A selective boys grammar school in Dartford, Kent, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,178 pupils on roll.
Wilmington Grammar School for Boys
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At a glance
Wilmington Grammar School for Boys is a Dartford selective school for boys aged 11 to 16, with an extensive co-educational sixth-form programme through WG6. The school describes its mission as 'Forward Thinking - Traditional Values', and its PRIDE values are Personal Excellence, Respect, Innovation and Creativity, Determination and Equality for All.
The curriculum is ambitious and practical as well as academic. Key Stage 3 includes English, mathematics, science, history, geography, RE, art, music, design and technology, computer science, business, PE and languages, with Spanish added in Year 8. At Key Stage 4, pupils study the core subjects plus either history or geography and French or Spanish before choosing further options.
WGSB's history includes Grant Maintained Status in 1991, Foundation status from 1999 and Specialist Engineering College designation in 2004, followed by the Evans Building with its engineering suite. That technical thread still sits alongside music, drama, sport, clubs, student leadership and a renewed house system with competitions, character points and house prefects.
Year 7 has 180 places and is part of the Kent grammar process. Boys must be assessed suitable for grammar school before the school's criteria are applied; those criteria include looked-after children, siblings, staff children, up to 18 governor places for exceptional Kent Test performance within five miles, named priority areas, pupil-premium provisions and then distance.
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 1,178 pupils; 1,156 had a recorded ethnic group.
| Recorded group | Share | Category | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| White British | 34.4% | White | 405 |
| African | 18% | Black | 212 |
| Indian | 10.6% | Asian | 125 |
| Any other mixed background | 9.5% | Mixed | 112 |
| Any other Asian background | 5.9% | Asian | 70 |
| Any other White background | 5.2% | White | 61 |
| Bangladeshi | 3.3% | Asian | 39 |
| Any other ethnic group | 2% | Other | 24 |
| White and Asian | 2% | Mixed | 24 |
| Unclassified | 1.9% | Unclassified | 22 |
| Pakistani | 1.7% | Asian | 20 |
| Chinese | 1.4% | Asian | 17 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 1% | Mixed | 12 |
| Any other Black background | 0.9% | Black | 11 |
| Caribbean | 0.8% | Black | 10 |
| White and Black African | 0.8% | Mixed | 10 |
| Irish | 0.3% | White | 4 |
Priority includes siblings, staff, up to 18 governor places within five miles, named parishes and wards or a 1.5-mile area, pupil premium within three miles, then all other eligible boys by distance.
EHCP naming the school
Admitted before remaining places are allocated where the child is assessed suitable.
Looked after and previously looked after children
Highest priority among eligible boys after EHCP admissions.
Siblings
Priority applies for siblings at WGSB or Wilmington Grammar School for Girls when the child starts.
Children of staff
Applies where the published staff employment criteria are met.
Governor places
Up to 18 places are available for exceptional Kent Test performance, excluding the maths test, within five miles of the school.
Priority parishes and 1.5-mile area
Eligible boys living within the listed parishes and wards or within 1.5 miles are prioritised, with pupil premium priority inside this area.
Wilmington Grammar School for Boys currently uses GL Assessment. The published format currently lists 2 papers.
Shared exam route
Wilmington Grammar School for Boys 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 maths paper
One-hour multiple-choice English and mathematics paper.
Paper 2
Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning
Kent Test reasoning paper
Reasoning paper covering verbal, non-verbal and spatial reasoning skills.
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
Reasoning paper covering verbal, non-verbal and spatial reasoning skills.
Non-verbal reasoning
Reasoning paper covering verbal, non-verbal and spatial reasoning skills.
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
12 and 13 September 2026
Weekend test sessions run across both published dates.
Kent Test results
15 October 2026
Supplementary form deadline
31 October 2026
Kent secondary application deadline
2 November 2026
National Offer Day
1 March 2027
Register for the Kent Test
Register with Kent County Council between 1 June and 1 July 2026 for the Kent Test.
Open Kent schemeSit the Kent Test
Kent primary pupils sit the test on 10 September 2026; pupils outside Kent sit during the weekend of 12 and 13 September 2026.
Open Kent schemeSubmit the secondary application
Name Wilmington Grammar School for Boys on the secondary application through the home local authority.
Open criteriaSend the supplementary form if relevant
The supplementary form is only needed for sibling or pupil premium priority, and must be sent to admissions@wgsb.co.uk by 31 October 2026.
Open criteriaLatest 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 | 68 | 74.2 | 49.4 |
| 2022/23 | 67.2 | 71.8 | 47.0 |
| 2023/24 | 66.5 | 72.1 | 46.7 |
| 2024/25 | 64.6 | 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 (37.4 points) | 44.0 points | 37.5 points |
| 2022/23 | C+ average (35.0 points) | 40.5 points | 33.7 points |
| 2023/24 | C+ average (33.2 points) | 41.3 points | 34.5 points |
| 2024/25 | C+ average (33.3 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 | 99% | 98.9% | 93.9% |
| 2023/24 | 99% | 99.0% | 93.3% |
| 2024/25 | 100% | 98.7% | 91.8% |
Latest year breakdown
| In education | 100% |
|---|---|
| In apprenticeships | 0% |
| In employment | 0% |
Latest inspection: 14 March 2023
Local rivals appear first, followed by nearby alternatives where the journey and admissions route are still comparable.
Same Kent area and similar boys' selective route
Same Kent area and similar boys' selective route
Same Kent area and similar boys' selective route
Same Kent area and similar boys' 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 Boys' Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best boys 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
Wilmington Grammar School for Boys currently uses GL Assessment.
1. Register for the Kent Test: Register with Kent County Council between 1 June and 1 July 2026 for the Kent Test. 2. Sit the Kent Test: Kent primary pupils sit the test on 10 September 2026; pupils outside Kent sit during the weekend of 12 and 13 September 2026. 3. Submit the secondary application: Name Wilmington Grammar School for Boys on the secondary application through the home local authority. 4. Send the supplementary form if relevant: The supplementary form is only needed for sibling or pupil premium priority, and must be sent to admissions@wgsb.co.uk by 31 October 2026.
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: 12 and 13 September 2026. Kent Test results: 15 October 2026. Supplementary form deadline: 31 October 2026. Kent secondary application deadline: 2 November 2026. National Offer Day: 1 March 2027
Wilmington Grammar School for Boys is currently rated Good following the latest published inspection dated 14 March 2023.