Grammar Schools in Kent: Complete Guide for Parents (2026)

Kent has 34 grammar schools — the highest concentration in England. The Kent Test (the local 11+) is sat in September of Year 6 and determines whether your child is offered a grammar school place. Competition is intense: roughly 16,000 children sit the Kent Test each year for around 5,000 grammar places.

The Kent Test is run by GL Assessment and consists of three papers: • Reasoning (verbal and non-verbal) • English (reading comprehension and writing) • Mathematics Results come in October with a "Grammar" or "Not assessed as suitable" outcome. The threshold score varies each year but is typically around 320–330 out of 420. Some grammar schools set their own higher thresholds or use a supplementary test.

Kent grammars range from small single-sex schools to large co-educational ones. Use PickMySchool's Grammar School Finder and filter by Kent to see all 34 with their GCSE results, Ofsted ratings, and capacity data. Popular choices include the Tunbridge Wells cluster, Maidstone grammars, Canterbury grammars, and the Medway grammars — each with different characters, results profiles, and admission distances.

• Registration for the Kent Test: May–July (for September sitting) • Kent Test day: mid-September • Results: October • Secondary application deadline: 31 October • National offer day: 1 March Out-of-area children can register for the Kent Test but must apply through their home local authority.

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