~165 places, Kent Test aggregate 332, September 2026 — Canterbury's girls' grammar, founded 1881, with a joint co-educational sixth form
Book a Free ConsultationSimon Langton Girls' Grammar School is a selective girls' grammar school for students aged 11 to 18, located on Old Dover Road in Canterbury, Kent (CT1 3EH). Founded in 1881, it is one of Canterbury's oldest schools and one of the most academically distinguished girls' grammar schools in Kent. The school admits approximately 165 students into Year 7 each year via the Kent Test, administered by GL Assessment. Entry requires achieving the Kent Test qualifying aggregate of 332 with no individual component below 107. From Year 12, students study in a joint co-educational sixth form shared with the adjacent Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys. This guide covers everything families need for 2026 Simon Langton Girls' 11+ entry.
The Kent Test is the selective entrance assessment used by all Kent state grammar schools, administered by GL Assessment on behalf of Kent County Council. Unlike Buckinghamshire — where every grammar school uses exactly the same test and result — the Kent system involves a single test sat by all children in Kent in September, with results then used by each grammar school when processing applications. One test, one aggregate score, but each school applying its own oversubscription criteria.
The Kent Test has three assessed components. Verbal reasoning covers GL Assessment question types including letter codes, word analogies, odd-one-out vocabulary, and sequence patterns. Mathematics covers the KS2 curriculum with problem-solving emphasis — multi-step word problems, fractions, percentages, geometry, and data handling. The writing task assesses composition, structure, vocabulary, spelling, and punctuation. All three components are age-standardised before the aggregate is calculated.
The qualifying threshold is an aggregate score of 332 with no individual component below 107. Both conditions must be met simultaneously. A child who scores 120 in writing, 110 in maths, and 108 in verbal reasoning would have an aggregate of 338 — above the threshold — but would fail if any single component had been below 107. The per-component minimum prevents children from passing by excelling in one area while being very weak in another.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Year 7 places | ~165 |
| School type | Girls' selective grammar school (Yrs 7–11); joint co-ed sixth form |
| Founded | 1881 |
| Location | Old Dover Road, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 3EH |
| Test | Kent Test (GL Assessment), three components |
| Kent Test components | Verbal reasoning, Mathematics, Writing task |
| Qualifying aggregate | 332 (and minimum 107 per component) |
| Kent Test date | September 2026 (confirm exact date with Kent County Council) |
| Registration deadline | Approx. late July 2026 (confirm with Kent County Council) |
| Results | Typically late October 2026 |
| CAF deadline | 31 October 2026 |
| National Offer Day | 1 March 2027 |
| Sixth form | Joint co-educational sixth form with Simon Langton Boys' |
Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School has a defined catchment area covering Canterbury and surrounding east Kent. The current admissions policy and catchment boundary map are published on the school's admissions page and on Kent County Council's website. Families should download the policy applicable to the 2026 entry cycle to confirm the exact boundaries.
When oversubscribed, places are allocated in priority order: looked-after and previously looked-after children first; children with exceptional medical or social need (supported by professional evidence); siblings of current students; qualifying students in the school's priority catchment area ranked by straight-line distance to school; then qualifying students outside the catchment ranked by distance.
The school shares a site with Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys, which can create confusion in admissions. To be clear: these are two completely separate schools with separate governance, separate admissions, and separate priority catchment areas. The fact that a sibling attends Simon Langton Boys does not create sibling priority for Simon Langton Girls' — the sibling rule applies only to current students of the same school. A family with both a son and a daughter applying would make two separate preference entries on the common application form.
Out-of-county families — for example those in parts of East Sussex — can apply to Simon Langton Girls' provided the child has passed the Kent Test. They must register manually for the Kent Test (typically by late July 2026) as automatic registration applies only to children at Kent state-funded schools. The Kent County Council admissions website has full registration guidance.
Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School is consistently one of the most sought-after girls' grammar schools in east Kent. With approximately 165 places and a strong reputation for academic and pastoral excellence, the school attracts interest from across the Canterbury area and beyond. Girls whose homes fall within the school's priority catchment area in Canterbury are in the strongest position when places are contested.
A meaningful proportion of applicants travel to the school from Whitstable, Faversham, Herne Bay, Margate, and other east Kent towns. These families fall outside the priority catchment and compete in the distance-ranked tier. In competitive years, the distance cut-off for the non-catchment tier can be relatively tight. Families outside the Canterbury area should not assume that passing the Kent Test at 332 is sufficient to secure a place at Simon Langton Girls' — the school's popularity means the qualifying cohort routinely exceeds 165 places, and distance from school becomes the deciding factor among otherwise equally prioritised applicants.
The 165 places at Simon Langton Girls' is slightly larger than the 150 at Simon Langton Boys', which reflects the slightly larger Year 7 intake at the girls' school. Both schools are among the leading grammar schools in the Canterbury area and both share the same site and joint sixth form, making them natural comparison points for Canterbury families with children of different genders.
Preparing your daughter for Simon Langton Girls' and the Kent Test?
Leading Tuition prepares students for all three Kent Test components — verbal reasoning, maths, and writing. Our tutors know GL Assessment's formats and the age-standardised scoring system in detail. Rated 4.8/5 on Trustpilot. Book a free consultation or message us on WhatsApp.
Founded in 1881. Simon Langton Girls' is one of the oldest girls' grammar schools in Kent. Founded during the late Victorian expansion of secondary education for girls, the school has operated continuously for over 140 years. The name — taken from Simon Langton, a 13th-century Archdeacon of Canterbury — links both Langton schools to the city's medieval history. This long institutional history shapes the school's strong sense of community and tradition, which many students and parents cite as a distinctive feature of the Langton Girls' experience.
The joint sixth form. From Year 12, students at Simon Langton Girls' study A-levels alongside boys from Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys in a shared co-educational sixth form. This transition from single-sex education to a co-educational environment at A-level is managed carefully and is widely regarded as one of the school's strengths. Students who have developed academically in a girls-only environment through their GCSE years often find the broadened social and academic dynamic of the joint sixth form a positive experience. The sixth form is academically strong and sends students to Russell Group universities each year, including Oxford and Cambridge.
Strong GCSE and A-level outcomes. Simon Langton Girls' consistently produces strong GCSE results, with a high proportion of students achieving grades 7-9 across core and optional subjects. The school's A-level curriculum is broad, including sciences, mathematics, modern languages, humanities, arts, and social sciences. The combination of a girls' grammar environment for GCSEs and a co-educational sixth form with Simon Langton Boys gives students access to a wider range of academic and social experiences across their secondary school career.
Canterbury location. Old Dover Road is served by local buses and is a reasonable walk or cycle from Canterbury city centre. Canterbury East and Canterbury West railway stations are both within easy reach, making the school accessible from a wide area of east Kent. The school's location in a UNESCO World Heritage city provides cultural context that the school takes advantage of in its curriculum and extracurricular programme.
Preparation for Simon Langton Girls' requires the same systematic approach as any Kent grammar school — covering verbal reasoning, maths, and writing in a structured way from Year 4 or Year 5 onwards. However, there are a few specific points worth noting for families in Canterbury specifically.
Canterbury's grammar schools are among the most competitive in Kent, and the families who apply to Simon Langton Girls' are typically highly motivated and well-prepared. This means the qualifying pool — children who score 332 or above — is relatively large compared to schools in less densely populated parts of Kent. For a Canterbury-based family targeting Simon Langton Girls', scoring clearly above the minimum threshold (say, 345 or above) and living within the priority catchment area is the most secure route to an offer.
The writing component of the Kent Test is the section where preparation is most often underweighted. Many families invest heavily in verbal reasoning and maths practice materials, then do very little specific work on timed writing under exam conditions. A child who can write accurately, fluently, and in a structured way under time pressure — something that takes months of deliberate practice to develop — will score significantly higher on the writing component than one who writes well normally but has never practised writing to a prompt in 20-30 minutes.
For a full breakdown of the Kent Test format, see our Kent 11+ format guide 2026. For an overview of all Kent grammar schools, see our Kent grammar schools guide 2026. Our complete grammar school preparation guide covers how to build a preparation programme from Year 4 through to offer day.
Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School admits approximately 165 students into Year 7 each year. All places are filled via the Kent Test, which is sat in September of Year 6. Children who achieve the qualifying aggregate score of 332 — with no individual component below 107 — are eligible to apply to Simon Langton Girls' and all other Kent grammar schools. Where more qualifying students apply than there are 165 places, the school's oversubscription criteria — including defined Canterbury catchment areas and distance to school — determine who receives an offer.
Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School uses the county-wide Kent Test qualifying standard, not a school-specific pass mark. The Kent Test qualifying threshold is an aggregate score of 332 across the three components — verbal reasoning, mathematics, and writing — with no individual component below 107. Achieving the qualifying standard makes a child eligible to apply to Simon Langton Girls' and all Kent grammar schools. Because the school is typically oversubscribed, scoring comfortably above 332 and being in the school's priority catchment area substantially improves the likelihood of receiving an offer.
Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School is girls-only for Years 7 to 11. From Year 12, students study A-levels in a joint sixth form shared with the adjacent Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys. This means students experience a single-sex girls' grammar environment through their GCSE years, then transition to a co-educational sixth form at the same site. Families who prefer a single-sex A-level environment should note that the sixth form is co-educational with Simon Langton Boys from Year 12 onwards.
Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School has a defined catchment area covering Canterbury and surrounding parts of east Kent. Qualifying students living in the school's priority catchment are prioritised over out-of-catchment applicants when places are oversubscribed. The admissions policy and catchment boundary map are published annually on the school's website and on Kent County Council's admissions pages. The school is a separate entity from Simon Langton Boys despite sharing the same site — sibling priority at one school does not create priority at the other.
Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School was founded in 1881, making it one of Canterbury's oldest educational institutions for girls. The school takes its name from Simon Langton, a 13th-century Archdeacon of Canterbury, and shares this historical name with the adjacent Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys, though both schools have distinct governance and histories. Founded during the Victorian expansion of girls' secondary education, the school has developed continuously over more than 140 years and maintains a strong academic tradition.
Leading Tuition provides specialist Kent Test preparation for Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School and all Kent grammar schools. Our tutors are experienced with GL Assessment's verbal reasoning formats, the maths problem-solving content at KS2 level, and the writing task — including helping students write clearly, accurately, and within time constraints. We work with students from Year 4 upwards, building all three components systematically before the September test. We are rated 4.8/5 on Trustpilot by parents whose children have secured grammar school places. For a preparation plan, book a free consultation or message us on WhatsApp.
Leading Tuition provides specialist Kent Test preparation — verbal reasoning, maths, and writing. We understand GL Assessment's formats and the age-standardised scoring system. Rated 4.8/5 on Trustpilot.
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