Borden Grammar School
Sittingbourne, Kent · Boys · 11-18 (mixed sixth form)
Reviewed against the school’s own admissions policy · September 2026
Borden Grammar School, Sittingbourne — a selective boys' grammar school with a co-educational sixth form. Kent Test (or the school's Borden Test) admissions with a postcode-tiered priority.
Key facts
| Gender intake | Boys |
| Age range | 11-18 (mixed sixth form) |
| Admissions test | Kent Test |
| Year 7 places (PAN) | 150 |
| Official website | www.bordengrammar.kent.sch.uk/ |
The entrance test
Every applicant sits the first stage; each step below narrows to the last.
Sit the Kent Test (or the school's Borden Test)
Reach the selective standard in either
Ranked — FSM band & siblings, then postcode areas, then distance
Places offered
150
A boys' grammar school with its own co-educational sixth form (girls join at 16). Entry is via the Kent Test, or the school's own 'Borden Test' — a second chance for boys who sat the Kent Test but did not reach the standard. When oversubscribed, priority runs looked-after children, a reserved band of free-school-meals places, siblings, health / special-access cases, then the school's 'Traditional School Areas' by postcode.
How places are decided
Priority order when the school is oversubscribed. The small categories are settled first.
- 1Looked-after & previously looked-after boys
- 2Free-school-meals band — up to 15% of places, ME9–ME12
- 3Siblings
- 4Health / special-access reasons
- 5Traditional School Areas — ME9–ME12, then ME8/ME13, then elsewheremost places
Catchment & priority area
Area-based priority
No catchment, but postcode shapes the ranking. Up to 15% of Year 7 places are reserved for free-school-meals children in the ME9–ME12 postcodes; and the final tier, 'Traditional School Areas', ranks ME9–ME12 first, then ME8 and ME13, then everywhere else. Straight-line distance decides within each tier.
Key dates
The same timetable for every Kent grammar school. Confirm the current year with KCC.
1 June – 1 July
Register for the Kent Test with KCC
Early September
Test sat, in Year 6
15 October
Results released
1 March
National offer day
Always verify against the school’s own current admissions policy — criteria, catchment boundaries and places-available can all change between admissions cycles, and Borden Grammar School’s own website is the authoritative source, not this page.
All Kent grammar schools use the same county-wide test — see the format, timeline and registration process. For the wider picture of grammar schools across England, see UK Grammar Schools: List, Competition & Results.
Common questions about Borden Grammar School
What is the catchment area for Borden Grammar School?
There is no catchment, but the final oversubscription tier — 'Traditional School Areas' — ranks the ME9–ME12 postcodes first, then ME8 and ME13, then everywhere else, with straight-line distance deciding within each.
What is the Borden Test?
The school's own assessment (verbal, numerical and non-verbal reasoning, and English), open to boys who sat the county Kent Test but did not reach the selective standard. Reaching the standard by either route qualifies a boy equally.
Does Borden Grammar School admit girls?
Not at Year 7 — it is a boys' grammar school. Its sixth form is co-educational, admitting girls at 16.
How many places does Borden Grammar School offer?
The Published Admission Number for Year 7 is 150.
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