Best grammar schools in Kent 2026
Kent has around 32 grammar schools, the largest concentration of any local authority in England. That sounds reassuring until you look at the numbers: Roughly a quarter of children who sit the Kent Test each year qualify, and around half of those who pass still don't get an offer at their first-choice school.
The other piece of context that matters: A growing share of applicants now come from outside Kent, particularly from south-east London boroughs. Bromley, Bexley and even Greenwich families are increasingly registering their children for the Kent Test as a backup to (or replacement for) London grammars. That pushes competition up everywhere, especially in the north of the county. This guide walks through what the test involves, which schools are strongest, and how the designated area rules affect your chances.
How does the Kent Test work?
The Kent Test is a single assessment sat in September of Year 6. It's provided by GL Assessment and assesses four areas: English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. Children sit two papers on the same morning; per-paper timings are published by Kent County Council each year, so confirm the current format on the Kent Test page before exam day.
Results are released in mid-October. Kent uses a standardised score, with an aggregate threshold that has sat at around 332 in recent years (the exact threshold is set by a panel each year and varies). Children who narrowly miss can be referred to a Head Teacher Assessment panel, which considers school work and an English sample.
Registration for the Kent Test closes in early July of Year 5. There's no automatic enrolment, even if your child attends a Kent state primary. You must register directly with Kent County Council via the Kent Test parent portal by the deadline, or your child won't sit.
Key dates for the 2026 Kent Test
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| May (Year 5) | Registration opens via Kent Test parent portal |
| Early July (Year 5) | Registration deadline (around the first week of July) |
| Early September (Year 6) | Kent Test sat at child's primary or designated centre |
| Mid-October | Results published |
| 31 October | Secondary school CAF deadline |
| 1 March (Year 6) | National secondary offer day |
Designated areas and the in-county tiebreaker
Designated areas are the biggest thing parents misunderstand about Kent grammar admissions. Most Kent grammars give priority to children living in their school's designated geographic area. If your child passes the test and you live in the school's designated area, you sit at the top of the priority list. If you pass but live outside it, you're behind everyone in the area, in oversubscription order.
This is why out-of-county applicants face a harder route. Even with a strong test result, an applicant from Bromley applying to a Tonbridge school will sit below any in-county Kent child who's also qualified. For the most oversubscribed grammars, the chance of an offer from outside the designated area can drop below 10%.
A few schools, notably some of the Dartford and Gravesend grammars, operate slightly different priority rules. Always read the individual school's admissions arrangements for the year of entry.
The strongest grammar schools in Kent
Performance changes year to year, but a handful of Kent grammars consistently sit near the top of state school league tables. The list below is based on 2025 GCSE and A-Level results from Department for Education school performance tables. We've grouped by area so you can see the local options together.
| School | Town | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tonbridge Grammar School | Tonbridge | Girls (mixed sixth) | Sixth form offers both A Levels and the IB Diploma; check the current sixth form prospectus for the latest mix |
| The Judd School | Tonbridge | Boys (mixed sixth) | Founded 1888, strong on STEM |
| The Skinners' School | Tunbridge Wells | Boys | Voluntary aided, boys-only through sixth form |
| Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar | Tunbridge Wells | Girls | Standalone, no mixed sixth |
| Tunbridge Wells Grammar for Boys | Tunbridge Wells | Boys (mixed sixth) | Strong music and arts provision |
| Dartford Grammar School | Dartford | Boys (mixed sixth) | IB Diploma, heavy out-of-county demand |
| Dartford Grammar School for Girls | Dartford | Girls | High applicant volume from SE London |
| Invicta Grammar School | Maidstone | Girls (mixed sixth) | Part of Valley Invicta MAT |
| Maidstone Grammar School | Maidstone | Boys (mixed sixth) | Founded 1549, large catchment |
| Simon Langton Boys' Grammar | Canterbury | Boys | Selective sixth form open to girls |
The Dartford grammars sit closest to the London border and receive a particularly high share of out-of-county applications. If you live in Bromley or Bexley, these are often the natural backup schools to consider alongside (or instead of) the London options.
Medway is separate from Kent
Medway is a unitary authority covering Chatham, Gillingham, Rochester and Strood. It runs its own selective system with its own test (the Medway Test) and its own grammar schools, including The Rochester Grammar School, Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School and Rainham Mark Grammar.
The Medway Test is different in format from the Kent Test, though it covers similar content. If you live in Medway, you register for the Medway Test, not the Kent Test. If you're applying to grammars in both areas, you'll need to register for both tests, sat on separate days.
The out-of-county dynamic
It's worth being clear about a trend that's been growing for the last decade: Out-of-county applications to Kent grammars have risen significantly, with the strongest pressure on schools within commuting distance of London. Some Dartford and Gravesend grammars now receive a large share of applications from outside Kent, with reported figures running well above the county average.
If you're a Kent parent, this affects the practical maths. Passing the test no longer guarantees an in-county place at a popular school. If you're an out-of-county parent, you need to be realistic: A pass is the entry ticket, not the offer.
A few practical implications. First, consider designated area carefully when ranking schools on your CAF. Second, if you're applying from outside the county, treat Kent grammars as one element in a broader application strategy rather than a primary route. Third, don't assume the school nearest you is the one you have the best chance of getting into; sometimes a less famous grammar with a more local catchment is the realistic option.
How to prepare for the Kent Test
Kent doesn't publish past papers, which makes preparation harder than for some other regions. The published guide gives the test format but no detailed practice material. Most successful preparation combines:
What effective Kent Test preparation looks like
A realistic prep plan running from late Year 4 or early Year 5.
- Verbal reasoning practice using GL Assessment-style questions
- Non-verbal reasoning practice (around 30 minutes a week)
- Times tables fluency to the 12s (under 5 seconds per answer)
- Mental arithmetic, particularly two-step word problems
- Reading comprehension using texts above the child's current reading age
- At least 4-6 full timed mock papers from August of Year 5 onwards
Don't over-prepare. The test is partly designed to identify children who can think clearly under timed pressure, not ones who've memorised every answer pattern. Spending 30-45 minutes most days from January of Year 5 onwards tends to produce better outcomes than 2-hour daily sessions that lead to test fatigue.
