Head: Duncan Beer
An accessible girls' grammar school in Kent with an Outstanding Ofsted rating.
0
Year 7 Places
0.0:1
Applicants/Place
Pass Mark
0
Pupils
Max Score
423
Qualifying Score
332
78% of max
Cutoff Score
332
78% of max
Distance Cutoff
6.2 mi
Applications
422
Offers Made
189
Distance (after pass)
All who pass qualify. Places then by distance.
Sibling Priority
Pupil Premium
Appeals Deadline
2026-03-30
Process
Appeals must be submitted before the deadline for Year 7 appeals. In year appeals use a form sent with refusal letter and are held virtually on MS Teams.
1. Register
1 Jun 2026
2. Take Test
Kent Test
3. Results
15 Oct 2026
4. Offer Day
1 Mar 2027
A shared 11+ entrance exam used by 32 grammar schools, administered by GL Assessment, testing English, Mathematics, Reasoning. Three multiple-choice papers administered by GL Assessment. Each paper is 50 minutes. Selective girls' school requiring students to pass the Kent Test and be 'G' (grammar) assessed for Year 7 entry. Appeals process available for those who are 'H' assessed. For in-year admissions, uses CAT4 test. School has over 1500 students and 140 staff. Pupil Premium supplementary form available for eligible students.
Max
423
Qualifying Score
332
78% of max
Open Evening
Sixth Form Open Evening. No booking required
8 Jan 2026
6:00am
Registration Opens
Registration opens for the 11+ exam
1 Jun 2026
Open Evening
Prospective Year 7 Morning. Booking required
14 Jun 2026
9:00am
Open Evening
Prospective Year 7 Morning. Booking required
18 Jun 2026
9:00am
Registration Deadline
Final day to register for the 11+ exam
1 Jul 2026
Exam Date
11+ entrance exam
10 Sep 2026
9:00am
Results Released
11+ results released to parents
15 Oct 2026
CAF Deadline
National Common Application Form deadline (set by each local authority — usually 31 October).
31 Oct 2026
National Offer Day
National Offer Day. All secondary school offers are released today.
1 Mar 2027
70.7
Attainment 8
Average achievement across 8 qualifications
95%
English + Maths 5+
Grade 5 or above in both
100%
English + Maths 4+
Grade 4 or above in both
96%
EBacc Entry
Entered the English Baccalaureate suite
6.69
EBacc APS
Average points across EBacc subjects
B
Avg A-Level Grade
Average grade achieved across all A-Level entries
Bar shows this school. Ticks mark the England state-funded average (grey) and the typical grammar-school average (indigo).
Grammar median computed from up to 163 grammars.
| Metric | Disadvantaged | Non-Disadvantaged | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 | 65.8 | 70.9 | +5 |
| E+M grade 5+ | 89% | 96% | +7pp |
| EBacc entry | 89% | 96% | +7pp |
Disadvantaged = pupils eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years, looked-after, or adopted from care. A small or zero gap is the goal — it means the school helps every pupil reach the same outcomes.
96%
continued to sixth form
% of pupils who stayed on after GCSEs
High retention is a positive sign — pupils choose to stay and the sixth form supports them through. Low retention can indicate weaker post-16 provision or curriculum mismatch.
Eng+Maths 9-5
EBacc entry
40.0avg points / entry
Average grade: B
DfE doesn't publish the % at each grade band at school level — this is the school-wide average instead.
72%
Continued in education
HE + FE + other
69%
Higher Education
≈1pp vs grammar avg
72%
Russell Group
Cohort destination breakdown
Destinations trend
Strongest at
Mathematics
214 entries
100%
+7.1pp vs school
Biology
146 entries
100%
+7.1pp vs school
Chemistry
146 entries
100%
+7.1pp vs school
Watch list
Combined Science
68 entries
0%
-92.9pp vs school
Spanish
71 entries
87%
-5.6pp vs school
Strongest at
Maths
77 entries
100%
+4.1pp vs school
Psychology
65 entries
100%
+4.1pp vs school
Chemistry
58 entries
100%
+4.1pp vs school
Watch list
French
5 entries
0%
-95.9pp vs school
Dance
10 entries
90%
-5.9pp vs school
Entry Requirements
6 GCSE subjects at Grade 6 or above, a Grade 5 in English, a Grade 5 in Mathematics, and the specific entry requirements for each A Level subject
Subjects Offered
Largest group: White British (57.2%)
England avg ≈ 24%
≈ 16 pts below the England average — proportion of pupils whose family qualifies for free school meals (a measure of catchment affluence).
England avg ≈ 18%
≈ 12 pts above the England average — proportion of pupils whose first language is not English.
Quality of Education
Outstanding
Behaviour & Attitudes
Outstanding
Personal Development
Outstanding
Leadership & Management
Outstanding
Sixth Form
Outstanding
Per-pupil funding
2025/26≈ £393 (-6%) below the English average
Most English state secondaries spend 75–80% of their budget on staff. Higher figures usually mean smaller class sizes; lower figures mean more spent on premises, supplies, or capital projects.
£4,082
Teaching Staff / pupil
£437
Educational Supplies / pupil
£330
Premises / pupil
Revenue reserve / pupil
£1,211
The school holds a surplus per pupil — money set aside that can absorb unexpected costs or fund future projects without affecting day-to-day teaching.
Total grant: £7,205,528 · 1,086 pupils funded
How the 2025/26 allocation broke down. Each stream is a signal about the school's intake — bigger deprivation / EAL / SEN top-ups indicate a school serving a more challenging cohort.
Basic entitlement
£6,076,632
Core per-pupil funding before any top-ups.
Pupil Premium
£95,675
Targeted funding for 89 disadvantaged pupils.
Deprivation top-up
£272,827
Aggregates FSM, FSM6 and IDACI deprivation bands.
EAL top-up
£35,949
English-as-additional-language premium — paid for pupils whose first language isn't English.
Prior attainment top-up
£13,013
Funding for pupils arriving below age-related expectations.
Notional SEN
£659,343
Earmarked SEN budget inside the schools block.
Lump sum
£142,484
Fixed per-school grant — size-independent.
Schools budget support grant
£66,494
Government pay-and-pension support grant.
National Insurance grant
£85,558
Compensation for the increase in employer NI contributions.
1,543 / 1,227(126%)
Subjects Offered
Entry Requirements
6 GCSE subjects at Grade 6 or above, a Grade 5 in English, a Grade 5 in Mathematics, and the specific entry requirements for each A Level subject
1:17.6
Staff:Pupil Ratio
98.87%
Qualified Teachers
3.22%
Absence Rate
4.46%
Persistent Absence
Modern facilities including science laboratories, IT suites, library, sports hall, drama studio, music rooms, art studios, technology workshops, dining hall, and extensive playing fields.
Sports
{"playing_fields":2,"pool":null,"gym":null,"courts":3,"astroturf":1}
STEM
{"science labs":4,"IT suites":2,"technology workshops":1}
Arts
{"drama theatre":null,"music rooms":2,"art studios":1}
Library
The school has a well-equipped library with books, periodicals, and digital resources. Students have access to online databases and research materials to support their studies across all subjects.
Capital Projects
Recent capital projects include refurbishment of science laboratories and improvements to ICT facilities. The school continues to invest in upgrading teaching spaces and resources.
Model United Nations, Medical Society, Law Society, Asian Society, Afro-Caribbean Society, Dance Show Companies, Film Studies, Chess Club, Psychology Help, STEM and F1 in Schools, Archery, various sports clubs including netball, handball, trampolining, gymnastics, basketball and table tennis
Sports
Music & Performing Arts
Dance Show Companies, performing arts activities
Clubs & Societies
Duke of Edinburgh
true
Trips & Exchanges
Annual residential trip to France, regular exchanges with schools in Germany and Italy.
Community Service
Volunteering placements available as part of Sixth Form co-curricular requirements
Uniform
{"description":"Highworth Grammar School uniform includes a navy blue blazer, white shirt, and grey trousers.","suppliers":["School Uniform Supplier A","School Uniform Supplier B"]}
School Meals
Hot meals available in the school canteen. Catering provided by [Supplier Name].
Homework Policy
Homework set regularly across all subjects. Years 7-8: approximately 1-2 hours per day, Years 9-11: 2-3 hours per day, Sixth Form: independent study time varies by subject. Homework timetable provided to help students manage workload.
Behaviour Policy
High expectations of behaviour and conduct. Clear rewards and sanctions system including house points, commendations, detentions and exclusions where necessary. Emphasis on respect, responsibility and academic excellence.
Mobile Phone Policy
Mobile phones are allowed in designated areas only.
SEND Provision
Soul Space support available
Enter your postcode to see directions to Highworth
Route 96 from Didcot, Route 428 from Abingdon
Nearest Station: Didcot Parkway
Transport Info
Located in Ashford with good transport links. Accessible by train to Ashford International station (1.5 miles away), local bus services including routes 10A, 10X, and dedicated school transport from surrounding areas including Canterbury, Folkestone, Dover, and Thanet.
Ask AI Advisor
About Highworth
