Maidstone Grammar School for Girls 11 plus guide

About Maidstone Grammar School for Girls

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

Key info for Year 7 admissions

• 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

How to apply to Maidstone Grammar School for Girls

1. Register for the Kent Test

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.

2. Apply for a school place

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.

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 Maidstone Grammar School for Girls below.

Maidstone Grammar School for Girls admission criteria

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:

1. Looked after and previously looked after children

2. Girls in receipt of pupil premium

3. Governor places: MGGS will prioritise 30 places for the top-ranked students according to their aggregate score in the Kent Test

4. Girls who have a sibling currently attending either Maidstone Grammar School or Maidstone Grammar School for Girls

5. 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.

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