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Highworth Grammar School

School typeGrammar

AddressMaidstone Road, Ashford, Kent, England, TN24 8UD

Highworth Grammar School is a girls' grammar school in Ashford, Kent, that uses the GL exam board for its 11+ (Year 7 entry) admissions. There is no interview stage. Places are allocated based on Kent Test results, with nearness of home to the school considered for oversubscription criteria, as there is no defined catchment area.

If you have a daughter who is happiest when she's busy and trusted to get on, Highworth is the Ashford grammar where she'll find plenty of both. It's a large girls' school of more than 1,500, with a sixth form open to boys and girls, and its story runs back to 1904, when it opened as Ashford County School for Girls. It settled on its present site in 1928 and has held a name for academic strength ever since, without letting that crowd out the way children are looked after.

What parents tend to notice is the feel of the place. The school sets out to grow confident, reflective girls who can think for themselves, and the way it is organised follows from that. Pastoral care runs through its houses, which the school calls communities, with vertical tutor groups so a girl gets to know people well beyond her own year. The Good Schools Guide picks out this arrangement as one of the things that gives Highworth its settled, friendly feel. There's a wide spread of activity beyond lessons, and older pupils take on real leadership, so they're visibly part of running the place rather than kept apart from it.

The tone is studious but kind, with ambition sitting alongside genuine care for wellbeing. The school has been led since September 2021 by headteacher Duncan Beer. Highworth suits a capable, motivated girl who'll enjoy a full timetable and the responsibilities on offer, and who will value belonging to a school that knows her.

Key facts

Gender

Girls

Year 7 places

210

Annual fees

None

Website

Visit school website

Admissions

Open day

Oct

Registration opens

June

Registration closes

Jul

CAF deadline

Oct

Admissions contact

office@highworth.kent.sch.uk

Admissions phone

01233 624910

Registration form

View registration details

Sibling policy

Yes

What this school tests

Kent Test

English16 question types

PunctuationReading Comprehension - ComparisonReading Comprehension - EvaluationReading Comprehension - Grammar and punctuationReading Comprehension - Inference and DeductionReading Comprehension - Information RetrievalReading Comprehension - Language Techniques and ImageryReading Comprehension - Sentence-level ComprehensionReading Comprehension - SequencingReading Comprehension - Structure, Form, Voice and ToneReading Comprehension - SummarisingReading Comprehension - Text Classification and PurposeReading Comprehension - Types of Words and PhrasesReading Comprehension - Word Meaning / ChoiceSentence CompletionSpelling

Maths23 question types

AlgebraAngles and DegreesBIDMASCoordinate GridsEstimation and RoundingFactors and MultiplesFractions, Decimals and PercentagesMagic squaresMeasurementMoneyNumber and Place ValueNumber WallsOperationsPerimeter, Area and VolumePosition and DirectionProperties of ShapesRatio and ProportionReflection, Rotation and SymmetrySequencesSpecial NumbersSpeed, Distance and TimeStatisticsTime

Non-verbal Reasoning14 question types

Extended Figure SeriesFigure AnalogiesFigure MatricesFigure OperationsFigure SeriesGrid MatricesHorizontal CodesMost Like Three FiguresMost Like Two FiguresOdd Figure OutStar MatricesTriangle MatricesTriangle SeriesVertical Codes

Verbal Reasoning26 question types

AnagramsCompound WordsEmbedded WordsForm a WordInsert a LetterLetter AnalogiesLetter CalculationsLetter CodesLetter GridsLetter SequencesMove 1 / 2 LettersNumber AnalogiesNumber CalculationsNumber SequencesRelated WordsRhyming SynonymsShuffled SentencesSynonymsWord / Logic PuzzlesWord AnalogiesWord CompletionWord MatchWord OppositesWord PairsWord RelationshipsWords and Codes

Spatial Reasoning8 question types

2D RotationsBlock CountingCombining ShapesFold and PunchFolding CubesHidden ShapesMissing Face of CubeShape Completion

Catchment area

Does Highworth Grammar School have a catchment area?

There is no defined catchment area and no areas get priority. Among girls who pass the Kent Test, places are allocated by oversubscription criteria, with the nearness of home to the school used as the distance measure.

Previous exam results

GCSE results

In 2025 students achieved an average Attainment 8 score of 70.8 across their GCSEs. 95.3% gained a grade 5 or better in both English and Maths. 74.3% achieved the English Baccalaureate at grade 5 or above. Reference: https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/

A-level results

In 2025 students achieved a B average grade per A-Level entry. 18.1% gained AAB or better including two facilitating subjects. Reference: https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/

Frequently asked questions

What exam board does Highworth Grammar School use for the 11+?

Highworth Grammar School uses the GL exam board for its 11+ entrance exam.

Does Highworth Grammar School interview as part of the 11+ process?

No, there is no interview stage as part of the 11+ admissions process for Highworth Grammar School.

Is Highworth Grammar School a single-sex or co-educational school for 11+ entry?

Highworth Grammar School admits girls for Year 7 (11+) entry. Its Sixth Form is open to both boys and girls.

What is Highworth Grammar School's official website?

The official website for Highworth Grammar School is https://www.highworth.kent.sch.uk/.

Does Highworth Grammar School have a catchment area for 11+ admissions?

Highworth Grammar School does not have a defined catchment area. Places are allocated based on Kent Test results, with nearness of home to the school used for oversubscription.

How do you get a place at Highworth Grammar School?

To be considered, a child first needs to reach the required standard in the Kent Test. If more girls qualify than there are places, they are ranked in this order: looked-after and previously looked-after children first, then children eligible for Pupil Premium, then those with a sibling at the school, then children with a medical or special access need supported by evidence, and finally by straight-line distance from home to school. There is no catchment area, and any remaining tie is settled by random selection.

What happens if my child is ill on 11+ test day at Highworth Grammar School?

The Kent Test is run by Kent County Council, not the school. If your child is too ill to sit it, tell the test centre and your child's primary school straight away. A later sitting can only be arranged where the illness is confirmed by a doctor's letter, so keep any medical evidence. If your child has a disability or additional needs, ask their primary school's SENCO to apply for access arrangements before you register, as requests are not accepted after early Jul.

Location

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