About the school
Highworth Grammar School is a selective girls’ grammar school located on Maidstone Road in Ashford, Kent, with a co-educational sixth form. Rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted, it combines a tradition of academic excellence with extensive pastoral support, and is well known for the strength of its music provision.
Highworth Grammar School was founded in 1904 as the Ashford County School for Girls, the first state secondary school for girls in Ashford, and moved to its present site in 1928. It gained Music Specialist Status in 2005 and is now a thriving school with over 1,500 students.
As a Kent grammar school, Highworth Grammar School selects pupils through the Kent Test (the Kent Procedure for Entry to Secondary Education, or PESE), provided by GL Assessment, with admissions coordinated by Kent County Council.
School type
Girls’ Grammar (Mixed Sixth Form)
Exam date
Thursday, September 10, 2026 (Kent pupils); weekend of September 12–13, 2026 (out-of-county)
Exam board
Kent Test (PESE) – GL Assessment
Address
Maidstone Road, Ashford, Kent, TN24 8UD
Age range
11–18 (Years 7–13)
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Admissions information
The Highworth Grammar School entrance test is the Kent Test, administered through Kent County Council. Here is everything you need to know about the admissions process and exam structure.
Highworth Grammar School selects pupils using the Kent Test (PESE), provided by GL Assessment and used by most Kent grammar schools. The school does not run its own separate entrance test. The Kent Test covers English, Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning, with all reasoning, English and maths sections in multiple-choice format on a separate answer sheet.
The Kent Test consists of two papers, each lasting around one hour – one English and Maths paper and one reasoning paper (verbal and non-verbal reasoning) – plus a separate writing task of around 40 minutes that is used only in borderline cases. All scores are age-standardised so that younger children are not disadvantaged.
Registration for the Kent Test is completed online through the Kent County Council website, opening on Monday 1st June 2026 and closing at midnight on Wednesday 1st July 2026; late registrations are not accepted. Parents must then name Highworth Grammar School on the Kent Secondary Common Application Form by 31st October 2026.
The Kent Test takes place in September of Year 6, with results issued by Kent County Council on Thursday 15th October 2026, before the Common Application Form deadline. To be assessed as suitable for grammar school, a child needs a total aggregate score of 332 or more, with no single score below 106. School allocations are confirmed on national offer day, 1st March 2027.
Key admissions details
Highworth Grammar School has a Published Admission Number of 210 places for Year 7 each year.
Highworth Grammar School does not operate a catchment area defined by postcodes or parishes, and in the past has accepted pupils from over forty different primary schools. After looked-after children, Pupil Premium pupils, siblings and those with health and special access reasons, remaining places are allocated by nearness of the child’s home to the school, measured in a straight line. In the event of oversubscription, girls living closer to the school are prioritised.
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Highworth Grammar School was founded in 1904 as the Ashford County School for Girls, the first state secondary school for girls in Ashford, and moved to its present site in 1928. It is a selective girls’ grammar school with a co-educational sixth form and a strong music tradition.
Highworth Grammar School has a Published Admission Number of 210 places for Year 7 each year. The school is oversubscribed, though not extremely so, making thorough Kent Test preparation important.
Highworth Grammar School uses the Kent Test (PESE), provided by GL Assessment. It consists of a one-hour English and Maths paper and a one-hour reasoning paper, both multiple-choice, plus a short writing task used only in borderline cases. The school does not run its own separate entrance test.
Highworth Grammar School does not operate a catchment area defined by postcodes or parishes, and accepts pupils from many primary schools. However, when the school is oversubscribed, eligible girls living closer to the school are prioritised, so distance is an important factor.
Registration for the 2026 Kent Test opens on Monday 1st June 2026 and closes at midnight on Wednesday 1st July 2026. Registration is completed online through the Kent County Council website and late registrations are not accepted.
Yes. Highworth Grammar School offers a wide range of extracurricular activities, with particularly strong music provision including choirs, orchestras and a swing band, alongside its own Science Magazine, Philosophy Club, sport and debating.
Yes, all our tuition is available both in-person at our Edgbaston, Birmingham centre and online via live video sessions. Online tuition gives families across Ashford and the wider Kent area access to our expert tutors without the need to travel. The quality and personalisation of sessions is identical in both formats.
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