School profile Verified 11 September 2026

Kent Kent 11+

Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School

Old Dover Road, Canterbury, CT1 3EW

A selective girls grammar school in Canterbury, Kent, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,256 pupils on roll.

Grammar school Girls Voluntary controlled school Ages 11-18 Sixth form GL Assessment
Year 7 places
180
Competition ?
Moderate
Ofsted ?
Good
11+ route
GL Assessment
Compare Official website Map

At a glance

Key facts

GCSE rank
UK Rank #123
Sector
Grammar school
Admissions
Girls only
Assessment
GL Assessment
Places in Year 7
180
Competition ?
Moderate
Catchment
You can apply from any area. There is no defined catchment or local-priority area, although distance may still affect allocation or a tie-break.
Ofsted ?
Good

Overview

Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School is a selective girls' grammar school for ages 11 to 18 in Canterbury. The school is usually shortened locally to Langton Girls, but the full name matters: it sits within Canterbury's distinctive grammar-school tradition while retaining its own identity, intake and school culture. The official profile records about 1,256 pupils, including sixth-form provision.

The school puts academic success alongside wellbeing. Its headteacher welcome says students do well when they feel good about being at school and good about themselves, and that tone helps distinguish the school from a purely results-led grammar profile. The published material points to a curriculum centred on sixth-form study and a school ethos of excellence, respect and confidence. Recent school news also shows sixth-form students contributing to published chemistry research, a useful example of academic life extending beyond standard lesson content.

Co-curricular life is visible through orchestra, drama and performance spaces, with the wider Canterbury setting adding access to cultural and university-linked opportunities. The school also publishes free 11+ familiarisation material, which is a practical signal about access to the Kent selection route. Overall, the public picture is of a girls' grammar where academic ambition is paired with confidence, self-belief and participation in the wider life of the school.

Year 7 entry is through the Kent Test, and the published admission number is 180. The Kent Test route includes English and mathematics, reasoning and a writing task; the writing is not included in the automatic score but may be considered during headteacher assessment. Published admissions history records recent demand of 433 applications and 165 offers, while final allocation depends on grammar assessment and the school's published criteria. Official benchmarks list a Good Ofsted judgement from September 2023, +0.43 Progress 8, 94.9% grade 5+ in English and maths, and 19.7% AAB or better at A level.

11 Plus Writing Coach preview showing creative writing feedback cards and score summaries
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11+ Writing Coach Creative writing is part of this school's current 11+ assessment.

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Key points

Assessment route
GL Assessment across a 3-stage process, covering English, Maths, Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning and Writing task.
Places and demand
180 places in Year 7 and Moderate
Catchment
You can apply from any area. There is no defined catchment or local-priority area, although distance may still affect allocation or a tie-break.
Results
94.9% grade 5+ in English and maths and 67.7 Attainment 8
Sixth form
Sixth form available with 19.7% AAB or better and 58% 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 Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School, Kent, and England. 0 50 100 Att. 8 5+ E&M EBacc APS EBacc %
Attainment 8
67.7
Grade 5+ English and maths
94.9%
EBacc APS
6.17
EBacc entry
48%

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 Simon Langton Girls' 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 Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School, Kent, and England across education, apprenticeships, employment, and other or unknown destinations. 0 50 100 School Local auth. England

School details

Sector
Grammar school
School type
Voluntary controlled school
Application
Local authority CAF
Gender
Girls only
Age range
11-18
Head of School
Mr Paul Pollard
Pupil roll
1,256 pupils
Sixth form
Yes
FSM ?
7.5%
EAL ?
14.3%
EHCP ?
0.7%

Facilities

Theatre

Extracurriculars

Orchestra Drama

Ethnicity

Pupil ethnicity

Whole-school roll of 1,256 pupils; 1,241 had a recorded ethnic group.

White 72.8% Asian 11.5% Mixed 9.4% Black 2.8% Other 2.5% Unclassified 1.2%

Location and contact

Address

Address
Old Dover Road, Canterbury, Kent
Postcode
CT1 3EW
Area
Kent
Exam area
Kent 11+

School leadership

Head of School
Mr Paul Pollard

School contact

School phone
01227463711

Admissions contact

Admissions team
Admissions
Admissions phone
01227 463711

Admissions

Year 7 places
180 places (2027 entry)
Applications listed
433 applications (2025 entry)
First preferences
184 first preferences (2025 entry)
Competition ?
Moderate
Who can apply
You can apply from any area. There is no defined catchment or local-priority area, although distance may still affect allocation or a tie-break.

There is no catchment or priority area. After the higher-priority care, sibling, health and Pupil Premium categories, qualified applicants are ranked by straight-line distance from their permanent home address to the school.

Oversubscription and eligibility

Use the official admissions policy for the current priority order and eligibility rules.

Exam and test format

The GL Assessment 11+ entrance test format

The Kent Test has English and mathematics, reasoning, and writing sections. The writing task is not part of the standardised score, but it can be used in headteacher assessment.

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

Official exam resources

Past papers and practice materials

No released past entrance-test papers are currently verified here. The resources below are labelled by type.

Kent Test test guide

Papers and rounds

  1. Paper 1

    English, Maths

    Kent Test English and maths

    A one-hour multiple-choice paper covering English comprehension, literacy and mathematics.

  2. Paper 2

    Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning

    Kent Test reasoning

    A one-hour multiple-choice reasoning paper with verbal and non-verbal reasoning sections.

  3. Paper 3

    Writing task

    Writing exercise

    A 40-minute writing task is not marked as part of the standard score but may be considered in headteacher assessment.

What the test includes

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

Science is not listed in the current published format.

Included

  • English

  • Maths

  • Verbal reasoning

    A one-hour multiple-choice reasoning paper with verbal and non-verbal reasoning sections.

  • Non-verbal reasoning

    A one-hour multiple-choice reasoning paper with verbal and non-verbal reasoning sections.

Not listed

  • Science

Application

Find open days and plan a visit
  1. Kent Test registration opens

    1 June 2026

    Past
  2. Kent Test registration closes

    1 July 2026

    Past
  3. Kent Test for pupils in Kent primary schools

    10 September 2026

    Past
  4. Kent Test for pupils not in Kent primary schools

    Weekend of 12/13 September 2026

  5. Kent assessment decision sent to parents

    15 October 2026

  6. Kent secondary application deadline

    2 November 2026

  7. National Offer Day

    1 March 2027

  8. Year 6 open evening

    8 October 2026

    No booking required.

  9. Year 6 open morning

    16 October 2026

    Booking required.

  10. Year 6 open morning

    19 October 2026

    Booking required.

  11. Year 6 open morning

    20 October 2026

    Booking required.

How to apply

  1. 1

    Register for the Kent Test

    Registration opens on 1 June 2026 and closes on 1 July 2026 for 2027 entry.

    Register with Kent
  2. 2

    Sit the Kent Test

    Kent primary pupils test on 10 September 2026; other candidates are tested over the 12/13 September weekend.

    View Kent Test dates
  3. 3

    Submit the secondary application

    Use the Kent secondary application route by the published November deadline after assessment decisions are released.

    View Kent scheme
  4. 4

    Check any school forms

    Send any required Pupil Premium, sibling, staff-child or access evidence before the relevant school deadline.

    Check admissions criteria

Results

Inspection

Good

Latest inspection: 27 September 2023

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

Quick summary

  • Overall effectiveness: Simon Langton Girls' Grammar remained Good after an ungraded inspection, but the evidence suggested it might be Outstanding if graded. The report highlights an exceptionally strong community, calm behaviour, ambitious learning and pupil-led clubs and societies.
  • Quality of education: The curriculum was ambitious, inclusive and planned so knowledge and skills build over time. Teachers' strong subject knowledge, clear explanations and skilful questioning help pupils think deeply, while the Learning Base supports pupils with SEND to thrive.
  • Behaviour and attitudes: Behaviour was especially calm and settled because relationships were strong across the school. Pupils mixed well at social times, lessons were focused, learning was rarely disrupted and pupils understood their role in sustaining a happy community.
  • Personal development: Pupils had significant voice and could establish clubs around their interests. The super-curricular IVE pathways, from medical and legal fields to The Mind Lab, were complemented by music, drama and extra language courses including Mandarin and Japanese.
  • Leadership and management: Leaders were described as careful, reflective and consultative. They sought views from staff, pupils and parents before making changes, encouraged new ideas and paid attention to workload and wellbeing so staff felt valued and supported.

Similar schools and comparisons

Nearby schools families also consider

Local rivals appear first, followed by nearby alternatives where the journey and admissions route are still comparable.

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 Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School use?

Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School currently uses GL Assessment.

How do I apply to Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School?

1. Register for the Kent Test: Registration opens on 1 June 2026 and closes on 1 July 2026 for 2027 entry. 2. Sit the Kent Test: Kent primary pupils test on 10 September 2026; other candidates are tested over the 12/13 September weekend. 3. Submit the secondary application: Use the Kent secondary application route by the published November deadline after assessment decisions are released. 4. Check any school forms: Send any required Pupil Premium, sibling, staff-child or access evidence before the relevant school deadline.

When are the key dates for Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School?

Kent Test registration opens: 1 June 2026. Kent Test registration closes: 1 July 2026. Kent Test for pupils in Kent primary schools: 10 September 2026. Kent Test for pupils not in Kent primary schools: Weekend of 12/13 September 2026. Kent assessment decision sent to parents: 15 October 2026. Kent secondary application deadline: 2 November 2026. National Offer Day: 1 March 2027. Year 6 open evening: 8 October 2026. Year 6 open morning: 16 October 2026. Year 6 open morning: 19 October 2026. Year 6 open morning: 20 October 2026

What does the latest inspection picture look like for Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School?

Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School is currently rated Good following the latest published inspection dated 27 September 2023.