The Norton Knatchbull School
Ashford, Kent · Boys · 11-18 (mixed sixth form)
Reviewed against the school’s own admissions policy · September 2026
The Norton Knatchbull School, Ashford — a selective boys' grammar school with a co-educational sixth form. Kent Test admissions with no catchment area.
Key facts
| Gender intake | Boys |
| Age range | 11-18 (mixed sixth form) |
| Admissions test | Kent Test |
| Year 7 places (PAN) | 210 |
| Official website | www.nks.kent.sch.uk/ |
The entrance test
Every applicant sits the first stage; each step below narrows to the last.
Sit the Kent Test
Reach the county selective standard
Ranked — Pupil Premium & siblings, then distance
Places offered
210
A boys' grammar school in Ashford, tracing its foundation to the 1630s, with its own co-educational sixth form. Entry is via the Kent Test. When oversubscribed the order is looked-after children, then Pupil Premium-eligible boys, then siblings, then health / special-access cases, then everyone else by straight-line distance.
How places are decided
Priority order when the school is oversubscribed. The small categories are settled first.
- 1Looked-after & previously looked-after boys
- 2Pupil Premium-eligible boys
- 3Siblings
- 4Health / special-access reasons
- 5Nearest to the school (straight-line distance)most places
Catchment & priority area
No catchment area
No catchment or priority area — straight-line distance from home to the school is only the fifth and final tier, deciding the places not taken by an earlier criterion.
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 The Norton Knatchbull 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 The Norton Knatchbull School
Does The Norton Knatchbull School have a catchment area?
No. Once looked-after children, Pupil Premium boys, siblings and health / special-access cases are settled, all remaining places go by straight-line distance from home to the school.
How are places decided at The Norton Knatchbull School?
In order: looked-after children, Pupil Premium-eligible boys, siblings, health / special-access cases, then straight-line distance. Pupil Premium sits above siblings — a change made for 2024 entry.
Is the sixth form at The Norton Knatchbull School mixed?
Yes — Years 7 to 11 are boys, and the school runs its own co-educational sixth form, admitting girls at 16.
How many places does The Norton Knatchbull School offer?
The Published Admission Number for Year 7 is 210.
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