Highsted Grammar School

When there are more applications than places for 2027-28 (Year 7), places are offered in this order of priority. Meeting a higher criterion beats meeting a lower one.

1. 1Looked After Children and previously Looked After Children — A 'looked after child' is a child who is (a) in the care of a local authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions (see the definition in Section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989) at the time of making an application to a school. A previously looked after child means such children who were adopted (or subject to child arrangements orders or special guardianship orders) immediately following having been looked after and those children who appear to the admission authority to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted. A child is regarded as having been in state care outside of England if they were in the care of or were accommodated by a public authority, a religious organisation, or any other provider of care whose sole or main purpose is to benefit society.
2. 2Children in receipt of Pupil Premium — A child is eligible for Pupil Premium where they have been registered for free school meals (FSM) at any point in the last 6 years. This does not include children who have only been eligible to receive Universal Infant Free School Meals. Pupil Premium is also afforded to Children in Local Authority Care or previously in Local Authority Care, however these children will be prioritised in the relevant criteria above. Eligible girls who reside in the postal code areas beginning with the following: ME9, ME10, ME11, ME12. Parents wishing to apply under this criterion must ensure they complete the attached Supplementary Information Form and return it to the school by 31 January in the year of application. Parents must also complete an application (paper Secondary Common Application Form) naming the school, otherwise their child cannot be considered for a place.
3. 3Current Family Association — a sister (or brother in the Sixth Form) attending the school at the time of entry. In this context sister or brother means child who live as sister or brother in the same house, including natural sisters or brothers, adopted siblings, stepsisters or brothers and foster sisters and brothers.
4. 4Nearness of children's homes to school — We use the distance between the child's permanent home address and the school, measured in a straight line using the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG) address point data. Distances are measured from a point defined as within the child's home to a point defined as within the school as specified by NLPG. The same address point on the school site is used for everybody. When we apply the distance criterion for the school, these straight-line measurements are used to determine how close each applicant's address is to the school. Where applications are made from properties or abodes that are not registered on the NLPG, including new build properties, KCC may be required to use planning sites or other relevant co-ordinates. In exceptional circumstances where alternative co-ordinates are not available measurements will be determined by a Senior Admissions Officer and confirmed by Head of Service.

If two applications tie: In the unlikely event that two or more children in all other ways have equal eligibility for the last available place at the school, the names will be allocated a number and drawn randomly to decide which child should be given the place.

School is an 11-18 selective grammar school for girls; boys are admitted into the sixth form only. The PAN of 150 stated at the end of the document refers to external applicants for the sixth form; the Year 7 PAN is also stated as 150. Two routes to eligibility exist: Kent PESE and the optional Highsted procedure. Criterion b (Pupil Premium) is geographically restricted to postal codes ME9, ME10, ME11, ME12 and requires a Supplementary Information Form by 31 January.

Published by the admission authority. Meeting a criterion never guarantees a place — it sets the order places are offered in. Full detail, other entry points and previous years are on the Admissions tab.