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Are you considering Maidstone Grammar School for Girls for your daughter? We've collated everything you need to know. Keep reading to learn about key dates, how to apply, what's on the Kent Test 11 plus and how to help your child excel.
Maidstone Grammar School for Girls (MGGS) is a selective state school for girls with a mixed sixth form founded in 1888. It holds a special place in its local community and describes itself as a 'forward-thinking community with a tradition of excellence', proud to produce 'young adults of character' who can thrive in today's society. It has strong links with the local boys' grammar school, Maidstone Grammar School.
The curriculum at Maidstone Grammar School is underpinned by its Advanced Thinking School status with the Cognitive Education Centre of the University of Exeter. The school has also been acknowledged by Google UK as a 'Leading Light' school for its integrated use of technology to promote student learning. Students consistently achieve outstanding exam results, placing the school within the top 2% of schools in the country.
Beyond the classroom, students at MGGS are encouraged to get involved in a wide range of enrichment and extracurricular activities. There are a variety of clubs on offer in sport, art, drama and music, in addition to the Duke of Edinburgh Award and the option to complete a GCSE in astronomy.
Address: Maidstone Grammar School for Girls, Buckland Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 0SF
Local authority: Kent County Council
School type: girls' grammar with mixed sixth form
Headteacher: Deborah Stanley
Number of pupils: 1,150+
National rank (Sunday Times Parent Power): 156
A level results: 74.7% A*–B
GCSE results: 56.3% A*/A/9/8/7
Admissions contact: [email protected], 01622 752 103
Number of places in Year 7: 210
Open events: Tuesday 4th and Wednesday 5th July 2023
11 plus registration opens: early June 2023
11 plus registration closes: late June/early July 2023
11 plus exam date: mid-September 2023
11 plus exam type: The Kent Test
Common application form (CAF) deadline: 31st October 2023
National school offer day: 1st March 2024
The term dates at MGGS for 2023–2024 are:
Autumn term: 4th September – 15th December 2023
Half term: 23rd October – 3rd November 2023
Spring term: 2nd January – 28th March 2024
Half term: 12th–16th February 2024
Summer term: 15th April – 23rd July 2024
Half term: 27th–31st May 2024
MGGS 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.
Registration for the Kent Test will open in early June 2023 and close in late June or early July. 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.
Children who are looked after or previously looked after, or eligible for the pupil premium, may be prioritised for places under the school's admission criteria. If your child falls into one of these categories, you should complete a supplementary information form (SIF) to indicate this. The supplementary information form is available to download from the school website.
You will receive your child's results in the Kent Test in mid-October 2023. If your child has achieved the pass mark in the exam, they will be eligible for a grammar school place. You can then name Maidstone Grammar School for Girls as one of your preferred schools on your common application form.
Before listing MGGS as a preference on your form, check its admissions policy and make sure your child is eligible. 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.
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.
Girls applying for a place in Year 7 at Maidstone Grammar School for Girls will take the Kent Test in September when they are in Year 6.
The Kent Test consists of two papers. Both papers take around one hour to complete and consist of multiple-choice questions.
English and maths
Verbal and non-verbal reasoning
Children taking the Kent Test also complete a creative writing exercise. This isn’t formally marked and doesn’t form part of the total scores, but it may be used by a local headteacher panel in borderline cases or in an appeal. 40 minutes will be allowed for the writing task, including 10 minutes of planning time.
Find out more in our comprehensive guide to the Kent Test and access free 11 plus resources to help your child prepare.
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 Maidstone Grammar School for Girls below.
There are 210 places available in Year 7 at Maidstone Grammar School for Girls. Before applying any oversubscription criteria, children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) who name the school will be allocated a place and the number of available places will be reduced accordingly.
If there are still more eligible children applying to MGGS than there are available places, the school will prioritise places in the following order:
Looked after and previously looked after children
Girls in receipt of pupil premium
Governor places: MGGS will prioritise 30 places for the top-ranked students according to their aggregate score in the Kent Test
Girls who have a sibling currently attending either Maidstone Grammar School or Maidstone Grammar School for Girls
Distance from home to school, with girls living closer to the school given priority
If more than one child is equally eligible for the last available place, then names will be issued a number and drawn randomly to decide which child should be given the place.
There is no catchment area for Maidstone Grammar School for Girls.
Here are our top tips on how to best prepare your child for the Kent Test.
The 11 plus assesses a large breadth and depth of learning objectives across the Key Stage 2 national curriculum and beyond.
We recommend that your child starts revising content at least one year before the test. Setting aside study periods using a 'little and often' approach will give them time to build the skills and knowledge they need. When preparing, avoid falling into the trap of over-focusing on either the topics your child enjoys or the topics they find hardest.
Atom Nucleus is an 11 plus online course that tailors your child's personalised learning journey to cover all elements of the Kent Test at the right pace for them.
Your child will encounter lots of unfamiliar types of questions in the 11 plus exam. Building exam technique with 11 plus test papers will help your child to feel fully confident with the styles of questions they'll encounter in the exam, reducing the potential for stress on the day.
Setting regular goals and celebrating achievements will help keep motivation high. Atom Nucleus offers data-driven insights into your child’s progress towards mastering the 11 plus curriculum, making it easy to see where they need to focus next.
Wondering how to make sure your child covers the depth and breadth of the entire 11 plus curriculum, stays on track with their progress, and gets help when they're stuck? Online learning is a particularly efficient, cost-effective (and fun) way to do this!
Atom Nucleus is the award-winning online 11 plus practice platform that gives your child everything they need to prepare for grammar school exams.
Children work independently through over 90,000 interactive practice questions in English, maths and reasoning. Teacher-created helpsheets and videos help them discover new concepts and consolidate their learning.
Atom's algorithm keeps children on their ideal learning path, tailored to their unique learning style and pace to keep them challenged and motivated.
Atom Nucleus gives children access to online 11 plus practice papers. Our online tests are designed to mirror the format and style of the real Kent Test, so your child will go into the exam knowing exactly what to expect.
And what's more, everything is automatically marked for you.
Begin your child's journey to Maidstone Grammar School for Girls today. Use the full features of Atom Nucleus free for 5 days – cancel anytime.
We know how keen you are for your child to do well in the 11 plus, to give them every chance of securing a place at their school of choice. Our dedicated team of Education Experts are on hand to support you and your family every step of the way:
We're happy to help with any questions you may have about admissions processes and helping your child prepare for entry to Kent grammar schools.
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