--- type: "Article" title: "Top 10 Grammar Schools in Kent: Kent Test (2027 Entry)" description: "The top 10 grammar schools in Kent for 2026, ranked on results, Ofsted and admissions, with each school's Kent Test entry, super-selective rules and what parents need to know." resource: https://pip11plus.com/top-10-grammar-schools-in-kent tags: ["grammar schools", "pip"] timestamp: 2026-10-13T19:50:09Z image: https://pip11plus.com/info-hub-cards/regional-tests-pip.jpg --- 馃彨 School Choice # Top 10 Grammar Schools in Kent (2026) ![Pip](https://pip11plus.com/media/pip-mark.png) **By the Pip team** Updated June 2026 Kent runs one of the largest selective school systems in England, with more than 30 grammar schools and a single entrance test, the Kent Test, sat by tens of thousands of children every September. A handful of those grammars rank among the best schools in the country, free of charge and open to any child who qualifies. Below are our top 10, ranked on a blend of exam results, Ofsted and how admission works. For each one you will find the things that actually help you plan: who it is for, the exam it sets, how places are allocated, and why it earns its place. We never run a school down, and the "best" school is always the one that fits your child. **TL;DR** - **Dartford Grammar School** topped the 2025 Kent GCSE table, with **The Judd School** and **Tonbridge Grammar** the other consistent front-runners. - All ten are **free, state-funded** schools - only entry is selective, by the **Kent Test** sat at the start of Year 6. - The Kent Test covers **English, Maths and reasoning** (verbal and non-verbal), so every Kent applicant needs all four skills. - The most competitive grammars (Judd, Skinners', Tonbridge, both Dartfords) need a **very high score** and ring-fence most places for a **West Kent area**, with a smaller block on score alone; other grammars rank qualified children mainly by **distance**. - For 2026 entry you need **332** or more in aggregate **and** no paper below **108**, both required. It makes a child eligible, not guaranteed a place. ## How we ranked them There is no single official league table of grammar schools, so we used a transparent blend of three things: the most recent **published exam results** (2025 GCSE grades 9 to 7 and grade 5+ passes, plus A-level or IB outcomes), the latest **Ofsted inspection** rating, and how **admission** works at each school. We also weighed consistency and reputation over time, and made sure the list spreads across the county rather than leaning only on the West Kent names. Two honest caveats. First, **Progress 8 is not published for 2023 to 2025** (Year 6 SATs were cancelled in the pandemic, so there is no baseline), so we have deliberately not used it. Second, the schools here are all excellent - the order separates outstanding from outstanding, and any of them would be a superb choice. Treat the figures as a 2025/2026 snapshot and always confirm the latest on each school's own website before you apply. Pip is not affiliated with any school or exam board. _The Kent Test scores English, Maths and reasoning, so every child needs all four skills. Pip builds all four._ ## How the Kent Test works Kent's grammars share one entrance test, the **Kent Test** (officially the PESE, the Procedure for Entrance to Secondary Education), run by Kent County Council. It is sat at the very start of **Year 6**, in early-to-mid September, in two multiple-choice papers - one covering English and Maths, one covering verbal and non-verbal reasoning - plus a separate writing task that is normally only used in borderline cases. You must **register** your child for the test with the council, separately from the school application, by roughly the start of July before Year 6, and confirm the exact date each year on the Kent County Council website. Our [full Kent Test guide](https://pip11plus.com/kent-test-11-plus-explained) walks through the format and timeline in detail. Each child gets three age-standardised scores, for English, Maths and reasoning, and an aggregate. For 2026 entry the **threshold to be assessed grammar-suitable was 332 or more in aggregate and no single element below 108**, and both conditions must be met, so a strong total does not offset one weak paper (the per-element minimum does move by year: it was 106 for 2025 entry). The crucial thing to understand is that **332 is not a pass mark for a place**. At a **standard** Kent grammar, once your child has met the threshold, places at an oversubscribed school go by oversubscription criteria where home-to-school **distance** is usually decisive. At the most competitive grammars (Judd, The Skinners', Tonbridge Grammar and the two Dartford grammars) the effective cut-off is far above 332, and each ring-fences most places for a **West Kent priority area** while keeping a smaller block on **score** alone that is open to any address. Many Kent grammars also ring-fence places for **out-of-county** applicants, so families in Bexley, Bromley, Medway and East Sussex regularly apply. 馃摎 Free vocabulary tool ### The Kent Test rewards a strong vocabulary The English paper and the verbal reasoning section both lean heavily on the words a child knows. Pip's free [vocabulary](https://pip11plus.com/ks2-games-arcade/11-plus-vocabulary-games/) flashcards turn the words pupils are expected to know in Years 3 to 6 into a quick, gamified daily habit, with kid-friendly meanings, example sentences and a tap-to-hear guide for each word. [Try the vocabulary flashcards 馃殌](https://pip11plus.com/11-plus-vocabulary-year-4) [Pip's free 11+ vocabulary flashcards: a flip card showing a word, its meaning and a say-it guide, with progress and XP](https://pip11plus.com/tools) ## 1 Dartford Grammar School ![Dartford Grammar School homepage](https://pip11plus.com/school-shots/dartford-grammar-school.jpg) _Dartford Grammar School, Dartford - top of the Kent GCSE table in 2025 and an IB-focused school._ - **Who it's for** Boys' grammar (co-ed sixth form), day 路 Dartford, north-west Kent (DA1) - **Entrance exam** Kent Test: English, Maths, verbal & non-verbal reasoning - **Admissions** High bar plus priority area - ranks qualified boys by Kent Test score within its Dartford zones, with a smaller all-address block - **Results & Ofsted** Highest GCSE results in Kent in 2025 (~99% grade 5+ in English & Maths); Ofsted Outstanding (2022) Dartford Grammar sits top of the Kent league table on the latest GCSE results and is unusual among state schools in running the **International Baccalaureate Diploma** in its sixth form rather than A-levels, with a strong modern-languages tradition in which every pupil studies more than one language. It needs a high Kent Test score and reserves most places for a Dartford-area priority zone with a smaller all-address block, so high-scoring boys from across north-west Kent and the London border compete hard for the open places too. ## 2 The Judd School ![The Judd School homepage](https://pip11plus.com/school-shots/the-judd-school.jpg) _The Judd School, Tonbridge - a perennial top-three Kent grammar with a strong STEM record._ - **Who it's for** Boys' grammar (girls in sixth form), day 路 Tonbridge, West Kent (TN9) - **Entrance exam** Kent Test: English, Maths, verbal & non-verbal reasoning - **Admissions** Super-selective - an inner block plus 23 outer-area places, boys ranked by score (distance as tie-break) - **Results & Ofsted** Consistently top two or three at GCSE and A-level; Ofsted Outstanding Founded in 1888 by the Worshipful Company of Skinners, Judd is one of the most sought-after boys' grammars in the county and a perennial top-three finisher in the Kent tables, with a powerful STEM and Oxbridge record and a strong sporting tradition in rugby and cross-country. It ranks applicants on Kent Test score rather than distance, and ring-fences a block of outer-area places for children who live further away, including out-of-county. ## 3 Tonbridge Grammar School ![Tonbridge Grammar School homepage](https://pip11plus.com/school-shots/tonbridge-grammar-school.jpg) _Tonbridge Grammar School - an Outstanding girls' grammar with an all-IB sixth form._ - **Who it's for** Girls' grammar (co-ed sixth form), day 路 Tonbridge, West Kent (TN9) - **Entrance exam** Kent Test: English, Maths, verbal & non-verbal reasoning - **Admissions** High bar plus priority area - score within its priority zone, plus a smaller all-address block - **Results & Ofsted** Ofsted Outstanding; all-IB sixth form with results well above the world average Tonbridge Grammar is one of the highest-achieving girls' grammars in Kent and, like Dartford, runs the **IB Diploma** for its entire sixth form rather than A-levels, giving it an international, breadth-focused profile, with a co-educational sixth form. It needs a high score, with the effective entry bar comfortably above the county threshold, and reserves most places for a priority area covering Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks, plus a smaller block open to any address. ## 4 The Skinners' School ![The Skinners' School homepage](https://pip11plus.com/school-shots/the-skinners-school.jpg) _The Skinners' School, Tunbridge Wells - a science and maths specialist with a raised super-selective bar._ - **Who it's for** Boys' grammar (girls in sixth form), day 路 Tunbridge Wells, West Kent (TN4) - **Entrance exam** Kent Test: English, Maths, verbal & non-verbal reasoning - **Admissions** Super-selective with a raised bar - boys must score 40 points above the county threshold, then places fill by area and distance - **Results & Ofsted** Science & maths specialism; a top-handful Kent grammar at GCSE; Ofsted Good (2021, Outstanding for personal development) Founded in 1887 by the Skinners' Company, Skinners' is one of West Kent's strongest boys' grammars, with a science and mathematics specialism and a famous house and music tradition. Its admissions are distinctive: boys must clear the county threshold by a further **40 points** before places are allocated by area and straight-line distance, which makes it the clearest example in Kent of a raised super-selective bar. ## 5 Dartford Grammar School for Girls ![Dartford Grammar School for Girls homepage](https://pip11plus.com/school-shots/dartford-grammar-school-for-girls.jpg) _Dartford Grammar School for Girls - one of Kent's strongest girls' grammars, founded 1904._ - **Who it's for** Girls' grammar, day 路 Dartford, north-west Kent (DA1) - **Entrance exam** Kent Test: English, Maths, verbal & non-verbal reasoning - **Admissions** High bar plus priority area - score within its priority zone, plus a smaller all-address block - **Results & Ofsted** One of the county's strongest girls' A-level providers; Ofsted Outstanding (last full graded inspection 2016) The sister school to Dartford Grammar, DGGS has been educating girls since 1904 and is one of the county's strongest girls' grammars, with a notable science and STEM record. Like its brother school it needs a high Kent Test score and reserves most places for a Dartford-area priority zone with a smaller all-address block, drawing able girls from across north-west Kent and the neighbouring London boroughs. _The Kent Test scores reasoning as well as English and Maths, and real non-verbal reasoning means matrices and rotations like this. [Try 11+ non-verbal reasoning in Pip](https://pip11plus.com/non-verbal-reasoning-questions), unlimited and free._ ## 6 Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School ![Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School homepage](https://pip11plus.com/school-shots/tunbridge-wells-girls-grammar-school.jpg) _Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School - rated Outstanding at its 2023 inspection._ - **Who it's for** Girls' grammar, day 路 Tunbridge Wells, West Kent (TN4) - **Entrance exam** Kent Test: English, Maths, verbal & non-verbal reasoning - **Admissions** Standard Kent-Test admission - qualified girls ranked by oversubscription criteria including distance - **Results & Ofsted** Ofsted Outstanding (2023); a strong all-round GCSE and A-level record TWGGS is a well-regarded Tunbridge Wells girls' grammar, rated **Outstanding** at its recent 2023 inspection, with a strong pastoral and wellbeing ethos alongside its academic record. Unlike the super-selectives in the same town, it admits qualified girls using oversubscription criteria where home-to-school distance matters, so families who live nearby have a realistic route in. ## 7 Highworth Grammar School ![Highworth Grammar School homepage](https://pip11plus.com/school-shots/highworth-grammar-school.jpg) _Highworth Grammar School, Ashford - a large East Kent grammar, re-rated Outstanding in 2025._ - **Who it's for** Girls' grammar (boys in sixth form), day 路 Ashford, mid/east Kent (TN24) - **Entrance exam** Kent Test: English, Maths, verbal & non-verbal reasoning - **Admissions** Standard Kent-Test admission - distance-based oversubscription criteria - **Results & Ofsted** Ofsted Outstanding (January 2025); the strongest grammar in the Ashford area A large, high-performing grammar of more than 1,500 students, Highworth was re-rated **Outstanding in January 2025** and is the leading grammar in the Ashford area, a useful counterweight to the West-Kent-heavy top tier. It admits on the standard Kent Test with distance-based criteria, and boys join for the sixth form. ## 8 Weald of Kent Grammar School ![Weald of Kent Grammar School homepage](https://pip11plus.com/school-shots/weald-of-kent-grammar-school.jpg) _Weald of Kent Grammar School - home to England's first approved grammar-school annexe, in Sevenoaks._ - **Who it's for** Girls' grammar (co-ed sixth form), day 路 Tonbridge, plus a Sevenoaks annexe, West Kent - **Entrance exam** Kent Test: English, Maths, verbal & non-verbal reasoning - **Admissions** Standard Kent-Test admission - distance-based oversubscription criteria - **Results & Ofsted** Ofsted Good (October 2024, all categories), a clear step up from its previous inspection Weald of Kent is a large girls' grammar best known for opening England's **first government-approved grammar "annexe"** in Sevenoaks in 2017, the first new grammar-school site in the country in decades. Its 2024 inspection rated it Good across the board, a clear step up, and its sixth form is co-educational. Admission follows the standard Kent Test with distance criteria. ## 9 Maidstone Grammar School ![Maidstone Grammar School homepage](https://pip11plus.com/school-shots/maidstone-grammar-school.jpg) _Maidstone Grammar School - one of the oldest schools in Kent, founded by Royal Charter in 1549._ - **Who it's for** Boys' grammar (girls in sixth form), day 路 Maidstone, mid Kent (ME15) - **Entrance exam** Kent Test: English, Maths, verbal & non-verbal reasoning - **Admissions** Standard Kent-Test admission with a defined parish catchment, then distance - **Results & Ofsted** A solid grammar-level record; Ofsted Good One of the oldest schools in Kent, founded by Royal Charter in **1549**, Maidstone Grammar is the county town's long-established boys' grammar, with a strong music and combined-cadet tradition. Admission uses the Kent Test with priority for boys in a defined set of parishes before distance, and girls join for the sixth form. ## 10 Cranbrook School ![Cranbrook School homepage](https://pip11plus.com/school-shots/cranbrook-school.jpg) _Cranbrook School - the only state grammar in Kent to offer boarding, dating back to 1518._ - **Who it's for** Co-educational grammar, day & boarding 路 Cranbrook, the Weald (TN17) - **Entrance exam** Year 7 day = Kent Test; Year 9 entry (incl. boarders) = the school's own English, Maths & non-verbal reasoning tests - **Admissions** Standard Kent-Test admission with a local Priority Area; boarding begins in Year 9 - **Results & Ofsted** Ofsted Good (2022), with boarding provision rated Outstanding Cranbrook is the only state grammar in Kent to offer **boarding**, set in a historic market town and dating back to 1518. Year 7 day places are allocated on the Kent Test with priority for a local area, while boarding begins in **Year 9** via the school's own entrance tests. As state boarding there are no tuition fees, with boarding charged at cost, which makes it a genuinely unusual option for families who want grammar academics with boarding. **Whichever Kent grammar is on your list, the skills are the same** The Kent Test scores English, Maths and reasoning, so every applicant needs all four. Pip builds them with unlimited, exam-style questions and free downloadable papers - [Maths](https://pip11plus.com/maths-questions), [English](https://pip11plus.com/english-questions), [Verbal Reasoning](https://pip11plus.com/verbal-reasoning-questions) and [Non-Verbal Reasoning](https://pip11plus.com/non-verbal-reasoning-questions). Reading our [Kent Test guide](https://pip11plus.com/kent-test-11-plus-explained) and [how to choose which schools to apply to](https://pip11plus.com/how-to-choose-which-grammar-schools-to-apply-to) helps you target preparation. ### One free app for every school on this list The Kent Test scores all four of these skills. Pip turns them into five calm minutes a day - adaptive, exam-style, and genuinely free. English Maths Verbal Reasoning Non-Verbal Reasoning [Download Pip on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/pip-11-practice/id6775690698) [Get Pip on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pip11plus.app) [Available at Amazon Appstore](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0HKGJ4HTP) iPhone, iPad & Android 路 No ads 路 No sign-up 路 Free forever ## Frequently asked questions **What is the best grammar school in Kent?** By the most recent GCSE results, Dartford Grammar School topped the Kent table in 2025, with The Judd School and Tonbridge Grammar School the other schools consistently at the very top. The "best" school, though, is the one that fits your child - weigh culture, distance, admissions rules and your child's strengths too. **How do you get into a grammar school in Kent?** Register your child for the Kent Test directly with Kent County Council by the deadline (around the start of July before Year 6), sit the test in September of Year 6, then name the schools on the Kent secondary application form by 31 October. Meeting the county threshold makes a child eligible for a grammar place; super-selective schools then rank applicants on their actual score. Our [Kent Test guide](https://pip11plus.com/kent-test-11-plus-explained) has the full timeline. **What score do you need to pass the Kent Test?** For 2026 entry the threshold to be assessed as suitable for grammar school was an aggregate of 332 or more across the three standardised scores **and** no single element below 108. Both have to be met, so 107 on one paper gives a high school assessment however high the total (the per-element minimum varies by year: it was 106 for 2025 entry). Meeting the threshold only makes a child eligible, though. Super-selective schools such as Judd, The Skinners' and Dartford Grammar require scores well above it. **Are Kent grammar schools free?** Yes. Kent grammar schools are state-funded and free to attend; only admission is selective, decided by the Kent Test rather than by fees. The one exception is boarding at Cranbrook School, which is free for tuition but charges boarding fees at cost. **What is a super-selective grammar school in Kent?** It is a loose label for the most competitive grammars, where the score needed sits well above the county threshold. In Kent it usually means Judd, The Skinners', Tonbridge Grammar and the two Dartford grammars. In strict terms these are not purely super-selective: each one ring-fences most places for a West Kent priority area, where home-to-school distance still counts, and offers a smaller block on score alone that is open to any address. So a very high score helps everywhere and can win an open place from further afield, but for most seats living in the priority area matters. A few other Kent grammars rank almost entirely by distance once a child qualifies. **Can children from outside Kent apply to Kent grammar schools?** Yes. Out-of-county children, for example from Bexley, Bromley, Medway or East Sussex, can register and sit the Kent Test, often on a slightly later date, and many Kent grammars ring-fence outer-area places for applicants from outside the immediate catchment. It is a real, intended route, not a loophole. Our [Kent grammar catchment guide](https://pip11plus.com/grammar-schools/kent) shows each school's catchment and which ones ring-fence outer-area places. ![Pip](https://pip11plus.com/media/pip-mark.png) Written by **The Pip team** The Pip team builds Pip, the 11+ and KS2 practice app for children in years three to six. We write these guides from real exam formats and past papers. ## Keep reading [The Kent Test (11+) explained](https://pip11plus.com/kent-test-11-plus-explained): Exam Types Kent Format, timeline, scoring and the 332 threshold. 7 min read 路 Exam Types [Best Grammar Schools in the UK](https://pip11plus.com/best-grammar-schools-uk): School Choice The country's leading grammars, ranked. 12 min read 路 School Choice [How to choose which grammar schools to apply to](https://pip11plus.com/how-to-choose-which-grammar-schools-to-apply-to): School Choice Beyond the league table: culture, distance and fit. 5 min read 路 School Choice ## Aiming for a Kent grammar? Pip turns Kent Test practice into five calm minutes a day across maths, English and reasoning - the skills every grammar school on this list tests. [Download Pip on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/pip-11-practice/id6775690698) [Get Pip on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pip11plus.app) [Available at Amazon Appstore](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0HKGJ4HTP) [Free practice papers](https://pip11plus.com/11-plus-printables) Free forever 路 no sign-up