SchoolsGPT

Dartford Grammar School for Girls vs Maidstone Grammar School

Both are grammar schools in Kent, 18.7 miles apart. Side-by-side on official DfE, Ofsted and council admissions data.

Side by side

Dartford Grammar School for Girls Maidstone Grammar School
Phase Secondary Secondary
Gender Girls Boys
Pupils on roll 1,257 1,443
Free school meals 23.9% 8.7%
Ofsted rating Not published Good
Attainment 8 — 2025/26 77.3 67
11+ test board GL Assessment GL Assessment
Admission system qualifying score is the minimum; places then go in score order (distance only breaks ties) pass/fail + catchment (passing the test is a gate; living in the catchment area determines priority over score)
Places offered — 202627 178 205
First preferences per place — higher means more competition for a first-preference place 2.4 1.15

Qualifying scores

Dartford Grammar School for Girls

332 out of 423 (2026 entry)

Aggregate ≥332 with no single paper below 108. County-wide Kent Test threshold: reaching it earns a 'suitable for grammar school' assessment, NOT a place — each school then applies its own oversubscription criteria, and super-selective schools (The Judd School, Skinners', Tonbridge, Dartford) fill in score order well above the threshold.

Council source ↗

Maidstone Grammar School

332 out of 423 (2026 entry)

Aggregate ≥332 with no single paper below 108. County-wide Kent Test threshold: reaching it earns a 'suitable for grammar school' assessment, NOT a place — each school then applies its own oversubscription criteria, and super-selective schools (The Judd School, Skinners', Tonbridge, Dartford) fill in score order well above the threshold.

Council source ↗

Who gets priority

Where a school is oversubscribed, these are the first criteria applied, in order. This is usually what decides an application.

Dartford Grammar School for Girls

  1. Looked after and previously looked after children
  2. Girls in the targeted free school meals (Pupil Premium) group
  3. 100 places for girls living in the Borough of Dartford or the named parishes (Ash-cum-Ridley, Crockenhill, Eynsford, Farningham, Fawkham, Hartley, Hextable, Horton Kirby and South Darenth, Swanley…
  4. Remaining eligible girls, wherever they live

Source: school admissions policy.

Maidstone Grammar School

  1. Looked after and previously looked after children
  2. Boys living in the listed parishes (Maidstone and surrounding parishes, including Aylesford, Bearsted, Coxheath, Headcorn, Kings Hill, Marden, Snodland, Staplehurst and West Malling) who score 360 or…
  3. Other qualifying boys in the listed parishes — targeted free school meals first, then siblings, children of staff, nearest first
  4. All other qualifying boys — targeted free school meals first, then siblings, children of staff, nearest first

Source: school admissions policy.

Choosing between them

Dartford Grammar School for Girls is a girls school and Maidstone Grammar School is a boys school, so for many families the starting point is which one can admit their child. The figures on this page are the published ones — they describe intakes and results, not what either school would be like for your child. The right choice depends on your family's own priorities and circumstances.

Full detail for each school: Dartford Grammar School for Girls · Maidstone Grammar School
Or see all secondary schools in Kent ranked.

Other Kent comparisons

All grammar school comparisons →

Have a specific question about admissions, scores or dates?

Ask SchoolsGPT