Highworth Grammar School for Girls 11+ Guide 2026

Highworth Grammar School for Girls is a selective state academy in Ashford, Kent, offering 210 Year 7 places each year to girls who pass the Kent Test (PESE). The school operates a co-educational Sixth Form and sits within the Kent 11+ Consortium — meaning the same standardised Kent Test is used across all Kent grammar schools. Entry is managed through Kent County Council and the test takes place in September of Year 6. This guide covers the 2026 test cycle (for September 2027 Year 7 entry): the school overview, the selection process, the exam format, score requirements, and a structured preparation plan for families in Ashford and the surrounding Kent area.

Highworth Grammar School for Girls — School Overview

Highworth Grammar School for Girls sits on Maidstone Road in Ashford, TN24 8UD. It is one of two selective grammar schools serving the Ashford area — the other being Norton Knatchbull School, the boys' grammar on the same road. The two schools are closely linked in the minds of Ashford families: it is common for parents to register a son for Norton Knatchbull and a daughter for Highworth at the same time, using the same Kent Test and the same KCC registration process.

Highworth converted to academy status on 1 January 2011. It takes girls in Years 7 to 11 and admits boys into its co-educational Sixth Form from Year 12. The school's pastoral structure is organised into seven learning communities, each named after a celebrated female musician — Amy Beach, Clara Schumann, Evelyn Glennie, Jacqueline du Pre, Kiri Te Kanawa, Nina Simone and Vanessa Mae — reflecting the school's commitment to both academic rigour and the arts. The school motto, Reach for the Stars, shapes an ethos that values independent thinking, intellectual curiosity and community.

Headteacher Duncan Beer leads a staff of approximately 1,241 pupils (as of September 2025). The school has grown in recent years: the Published Admission Number (PAN) increased to 210 for the newest cohorts, though the September 2025 intake was 217 under a temporary PAN of 224. The Sixth Form currently accommodates approximately 470 students. An Ofsted inspection in 2025 produced a new report; the school's predecessor was rated Outstanding at its last inspection before academy conversion.

How Does the Kent 11+ Selection Process Work at Highworth?

Highworth Grammar School selects entirely by academic ability: every Year 7 offer requires a pass in the Kent Test, assessed as grammar-school-standard and given a 'G' (grammar) assessment by Kent County Council. The selection process is co-ordinated entirely by KCC, not the school directly. The key steps are as follows.

Registration (June of Year 5). Parents register their daughter for the Kent Test in June of the year she is in Year 5, usually opening on 1 June and closing on 1 July. For the 2026 test cycle (September 2027 entry), registration opened 1 June 2026 and closed 1 July 2026. If you missed the registration window, contact KCC's Secondary Admissions Team (03000 412121 or kentonlineadmissions@kent.gov.uk) to ask about late applications.

The Kent Test (September of Year 6). The test is taken in early September at the start of Year 6. Girls attending a Kent primary school sit on Thursday 10 September 2026. Girls not attending a Kent primary school (those in schools in neighbouring counties, or in independent schools) sit on the weekend of 12–13 September 2026. The test lasts approximately two hours across its scored sections.

Results and SCAF deadline (October). Kent Test results are communicated to parents on Thursday 15 October 2026. Parents then have until 31 October 2026 to submit their Secondary Common Application Form (SCAF) to their home local authority. Families who wish their daughter to attend Highworth should list it as a preference on the SCAF — ideally as first choice if Highworth is the primary target. The SCAF can be submitted online at kent.gov.uk/ola.

Offers Day (1 March 2027). KCC notifies parents of their allocated school on National Offers Day, 1 March 2027. If Highworth is oversubscribed — which it consistently is — the school applies its oversubscription criteria to rank qualifying girls. The priority order is: (1) looked-after and previously looked-after children; (2) children eligible for Pupil Premium; (3) siblings currently at the school; (4) children with specific documented health or access requirements relating to this school; and (5) distance from the school gate on Maidstone Road, measured in a straight line. For most applicants, the decisive criterion is distance.

Highworth does not have a fixed catchment area, but in practice girls living close to Maidstone Road who achieve strong Kent Test scores have the best prospects. Girls from further afield — from Tenterden, New Romney, Canterbury or across the county border into East Sussex — can and do receive offers, but they typically need higher scores to offset the distance disadvantage. For a full explanation of how standardised scores work, see our guide to 11+ standardised scores explained.

What Does the Kent Test Assess? Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, Maths and English

Highworth Grammar School uses the standardised Kent Test, set by GL Assessment and administered by Kent County Council. The same test is used by every Kent grammar school, so a child's performance in a single sitting determines her eligibility across all Kent grammars she lists on the SCAF. The test has two scored papers and one unscored writing section.

Paper 1 — Reasoning (approximately 50 minutes, multiple choice). This paper covers three types of reasoning in sequence. Verbal Reasoning is 25 minutes long and includes a five-minute practice section; it tests the ability to apply logical thinking to word-based problems including analogies, codes, sequences and vocabulary relationships. Spatial Reasoning consists of two five-minute sections and assesses the ability to visualise and mentally manipulate two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes — a component introduced more prominently into the Kent Test in recent years. Non-Verbal Reasoning consists of three five-minute sections and assesses pattern recognition using abstract shapes and sequences. All questions are multiple choice. For a detailed breakdown of verbal reasoning question types, see our Verbal Reasoning parent guide.

Paper 2 — English and Mathematics (60 minutes, multiple choice). The English component is 30 minutes including a five-minute practice section. It tests comprehension, vocabulary in context, grammar and punctuation at a level appropriate for able Year 6 children. The Mathematics component is also 30 minutes including a five-minute practice section and covers number, arithmetic, fractions, percentages, ratio, algebra, geometry and data handling. Both components use multiple-choice format throughout.

Writing Task (40 minutes, unscored). Children are given a stimulus and produce a piece of extended writing under supervised conditions. This section does not contribute to the standardised Kent Test score, but it is considered in borderline cases and is relevant in appeals. A girl whose score sits within a few standardised points of the qualifying threshold may find that the quality of her writing exercise influences an appeal outcome. Our specialist tutors work with girls on structured extended writing alongside the scored sections.

How Many Children Apply to Highworth?

Highworth Grammar School is consistently oversubscribed, with the school receiving approximately two applications for every available Year 7 place. This competition ratio is broadly consistent with the wider Kent grammar school system, which typically sees more than 15,000 children registered for the Kent Test each year across Kent and neighbouring counties, competing for places at Kent's 35 grammar schools.

To be considered for a Highworth place, a girl must achieve a minimum standardised score of 109 in each subject area of the Kent Test and a total combined score of at least 332. These thresholds are set by Kent County Council and apply equally to all Kent grammar schools. Reaching the 332 threshold is the necessary first step, but it does not guarantee an offer at Highworth.

Once all G-assessed girls who have listed Highworth are identified, the school applies its oversubscription criteria. The critical fifth criterion is distance from the school gate on Maidstone Road. In a typical year, girls living closest to the school who achieve scores in the high 330s and above tend to secure places in the main round. Girls applying from further afield — from villages in the Weald of Kent, from the coast around Folkestone, or from across the Kent-East Sussex border — typically need scores above 340–345 to be competitive, since the distance disadvantage is offset by scoring substantially above the minimum threshold.

It is worth noting that Pupil Premium eligibility is the second criterion after looked-after children. If your daughter is currently eligible for Pupil Premium, she should be registered for the Kent Test in the normal way; she will also be eligible to apply for the Supplementary Information Form (SIF) that Highworth uses to identify and prioritise Pupil Premium applicants. Free Atom Learning resources are also available for Pupil Premium-eligible students, as described on Highworth's admissions pages.

For context on how the 332 qualifying threshold compares to other areas of England, see our guide to 11+ pass marks by region. Kent's combined threshold of 332 (with a minimum of 109 per section) sits at the lower end of selective systems nationally, but the oversubscription at individual schools like Highworth means that the effective competitive threshold is meaningfully higher than the qualifying minimum.

How Should You Prepare? A Month-by-Month Plan for the 2026 Kent Test

Structured, well-timed preparation makes a measurable difference to Kent Test outcomes. The most common preparation mistake families make is starting too late — beginning serious work in September of Year 6 leaves less than a year before the test, which is insufficient time to embed reasoning skills from a low base. The plan below assumes a Year 4 or early Year 5 start, which is the timeline our specialist tutors recommend for Highworth applicants.

Year 4 (September – July). In Year 4, the focus is curriculum consolidation rather than exam technique. Ensure your daughter is fully comfortable with Year 3–4 Maths (multiplication tables, fractions, number operations, basic geometry) and is reading widely — vocabulary breadth is one of the strongest predictors of Verbal Reasoning performance. Begin introducing the concept of reasoning questions informally through puzzle books and logical challenge activities. No formal timed testing is needed in Year 4.

Year 5, September – December. Begin structured preparation in earnest. Introduce Verbal Reasoning systematically — there are approximately 21 standard VR question types that appear in the Kent Test, and each is learnable with methodical practice. Cover the first 10–12 types in this term, practising each type in short untimed sessions before moving to light timing. Simultaneously, check Maths progress against the Year 5 curriculum: fractions and percentages, ratio, multi-step word problems and algebra are the sections where most Year 5–6 children have gaps. In English, practise reading comprehension with inference questions — this is where most marks are lost in the Paper 2 English section.

Year 5, January – March. Complete the remaining VR question types and introduce Non-Verbal Reasoning. NVR responds well to visual strategy practice: teach your daughter a consistent approach for each pattern type (rotation, reflection, series completion, odd-one-out, matrices) so that the strategy becomes automatic. Begin practising Spatial Reasoning with 2D shape rotation and folding exercises. By the end of Year 5 spring term, your daughter should have seen all major question types across VR, NVR and Spatial Reasoning at least once.

Year 5, April – July (including summer). This is the consolidation and mock-testing phase. Run one full timed mock session per fortnight, initially untimed on weak areas and timed on areas of strength. Review every incorrect answer immediately and revisit the underlying skill before the next session. Over the summer holiday, aim for at least two full mock sessions per month — summer is where well-prepared children pull ahead, because it provides uninterrupted time for targeted improvement. Begin supervised writing practice once a fortnight: give a stimulus, allow 40 minutes under supervised conditions, then review the structure and quality together.

Year 6, September – Test Day (10 September 2026). In the final weeks before the test, reduce the volume of new material and focus entirely on timed mock tests and technique consolidation. Run at least one full mock per week. Pay attention to exam technique: multiple choice rewards children who can eliminate wrong answers quickly and manage their time across sections. In the two days before the test, stop all practice and focus on rest, routine and confidence. Remind your daughter that she has practised extensively and is prepared. On test day itself, ensure she has eaten a proper breakfast and arrives with enough time to settle calmly before the session begins.

For a detailed month-by-month timeline spanning Year 4 to Year 6, see our Year 4 to Year 6 preparation timeline. For families who are registering a daughter at Highworth and a son at Norton Knatchbull simultaneously, the preparation content is virtually identical — both schools use the same Kent Test — but individual children may require different time allocations for their weaker areas.

How Can Leading Tuition Help with Highworth Grammar School 11+?

Leading Tuition provides specialist Kent Test preparation for girls applying to Highworth Grammar School, delivered online. Our specialist tutors have worked with families preparing for the Kent 11+ across Ashford, Folkestone, Canterbury, Maidstone and the wider Kent area, as well as with families relocating to Kent from elsewhere in the UK.

Our approach to Highworth preparation covers all four scored content areas of the Kent Test. In Verbal Reasoning, our tutors cover all 21 question types systematically, tracking a girl's accuracy and speed across each type and devoting extra time to the types where errors are most frequent. In Non-Verbal and Spatial Reasoning, we teach a visual strategy for each question type so that the correct approach is automatic under timed conditions, reducing the cognitive load on test day. In English, we focus on comprehension inference questions, vocabulary-in-context items and grammar, which are where most able children lose unnecessary marks. In Mathematics, we identify and close gaps in fractions, percentages, ratio, algebra and data handling — the areas most commonly under-prepared by the time the test arrives.

We also provide writing coaching for the unscored writing task. While this section does not contribute to the standardised score, it is considered in borderline cases and is directly relevant if a girl is sitting close to the 332 qualifying threshold and proceeds to appeal. A well-structured, clearly written piece demonstrates academic capability and maturity — qualities that a Headteacher's appeal panel considers alongside the standardised score.

Preparation plans are bespoke: we assess each child's starting point, identify the specific areas where time is best invested, and build a week-by-week plan that fits your family's schedule. Sessions are conducted online, making it easy for families across Ashford, the Weald, the coast and beyond to access specialist preparation without the difficulty of local availability. For specialist 11+ tuition, book a free consultation and we will discuss your daughter's preparation needs in detail.

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