Dover Grammar School for Girls
99%
Capacity
872
Pupils
2.6x
Demand
About Dover Grammar School for Girls
Dover Grammar School for Girls posts a Progress 8 score of 0.17, which is well above the Kent local authority average of -0.13 for state secondary schools. That gap of 0.3 is significant — it means pupils here make notably more academic progress between Year 7 and Year 11 than the typical student across the county. The school ranks 4th out of 8 schools in the Dover district on this measure, and sits in the top 40% nationally. Its Attainment 8 score of 59.3 is strong, and 71.8% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths — a key benchmark. The school is heavily oversubscribed: for 140 places in 2025/26, it received 359 applications, with 181 families putting it as their first choice. That level of demand tells you local parents see it as a clear step above the LA norm.
Digging into the subject breakdown, the school’s Progress 8 score is driven by strong English results (0.43) and open subjects (0.12), while maths sits slightly below average at -0.14. The EBacc entry rate is high at 85.5%, and 48.4% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above across the full EBacc suite. At A-level, the school’s value-added score is -0.07, which is classed as average, with students averaging a C+ grade per entry. The best three A-levels also average at C+. Ofsted visited in March 2025 and rated the school Good across the board — quality of education, behaviour, personal development, leadership, and sixth-form provision all scored 2. That’s a downgrade from its previous Outstanding rating in 2013, but the inspectors noted no single area was weak.
The school is a girls’ grammar with a sixth form, and its facilities include a swimming pool, theatre, astro turf, and tennis courts. Clubs range from Chess and Debating to Young Enterprise and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. SEND support covers dyslexia, autism, speech and language needs, and physical disabilities — 22% of parents who responded to the Parent View survey said their child had SEND, and 80% of those agreed the school gives them the support they need. 84% of parents would recommend the school. It suits families who want a selective, academically strong environment with good extracurricular breadth, and who are comfortable with a school that is very oversubscribed — getting a place is competitive.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Girls |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Frith Road, Dover, Dover, CT16 2PZ |
| Headteacher | Daniel Quinn |
| Local Authority | Kent |
| Number of Pupils | 872 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 18.3% |
| School Capacity | 872 / 885 (99% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
4 Mar 2025Quality of Education
Good
Since Sep 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 3 Apr 2025. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.17)
1163rd of 3,141
Nationally
182nd of 461
In South East
4th of 8
In Dover
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make more progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
36.8
'22/23
36.5
'23/24
34.6
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2389%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 132 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)89%
- FE college8%
- Employment2%
- Not sustained1%
99% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2354%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 99 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
20%
Russell Group
23%
Top-third HE
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)54%
- Employment29%
- Not sustained9%
- Further education3%
- Apprenticeship2%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Psychology46
- History31
- Geography29
- Biology28
- English Literature22
- Business Studies:Single18
- Mathematics17
- Sociology15
- Art and Design (Photography)12
- Chemistry11
- Economics10
- Physics10
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
Ofsted Parent View
113 responsesWould Recommend This School
Source: Ofsted Parent View (GOV.UK statistical data), Sep – Sep 2025
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
12Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
16Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed140
359
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
181 families put this school as their 1st choice (50% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:35 – 15:20
Breakfast club
07:45-08:30
Source: dggs.kent.sch.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.
Ethnic background
- White British77.8%
- Mixed9.3%
- Asian4.8%
- White (other)4.8%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
14
Total schools
12
Oversubscribed
10
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
Was this page helpful?
Frequently Asked Questions About Dover Grammar School for Girls
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Frith Road, Dover
Dover, CT16 2PZ
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
Parent Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience at Dover Grammar School for Girls!
Write a Review