What score did Dartford Grammar School need last year?
For September 2026 entry, the last boy offered a place on National Offer Day had 381 in the Priority Area and 403 in Category 2, which is open to any address. For the reserved Pupil Premium places the figures were 368 and 392. The year before (September 2025 entry) they were 374 and 402, and 352 and 382. These change every year.
Published figures
| Category | Sept 2026 entry | Sept 2025 entry |
|---|---|---|
| Priority Area | 381 | 374 |
| Priority Area Pupil Premium | 368 | 352 |
| Category 2 - All addresses | 403 | 402 |
| Category 2 - All addresses Pupil Premium | 392 | 382 |
Total Kent Test scores on offer day. The school does not publish figures for places offered later from the waiting list.
How places are decided
- For September 2027 entry the school admits 180 boys into Year 7: 130 places in Category 1, for boys who live in its Priority Area, and 50 places in Category 2, for all applicants whatever their address.
- Entry is through the Kent Test. Only boys given the grammar assessment can be considered for a place.
- A pass in the Bexley test does not make a boy eligible: he must pass the Kent Test.
- Within each category boys are ranked by their total Kent Test score. Where scores are tied, the boy who lives nearer the school comes first.
- To be offered a Priority Area place on score, a boy needs a total at least 40 points above the Kent Test threshold. Category 2 has no extra minimum: all remaining eligible boys are ranked by score there, including boys from the Priority Area.
- Up to 13 of the Priority Area places and up to 5 of the Category 2 places are reserved for boys eligible for the Pupil Premium who score at least 20 points above the Kent Test threshold.
- The Priority Area is the Dartford wards that pay council tax to Dartford Borough Council, plus the parishes of Ash-cum-Ridley, Crockenhill, Eynsford, Farningham, Fawkham, Hartley, Hextable, Horton Kirby and South Darenth, Swanley and West Kingsdown.
- The school has no sibling policy: an older brother at the school gives no priority.
- A Supplementary Information Form is needed only by families applying under the Pupil Premium criterion. For September 2027 entry it goes to the school between 1 September and 2 November 2026.
Questions parents ask
Does passing the Kent Test guarantee a grammar school place?
No. Passing makes your child eligible, but grammar schools are often oversubscribed and each one ranks the eligible children by its own admissions criteria. Some rank by score, some by where you live and how far away, and some by both.
We live outside Kent. Can my child take the Kent Test?
Yes. Kent County Council asks you to register only if you intend to apply for a Kent grammar school. Children from schools outside the council’s area sit the test at a Kent testing centre at the weekend. You then apply on your own council’s form, even for a Kent school. Some Kent grammar schools, particularly those most likely to offer places to children from outside Kent, give priority to the highest scores.
A cut-off or a distance is what was needed that year. It changes every year and is not a promise for the next. The school’s own website is dartfordgrammarschool.org.uk.
Sources: Cut-off scores on National Offer Day · Admissions policy for September 2027 entry · Year 7 admissions: frequently asked questions (September 2027) · Apply for a Kent grammar school place · Register for the Kent Test · Admission to secondary school in Kent 2027 (guide for parents) · Co-ordinated scheme for secondary admissions 2027-28
Checked on 5 October 2026. If you spot something out of date, please tell us.
