Kent Grammar Schools: What Are Single-Sex Schools Really Like?

[MsDarcy]

Hi everyone,

We’re moving to Folkestone from Surrey in 2026 with our three children, the eldest is currently in Year 4, and we’re starting to look closely at secondary school options in the area - especially grammar schools.

We’d really appreciate any insight on:

Quality of education:
What’s your experience of the academic standards at Harvey Grammar School and the Folkestone School for Girls?

Chances of getting in:
How competitive are the 11+ Kent and Shepway tests for these schools?

Single-sex schooling & social environment:
Is there much mixing between Harvey and the girls’ school or in after-school activities, or are the two very separate?

Alternatives:
What are the alternative school options locally?

We’re really grateful for local perspectives - both positives and things to be aware of. Thanks so much in advance!

Both the grammars have high academic standards. There is not very much mixing between the schools. About 25 percent of children pass the kent test. There is an additional shepway test which gives children a second chance to pass. Unlike the kent test the shepway test just has an overall pass mark, so it suits children better if they are weaker in one area. The secondary moderns in this area have less than 20 percent of children getting 5 good gcses.

Thanks so much, @starpatch - that’s really useful to know and gives us some food for thought.

Happy to help if you have more questions. You need to move to shepway district for folkestone grammars. Ie capel is lovely but in Dover district.

My daughter is in Y7 at FSG. She absolutely loves it - the school is fantastic with amazing pastoral care. They are very much focused on an all-round education, so large amounts of time and resource are invested in non-academic development. The school campus is also very good, with an enormous amount on offer. She very much enjoys not having to put up with boys at school - dealing with the Harvey boys on the bus is enough for her!

The Kent test is harder than the Shepway test - as PP has said, you need to pass all elements of the Kent whereas with the Shepway it is just an overall pass mark. It will be worth speaking to your primary school in year 5 about your child(ren), as they often do assessments and then tell you what your child should be aiming for in terms of secondary school. From our experience so far with FSG it does require your child to be "grammar suitable" - if you have to hothouse them through the entrance tests with a huge amount of tutoring, then they may well struggle and be unhappy. We've seen it with some of DDs friends.

There isn't a huge amount of mixing between the schools but there is some - more for the extra-curricular stuff. There is a large amount of out of school stuff they can get involved in for a mixed environment - water sports, dance, drama etc but it's on you to find it.

The non-grammars are what you'd expect when you take the most able 25% out and put them in a grammar system. That being said, Brockhill is highly sought after and has a strong arts offering.