Dover Grammar School for Girls 11 plus guide

About Dover Grammar School for Girls

Dover Grammar School for Girls is a selective state school for girls aged 11–18 with a mixed sixth form in Dover, Kent. Rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted, the school consistently achieves high academic results and is particularly strong in humanities subjects.

Students at Dover Grammar School for Girls are challenged to realise their full potential and develop intellectual curiosity through a series of extracurricular challenge projects. The school promotes early discussions about university choices through its Project ROAR (Russell Group or Alternative Ready), which aims to raise aspirations for students in Years 7–10.

There are plenty of co-curricular opportunities at Dover Grammar School for Girls, giving students the chance to hone existing talents and try something new. Lunchtime clubs include computer science, dissection, debate, British Sign Language and a variety of sports, while super-curricular projects include a student-led magazine, biodiverse gardening and a Spanish Civil War History Scholars project.

• Address: Dover Grammar School for Girls, Frith Road, Dover, Kent CT16 2PZ

• Local authority: Kent County Council

• School type: girls' grammar with mixed sixth form

• Headteacher: Robert Benson

• Number of pupils: 900+

Key info for Year 7 admissions

• Admissions contact: [email protected], 01322 223039

• Number of places in Year 7: 130

• Open events: June

• 11 plus registration opens: Thursday 1st June 2023

• 11 plus registration closes: Monday 3rd July 2023 at midnight

• 11 plus exam date: Thursday 7th September 2023

• 11 plus exam type: The Kent Test

• Common application form (CAF) deadline: 31st October 2023

• National school offer day: 1st March 2023

How to apply to Dover Grammar School for Girls

1. Register for the Kent Test

Dover Grammar School for Girls uses the Kent Test to select pupils for entry in Year 7. The Kent Test is an 11 plus exam taken by 32 grammar schools in the county and aims to identify children in the top 25% of the ability range in their year group. Girls who are successful in the Kent Test will be assessed as suitable for a grammar school.

Registration for the Kent Test will open on Thursday 1st June 2023 and close on Monday 3rd July 2023 at midnight. You will be able to complete your child's registration on the Kent County Council website. If you are also considering grammar schools in Medway, you will need to register separately because these schools do not use the Kent Test.

If your child is eligible for the pupil premium, they may be prioritised for places under the school's admission criteria. You will need to provide proof of eligibility and complete a supplementary information form (SIF) – available to download from the school website – to indicate this.

2. Apply for a school place

You will receive your daughter's results in the Kent Test after 4pm on Wednesday 18th October 2023. If they have achieved the pass mark in the exam, they will be eligible for a grammar school place. You can then name Dover Grammar School for Girls as one of your preferred schools on your common application form.

Make sure to check the admissions policy for the school before you complete your common application form. Passing the Kent Test will not be a guarantee of a place as more children reach the qualifying standard each year than there are places available. We've summarised the key points in the admission policy below.

The application form must be submitted to your home local council by 31st October 2023. The form must be completed for your home local authority – i.e. if you live in Kent you will need to complete the form on the Kent County Council website. If you live in a different local authority, make sure to apply through the relevant website for that council.

What is the pass mark for the Kent Test?

Your child will receive four scores on the Kent Test. The results from the English, maths and reasoning sections will all be age-standardised to produce three separate scores, in addition to one overall (aggregate) score.

Children typically need a total score of 332 or more out of the total 423, with no single score lower than 108, to be eligible for a place at a grammar school in Kent.

However, achieving a particular score doesn't guarantee a place at a grammar school, as schools are usually oversubscribed with qualified candidates. We always recommend researching the admission policies for your target schools, looking at their oversubscription criteria and their catchment area. We've included the admission criteria for Dover Grammar School for Girls below.

Dover Grammar School for Girls admission criteria

Dartford Grammar School has 130 places available in Year 7. Children who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) which names the school and who have been assessed as suitable for a grammar school will automatically be allocated a place. The number of remaining places will then be reduced accordingly.

If the number of eligible children who have applied for Dover Grammar School for Girls is greater than the number of places available, the school will use oversubscription criteria. Girls will be allocated places in priority order:

1. Looked after and previously looked after children

2. Girls who have a sibling already attending the school

3. Children who have a medical, health, social or special access reason for attending the school

4. Girls in receipt of pupil premium

5. Girls who live closer to the school, measured in a straight line from the school address to the child's home address

There is no catchment area for Dover Grammar School for Girls.

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