Applying for a school place in Kent
Year 7 applications close in 28 days (31 October); Reception applications close in 104 days (15 January). Apply through Kent if you live there.
In 2026, 78.9% of families in Kent applying for a secondary place got their first preference (England: 83.6%), and 96.2% got one of their preferences.
For Reception, 89.7% got their first preference (England: 92.4%).
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 28 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Kent (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 104 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Kent (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Key dates
| Starting September | Apply by | Offers | Schools in Kent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 7 2027 | Saturday 31 October 2026 | Monday 1 March 2027 | 104 |
| Reception 2027 | Friday 15 January 2027 | Friday 16 April 2027 | 448 |
Apply online: Year 7 places (GOV.UK) · Reception places (GOV.UK)
How many families got their first choice
Offers on national offer day, from the Department for Education. "Any preference" means one of the schools the family named.
| Year | Phase | Applications | First preference | Any preference | England, first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Reception | 16,593 | 89.7% | 98.2% | 92.4% |
| 2026 | Year 7 | 18,644 | 78.9% | 96.2% | 83.6% |
| 2025 | Reception | 16,524 | 90.6% | 98.5% | 92.6% |
| 2025 | Year 7 | 18,281 | 80.6% | 96.5% | 83.5% |
| 2024 | Reception | 16,654 | 91.3% | 98.7% | 93.2% |
| 2024 | Year 7 | 18,533 | 78.6% | 96.0% | 82.9% |
Hardest schools to get into in Kent
First-preference applications for each place offered in 2026. Above 1 means more families put the school first than it had places. Every school in Kent, with how many first-choice families got in →
Year 7
- Dartford Grammar School3.2 per place
- Dartford Grammar School for Girls2.4 per place
- The Judd School2.2 per place
- Tonbridge Grammar School2.0 per place
- St John's Catholic Comprehensive1.8 per place
- The Malling School1.6 per place
- School of Science and Technology Maidstone1.6 per place
- Cranbrook School1.6 per place
Reception
- Leigh Academy Cherry Orchard2.2 per place
- St Pauls' Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School2.1 per place
- Brabourne Church of England Primary School2.0 per place
- Palmarsh Primary School1.9 per place
- Istead Rise Primary School1.9 per place
- Cobham Primary School1.9 per place
- Valley Invicta Primary School at Holborough Lakes1.8 per place
- St Peter's Church of England Primary School1.8 per place
Questions about applying for a school in Kent
When is the deadline for school applications in Kent?
For a secondary (Year 7) place starting in September 2027, the closing date is Saturday 31 October 2026. For a primary (Reception) place starting in September 2027, it is Friday 15 January 2027. These are national dates in England, so they are the same in Kent as everywhere else.
When will I find out which school my child has been offered?
On national offer day: Monday 1 March 2027 for secondary places and Friday 16 April 2027 for primary places. Kent emails or writes to you that day.
How do I apply, and how many schools can I name?
Apply to Kent if you live there - you always apply to the council where you live, even for schools in another council's area, and even for academies, free schools and faith schools. Most councils let you name between 3 and 6 schools. Put them in your real order of preference: councils use an equal-preference system, so ranking one school first does not reduce your chances at the others.
How do schools decide who gets a place?
Only when a school has more applicants than places do its oversubscription criteria apply. Typically these put children in care first, then often siblings, then distance from home or a catchment area; faith schools and grammar schools add their own criteria. Each school publishes its criteria in its admissions policy, so read it for every school you name.
What happens if I miss the deadline?
Kent will still take your application, but it is considered after everyone who applied on time, so popular schools may already be full. If you have just moved to the area, tell the council: many treat a recent move as a reason to accept a late application as on time.
What if we don't get the school we wanted?
You can ask to go on the waiting list of any school you named that ranked higher than the one offered (waiting lists are ordered by the admissions criteria, not by how long you have waited), and you have the right to appeal to an independent panel. Accept the place you are offered while you wait, so your child is not left without one.