Thousands of practice questions and up to 6 mock papers, all in the exact Maidstone Grammar School 11+ format, on one simple plan. It starts with a free diagnostic.
Thousands of practice questions and up to 6 mock papers, all in the exact Maidstone Grammar School 11+ format, on one simple plan. It starts with a free diagnostic.
If your child is a capable boy who is ready to work hard and take charge of his own learning, Maidstone Grammar School is one to look at. It is a selective boys' grammar in Kent, fully state-funded with no fees, taking boys at 11 through the Kent Test, with girls joining alongside them in the sixth form at 16. It is also one of Kent's oldest schools. The roots reach back to a friars' school in 1348, with a formal founding in 1549 when the people of Maidstone bought Corpus Christi Hall and a royal charter set up a grammar school; it settled on its current Barton Road site in 1930. That long history gives the place a strong sense of belonging, the kind that stays with old boys for life.
The Good Schools Guide calls it a traditional grammar that induces "great loyalty and pride", with a modern streak and a clear stance on inclusivity. It describes the school as best suited to "self-motivated pupils, prepared to put the hard graft in and take responsibility for their learning". The boys it met came across as bright and confident with "no pretentions", with a few "cheeky chappies" happy to put their hands up and own their mistakes. The picture is of a busy, grounded school rather than a pressured one.
Maidstone Grammar suits a boy who is ready to put the work in and grow up somewhere with deep roots and real pride in itself. It has been led since 2012 by headteacher Mark Tomkins, himself a former pupil of Pate's Grammar. For a son who wants a school that will both stretch him and stand behind him, this is a steady, long-established choice.
Yes
Does Maidstone Grammar School have a catchment area?
No, MGS does not operate a strict catchment area, but boys who pass the Kent Test and live in its listed parishes around Maidstone are given priority for places over those living further away.
Maidstone Grammar School uses the GL exam board for its 11+ entrance test, which is part of the Kent Test.
Candidates for Maidstone Grammar School's 11+ should aim for 75%+ in practice tests to be competitive.
No, Maidstone Grammar School does not include an interview stage as part of its 11+ admissions process.
Maidstone Grammar School is a single-sex boys' school for Year 7 entry. Girls join the school for the sixth form at 16.
Maidstone Grammar School does not operate a strict catchment area. However, boys who pass the Kent Test and live in listed parishes around Maidstone are given priority for places.
The official website for Maidstone Grammar School is https://mgs.kent.sch.uk/.
Your son first needs to reach the required standard in the Kent Test, the county's age 11 assessment run by Kent County Council. Places are then offered in priority order: looked-after and previously looked-after children first, then qualifying boys living in the listed parishes, then other parish boys, then other qualifying boys. Within each group, children receiving Free School Meals come first, then siblings, then children of staff, then those living nearest the school. A child with an EHCP naming the school is admitted first. There's no fixed pass mark for getting a place; it depends on demand each year.
Entry is through the Kent Test, which is run by Kent County Council rather than by Maidstone itself, and the school's own admissions policy doesn't set out a reserve test or reasonable-adjustment arrangements for the main test. If your son is ill on the test day, or needs adjustments such as extra time, contact Kent County Council's admissions team and the school as early as you can to ask what can be arranged.
