A selective girls grammar school in Dartford, Kent, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,163 pupils on roll.
Wilmington Grammar School for Girls
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At a glance
Wilmington Grammar School for Girls is a selective girls' grammar school on Parsons Lane in Dartford, with around 1,163 pupils and a joint sixth-form offer through WG6. The school was founded in the late 1950s on a site with an older local history, including The Orchard and the former Wilmington Workhouse. Its modern identity is captured in the motto In Pursuit of Excellence and the REACH values: Respect and Resilience, Equality, Achievement, Community, and Honesty and Integrity.
The academic offer is broad and practical. Wilmington's learning and subject pages point to knowledge organisers, careers provision, and departments spanning art, business studies, drama, economics and the core academic subjects. The school says it wants students to think as future leaders in an evolving society, applying skills and knowledge to real-world situations. At sixth form, WG6 is shared with Wilmington Grammar School for Boys and offers a wide range of A-level and equivalent courses, alongside support services and enrichment.
School life is strongly community-facing. The school describes a happy and harmonious community that respects individuals and celebrates the diversity of students and staff. Its enrichment and blog material shows the rhythm of day-to-day life: Culture Day, celebratory assemblies, student achievements, extracurricular activity and a deliberate emphasis on recognising different forms of success. The site itself mixes old and new buildings, which the school calls one of its special features.
Year 7 admission has 180 published places and is coordinated through Kent County Council. Applicants need to be assessed suitable for grammar-school education through the Kent selection process before Wilmington's criteria are applied. The oversubscription order includes looked-after and previously looked-after girls, siblings at either Wilmington grammar school, children of staff, governor places linked to exceptional Kent Test mathematics performance within five miles, priority areas and pupil-premium categories, then distance. Public benchmarks record Ofsted Good in November 2022, +0.76 Progress 8, 96.6% grade 5+ in English and maths and 12.4% AAB or better at A level.
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 1,163 pupils; 1,131 had a recorded ethnic group.
| Recorded group | Share | Category | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| White British | 38.2% | White | 444 |
| African | 16.6% | Black | 193 |
| Any other mixed background | 9.9% | Mixed | 115 |
| Indian | 7.1% | Asian | 83 |
| Any other White background | 6.5% | White | 76 |
| Any other Asian background | 4.9% | Asian | 57 |
| Bangladeshi | 2.9% | Asian | 34 |
| Unclassified | 2.8% | Unclassified | 32 |
| White and Asian | 2.5% | Mixed | 29 |
| Any other ethnic group | 1.8% | Other | 21 |
| Pakistani | 1.8% | Asian | 21 |
| Chinese | 1.3% | Asian | 15 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 1.1% | Mixed | 13 |
| White and Black African | 1% | Mixed | 12 |
| Any other Black background | 0.9% | Black | 11 |
| Caribbean | 0.4% | Black | 5 |
| Irish | 0.2% | White | 2 |
Priority areas matter. Qualified girls can receive priority through the 1.5-mile area, named parishes and wards, the 5-mile governor-place rule, or pupil-premium priority within 3 miles; remaining eligible applicants are ranked by straight-line distance.
Looked after and previously looked after girls
Qualified looked after and previously looked after girls are prioritised first.
Siblings
Qualified girls with a sibling at Wilmington Grammar School for Girls or Wilmington Grammar School for Boys are prioritised next.
Children of staff
Qualified daughters of eligible staff are prioritised before governor places.
Governor places
Up to 18 places are available for qualified girls with exceptional performance in the Kent Test mathematics paper who live within 5 miles.
Priority area and named parishes
Qualified girls living within 1.5 miles or in the named priority parishes and wards are prioritised, with pupil-premium applicants prioritised within this area.
Other pupil premium within 3 miles
Other qualified pupil-premium applicants living within 3 miles are prioritised before the general distance category.
Wilmington Grammar School for Girls currently uses GL Assessment. The published format currently lists 2 papers.
Shared exam route
Wilmington Grammar School for Girls 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 sessions run across both published test dates.
Kent Test results
15 October 2026
Kent secondary application deadline
2 November 2026
National Offer Day
1 March 2027
Register for the Kent Test
Register for the Kent Test by 1 July 2026.
Check registrationComplete the assessment
Applicants need to be assessed suitable for grammar-school entry through the Kent selection process.
Check test detailsSubmit the secondary application
Submit the Kent secondary application by 31 October 2026.
Check application detailsReceive the allocation outcome
National Offer Day for this admissions round is 1 March 2027.
Check key datesLatest 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 | 71.2 | 74.2 | 49.4 |
| 2022/23 | 67.7 | 71.8 | 47.0 |
| 2023/24 | 70.2 | 72.1 | 46.7 |
| 2024/25 | 66.7 | 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 (38.1 points) | 44.0 points | 37.5 points |
| 2022/23 | C+ average (33.8 points) | 40.5 points | 33.7 points |
| 2023/24 | C+ average (33.6 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 | 98% | 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 | 99% |
|---|---|
| In apprenticeships | 1% |
| In employment | 1% |
Latest inspection: 17 November 2022
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
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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
Wilmington Grammar School for Girls currently uses GL Assessment.
1. Register for the Kent Test: Register for the Kent Test by 1 July 2026. 2. Complete the assessment: Applicants need to be assessed suitable for grammar-school entry through the Kent selection process. 3. Submit the secondary application: Submit the Kent secondary application by 31 October 2026. 4. Receive the allocation outcome: National Offer Day for this admissions round is 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: 12 and 13 September 2026. Kent Test results: 15 October 2026. Kent secondary application deadline: 2 November 2026. National Offer Day: 1 March 2027
Wilmington Grammar School for Girls is currently rated Good following the latest published inspection dated 17 November 2022.