Dartford Grammar School 11+ guide

Atom Learning is partnered with Dartford Grammar School. You can read more about our partnership here.

Applying to Dartford Grammar School for September 2028? This guide covers the Kent Test, the qualifying score, how the 180 Year 7 places are allocated and the key dates for September 2028 entry.

Dartford Grammar School 11+ at a glance

• School type: boys' grammar school
• Location: Dartford, Kent
• Admissions contact: admissions@dartfordgrammarschool.org.uk
• Number of places in Year 7: 180 (2027-entry figure — Dartford Grammar School confirms each year's admission number in its determined arrangements, published the spring before entry.)
• Qualifying score: Kent County Council sets the qualifying score after each test. After the 2025 test (for September 2026 entry), children needed a total of 332 or more, with no single score below 108. Some children are assessed as suitable through a local headteacher panel instead. Dartford Grammar School then ranks boys by total Kent Test score, and most Priority Area places need a total at least 40 points above Kent's threshold.
• 11+ test: Kent Test (two multiple-choice papers of about an hour each, plus a writing task that isn't marked)
• Catchment or priority area: priority area for 130 places (see below)

Source: Dartford Grammar School Admissions Procedure for 2027 Entry. Last checked October 2026.

Key dates for September 2028 entry

Kent County Council runs the Kent Test and sets its dates in the county's co-ordinated admissions scheme. It hasn't published the 2028-entry dates yet, so the windows below follow the 2027-entry timetable: registration ran from Monday 1 June 2026 to Wednesday 1 July 2026, the test took place on Thursday 10 September 2026 for children at Kent primary schools (the weekend of 12 and 13 September 2026 for everyone else) and results were due on Thursday 15 October 2026. We'll update this page as soon as Kent County Council publishes the 2028-entry dates.

How to apply to Dartford Grammar School

Dartford Grammar School is selective, so your child needs to sit the 11+ test to be considered for a place.

You register your child for the Kent Test with Kent County Council during its registration window. Late registrations go to Kent County Council by email at kent.admissions@kent.gov.uk.

Once you have your child's result, you apply by naming Dartford Grammar School on your common application form, which goes to your home local authority. Application deadline: Sunday 31 October 2027. This is the national closing date. Kent County Council has in the past moved the deadline to the following Monday when 31 October falls on a weekend — it did so for 2027 entry, when the date moved to Monday 2 November. The council confirms its own closing date in its co-ordinated admissions scheme, usually published the year before. Treat 31 October as the date to work to, and check the council's scheme before you submit.

Reaching the qualifying score makes your child eligible, but it doesn't guarantee a place. If more qualifying children apply than there are places, the school uses its oversubscription criteria, set out further down this page.

What will my child be tested on?

The Kent Test is run by Kent County Council and used by the grammar schools across Kent, so your child only sits it once to be considered for any of them. Kent County Council says the tests in English, maths and reasoning are devised by GL Assessment.

There are two multiple-choice papers, and answers go on a separate answer sheet. The first is an English and maths paper lasting an hour. Each section starts with a 5-minute practice exercise, followed by a 25-minute test. The English section is a comprehension exercise plus questions on literacy skills. The second is a reasoning paper of about an hour, including practice, with verbal and non-verbal reasoning sections of roughly the same length.

Your child also completes a writing task. It lasts 40 minutes, including 10 minutes of planning. It isn't marked, but a local headteacher panel may read it as part of the headteacher assessment stage.

Results give three standardised scores, for English, maths and reasoning, plus a total. Each score ranges from 69 to 141.

The table below shows what each paper covers.

How are places allocated at Dartford Grammar School?

If more children reach the qualifying standard than there are 180 Year 7 places, Dartford Grammar School offers places in the order below. This order comes from the school's admissions policy for 2027 entry. The school sets its 2028-entry policy separately, and we'll update this table if anything changes.

Within each section boys are ranked by their total Kent Test score, with distance used when scores are tied. Any Category 1 places left unfilled are added to Category 2. Pupil Premium applicants need to send evidence of eligibility to the school by 31 October 2026 (for 2027 entry).

Does Dartford Grammar School have a catchment area?

Dartford Grammar School doesn't have a catchment area, but 130 places go first to boys in its Priority Area: homes in the Dartford Borough Council electoral wards, plus the parishes of Ash-cum-Ridley, Crockenhill, Eynsford, Farningham, Fawkham, Hartley, Hextable, Horton Kirby and South Darenth, Swanley and West Kingsdown. The other 50 places are open to qualifying boys wherever they live.

When scores are tied, the boy living nearer the school, measured in a straight line, is offered the place first.

If you don't live close to the school, it's worth thinking about how your child will get there every day. How long will the journey take? What transport options are available? Will they be travelling independently or with support?

A longer or more complex journey can affect your child's daily routine, including how much time they have for homework, rest and after-school activities. It's a good idea to think about how manageable the school run will be and whether it will work for your family day to day.

How can I help my child prepare for the test?

The Kent Test can feel like a big milestone, but preparation doesn't have to be overwhelming. Here's how you can help your child prepare for test day.

Stay on track with a clear plan

One of the hardest parts of 11+ preparation is knowing what to focus on, when, and how to make steady progress without it taking over family life.

A clear, structured plan helps your child feel less overwhelmed and more in control. It ensures they build skills in the right order, cover everything they need, and avoid last-minute cramming.

Atom's exam plan makes this easier. Enter your child's target schools and exam dates, and we'll create a personalised weekly plan tailored to the topics they'll be tested on. It shows them what to work on and when, adapts as they improve, and helps them build progress in a calm, manageable way — little and often.

That means less guesswork for you, less stress for them, and a clearer path all the way to exam day.

Build smart exam technique

As your child's knowledge grows, practice tests can help them feel more comfortable with the real exam format.

Atom's 11+ practice papers are built to match the format, timing and question styles of real 11+ exams. They're also unlimited — you can download the same paper again and again, and your child will get new questions each time. This helps them practise without repeating the same content.

We've made marking easy for you, too. Simply photograph your child's answer sheets and upload them to Atom. The papers are marked instantly, showing your child's standardised age score (SAS), where they're doing well, and what they should focus on next. You'll also learn how they compare to other children applying to the same school.

Encourage regular reading

Strong reading skills play a big role in 11+ preparation.

Encourage your child to read every day, even for just 10–15 minutes. The key is variety. Mix fiction and non-fiction, different genres, and a range of authors. This helps them become more confident in understanding tone, purpose, and meaning across different texts.

Over time, regular reading will:

• broaden their vocabulary
• improve comprehension and inference
• build confidence in tackling unseen texts

And just as importantly, it can help them enjoy reading — not just see it as exam preparation.

Looking for inspiration? Explore Atom's free reading and writing starter kit for helpful suggestions of age-appropriate books your child can read!

Celebrate progress, not just scores

When you're supporting your child through 11+ preparation, what really matters is knowing they're moving in the right direction — not just how they scored on a single test.

Atom's progress tracking gives you a clear, simple picture of how your child is doing in each topic and the direction they're moving in. You can see where they're on track, where they might need more practice, and spot progress as it happens.

That makes it easier to give meaningful encouragement, keep motivation steady, and focus on what matters most: consistent improvement, not just one-off results.