Grammar schools in Kensington and Chelsea
There are no grammar schools in Kensington and Chelsea.
Grammar schools are state secondaries that select by ability, usually through an 11+ test. Only 46 of the 226 local authorities in the UK still have any — Kensington and Chelsea is one of the majority that does not, so local state secondaries admit without a selective test.
The nearest is The Henrietta Barnett School, about 5.4 miles away in Barnet. Nearest is not the whole answer, though: these schools rank children by test score, and most put children living in their own area first.
Could a child from Kensington and Chelsea get a place?
Passing the test is not enough. These schools rank children by test score, not by distance from home. Most put children living in a set area first, so from Kensington and Chelsea the question is whether your home is inside it.
| School | Intake | How places are decided, 2027 entry | Kensington and Chelsea postcodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Henrietta Barnett School | Girls | Girls in the top 300 of the first test who live within 3 miles of the school come first. The remaining places of the 120 go in order of test score wherever the child lives. (school's policy) | none within 3 miles |
| The Tiffin Girls' School | Girls | Girls are ranked by test score. Those living in the school's Designated Area of 44 postal districts come first, and every place since 2014 has gone to a girl living inside it. (school's policy) | none in the Designated Area |
| St Michael's Catholic Grammar School | Girls | Places go to baptised Catholic girls from practising Catholic families, in order of test score. Home address only breaks a tie. (school's policy) | No area limit |
| Tiffin School | Boys | Boys are ranked by test score. Those living less than 10 km from the school come first, and since that area was introduced no place has gone to a boy living further away. (school's policy) | none within 10 km |
From each school's own admission arrangements for September 2027 entry. Priority groups such as looked-after children and children on Pupil Premium come before these rules. The postcode share uses ONS postcode centres and straight-line distance, so it counts postcodes, not households; a home near the edge of an area should be checked with the school.
Key dates
- 31 October 2026: deadline to apply for a secondary place, through Kensington and Chelsea Council even for schools in another council
Each school or group of schools sets its own test, with a registration window months before the test itself, and parents register their child directly.
Nearest grammar schools to Kensington and Chelsea
Straight-line distance from the centre of Kensington and Chelsea — not a travel time.
| School | Area | Distance | Intake | Ofsted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Henrietta Barnett School | London | 5.4 miles | Girls | Good |
| The Tiffin Girls' School | Kingston upon Thames | 7.3 miles | Girls | — |
| St Michael's Catholic Grammar School | London | 7.7 miles | Girls | Outstanding |
| Tiffin School | Kingston upon Thames | 7.8 miles | Boys | Good |
| Wallington County Grammar School | Wallington | 9.4 miles | Boys | Outstanding |
| Sutton Grammar School | Sutton | 9.5 miles | Boys | Good |
Published admissions priorities
These are extracts from school-specific arrangements for the entry years shown, in priority order. They are not the full policy or a prediction of an offer. Check the linked arrangement for test eligibility, deadlines and all remaining priorities.
The Henrietta Barnett School — 2026 entry
- Looked After/Previously Looked After Children ranked in the top 300 Round One test results (published source)
- Pupil Premium girls ranked in the top 300 Round One test results, with current-school confirmation (published source)
- Girls living within 3 miles of the school (measured at application, straight line), who sit the Round Two test — ranked by score if oversubscribed (published source)
The Tiffin Girls' School — 2026 entry
- Looked-After/Previously Looked-After Children with combined mark ≥ the 350th-ranked mark (published source)
- Up to 60 places (combined mark ≥ 350th-ranked mark): (i) Pupil Premium girls in the Inner Area or Designated Area, then (ii) all other girls in the Inner Area (published source)
- Remaining places: girls in the Designated Area, ranked by Combined Score (published source)
St Michael's Catholic Grammar School — 2026 entry
- Baptised + Practising Catholic girls who are Looked After/Previously Looked After, ranked in the top 200 entrance-test places (published source)
- Up to 32 places (25%): Baptised + Practising Catholic girls eligible for Pupil Premium, ranked in the top 200 (published source)
- Baptised + Practising Catholic girls, in rank score order (published source)
Tiffin School — 2026 entry
- Looked-After/Previously Looked-After Children in the Priority Area (<10km straight-line from school) (published source)
- Pupil Premium boys (primary school PP funding) in the Priority Area (published source)
- Remaining places (less up to 18 aptitude places): boys in the Priority Area, ranked by Combined Score (published source)
Wallington County Grammar School — 2026 entry
- Looked after and previously looked after children who reach the qualifying standard (published source)
- Sons of permanent staff employed at the school for two or more consecutive years (published source)
- Places in rank order of combined SET and second-stage score — up to 110 places for priorities 1 to 3 (published source)
Sutton Grammar School — 2026 entry
- Looked after and previously looked after children who reach the qualifying standard (published source)
- Sons of staff employed at the school on a permanent contract for at least two years (published source)
- Up to 10 places for boys eligible for the Pupil Premium living in SM1–7, KT4, KT17, CR0 4 or CR4 — in order of combined SET and second-stage score (published source)
Schools in Kensington and Chelsea
Kensington and Chelsea has 68 open schools. Browse all Kensington and Chelsea schools with Ofsted ratings, catchment areas and admission criteria, or see them on the map.
Have a specific question about admissions, scores or dates?
Ask SchoolsGPT