Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys
The Langton Grammar School for Boys admits boys via the 11+ Kent Test, using the GL exam board. There is no interview stage, and while the pass mark and selectivity ratio are unknown, the school operates a 9-mile priority area for applicants.
If your son is the kind who would rather work a problem out for himself than be handed the answer, Simon Langton is a school built around that instinct. It styles itself a community of independent learners, and the Good Schools Guide describes a highly sought-after Canterbury grammar "where independent thought thrives and pupils are immensely loyal to their school". A sign in the foyer reads "we don't have to do this, we get to do this", a line the Guide notes as a reminder that the place leans on boys wanting to be there.
The school has a long memory. It was founded in 1881 alongside its sister girls' grammar, took heavy damage in the 1942 wartime raids on Canterbury, and after the war settled at its present home at Nackington, on farmland to the south-east of the city, where it has stood since 1958. It takes boys aged 11 to 18, with a mixed sixth form. Science and mathematics are a particular strength, with the school promoting STEM strongly and keeping working links to organisations including CERN. Beyond the classroom there is a full programme of activities and a real emphasis on the spiritual, moral, social and cultural side of a boy's development alongside his academic work.
Led since 2017 by headteacher Dr Ken Moffat, the school suits a self-motivated boy who is ready to take charge of his own learning. It is a place that trusts him to think for himself rather than chasing him along, and the boys who flourish here are the ones who take that invitation up.
Key facts
Admissions
Admissions contact
admissions@thelangton.kent.sch.uk
Admissions phone
01227 463567
Registration form
https://www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/schools/school-places/kent-test
Sibling policy
What this school tests
Kent Test
English
- Punctuation
- Reading Comprehension - Comparison
- Reading Comprehension - Evaluation
- Reading Comprehension - Grammar and punctuation
- Reading Comprehension - Inference and Deduction
- Reading Comprehension - Information Retrieval
- Reading Comprehension - Language Techniques and Imagery
- Reading Comprehension - Sentence-level Comprehension
- Reading Comprehension - Sequencing
- Reading Comprehension - Structure, Form, Voice and Tone
- Reading Comprehension - Summarising
- Reading Comprehension - Text Classification and Purpose
- Reading Comprehension - Types of Words and Phrases
- Reading Comprehension - Word Meaning / Choice
- Sentence Completion
- Spelling
Maths
- Algebra
- Angles and Degrees
- BIDMAS
- Coordinate Grids
- Estimation and Rounding
- Factors and Multiples
- Fractions, Decimals and Percentages
- Magic squares
- Measurement
- Money
- Number and Place Value
- Number Walls
- Operations
- Perimeter, Area and Volume
- Position and Direction
- Properties of Shapes
- Ratio and Proportion
- Reflection, Rotation and Symmetry
- Sequences
- Special Numbers
- Speed, Distance and Time
- Statistics
- Time
Non-verbal Reasoning
- Extended Figure Series
- Figure Analogies
- Figure Matrices
- Figure Operations
- Figure Series
- Grid Matrices
- Horizontal Codes
- Most Like Three Figures
- Most Like Two Figures
- Odd Figure Out
- Star Matrices
- Triangle Matrices
- Triangle Series
- Vertical Codes
Verbal Reasoning
- Anagrams
- Compound Words
- Embedded Words
- Form a Word
- Insert a Letter
- Letter Analogies
- Letter Calculations
- Letter Codes
- Letter Grids
- Letter Sequences
- Move 1 / 2 Letters
- Number Analogies
- Number Calculations
- Number Sequences
- Related Words
- Rhyming Synonyms
- Shuffled Sentences
- Synonyms
- Word / Logic Puzzles
- Word Analogies
- Word Completion
- Word Match
- Word Opposites
- Word Pairs
- Word Relationships
- Words and Codes
Spatial Reasoning
- 2D Rotations
- Block Counting
- Combining Shapes
- Fold and Punch
- Folding Cubes
- Hidden Shapes
- Missing Face of Cube
- Shape Completion
Catchment area
Does Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys have a catchment area?
There is no fixed catchment, but the school operates a 9-mile priority area. Boys who pass the Kent Test and live within 9 miles are prioritised over those further away, with distance from the school used to rank applicants if the school is oversubscribed.
Selection review and safety net
Previous exam results
GCSE results
In 2025 students achieved an average Attainment 8 score of 66.8 across their GCSEs. 88.9% gained a grade 5 or better in both English and Maths. 35.2% achieved the English Baccalaureate at grade 5 or above.
Reference: https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/
A-level results
In 2025 students achieved a B average grade per A-Level entry. 23.4% gained AAB or better including two facilitating subjects.
Reference: https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/
Frequently asked questions
What exam board does The Langton Grammar School for Boys use for the 11+?
The Langton Grammar School for Boys uses the GL exam board for its 11+ entry.
Does The Langton Grammar School for Boys interview as part of the 11+?
No, there is no interview stage for 11+ entry at The Langton Grammar School for Boys.
Is The Langton Grammar School for Boys co-educational or single-sex?
The Langton Grammar School for Boys is a single-sex school, admitting boys for Year 7 entry.
What is The Langton Grammar School for Boys' website?
The official website for The Langton Grammar School for Boys is https://thelangton.org.uk/.
Does The Langton Grammar School for Boys have a catchment area?
While there is no fixed catchment, the school operates a 9-mile priority area. Boys who pass the Kent Test and live within this area are prioritised.
What is the 11+ pass mark for The Langton Grammar School for Boys?
The specific 11+ pass mark for The Langton Grammar School for Boys is not publicly disclosed.
Location
https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d2496.726499426537!2d1.0848521!3d51.2609449!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x47deca2b0169ce71%3A0x1cb6584627426585!2sSimon%20Langton%20Grammar%20School%20for%20Boys!5e0!3m2!1sen!2suk!4v1780593343234!5m2!1sen!2suk
