Dartford Grammar School
Dartford, Kent · Boys · 11-18 (co-educational sixth form)
Reviewed against the school’s own admissions policy · September 2026
Dartford Grammar School — a selective boys' grammar school. Kent Test / PESE admissions, the Priority Area system, and how the two admission groups are ranked.
Key facts
| Gender intake | Boys |
| Age range | 11-18 (co-educational sixth form) |
| Admissions test | Kent Test (Kent PESE) |
| Year 7 places (PAN) | 180 |
| Official website | www.dartfordgrammarschool.org.uk/ |
The entrance test
Every applicant sits the first stage; each step below narrows to the last.
Sit the Kent Test (PESE)
The county's Age 11 procedure
Reach the selective standard
Ranked — Priority Area or open, by score
Places offered
~130 Priority Area, ~50 open
Admits boys via the Kent Age 11 Procedure for Entrance to Secondary Education (PESE). Around 130 Priority Area places and 50 open places each year, both ranked by Kent Test score, with pupil-premium sub-priorities in each category.
How places are decided
Priority order when the school is oversubscribed. The small categories are settled first.
- 1An EHCP naming the school
- 2Priority Area — Dartford wards & named parishes (~130)
- 3Open places — anywhere, by score (~50)
- 4Pupil-premium sub-priority within each group
- 5Otherwise: highest Kent Test scoremost places
Catchment & priority area
Area-based priority
A defined Priority Area linked to Dartford Borough Council's electoral wards and a list of named parishes — boys within it are prioritised, though places outside it are available based on Kent Test score.
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 Dartford 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 Dartford Grammar School
Does Dartford Grammar School have a catchment area?
Yes — a Priority Area linked to Dartford Borough Council wards and named parishes. Around 130 places go to boys in it, and around 50 open places are available to boys outside it, both ranked by Kent Test score.
What is the Kent PESE?
The Kent Procedure for Entrance to Secondary Education — the county's Age 11 assessment, which includes the Kent Test. It is the same test used by every Kent grammar school.
Is Dartford Grammar School the same as Dartford Grammar School for Girls?
No. They are separate, independently governed schools that happen to share part of a name.
Does Dartford Grammar School admit girls?
Only to the sixth form. Years 7 to 11 are boys only.
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