Thousands of practice questions and up to 6 mock papers, all in the exact Oakwood Park 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 Oakwood Park Grammar School 11+ format, on one simple plan. It starts with a free diagnostic.
If you have a son who works hard and likes to feel part of something, Oakwood Park Grammar School in Maidstone may suit him well. It is a selective boys' school taking pupils from 11 to 18, set on a green site on the edge of town. The school grew out of a technical school founded in 1918 and took its present name in 1983, and today around 1,090 boys are on roll. None of that history weighs heavily on a new starter, though; what families tend to notice first is how settled and friendly the place feels.
The school motto is "Strive and Serve", and that idea shapes daily life more than it might sound. Staff describe a community built on kindness, tolerance and respect, where boys are proud of their school and encouraged to give something back. There is a yearly volunteering day when students give their time to people around Maidstone, and a steady record of looking after pupils well. Alongside a wide academic offer, the school asks boys to build resilience, take on new skills and question what they read. Behaviour is one of its real strengths, and visitors often remark on how polite and courteous the pupils are.
The sixth form is a particular point of pride and a clear thing for a younger boy to aim towards. Oakwood Park suits a boy who responds to high expectations held in a warm, community-minded setting. The school is led by headteacher Mrs Sarah Craig, who took up the post in 2024. For a family who wants their son stretched while he is genuinely looked after, it is well worth a closer look.
Yes
Does Oakwood Park Grammar School have a catchment area?
No. Oakwood Park does not have a defined catchment area. Places are offered to boys assessed suitable through the Kent Test, with distance from the school used only as a final tie-breaker if the school is oversubscribed.
Oakwood Park Grammar School uses the GL exam board as part of the Kent Test for its 11+ entry.
No, Oakwood Park Grammar School does not include an interview stage as part of its 11+ admissions process.
Oakwood Park Grammar School is a single-sex school for boys.
No, Oakwood Park Grammar School does not have a defined catchment area. Distance from the school is used only as a final tie-breaker if the school is oversubscribed.
The official website for Oakwood Park Grammar School is https://www.opgs.org/.
Your son first needs to reach the required standard in the Kent Test (the PESE procedure), run by Kent County Council. Places are then offered in priority order: looked-after and previously looked-after children first, then boys with a brother or sister already at the school, then those with a demonstrable medical, social or special access need to attend, then boys in receipt of Student Premium (Free School Meals), then those living nearest the school. A boy with an EHCP or statement naming the school is admitted first. If children are otherwise tied for the last place, names are drawn at random. 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 Oakwood Park 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's admissions office as early as you can to ask what can be arranged.
