For Pupils Aged 11+

Pupils admitted at the start of Year 7, will be those who have been judged suitable for grammar school education under the Kent selection procedure or, from September 2017, the Highsted optional test (see below for further information.) The school accepts up to 120 pupils arranged in four or five teaching groups, plus additional pupils directed to the school by the independent appeals panels.

There will be no differentiation between the two routes to eligibility with regard to application of the oversubscription criteria below. Before the application of oversubscription criteria, children with a Statement of Special Educational Need or an Education, Health and Care Plan, which names the school, will be admitted. If the number of preferences for the school is more than the number of places available, places will be allocated to eligible girls in the following order.

• Children in Local Authority Care or previously in Local Authority Care – a ‘looked after child’ or a child who was previously looked after but became subject to an adoption, residence or special guardianship order.
• Children in receipt of Pupil Premium – a child is eligible for Pupil Premium where they have been registered for free school meals at any point in the last six years. This does not include children who have only been eligible to receive Universal Infant Free School Meals.
• Current Family Association – a sister (or brother in the Sixth Form) attending the school at the time of entry. In this context sister or brother means a child who lives as sister or brother in the same house, including natural sisters or brothers, adopted siblings, stepsisters or brothers and foster sisters or brothers.
• Nearness of children’s homes to the school – using the distance between the child’s permanent home address and the school, measured in a straight line using the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG) address point data. The same address point on the school site is used for everyone.

Further details about these over subscription criteria can be found in the school’s 2026-27, 2025-26 or 2024-25 Admissions Policy, available through the links at the bottom of this page.

The school provides a comprehensive induction programme, covering various activities with their year group tutors and prefects under the guidance of the Key Stage Three Pastoral Manager, in order to facilitate the settling-in process.

Highsted Test

Since September 2016, pupils seeking a place at Highsted Grammar School have been able to take an additional, optional test at the school in September. A selective assessment through the Highsted test will have equal status for a place in Year 7 as a pass in the Kent test. The assessment will comprise of:

• a computer-based test to assess verbal ability, numeracy and non-verbal reasoning;
• an English paper to assess reading and writing skills.

To take the Highsted Test, pupils must also have registered for the Kent Test.

The application period for this additional Admission route has now opened and will remain available until Tuesday 1 July 2025 for the September 2026 entry.

Please complete the application form via this link Highsted Test Application Form 2025 or the QR code below no later than 4:00 pm Tuesday 1 July 2025. Confirmation you have registered your child for the Kent Test must be sent to HighstedTestApplicants@highsted.kent.sch.uk. Applications will not be accepted without this evidence.

Oversubscription Criteria: further information for children in receipt of Pupil Premium

A child is eligible for Pupil Premium where they have been registered for free school meals (FSM) at any point in the last six years. This does not include children who have only been eligible to receive Universal Infant Free School Meals.

Parents wishing to apply under this criterion must ensure they complete the Supplementary Information Form and return it to the school by 31 October 2025. Parents must also complete an application (paper Secondary Common Application Form) naming the school, otherwise their child cannot be considered for a place.

Information about the oversubscription criterion relating to Pupil Premium may be downloaded here.

Casual Admissions

Pupils seeking a transfer who are judged suitable for a grammar school place through the school’s in-year selection tests have a right of entry, providing places exist in the relevant year group.

Please complete the first three pages only of the attached Casual Admissions Form and return the whole four-page document to Admissions, Highsted Grammar School, Highsted Road, Sittingbourne, Kent  ME10 4PT. Testing for in-year admissions is available at the school three times a year and will occur as soon as possible after receiving the completed application form.

All applicants who are refused a place, whatever the reason, have the right of appeal to an independent appeal panel. Information about this process will be issued in all cases where an application is declined.

Suitability for a grammar school place is decided by:

• results of nationally recognised tests, or cognitive testing through verbal and non-verbal reasoning, together with written tests in at least one subject from English, mathematics and science;
• where relevant, the applicant’s level of attainment, as demonstrated by work done at their previous school.

You can download our 2026-27 Admissions Policy, our 2025-26 Admissions Policy, or our 2024-25 Admissions Policy here.