About Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School
Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School is a selective girls' grammar school in Canterbury, Kent, admitting 160 girls per year. It uses the Kent Test (GL Assessment). Simon Langton Girls is rated Good by Ofsted and known for its breadth of curriculum and strong Sixth Form.
Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School provides an excellent education with high academic standards and a broad curriculum. GCSE 9–7: 70%.
About the GL Assessment 11+ Test for Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School
Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School is a girls state grammar school in England that uses the GL Assessment 11+ entrance test to select pupils for Year 7 admission. The school admits approximately 160 Year 7 pupils each September, and applications must be made through your home Local Authority via the Common Application Form (CAF) — never directly to the school.
The GL Assessment 11+ is one of two main 11+ test providers in England (the other being CEM, now retired in many regions). The Kent test typically consists of multiple papers covering English, Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning, and Non-Verbal Reasoning. Scores are standardised against the cohort age distribution, so younger pupils are not disadvantaged. Each school sets its own qualifying mark (pass mark).
For 2027 entry, the GL Assessment test is sat in Thursday 11 September 2026 and results are released to parents on mid-October 2026 — crucially, before the Common Application Form deadline of Friday 31 October 2026, giving parents time to consider results before listing school preferences. National Offers Day is Monday 1 March 2027, when Local Authorities issue Year 7 secondary school offers.
Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School is academically selective — pupils must achieve the qualifying mark in the 11+ test to be eligible for a place. If applications exceed the published admission number (160 places), the school applies its oversubscription criteria (looked-after children, FSME, siblings, distance) to allocate places. This page is updated each year with the latest verified admissions criteria, key dates and oversubscription rules.
Year 7 Admissions Guide for Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School
Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School Admissions Criteria
Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School is a selective girls' grammar school in Canterbury, Kent, admitting 160 girls per year. It uses the Kent Test (GL Assessment). Simon Langton Girls is rated Good by Ofsted and known for its breadth of curriculum and strong Sixth Form.
- ✓Register for the Kent Test via Kent County Council — opens June, closes July (Year 5).
- ✓Sit the Kent Test: two one-hour multiple-choice papers plus 40-minute writing task.
- ✓Achieve the qualifying threshold (total 332+, no subject below 106).
- ✓Looked-after and previously looked-after children (highest priority).
- ✓Girls within the Canterbury priority area who have achieved the qualifying standard.
- ✓All other qualifying girls, ranked by distance from school.
Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School Oversubscription Criteria
If applications exceed the 160 Year 7 admission number, the Board of Governors / Trust applies the following criteria in priority order. Final ranking uses the standardised score achieved in the GL Assessment 11+ entrance test.
- Looked-after / previously looked-after children (highest priority by law)
- Children who achieve the qualifying mark in the entrance test (above the qualifying standard set by Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School)
- Children eligible for Pupil Premium / Free School Meals Entitlement (FSME)
- Children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) naming the school
- Children with sibling(s) currently attending the school
- Children of staff (where staff member has worked at the school for 2+ years)
- Children ranked by total standardised score (highest first) up to the published admission number
- Tiebreak: distance from home to school (straight-line measurement) for children with equal scores
Key Dates & Deadlines — Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School 2026 Entry
| 📌 Registration opens | early July 2026 |
| 📌 Registration closes | early July 2026 |
| 📌 GL Assessment 11+ Entrance Test | Thursday 11 September 2026 (in-school for state primary pupils); Saturday 13 September 2026 (for independent/out-of-county pupils) |
| 📌 Test results released | mid-October 2026 |
| 📌 CAF deadline (apply via Local Authority) | Friday 31 October 2026 |
| 📌 National Offers Day | Monday 1 March 2027 |
How to Apply to Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School via the Common Application Form
Step 1 — Register your child for the GL Assessment 11+ Test
Register through your regional 11+ portal (e.g. Kent) when registration opens. Closes early July 2026. There is no fee to sit the GL Assessment test.
Step 2 — Attend an Open Day at Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School
Visit during Year 5 or early Year 6 to meet staff and pupils and decide whether to list this school on your CAF.
Step 3 — Sit the GL Assessment Entrance Test
Your child sits the GL Assessment in Thursday 11 September 2026. The test typically covers English, Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning, with standardised scores age-adjusted.
Step 4 — Receive your standardised test results
Test results are released to parents on mid-October 2026, BEFORE the Common Application Form deadline. You will receive a standardised score and an indication of whether your child has passed the qualifying mark.
Step 5 — Complete your Common Application Form (CAF)
List Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School as one of your preferences on the CAF submitted via your home Local Authority (not the school's LA, unless they are the same). You can usually list 3-6 preferences depending on your LA.
Step 6 — Submit the CAF by the deadline
Submit your CAF by Friday 31 October 2026. Late applications are processed only after all on-time applications have been allocated, dramatically reducing your chance of a place.
Step 7 — Receive your school offer on National Offers Day
Offers are issued via your Local Authority on Monday 1 March 2027. If unsuccessful, you can appeal or join Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School's waiting list — managed by the school itself.
GL Assessment Subjects Tested at Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School
Simon Langton Girls' selects through the Kent Test (GL Assessment), shared across Kent's grammar schools — multiple-choice papers plus a writing task, age-standardised, with a qualifying total of 332 and no single score below about 107.
- Reasoning: verbal, non-verbal and spatial reasoning.
- English & mathematics: Key Stage 2 comprehension, literacy and numeracy.
- Writing task: a short piece used mainly for borderline and appeal cases.
GL Assessment Practice Papers for Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School
Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School uses the GL Assessment 11+ format. Our practice papers closely mirror the actual test structure — with full video explanations for every question.
- 3 × English, Maths, VR & NVR tests
- 600 video explanations
- 31.5 hours of video content
- 3 × English, Maths, VR & NVR tests
- 600 video explanations
- 28.5 hours of video content
- 4 high-quality practice tests
- 1 × English, Maths, VR, NVR
- 200 video explanations
- 11.5 hrs video content
- 4 high-quality practice tests
- 1 × English, Maths, VR, NVR
- 200 video explanations
- 10.5 hrs video content
- 4 high-quality practice tests
- 1 × English, Maths, VR, NVR
- 200 video explanations
- 9.5 hrs video content
- 4 high-quality practice tests
- 1 × English, Maths, VR, NVR
- 200 video explanations
- 10 hrs video content
- 4 high-quality practice tests
- 1 × English, Maths, VR, NVR
- 200 video explanations
- 9.5 hrs video content
- 4 high-quality practice tests
- 1 × English, Maths, VR, NVR
- 200 video explanations
- 9 hrs video content
How to Prepare for the Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School 11+ Exam
ExamTutor practice papers with tutor explanations for every question offers an affordable substitute for private tuition for a fraction of the cost.
📋 Take a Diagnostic Test
Start with a timed practice test to identify strengths and areas needing improvement.
📅 Build a Study Plan
Start at least 6–12 months before the exam. Focus extra time on weaker subjects.
🎥 Review with Video Explanations
Watch video solutions for incorrect answers. Rewatch difficult topics until confident.
⏱️ Develop Exam Technique
Practice under timed conditions to build stamina and learn to manage difficult questions.
📈 Track Progress
Monitor scores over time to see genuine improvement and identify remaining weak spots.
🚀 Build Confidence
Simulating real exam conditions means no surprises on the day — your child knows what to expect.
Academic Performance at Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School (GCSE & A-Level Results)
Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School is a high-achieving Canterbury grammar with strong GCSE and A-Level results and good progression to leading universities, alongside a distinctive enrichment offer through its Langton Extended Curriculum.
- GCSE & A-Level: consistently strong results across a broad, ambitious curriculum.
- Sixth form: a co-educational sixth form (boys admitted since 2010).
- Enrichment: the Langton Extended Curriculum offers electives beyond the national curriculum.
Exam results change annually, so always confirm the latest published figures on the school's website.
Catchment Area for Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School
Admission to Year 7 is through the Kent Test (the PESE assessment), produced by GL Assessment and used across Kent. It is an hour-long reasoning paper (verbal, non-verbal and spatial reasoning) and an hour-long English and mathematics paper, plus a 40-minute writing task used only in borderline cases. A child receives standardised scores in English, maths and reasoning and an overall total; the Kent qualifying standard is a total of 332 or above with no single score below about 107. Families register through the Kent County Council portal and name the school on the Secondary Common Application Form.
The school admits around 180 girls to Year 7 and has no formal catchment, instead prioritising proximity to the school. After children with an EHCP and looked-after children, qualified girls are prioritised, with straight-line distance used to allocate remaining places. Always confirm the current arrangements in the school's admissions booklet.
Pastoral Care, Sport & Extracurricular Life
Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School is a selective girls' grammar (voluntary controlled) for ages 11–18, with a co-educational sixth form since 2010, on Old Dover Road in Canterbury, Kent (CT1 3EW), with around 1,200 students. It emerged as a separate girls' school in 1881 from a medieval Canterbury foundation and is named after Simon Langton, a 13th-century Archdeacon of Canterbury; rebuilt on its present site in 1950, it sits about half a mile from its brother school, Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys.
Organising pupils across six houses named after historically significant women, the school encourages students to aim high and think independently, supported by its Langton Extended Curriculum and a wide enrichment programme. For the full list of activities and pastoral arrangements, see the school's own website.
Frequently Asked Questions about Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School
How do I apply to Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School for Year 7?
Applications to Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School are made through your home Local Authority Common Application Form (CAF) — not directly to the school. Your child must sit the GL Assessment 11+ test (registration closes early July 2026), then list Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School on the CAF. The CAF deadline is Friday 31 October 2026.
Does Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School use the GL Assessment 11+ test?
Yes — Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School uses the GL Assessment 11+ entrance test for Year 7 admission, taken in Thursday 11 September 2026 (in-school for state primary pupils); Saturday 13 September 2026 (for independent/out-of-county pupils). The test covers English, Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning, with standardised age-adjusted scores.
What is the pass mark / qualifying score for Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School?
Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School sets its own qualifying mark each year. Pupils must score at or above the qualifying mark to be eligible for a place. Final ranking is by total standardised score (highest first) up to the admission number of 160 places.
How many Year 7 places does Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School have?
Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School admits 160 Year 7 pupils each September. Demand for places typically exceeds supply, so the school applies its oversubscription criteria (looked-after children, FSME, siblings, distance) to allocate places fairly.
When are GL Assessment results released in 2026?
For 2027 Year 7 entry, GL Assessment test results are released on mid-October 2026 — before the Common Application Form deadline of Friday 31 October 2026. You will receive a standardised score and an indication of whether your child has passed the qualifying mark.
When is National Offers Day for Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School in 2027?
National Offers Day for Year 7 secondary school places in England is Monday 1 March 2027. Offers are issued by your home Local Authority — not directly by the school. If unsuccessful, you can appeal or join Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School's waiting list.
Is Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School a state school or fee-paying?
Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School is a state-funded grammar school — there are no tuition fees. As a state grammar, it is academically selective via the GL Assessment 11+ test, but pupils who pass the test do not pay to attend.
How can my child prepare for the Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School 11+ test?
ExamTutor offers a complete GL Assessment 11+ preparation programme including tutor-led practice papers, full video explanations for every question (covering all GL topic areas — English, Mathematics, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning), and downloadable resources. Most parents start preparation 12-18 months before the September 11+ test.
Where can I find Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School's official admissions policy?
The full Admissions Policy for Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School 2027 entry is published on the school's official website. Always check the school's website for the most up-to-date oversubscription criteria, qualifying mark, supplementary forms (if any), and any school-specific application requirements.