Wilmington Grammar School for Girls 11 plus is one of the best known grammar options in the Dartford area, based in Wilmington and close enough for many families to consider alongside Dartford and Bexley schools. For most children, the journey starts with the Kent Test in Year 6 and then moves into the normal secondary application process through your local authority.
What tends to matter most is getting the order of steps right and understanding how offers are made when the school is oversubscribed. Families usually feel wobbly not because the process is complex, but because it is easy to miss one form or one deadline.
A calm first step is to map the year ahead on one page and keep it somewhere visible. The Kent grammar school application steps checklist is a helpful way to do that without overthinking it.
This guide focuses on 2026 entry to Year 7. It explains the admissions rules in plain English, what the tests feel like on the day, how distance and priority areas work, and how to prepare steadily without turning Year 5 and Year 6 into a grind.
| School name | Wilmington Grammar School for Girls |
| Location | Parsons Lane, Wilmington, Kent, DA2 7BB |
| School type | Selective grammar school for girls |
| Age range | 11 to 18 |
| Year 7 admission number | 180 places |
| Entrance route | Kent Assessment Procedure (Kent Test) |
| Sixth form | Joint sixth form with Wilmington Grammar School for Boys |
| Location |
Register through the Kent system and keep your login details safe, as you may need them again when results are released. Registration windows and deadlines are published on the Kent Test registration and key dates page.
Your child sits the Kent Test in Year 6, usually at their primary school if they attend a Kent primary. You later receive a decision confirming whether they have been assessed as suitable for grammar.
Apply through your home local authority using the Secondary Common Application Form and list Wilmington Grammar School for Girls as one of your preferences.
Submit the school’s supplementary form only if you meet the stated conditions, such as a sibling link or Pupil Premium evidence. Instructions and deadlines are published on the Wilmington Grammar School for Girls admissions and appeals information page.
Offers are made on National Offer Day. Waiting lists then move as places are accepted or declined, and appeals follow a set timetable.
If you are refused a place, you can appeal only if the school was named on your application by the published deadline. Keeping paperwork organised early helps, as appeal evidence takes time to gather.
| Milestone | Date |
| Kent Test registration opens | 2 June 2025 |
| Kent Test registration closes | 1 July 2025 |
| Special arrangements deadline | 1 July 2025 |
| Kent Test date (Kent primaries) | 11 September 2025 |
| Kent Test decision day | 16 October 2025 |
| Secondary application deadline | 31 October 2025 |
| National Offer Day | 2 March 2026 |
| Appeal deadline (first round) | 2 April 2026 |
Wilmington Grammar School for Girls applies a clear oversubscription order once girls have been assessed as grammar suitable.
Distance is measured as a straight line using address point data rather than driving routes. The policy follows the National Land and Property Gazetteer approach. GeoPlace explains this clearly in its guide to address and street data.
Living closer can improve priority, but it is never a promise. The number of applicants in each category changes every year.
The Wilmington Grammar School for Girls entrance route is the Kent Test. Papers are multiple choice and marked by computer using separate answer sheets, so children need to be comfortable selecting answers accurately under time pressure.
Kent explains the structure and timing on its official Prepare for the Kent Test page.
For many children, the challenge is not the content but the pace, focus, and ability to move on when a question feels sticky. Timed familiarisation matters more than endless worksheets.
Using one consistent structure helps keep evenings manageable. The year by year 11 plus preparation plan supports steady progress without overload.
A clear overview of how the Kent Test is commonly experienced is available in the Atom Learning Kent Test guide. As a clear starting point, you can book a free 11 plus diagnostic session with Find Your Tutor FYT focused on Wilmington Grammar School for Girls. This benchmarks your child’s current level and provides a personalised preparation roadmap for the months ahead.
Join Hundreds of Families Who Secured Wilmington Grammar School for Girls Places with Find Your Tutor.
No, but priority is affected by distance and the defined priority area rules, so address can change how likely an offer is
Yes, but you still need to follow the Kent Test registration and your home local authority application process.
For Year 7 entry the route is through the Kent Test, not a separate school set paper.
No, it is designed as one assessment cycle for that entry year.
It means your child met the threshold set for a grammar school education in that Kent Test cycle.
The published admission number is 180, though it can be adjusted for named education plans.
