met the expected standard. Reaching that score does not guarantee a place if the school is oversubscribed.

There is no catchment area. Once girls have reached the qualifying standard, distance only matters if places are oversubscribed.

There is no catchment boundary. Qualified girls are considered under the oversubscription criteria, with straight-line distance used for the final category and tie-breaks.

Oversubscription and eligibility

  1. 1

    Looked-after and previously looked-after children

    Qualified looked-after and previously looked-after girls are first in the oversubscription order.

  2. 2

    Siblings already at the school

    Qualified girls with a sibling attending KGGS when the application is made are next.

  3. 3

    Pupil premium within 12 miles

    Qualified girls eligible for pupil premium whose home address is within 12 miles of the school are then prioritised.

  4. 4

    Children of staff

    Children of staff follow where the published service or recruitment criteria are met.

  5. 5

    Distance from home to school

    All remaining qualified girls are ranked by straight-line distance from home to school, with a lottery used only if the final place is tied.

Exam and test format

The GL Assessment 11+ entrance test format

Lincolnshire Consortium testing arrangements apply, and girls must meet the minimum qualifying standard for admission to be considered.

Assessment route
GL Assessment
Papers and stages
2 papers
Format
Mixed format
Age standardisation
Published as age-standardised

This school uses the shared Lincolnshire consortium route. The consortium page brings together the common test format, key dates and official papers used across that route.

Open Lincolnshire guide

Papers and rounds

  1. Paper 1

    VR

    Verbal reasoning paper

    The first 2027-entry paper is the verbal-reasoning paper.

  2. Paper 2

    NVR

    Non-verbal or spatial reasoning paper

    The second paper covers non-verbal or spatial reasoning.

What the test includes

Verbal reasoning and Non-verbal reasoning are included in the published format.

English, Maths, Science and Creative writing are not listed in the current published format.

Included

  • Verbal reasoning

    The first 2027-entry paper is the verbal-reasoning paper.

  • Non-verbal reasoning

    The second paper covers non-verbal or spatial reasoning.

Not listed

  • English

  • Maths

  • Science

  • Creative writing

Application

Key dates

  1. 11 plus registration opens

    7 January 2026

  2. 11 plus registration closes

    31 March 2026

  3. Late registration reopens

    1 May 2026

  4. Year 5 open evening

    9 July 2026

  5. Verbal reasoning test

    12 September 2026

  6. Non-verbal and spatial reasoning test

    19 September 2026

  7. Results issued

    9 October 2026

  8. CAF deadline

    31 October 2026

  9. National Offer Day

    1 March 2027

How to apply

  1. 1

    Register online for the 11+

    For September 2027 entry, 11+ registration opened on 7 January 2026 and closed on 31 March 2026.

    Open entry page
  2. 2

    Sit the two September papers

    The first paper is on Saturday 12 September 2026 and the second paper is on Saturday 19 September 2026.

    Check the test dates
  3. 3

    Read the results email in October

    2027-entry results are emailed from noon on Friday 9 October 2026.

    Review the timetable
  4. 4

    Submit your secondary application by 31 October

    Families still need to complete the secondary application by Saturday 31 October 2026.

    See the admissions timeline

Results

Attainment snapshot

Progress 8
+1.04 Progress 8
Attainment 8
68.8 Attainment 8
GCSE results
97.8% grade 4+ in English and maths
Grade 5+ English and maths
97.8% grade 5+ in English and maths
EBacc average point score
6.04 EBacc APS
A-level results
19.9% AAB or better
A-level average points
40.29 points per entry

Where students go next

Higher education progression
75% in higher education
Apprenticeships
4% in apprenticeships
Employment
13% in sustained employment

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

Subject performance

Maths
86.5% grade 5+ in EBacc maths
English
97.8% grade 5+ in EBacc English
Sciences
84.1% grade 5+ in EBacc sciences
Languages
88.4% 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.

Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School Grammar schools England
Overall GCSE performance across 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25 for Kesteven and Grantham Girls' 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 70.1 74.2 49.4
2022/23 69.6 71.8 47.0
2023/24 69.5 72.1 46.7
2024/25 68.8 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.

Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School Grammar schools England
Average A-level result across 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25 for Kesteven and Grantham Girls' 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 (42.7 points) 44.0 points 37.5 points
2022/23 B average (39.5 points) 40.5 points 33.7 points
2023/24 B average (40.4 points) 41.3 points 34.5 points
2024/25 B average (40.3 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.

Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School Grammar schools England
Where pupils go after Year 11 across 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25 for Kesteven and Grantham Girls' 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 99% 98.9% 93.9%
2023/24 99% 99.0% 93.3%
2024/25 98% 97.8% 91.4%

Latest year breakdown

In education 95%
In apprenticeships 0%
In employment 2%

Inspection

Outstanding

Latest inspection: 20 September 2023

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

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 Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School use?

Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School currently uses GL Assessment.

How do I apply to Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School?

1. Register online for the 11+: For September 2027 entry, 11+ registration opened on 7 January 2026 and closed on 31 March 2026. 2. Sit the two September papers: The first paper is on Saturday 12 September 2026 and the second paper is on Saturday 19 September 2026. 3. Read the results email in October: 2027-entry results are emailed from noon on Friday 9 October 2026. 4. Submit your secondary application by 31 October: Families still need to complete the secondary application by Saturday 31 October 2026.

When are the key dates for Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School?

11 plus registration opens: 7 January 2026. 11 plus registration closes: 31 March 2026. Late registration reopens: 1 May 2026. Year 5 open evening: 9 July 2026. Verbal reasoning test: 12 September 2026. Non-verbal and spatial reasoning test: 19 September 2026. Results issued: 9 October 2026. CAF deadline: 31 October 2026. National Offer Day: 1 March 2027

What does the latest Ofsted picture look like for Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School?

Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School is currently rated Outstanding following the latest published inspection dated 20 September 2023.